Category: Makeup

21
Jul

My fave picks from Clinique, Revlon, L’Oreal…

So many brand.

So many product.

Sometimes you just want to know which is The Golden One.

CLINIQUE

I am a BIG, LOUD, CAPS LOCKY champion of Clinique makeup. I think they do a fantastic job of colour, and are completely underrated because everyone focuses on their skin care, (yknow, chubbies aside). My pick of their current range is Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer, which I saw getting amazing press and had to try because I am a sucker for hype just like you. It’s full coverage, quite thick in fact, (you need only a wee bit; try mixing in some BB if you need more spread. I tend not to use the wand applicator, but apply onto fingers then face) but radiant (something you usually only get in sheer formulas.) And it lasts.

It covers pigmentation beautifully AND acts as a formidable undereye concealer, which is one of its selling points, yes, but generally speaking foundation-and-concealer in one is a terrible idea because the skin is so different (in texture and tone) on the eye area compared to the rest of the face. However, in this case, it’s an unterrible idea, because the eye area is beautifully concealed, and not at all crepey or dry. I care less about my smile lines these days (more comfortable in my skin as I age? Nah. Just less time to worry about shit like that.)

Please note: The shades are darker than you think. Test before buy.

CLiniqueBP

REVLON

Revlon make some outstanding foundations and lip/eye products (such as my favourite orange lip product: Colorstay Lip Balm Stain in Rendezvous) but it’s the Revlon Brow Fantasy I am back in love with at the moment: a simple, old school brow pencil and gel in one. Even though I have dark hair, I use the dark blonde as it lacks the red undertones you often get in brunette/brown shades. I also love the Revlon Colorstay Brow Liner, which is waxy and high pigment, but far from foolproof, unfortunately.

(Special nod to the Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener, which is meant to be a kind of Touché Éclat eye illuminator, but my preferred application is all over the eyelids to conceal all the veins and redness, and make the eye seem super bright and awake. It’s a good primer for shadows, but worn alone you get this super fresh, youthful natural look.)

RevlonBrowFantasy

RIMMEL

I’m a crazed fool for BB and CC creams, so was happy to discover Rimmel’s BB Cream Radiance while in a bit of a BB-CC rut lately. It is the perfect lo-fi daily coverage for those who need a bit more than BB cream or a tinted moisturiser, but still want to look fresh. (This is not a matte finish. Matte is not for me. I will never write up anything matte cos I have dry, not oily, skin, and also matte once said I couldn’t dance and I will never forgive him.)

Rimmel BB Cream radiance

 

L’OREAL PARIS

Their BB cream is diamonds, but it’s their tinted brow gel I’m into right now, the Brow Artist Plumper. It’s far more natural/subtle a look than pencils/waxes/powder etc, and ideal for when your brows are already tinted, say, (or not too gappy) and you just want to groom them with a touch of tint. It’s way less pigmented and thick than Mac’s Brow Fix, (read: less room for error), and I use the xxx shade on its own for get-out-the-door face, or to finish expertly filled in brows when I have more time. I like how it allows me to have the brushed-up, Olsen-Twins bushy look, which is hard to get with pencils and spoolies. Oh and hey, wipe the brush off before you apply, mate, or risk globs and mess.

Loreal-Brow Artist plumper

 

FACE OF AUSTRALIA

A cheeky little brand that makes cracking products for about 1/400th of the price of So Many Others, I usually have at least one FOC product kicking around in my kit. (Did I just use the word ‘kit’? What, I think I’m a makeup artist now? What a dickhead.) I particularly like their powder blush in Primrose, which is ‘known’ in makeup and beauty blog circles. It looks a bit intense and shimmery in the compact, but is in fact wildly flattering (I have olive but relatively pale skin). It’s a rosy, ‘I’m blushing’ flush of pink, with a subtle sheen but very HIGHLY pigmented, so for the love of Liam Hemsworth, use a quality blush brush (I use the Bobbi Brown blush brush because of the dome top) and go easy.

face-of-australia-blusher-primrose

 

In this photo I did a bit of a mixy mixy thingo with most of the above products, and wore a cosy wool sweater because winter. I am wearing Rimmel Radiance BB cream all over, Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer under the eyes and blended over pigment on cheeks and forehead, L’Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette over brow shadow, and the Face Of Australia Powder Blush in Primrose. (On my eyes it’s just mascara and Revlon PhotoReady Eye Primer + Brightener. No shadow. That ‘liner’ you see on the lashline is a smudge of mascara. So profesh.)

 

ZoeFB5products

 

Responses to this drivel: 19 Comments
04
May

Event beauty preparation.

These are the people, the treatments and the shortcuts involved in my Logies preparation this year. You can easily use a similar approach for your wedding day, 40th, or cincoanera.

You will note the absence of Flaky Jim’s Skin Palace. This is for good reason. NO MORE, JIM. It’s over.

FACE

As I have mentioned more times than can possibly be interesting, my chief skin concern is hyperpigmentation. I am about to stop breastfeeding, and hoping that the final remnants of the hormonal pigmentation will fuck off when that happens, but that said, I get it regardless of cute babies I make. So, I used the Logies as an excuse to do something about it and improve my skin in general.

I will do longer post on the treatment I’ve been having, DermaFrac, for the last couple of months, because IT IS ACTUALLY WORKING, but the headlines are:

  • I have it every 2-3 weeks at Me Skin and Body in South Yarra
  • It takes 40 mins because I skip the dermabrasion bit, I just have a lactic peel, micro-needling and the LED
  • There is no downtime, and it has really broken up my pigmentation and brightened my skin tone. (This is my goal. Wrinkles are fine, it’s the uneven skin tone that annoys me.)
  • It’s not inflammatory like lasers or IPL, which can actually make my pigmentation flare up.

In the final two weeks I had my beloved Omnilux LED lamp (at Duquessa, in Carlton) for a criminal amount of plumpness and glow. I always recommend this to women getting married when they ask, “what should I do with my face?”, because your skin will look heavenly under makeup, IRL and forever and always in the photos. I had four sessions over two weeks, the last one on the day before the Logies.

I have been using Cosmedix Simply Brilliant followed by Go-To Face Hero for super nourishment and antioxidants, followed by  a physical sunscreen in the AM, and SkinMedica Lytera follwed by Face Hero and then Go-To Very Useful Face Cream at night.

Here is my skin with no makeup just before my skin with lots of makeup. All the pigmentation on my forehead and the top of my cheekbones is so light and scattered now. (Clear eyes care of Omnilux. No juice cleanses here.)

*Usually I would have a light AHA peel before two of these lamp sessions, but because there is a lactic peel as part of Dermafrac, I just have a cleanse, the 20 minute lamp then buzz off.

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BODY

I’m currently the Hypoxi ambassador, which means I get to do AS MUCH HYPOXI AS I LIKE. I would be a total dickhead not to use this magical goldpass before an event where I am wearing a fitted dress, so I have been going as often as I can. I use the HDC machine for lymphatic drainage, then the s120 to help fluid retention and tone up. I also walk a lot and do a bit of half-arsed Kayla Itsines at home on the rug while Sonny heckles me about my wussy handweights. (I still have a hip injury, so can’t do the cardio maniac training I used to love.)

I had the delightful Karla from Brown Bodies come to my home to do a St Tropez spray tan two days before the event. This seemed a very convenient option, except that Sonny WAILED LIKE A GODAMN BANSHEE the entire time (scared of the noise? My underwear choice?) and I had to keep popping out of the tent, and running to him and leaping over the baby gate in nothing but my tarty spray tan g-string (I shudder to think of the view poor Karla had) to soothe him without actually touching him, because that would mess up the tan. Not one of my finest moments. The tan was gorgeous, though.

HAIR AND MAKEUP

When I have events or MC duties or photoshoots I call on my cherished hair and makeup sausage, Laura Gilham. She knows what I like, she’s fast and I always book her months in advance so she can do me on Logies day. It calms me knowing she will do something great, and that we will have fun, and that when I say a browny-mauve smoky eye she gets it, and that she knows I NEED a dewy complexion, and matte is the devil and that my length hair is tricky to fingerwave.

I chose fingerwave-esque hair because the dress was so clean and modern in the end, that my slicked down tucked behind the ears look I was going to have was wrong. That look suited a more floaty, romantic dress, but as the dress became more simple, I needed to add some excitement. Hence, the waves.

(This is far too close up. I looked way better from across the room.)

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There is no need to have your “own” hair and makeup artist, of course (but if you go to a lot of events, the convenience of them coming to you can be worth it and it becomes far less wanky than you might imagine) you can shimmy into a salon and get your hair done beautifully, (I recommend Edwards and Co because they excel at naturally glamorous hair) then go to a counter like Chanel, Napoleon, MAC or Bobbi Brown for your makeup. Take references for both hair and makeup so there’s no guess work and no tears. Also a photo of you in your dress so they can see the colour and neckline.

NAILS

I got a $20 manicure using OPI’s So many clowns… so little time. Bubble Bath is too pink on my olive skin, and Samoan Sand can look a little almondy sometimes; this is the perfect sheer, milky-ivory-beige.

TEETH

I mostly just made sure they didn’t get knocked out and were clean.

JUST ON THE DRESS + JEWELS…

I was very lucky to have Mr Magic Gown Steven Khalil (he did my wedding dress, and also a previous Logies get up) make me a frock for the night, and even MORE lucky to have a gown that involved no Hollywood tape, no boning, no corsetry, nothing too clingy, and no cleavage spill. It was comfortable, easy to wear and I felt fucking tip top. This is not normal for such an event. Maybe I’m getting older but I can’t be arsed with severe discomfort in the name of fashion anymore.

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I wore vintage Art Deco jewels from Keshett, which I loved. I went black as a nod to the belt. As usual no clutch because I am likely to get it wrong, so my husband just puts my lipstick and phone in his garter.

Keshett Jewellery

Here is said husband, and the reason I am even at the Logies, the handsome, funny, adorable, Logie-winning, Gap Yearing wildman himself, Mr Hamish ‘The Bachelor’ Blake.

He really is my dream date: fun, hilarious, cute and GREAT at finding me sliders and fries at the after party.

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Responses to this drivel: 27 Comments
05
Dec

Don’t take four serums overseas.

As a beauty editor, frequent flyer and now mother, I wrote a piece for Expedia on the golden rule of travel beauty, which is: take heaps of bubble gum.

No, wait. It’s: keep it simple. Or, pay the price. (Literally. In luggage weight charges.)

Preparation is king.

Travel isn’t the time to be wasting precious minutes on boring stuff like applying mascara, blow-drying hair, fake tanning, manicures and so on. So, do all you can before you leave to make your holidays a, ‘I’m up, let’s go!’ experience, rather than, ‘Just give me half an hour.’ Get eyelash extensions. Have a keratin smoothing treatment put through your hair. Get a spray tan. Get gel polish on your toes and get a nude manicure (no polish or clear) on your fingers so you won’t have chipped, skanky nails a week in. (Natural is the new black anyway.) Waste time on your appearance before you leave, not once you arrive.

Pack everything a week out.

Then, the day before, when you’re adding your daily essentials, (sunscreen, cleanser, foundation etc.) remove 30% of what you packed. You do not need four serums. Nor do you need your hair curler and hair straightener, plus three brushes. Travel provides a wonderful opportunity to do a beauty detox. I’m not asking you to look like a banshee for two weeks, but I am asking you to reconsider how much of your suitcase you are dedicating to stuff you don’t need and won’t use during two weeks in Peru.

READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

DON’T READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE HERE.

Responses to this drivel: 6 Comments
16
Sep

The makeup you need to look good after a long-haul flight.

…. is 12 hours sleep, a facial, a blow-dry and some professional makeup. Easy!

Alternatively, there is this sassy little kit which I take with me for a long-ass flight, which is Every Flight really, because I live in Australia, land of farawayness from everything.

Travelmakeup

As a beauty editor, it’s easy to overpack on the cosmetic front, but after long enough in the game, you start to learn which products are clever and multi-purposey enough that you can leave behind the other 2289 ‘essentials’ and just pack those.

Important note: I highly recommend having some lash extensions popped on before you go. I usually just get the outer corner so it’s not too obvious when they go wongly and start falling out. Just add it to that annoying Lady Prep List of waxing, nails, tan, elbow polishing, etc etc. They’re a tops idea for holidays in my opinion because you look lovely even when you have no other makeup on, and they negate the need for mascara in hot and swimmy environments.

The Long-Ass Flight Kit

1. A BB or CC cream with moisturising and illuminating properties, like the Napoleon Auto Pilot BBB cream, $49.50 which is my new fave, and which does wonders on my dry, thirsty skin. Great coverage too – halfway between the usual BB cream sheerness and a foundation.

2. An undereye concealer that brightens and hydrates, which the Benefit Cosmetics Fake Up, $38.50, does because it has a concealer embedded in a hydrating gel stick, so you avoid those fine lines that are the first to show when your skin is tired and thirsty, and you get a wallop of concealer too. Clever!

3. Some creme blush to rapidly and authentically wake up the cheeks (and lips if required) with a flush of colour, like the very fresh and delightful Becca Cosmetics Lip and Cheek Creme in Tuberose, $24. That the compact is tiny, unbreakable and has a mirror means it ALWAYS comes travelling with me. (I love Becca to travel. Their eye palettes esp.)

4. A genuinely hydrating and protective lip balm, care of my very own Go-To Lips!, $14.50. Planes thieve so much moisture: do not leave it to a shitty, non-last, mineral-oil filled tube or stick to do the job. Because it won’t.

5. Much gum and mints (not pictured) cos no one’s cute with breath of an ox. Also, you can offer it around if the chap or lass next to you has manky breath and you look generous and kind even though really you are deeply offended by the bacteria in their mouth and two seconds from asking for another seat.

Responses to this drivel: 6 Comments
14
Mar

The Beauty of Day Beforesies.

I’m often asked for my best beauty advice, and I often go completely blank when trying to come up with some, before rambling on about dry shampoo for the 683th time.

But sitting here after a strong coffee, it has come to me at last! The advice I swear by! The best kind that is widely useful! It’s Day Beforesies. 

When I need my best hair and skin and tan and nails and even makeup (in some instances) I do it the Day Before. This allows things to settle in, and settle down, and relax a little. Things are a bit lived in, a bit less perfect, a bit more malleable. Also, it gives you some time and room for error, should there be any (in the way of orange wrists or over boofy blow-dries.)

Some of my Day Beforesies include:

HAIR

I really swear by this one  (f-word swear). My hair never looks good or behaves when freshly washed. Few people’s do. It’s slippery and boofy and silly, or fluffy and frizzy. So, I always wash it at night, particularly if I need it to look nice the next day for an event or a big trip to the post office. (The life of a stay at home writer.) Here’s how I achieve the perfect second-day hair: I wash it, then apply some root lift mousse (I like L’Oreal Professional’s Tecni.Art Volume Lift Root Spray-Mousse for its small nozzle and targeted spray, making it easy to get to the scalp/areas that need root lift, rather than spewing up a big ball of mousse you have to distribute with fingers and generally get wrong. Also, it’s soft, no stickiness or feeling like you just added concrete to your hair) on wet hair and then I dry off to 80% using high heat on my hair dryer, and my trusty Denman styler brush, taking the hair in every direction all over the head so the nozzle of my hair dryer can get in there and get that volume from every angle. (“Wrap drying” I refer to it in Amazing Face.) The drying off will give it some smoothness, but I then secure in a very high bun for more volume and wave until bed time, when I let it out.

Next morning? Lovely waves with a tonne body that can very quickly blow-dried smooth with a barrel brush, or curling-tonged and then lightly sprayed with hairspray/sea salt spritz for glamorous curls/waves. (Which will last a few days, then a few more with dry shampoo.)  Try it. You’ll see. Do the work in prep and enjoy days of good hair.

Loreal-tecni.art-volume-lift-250ml-spray-mousse-1314-pDenmanbrushstyler

 

TAN

This one is fairly self-explanatory. We don’t do a deep tan application (or get a spray tan) on the day we need to look tanned. We do it the afternoon or night before, so it can kick in and we don’t stink up the joint. And we always add a little bit of lotion to the elbows, knees, wrists and ankles when we’re done so as to dilute in those bits, and make sure there’s no orange makes. Then, the next morning we shower off the excess and apply a thick, fragranced body lotion, butter or balm to lock the tan in, and hydrate the skin and mask any remaining scent. If there are any little areas of build up around the ‘bends’ (elbows, knees, ankles or wrists) I use a bit of body or hand scrub (lather with water in hands, but keep the bit you are trying to stain-remove dry) and then rinse. If things are terrible and people will likely notice I have a deep cigarette butt coloured line around my wrists, I get out my Chux magic eraser and very gently, using ONLY the white side, rub it on the spot til it goes. It’s harsh, it’s not recommenced for even remotely sensitive skin, but it works when nothing else will.

Chux-Magic_eraser

 

SKIN

In-salon facials are wonderful things, I recommend them very highly for ongoing skin maintenance and long-term results. But don’t expect to look good on the day you have one. Whether it’s a highly active facial (peels, micro-dermabrasion etc) or a lovely, nourishing, traditional facial, you will not look good on the day of the facial. You will look red and blotchy. You will look roughed up. You will look glowy but half asleep. You will have small pieces of mask sticking to your nose and hairline. It’s not good. And, furthermore, it’s not a good idea to load up with makeup after a treatment – ideally book facials as late as possible so you can just go to bed (and avoid sun exposure if you’ve had a strong peel) and let all the goodness sink in overnight. The results will be there in the morning, usually. (Some medi-peels are different, they can take a few days to kick in due to the ‘peeling’ process.)Wash that face, see how your eyes are bright and clear and your skin bounces with health. NOW you can see the results. NOW you can put on makeup. NOW you can dazzle everyone.

The exception: At home mini-facials before an event are fine to do on the day. I often exfoliate then do a quick 10-minute mask before makeup for events. My favourite pre-event mask? Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvenating Mask.

 

ELEMISFruit-Active-Rejuvenating-Mask

 

NAILS

You know how sometimes after you have your nails done, they look a bit… raw?… And a bit ouchy, and if you chose a red or a dark colour and they have attacked your cuticles, or you had a shitty manicurist, your hands or feet can even look a bit, well, brutalised? Yes. Well, that’s usually (rough manicurists aside) because it’s all so fresh, and your cuticles need to settle back in against the nail, and the raw look of nailbeds that have just been filed and buffed and scrubbed and polish-removed and painted needs to be given some time. So do it the day before. This is especially true if the colour makes your skin look lifeless – you can pop on some fake tan, OR, if you had gels/Shellac and hate the colour because it makes your hands look like Aunty Edna in her casket, the poor dear, even paint over them with a coat of regular nail polish. (It can be removed again with a swipe polish remover and your gels will be perfect underneath.)

 

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 MAKEUP

This one is a biiiit of a stretch, and probably not really worth advocating, but sometimes second day liner looks way better than perfect, neat liner. You know the kind, the smudgy, Kate Mossy kind (she was the one who kind of invented second day kohl, saying she never really cleaned her eyes and just kept adding more each day…bit gross but not terrible every now and then) where your eyes are rimmed perfectly in black, in a way that cannot be created by hand and kohl, only sleep and time. The look is best when you’ve done a REALLY smoked up eye the night before, and even despite all your best makeup removal efforts, a black frame still lines your eyes. I must admit I have on one or two occasions applied a rim of black kohl along my upper and lower lashline (and the inner lower) before bed to get this hell rock n’ roll babe look the next morning. All you need do is add mascara and a flush of sweet pink cheeks. Or, more liner, and some brown shadow just keeping it in close to the lashline, top and bottom, and heaps of mascara, and go hard out.

Another thing that kind of counts as makeup is brow tinting. I recommend going strong on tint day if you can, (eg: have no plans that night) so your tint will last longer. By the time you wash your face that night or the next morning even, the tint will calm down, and any that was on your skin, not the hair, will go, and you will look less Bert/Ernie and more Brooke Shields.

 KateMossSmudgedliner

 

FOOD

Spaghetti bolognese. It’s always tastier the second day. You know it, I know it: why fight it?

Responses to this drivel: 36 Comments
27
Dec

My top beauty products for 2013

Never an easy thing to do, choose your favourite beauty children. But if I had to choose, because there was a large hired goon two feet away from me, tapping menacingly on his small Sephora shopping basket with his eyebrows raised, then these would be my favourite beauty products of 2013. Aside of all the ones I have forgotten, obviously. Of which there are probably many. Apologies.

REVLON NEARLY NAKED MAKEUP $25.95

Been meaning to post on this since I was a little boy. So underrated. So cheap! Lightweight, sheer but with great buildable coverage, dewy, lasts nicely and very quickly able to make your skin look frrrresh, THIS is the foundation for any fruits needing something that covers all bases, as it were. Lovely silky feeling, too.

Revlon-Nearly-Naked

 NIVEA IN-SHOWER BODY MOISTURISER, $8

We all take beauty shortcuts if we can. Oh come on! I’ve seen you wearing lipstick as blush, and use nail polish as shampoo… So, obviously if we could blend the body wash bit of the day/night with the body lotion bit, why the dang wouldn’t we? It’s not the first product like this to waddle onto the market, but it sure is a good one. (Of course, being on a vehement anti-stretch mark bender right now, I add more oil/butter on the stretchmarky bits.)

BENEFIT FAKEUP $38.50

Have we not always dreamed of an undereye concealer that was genuinely hydrating, and didn’t, not even for a nanosecond, cause fine lines to be accentuated, or crepeyness, or just that shit, dry, old look that so many concealers unfortunately create, but rather create a luscious glow of hydrated, fresh, plump evenness? OF COURSE WE HAVE, YOU GORGEOUS DUNCE. And Benefit bloody went ahead and did it, din’t they, by popping the concealer in the middle of a lovely, creamy hydrating shell of balm-like moisturiser. I love this gently swiped or dabbed along under my eyes (after foundation or just BB cream) and then blended and pushed in with warm middle fingers for bright, concealed, fresh eyes. (I use the medium… concealer should be same tone as your skin, not lighter.)

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O&M MINERAL LIQUID CCT AT HOME COLOUR

O&M colour is hugely popular with those who prefer their hair colour ammonia-free, and this (in-salon) version is a cracker. I tried it in NYC earlier in the year when the O&M creative director/superstar Janelle Chaplin (also a good friend and valuable team member) and decided to freshen up my natural brown one arvo. I LOVED the gloss and shine and health my hairs (well there’s more than one) were given. An especially good low-commitment option if you’re between colours or despise regrowth.

BIODERMA CREALINE h2O, $29.95

Not new to the world, but new to Australia in 2013 (and only 89 times the price it is in France!) now finally available to buy. I’ve written on this gear before, and it is, quite simply, the finest makeup remover on the planet. Also, the most gentle, travel-friendly, sink-free cleanser a dame could possibly hope for. Maybelline is launching their version early 2014, which I will be very eager to try.

SMASHBOX CAMERA READY CC CREAM SPF 30, $54.95

If you’re not into CC creams yet, and I can understand the resistance, after the rapid influx of BB creams, I too figured they were a crock of shit, but they are so far from that. They are practically a gift from Makeupula, the makeup Goddess herself. They sit perfectly between tinted moisturiser and foundation, giving hydration, skincare benefits, sun protection, wonderful coverage and most crucially, excellent, dedicated colour correction for those of us who suffer from pigmentation (ME ME I HAVE THE MASK OF PREGNANCY ME ME ME )or redness, congestion or just uneven skin tone in general. The Smashbox CC finish is semi-matte but still real fresh, and I find I only need concealer on top and am done.

CLINIQUE MOISTURE SURGE CC CREAM SPF 30, $45

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I am a CC addict. This one is as wonderful as the Smashbox for essentially the same reasons, and both get a gruelling work out from me although I find this one gives a little more coverage, and is a little thicker. It’s just a case of whichever is closest to my greedy paw of a morning, really.

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PANTENE STYLING TREATMENT FOAM SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT $8.50

I always gravitate towards wet styling products (those that you apply on wet hair before styling, unlike dry ones which you use at the end, when hair is, uh, dry) that combine heat protection with their styling/setting benefits, and this is a great one for that. This foam (use only a small amount, it’s powerful and too much will lead to hair that needs washing a day before it should) protects the hair and conditions it, and makes it smooth and ready for a blow-dry. And even if you don’t blow dry, it behaves far better, and is straighter than if you didn’t use it. When I was away for a month, this and my volume powder and dry shampoo were all I packed.

YSL ROUGE VOLUPTE SHINE LIPSTICK $55

Peanut butter is the new chocolate, and sheer is the new matte. And this is the perfect example: creamy, gloriously sheer (but with definite colour, if that makes sense), absolutely non-cakey or drying, leaves a lovely flush/stain but is still glossy and is buildable for those who want more punch – this is one of those perfect examples of just how far lipsticks have come, and how many wonderful attributes they come with these days. I love #14 Coral in Touch, a coral-orange that will make your head spin for its summery perfection. Classy, vibrant, polished and fun.

NARS SATIN LIP PENCIL $39

Glides on like a balm, delivers extremely vibrant pigment and is a joy to re-apply, due to its elegant crayon stylings. Doesn’t last forever, but if you prime lips and use liner, you’re in good hands. Or, just wear it as a sheer wash, by pressing the product into your lips with your finger. I was particularly fond of the Palais Royale shade, a wine-coloured plum that works magnificently with bronzed cheeks and bare eyes.

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ALL THE SPF 50 PRODUCTS AUSTRALIA FINALLY GOT

Remember, they’re not stronger than SPF 15 or 30 (or rather they are, but marginally, 2%, say), but what they do offer is more time protected. So, if you usually burn in 10 minutes with no protection, SPF 15 will give you 15x that in the sun protected, SPF 30 will give 30x that, and SPF 50 will give – you guessed it – 50x that. Terrific for the lazy at reapplying. (“All of us”.) Get on board.

Well, that’s me. What did you love/discover/use too much of this year?

And of course, happy new year, you gorgeous bastards. Thank you for all of your reading of blog. Here’s to an OUTSTANDING 2014 for all of us!

PS … I have MANY wonderful new things happening next year, and the second I am permitted, will yell at you lovingly about all of them. “How exciting!” as they say in America.

Responses to this drivel: 20 Comments
28
Oct

Liquid illuminator: Should thoust be using one? How? Which one?

That depends.

If you were to have asked me back when I was a gung-ho little squid in my twenties with nay a face crease to be seen, I would have bellowed YES and then roughly thrust several (Benefit High Beam etc) in your face and told you what a moron you were not to use them everyday for all-over glow and delight.

NB: I am referring not to concealing illuminators, such as YSL’s Touche Eclat, but rather the tinted, gleaming skin luminising variety that are used all over the face, or for spot highlighting on cheekbones etc.

But now, as a more mature llama in her early thirties I am a little more reserved on both my use and endorsement  thereof. For while liquid illuminators and highlighters are indeed a delicious way to achieve a flawless dew and gleam to the skin, they are not for everyone.

WHAT ‘NOT FOR EVERYONE’ MEANS:

– Those with large pores, fine lines/wrinkles, scarring or blemishes. This is because just like anything with shimmer, no matter how finely milled, it will exacerbate these things. (This is why you need to get your mum/granny off shimmery eye shadows, by the way.)

– Those with oily or sheeny skin: you should stick to cream or powder illuminators instead.

– Those with a lot of hyperpigmentation will need to fully conceal this before applying illuminator, as illuminators will (some say unfairly) highlight the uneven skin tone.

– Those who cannot be trusted to be light-handed. This is not body glitter, and this is not 1998.

– Those who have a habit of not blending thoroughly, or taking the time to check their makeup in a truth mirror before leaving the house.

However. When used correctly, skin illuminators can be a marvellous thing. Just ask one Cate Blanchett who is rather fond of them, and who has no qualms whatsoever using them on her (admittedly flawlessly smooth and event-toned) skin, and fierce cheekbones in particular.

They can make the skin appear to be well-rested and full of gorgeous, arrogant health, and glow in a way that is usually reserved for several high-strength peels, or taking a new lover. They create fantastic effects in photos, even if you choose to then filter the shit out of them for Instagram.

THE BEST WAY TO USE YOUR LIQUID ILLUMINATOR:

1. Added to moisturiser or primer for a subtle and believable ‘skin-level’ radiance. Be sure you choose the right tone for your skin, so that it looks like your skin, not something you have put on your skin. Alternatively, choose more of a ‘moisturiser’ style illuminator for this purpose, like MAC Strobe Cream. Just on primers, they are a terrific idea when using liquid illuminators, which have a habit of racking off after a few hours. Also a light dusting of loose powder to finish is not the worst thing you could do. Especially if you feel a bit too … gleamy.

2. Apply one part illuminator with two parts foundation for all over glow. I recommend this as a night time look only, just in case you look a bit too sparkly during the brutal light of day. Having said that, Armani Fluid Sheer is not too shimmery for day, as is hailed as the king for this.

3. Bronze illuminators are a wonderful way to get your face up to the tan level of your self-tanned body, and achieve a soft tanned glow. Apply gently all over the face underneath your foundation. (After primer if you’re using it.) You can also use these buffed gently onto areas you would normally use bronzer after having done your makeup, but be sure to only use over liquid foundation (always keep textures with like textures), be very light handed and if possible, use a cheek stippling brush (like the wonderful MAC 188 brush below) which buffs liquids and creams into the skin perfectly.

MAC188Brush

4. Use on top of blush. Adding some pinky luminiser on top of creme blush gives the best – and most long-lasting – result. Illuminators by themselves are usually not pigmented enough to act as blush. And nor should they be – their job is to throw light, not colour. This is me with Revlon Photoready Skinlights in Bare Light gently dabbed over my cheekbones, on top of some creme blush. Lovely subtle glow innit.

LuminiserZo

 

5. As a finishing product, illuminators beautifully highlight and skim the top of cheekbones and brow bones. Be sure to warm up the product thoroughly in your hand before applying, and it’s best to use a foundation brush for precision, although fingers will be fine, too. If in doubt, apply in a boomerang shape, starting under the highest point of your eyebrow and dabbing down around underneath the eye along the top of the cheekbones. Also on the top of the cupid’s bow. Adorable.

6. As a guitar pick.

LIQUID ILLUMINATORS I AM RATHER FOND OF.

Revlon Photoready Skinlights – They took them away from us years back, but thankfully the original skin illuminator is back. There are only three shades this time around (bronze light, bare light and pink light), but I find the bare light the perfect shade for my warm skin tone, (go for pink light, fair-skinned babes) and I happily dab it onto the high points of my face as a finishing product. It’s probably a bit to shimmery for me to blend with my foundation day to day, but if I’ve just had a facial, or am having a great skin day, or am heading out for an event, then I might add a drop (A DROP) into my foundation.

3RevlonPhotoreadySkinlights

Tom Ford Skin Illuminator Fire Lust – a luxurious, sheer peachy-gold that is perfect for applying over creme blush, (I am not messing around when I say sheer, there is little point using this alone as a finishing product) or, if your skin tone is warm enough, added to your foundation for an all over gleam without any glitteryness or overt pearlescence, Just lovely good-skin-ness.God, Tom Ford is good. Someone let me know if he ever gets it wrong, won’t you? Annoying NB: This is out now but limited edition.

TomFordFireLustilluminator

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector – Wonderful as a skin-perfecting (hence the name) base underneath your foundation, and the perfect amount of glow but NOT shimmer to mix in with your foundation for a genuine your-skin-but-better look. Great too as a targeted highlighter, and I deeply enjoy using the tanned shade, Topaz, as a liquid bronzer on fun summery nights, and mixed with moistirser on my décolletage, or “booby area.”

BeccaShimmeringSkinPerector

Armani Fluid Sheer – The high priestess of liquid illuminators, this lush, makeup artist favourite does everything a grown up liquid luminiser should, from being used on its own or mixed with moisturiser for glow-from-within lightbulb skin, to the finishing touch on a perfectly dewy complexion. Shade #11 -a rosy, flushed hue – is extremely enchanting for cheeks and on pinker skin tones, while I love #10 for a more golden radiance.

 Armani_FLUID-SHEER_10

 

 

Responses to this drivel: 18 Comments
09
Sep

This is the best week of the year to buy a new lipstick.

Because it’s Dream Week, which means that $1 from any lipstick you buy at Myer or David Jones this week goes to Look Good… Feel Better*, and you can feel good about buying one or even a couple.

Here are my three picks for lipstick as we shimmy into Spring…

A poppy red lipstick. Prada did it, so we should all do it. Another reason is because it’s wonderfully flattering on many many skin tones, and can look cute-as through the day, but devilishly sexy at night. Try Clarins Jolie Rouge in Poppy Red, $38.

AlexaChungPoppyRed

Alexa Chung, obviously.

A nude lipstick. Try a Bobbi Brown one, $44, because she is the queen of nude. Choose one that is low on shimmer, creamy not matte and enjoy a sophisticated, non-boring nude lip to complement any of the blues or greens you might be sassing on your eyes. I like Nude Beige for a hint of dusky pink and Peachy which is a bit better with a tan. Best to try them out to get the best match for your skin tone.

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Ashley Madekwe. You know, from Revenge.

A coral or orange. You need to stop resisting. These shades are fabulous, not Nanna. They are fresh, They brighten the face. They look glorious with bronzer and slick hair and drop earrings. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis à Lèvres Glossy Stain in #21 Orange Fusion, $50 is a glossy balm-stain, so you can start off light, then layer until you get the depth of orange your prefer. (Read: Great for wusses.)

JessicaAlbaOrangelips

Bert Newton. 

 Obviously you should expose what a wonderful Samaritan and cool bird you are by slipping a pic of you wearing your juicy new lipstick onto Twitter and Instagram and tag it with @LGFBAustralia and #dreamweek13. Obviously.

But!!

Another excellent thing you can do to support Look Good… Feel Better (and please do!) is not wear makeup on Thursday.Hashtag your pics #gonakedday, if you do, please so you can all feel part of the nude party.

This is because the Priceline Sisterhood (a real thing, not just the colloquial name for all of us Priceline fans) are hosting Go Naked Day in order to raise funds. When you’re done showing off your natural beauty, pop into Priceline nationally or the huge (very pink) event being held at Martin Place in Sydney, donate a gold coin, and grab yourself a mini-makeover and some goodies.

Alternatively, and I love this one, because it just makes so much dang sense, you can donate some cash straight up to $7 for 7 Days of Hope.

7for7

Your donation goes towards LGFB At Home Confidence Kits, so that those who can’t get to a LGFB workshop because they live in the bush, or health reasons, can still enjoy all of the lovely skin care and cosmetics they would receive in a workshop (all donated lovingly by the beauty industry – everything from Rimmel to Chanel), plus a step by step DVD.

… Imagine if you did one of or even ALL THREE of these things, how amazing you would feel. You would probably start to see some kind of beautiful halo glow above your head. That’s what I heard happens anyway.

*Look Good… Feel Better is a a terrific charity, and one that I am proud ambassador for. I work with them a lot in my role as ambassador for Pantene Beautiful Lengths, (where we ask you to lop off your ponytail to donate, and help make real hair wigs for cancer patients) and also help to gain awareness for the beauty workshops which they hold at hospitals and cancer treatment centres for women undergoing cancer treatment. At these workshops, women (and men!) learn how to apply skin care, makeup, wigs and turbans and scarves in the spirit of “if you look good, you will feel better”, and I can four billion percent say that this is true, because the transformation these women undergo (physically) but most crucially in confidence and self-esteem after their two hour session is phenomenal. They then are given all of the products to take home. Read more about LGFB – or insist a friend attends – here

 

Responses to this drivel: 15 Comments
20
Aug

Three fantastic long-last glowy foundations.

Remember the days when I used to talk about silk pillowcases? Seems like an eternity ago. Anyway, on that pillowcase post there was an interesting query by a fruit named Amy, who said:

“I was hoping you might have some product suggestions for foundations that suit long day wear, wedding occasions. I was hoping to go for the glowy look!”

To which I obviously in my head yelped, OF COURSE I DO YOU GORGEOUS DUNCE! Here are three long lasting liquid foundations, right here, right now, as Jesus Jones once famously sang.

The radiant, nourishing one: Lancome’s Teint Visionnaire, $65

LancomeTeintVisionnaire

This is a liquid foundation with skincare benefits that was created for a “mature” skin, which means it will be a bit richer, a bit thicker, and real good at smoothing out your lines and reducing the look of pores and uneven skin tone. And, it gives a radiant, non-matte finish. I don’t think at 33 I quite qualify for mature skin, but I will tell you that this is my foundation of choice because I have thirsty, dry, dehydrated skin, and it can take the richness of the formula, and I very much enjoy the full coverage and the glowy – but not shiny – finish, which lasts beautifully. It comes with concealer in the lid, which is undoubtably handy, but I find it too sheer for my undereye circles. It’s better for around the schnoz, lips and on the eyelids. I find a touch of powder down the T-zone sets it perfectly. Tip: Use primer underneath and a touch of powder on the T-zone to set. Don’t eat for breakfast.

 

The natural-looking one: NARS Sheer Glow Foundation $68

NARS-Sheer-Glow

 

Possibly a better choice for those who prefer a lighter, more ‘skin-like’ finish, this makeup artist’s fave gives a more natural-medium coverage finish, but since it’s easily buildable, you can layer for more coverage that still looks and feels light and glowing. No powder is required to set this stay-put foundation, in my opinion, but I’m not a shiny dolly, so it may differ for others. Lack of pump can be a bit annoying/messy – but you can buy them internationally online. Tip: Use primer underneath for the best results. Don’t apply to elbows.

 

The all-in-one with a matte finish: Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation, $19.95

CoverGirl Outlast


Definitely the pick for those with oily or combination skin, this primer, foundation and concealer in one (translation: it stays put, and is high coverage, therefore able to act as a concealer on uneven skin tone/pigmentation/redness, dark cricles etc) is remarkable in its lightweight texture/high pay off. In other words, you don’t feel like you’re slapping on a layer of stage paint, but get excellent all-over coverage that doesn’t move for many hours. The finish is definitely on the matte side, so avoid if you have dry or lined skin, as they may be exacerbated, and you will look older than you are, which seems unfair. Tip: No primer or powder required. Finish off with a luminous highlighter for glow. Don’t use as deodorant.

 

Responses to this drivel: 56 Comments
08
Aug

A few wild new products.

I’ve just called this mascara in from Avon for one reason, which I think will become evident when you see this clip.

That’s right: because it makes me giggle.

No, no, I mean because I am curious regarding the design. I’m all for innovation, and that brush might just be the best thing any of us ever apply mascara with, so let us not judge until we have wonder painted, yeah? I’ll let you know how it goes.

Another product that intrigues me but which certainly sped past intrigue right into necessity for a lot of you, is Nanoblur, $30, which has been the number one selling product in Priceline since launch in January.

Nanoblur

Nanoblur claims to make “people look 10 years younger in 40 seconds,” which I think would be fascinating to see on an 11-year old. Essentially it ‘blurs’ lines and wrinkles, you see, using, light reflective particles. A bit of soft-focus in a tube, if you will. It feels and looks like a primer, and as if proving it’s not skin care, but an optical illusion product (for those liable to be confused) you use it after your makeup, and dab it onto crow’s feet, marionette lines, the forehead, etc. To be crude, it’s cosmetic Spakfilla.  There have been a few of these come out over the years, L’Oreal and Clarins both did similar products, but none have sold so phenomenally as this.

I’ve given it a few goes, but not enough to honestly say I’ve trialled it thoroughly. I softly dab it on to my smile lines with my middle finger, which I find always crease within about an hour of makeup being applied, especially if my skin is tired or thirsty, or just being, yknow, “old.”

The lines seem a little less obvious but the best part is that unlike the oils and balms I tend to use for this issue usually, Nanoblur won’t make your makeup move and slip. In that sense, you can pretty much use it in place of sheer finishing powder to take away shine, mattify, reduce imperfections, and make your makeup stay in place, which is important if you get shine or your skin eats your makeup like mine does….

It’s a kind of finishing primer, if you will. I am considering mixing a little in with my foundation next for an all-over blur. Why not! Why not indeed.

Have you tried Nanoblur? What did you think? Also, I love your hair like that.

Responses to this drivel: 22 Comments