How to Apply Kohl/ Kajal – 3 Simple Steps

Today I bring you a guest post is from Chetana from StyleCraze. Over the years, through practice, experimenting and getting tips from blogs, my makeup skills have really improved. However, there is still one area that has me stumped - how to apply eyeliner, or, more specifically how to apply Kohl rimmed eyes. I decided to go to the expert for advice and Chetena has delivered! Here is her step by step guide to applying Kohl/Kajal.

Kohl or kajal is one of the most basic items in any woman’s vanity. In ancient times, Kohl was used as a medicinal preparation to avoid eye infections. Today it is a makeup item used by women across the globe to highlight their eyes. Traditionally kohl was prepared as a creamy substance using ingredients like sandalwood, castor oil, and muslin cloth. Today, Kohl comes in different formats and forms.  The new age cosmetic brands have made it easier to apply by manufacturing Kajal in the pencil form.

Here is a step by step guide for applying Kajal:

Before you start, you need to clean the eye area so that the kajal stays for a long time. Usually the most important problem with kohl is that it does not stay for long and it creases and spreads easily. But you can avoid this by opting for a waterproof Kajal.

Also those with oily skin and lids have to take extra precautions in order to get the maximum effect of the kohl.

Step 1:

Make sure to clear the eye area of any leftover eye makeup. Apply the foundation or tinted moisturizer and do the face makeup.

Step 2:

Conceal the under eye area if you have any dark circles. After applying concealer, use a primer on the lids for better staying power. 

Step 3:

Now use the kohl pencil to line from the inner corner of the eyes and extend it towards the outer corners. Use a thicker line near the outer corners.

Also line the upper lids with kohl or eye liner. If you want to make your eyes look bigger, then use a nude kohl pencil to line just the inner rim of the lower lash line.

Also to make the kohl stay longer, apply a bit of pressed powder or translucent powder. This way, it will stay in place for a really long time. You can apply a bit of black eye shadow over it for the same results. Use compact right under the lower lash line to help the kohl stay in its place. Apply mascara and you are done. 

Thanks Chetana for this easy to follow tutorial. Do visit StyleCraze.com for more eye makeup tips and tutorials.

 

Is there any area of makeup that you constantly struggle with?

Wedding make-up using Napoleon Perdis

Today is our 5th wedding anniversary. I am shocked at how fast the years have flown by. We have been together for 14 years now so it does feel like Brett has always been a part of my life...but, still, the wedding feels like it was a year ago, not 5 (though, when I look back at the photos we are both a hell of a lot skinnier so obviously time has past! I blame The Crazy Kid and Kiki for 'letting myself go'!).

Today is also Australia Day. Yep, we got married on Australia Day. It's pretty cool as it means that the date is impossible to forget, and we always get a day off; but, it also means that there is usually something else on that day so we actually haven't really celebrated our anniversary so far. Today, though, we are going to more effort. We have booked lunch at Gastro Park (if you watch Masterchef, that's the one where they made calamari crackling - sounds very interesting!) and then we are following it with a helicopter flight over Sydney so it should be a fantastic day. But, the point of this post isn't to tell you that but to share with you my makeup from the day.

At the time I didn't have a regular hairdresser so I decided to just get my hair done at a local salon at the shops. I then decided that since we had to go up there we may as well get our makeup done at a Napoleon Perdis store. It ended up being a good option for us and the best part was that the cost of having our makeup done was redeemable in products. For me, I had a trial and then the makeup on the day and it was $70 each time (not sure if the price is still the same today) but then I was able to choose $140 worth of makeup so I got all the products they used on me to touch up throughout the day. All of my bridesmaids also used Napoleon Perdis products so they were happy to get more makeup too!

At the time, my makeup skills weren't nearly what they are today. I wore very little makeup - pretty much just eye shadow and mascara, so I would never have attempted to do my own makeup. Plus, I liked the experience of being pampered on my wedding day. I actually didn't want to wear foundation (or much makeup for that matter) on the day as I never really wore it but my photographer talked me out of it. He made the point that I would be having a million photos taken that day and my skin would photograph shiny without foundation, plus I would look under done compared to other guests. What he suggested was that I get a makeup trial done then go over to his place and he would do a photo shoot with me so I can see how my makeup photographed. I am so glad I followed his advice as I was really happy with how it looked in the photos.

My eyes are my favourite feature so we decided to accentuate them and keep my lips looking more neutral. I used Autopilot Primer, Camera Finish Foundation, Bronze Patrol and I can't remember exactly the eye colours but they were teals and neutrals to bring out my natural green/blue eye colour plus match with the teal in my wedding dress.

Here are some of my photos. I used Alan Khan photography on the day, and these are a selection of the professional photos (we got to keep all of the digital negatives which I was so pleased about).

From the pre-wedding photo shoot - after seeing this
I knew my makeup would look good in photos

Posing!

More posing!

My beautiful family - we have a running joke that
in every family photo, just to piss mum off, I go cross-eyed.
I wasn't going to make an exception on my wedding day!

I love this photo with my sister

Can't have a wedding post without a pic of my
gorgeous husband

Finally, I had to show you the back of my wedding dress - that was the best part!

My wedding day was the best day of my life, but damn, I never want to go through that again! We followed it up with 3 1/2 weeks in Thailand and Malaysia - pure and utter bliss (and that was the point in which we started getting fat and have never recovered!!).

Happy anniversary, Brett!

Did you do your own wedding makeup or employ the services of a makeup artist. Were you happy with the final result?

Alexami Colour Analysis results

I was recently invited to participate in the Alexami Colour Analysis. Alexami is an Australian-owned natural cosmetics company. Alexami's products address the growing need for truly natural and safe cosmetics made from quality ingredients that are kind to your skin and the planet, but without overlooking fashion-forward colour palettes. To participate in the challenge I was asked to answer the following questions then I was sent makeup to create a look based on my responses:

• Hair colour - dark brown (with a subtle red dye through it)
• Eye brows - black
• Eye colour - green/blue
• Lips - pink
• Preferred makeup focus - eyes

Herbal - Mineral Mascara - NATURAL EFFECT LASHES RRP $39.95

 

 

What they say: Some mascara can contribute to eye irritation. Our mascara has been specially formulated with mild, naturally derived ingredients so that you’re less likely to have tears

 

What I say: About 8 years ago I had a massive allergic reaction to my contact lenses. It was hell. The whites of my eyes were pure red. Not veiny red, but pure - no white in sight - red. I could also only open each eye about 2mm. I had been wearing contacts for 8 years at that stage and I still have absolutely no idea what caused the reaction. Ever since then, though, I have had really sensitive eyes. Often when I have been wearing a new mascara, my eyes will end up feeling a bit gunky and when I check them out in the mirror they are usually also bloodshot. I am pleased to say that I had no such reaction to the Alexami mascara. My eyes felt completely comfortable all day. The mascara also didn't clump. I can't stand clumpy mascaras that leave your lashes looking like spider legs. This left my lashes looking very natural. I did notice at the end of the day that it had smudged slightly but that might have been because I was wearing L'oreal Paris Revitalift Total Repair 10 BB Cream and I had not set it with powder. 

 

Mineral – Vegan Lip Gloss - NATURAL EFFECT LIPS RRP $34.95

What they say: Alexami mineral-vegan creamy lip gloss is the perfect choice for women seeking to avoid the harmful toxins and lead in conventional lipstick.

 What I say: This really is a deliciously creamy lip gloss. It left my lips feeling so soft and moisturised. It is not at all sticky but has more of a buttery texture. It also has no taste which is very important to me. There is nothing worse than a lip gloss that has that awful taste that gets caught in the back of your throat.


Mineral Eye Shadows - DRAMATIC EFECT EYES RRP $24.95

Left: Deep Blue, Right: Grey Blue

Left: Deep Blue, Right: Grey Blue



Left: Deep Blue, Right: Grey Blue

What they say: Not all mineral eye shadows are created equal. Alexami Cosmetics uses intense and pure natural pigments of highest quality.  

 

What I say:  The colours I received were perfect - they are exactly the type of colours I wear. I found them to be very easy to apply, highly pigmented and the colour was long lasting and didn't crease (I applied it over Urban Decay Primer Potion).  

 

 

My Look

I decided to be efficient and get two reviews done at once - my Alexami reviews plus L'oreal Paris Revitalift Total Repair 10 BB Cream review. Unfortunately, this turned out a bit orange on my skin so it hasn't been the most ideal foundation to use. I also manage to leave a shadow smudge on my right eye that I didn't notice until I photographed myself. So, that gave me three options 1) I could photoshop it out...but I don't believe in photoshopping - that's for magazines, not beauty blogs 2) I could redo my makeup - Kiki decided that, by waking up from her nap, that wasn't going to be an option (she also insisted on being in a photo as you'll see below!) 3) I leave the smudge and apologise to my readers. I choose option 3! Sorry guys!

 

The look I went with was dramatic eyes and understated lips.

 

 

Kiki wanted to be part of my look...she is my cutest
accessory, after all!

 

I was very happy with how the look turned out. Alexami did advise to use the eyeshadow as an eyeliner by tipping it onto the back of your hand, wetting an eyeliner brush then blending it below the eye line, but I am no very good at eyeliner so shied away from that step.

So, apart from my orange skin and smudged eye, what do you think of my look?

Alexami makeup can be purchased online.


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The Alexami products were provided for consideration.

L'oreal Paris Revitalift Total Repair 10 BB Cream

Lately, there has been a huge explosion of interest in BB Creams. BB (Blemish Balm) creams are an all in one product - they are your serum, moisturiser, primer, foundation and sunscreen all rolled into one nifty product. They have been really popular in Asia (in particular Japan and Korea) since 1985 but really only hit the Western market in 2012. Now the big brands are jumping on the BB bandwagon and are releasing their versions of the product. L'oreal Paris is one such big brand and they have incorporated their hugely popular Revitalift Total Repair 10 serum into the BB formulation.

I was pretty excited to try the L'oreal Paris Revitalift Total Repair 10 BB Cream as I had never tried a BB cream before plus Revitalift Total Repair 10 moisturiser is one of the best moisturisers that I have used so I thought that it would be a great introduction into the world of BB creams...perhaps not? I had very mixed feelings about this product which I will go through below.

What they say: The L’Oreal Laboratories have created the first Anti-ageing BB Cream that instantly perfects your complexion and intensely fights 10 signs of ageing, even UV damage in one simple step:

• Covers Imperfections
• Perfects Skin Texture
• Evens Skin Tone

For the first time, L’Oréal’s skincare and make-up Laboratories have merged their expertise to create a new generation of skincare, an Anti-ageing BB Cream. It fights 10 signs of ageing and instantly gives you a beautiful and even complexion.

What I say: As I mentioned above, I had very mixed feelings about this product. There were aspects that I loved but then there were other areas that I had real issues with.

I will go through what I loved first:

• It was easy to apply - it applies just like a moisturiser. I love any product that I can apply with my fingers!
• It really does even out my complexion. The coverage is heavier than a tinted moisturiser but lighter than a foundation.
• The pump pack makes it easy for dispensing the right amount - just don't press the button all the way down otherwise you'll end up with way too much.

What I didn't like:

• The darkness of the light shade. It was a actually quite a good match for my skin however my skin isn't all that pale so I imagine that it would be too dark for a lot of people.
• I found in natural light this looked quite natural on my but in artificial light it made me look a bit orange.
• Even though it was easy to apply with my fingers, the final result was quite streaky. From a distance you can notice it but up close it was quite patchy - you will see this in the pics below.
• After it dried, if I was to touch it it would ball up and peel off. I tried reapplying to freshen it up and it immediately balled up and peeled off. You would have to completely remove it before you could reapply it. This might be why it appeared patchy - I probably accidentally peeled areas off.

 

Before application - so you can see the colour match

After application - the colour match is quite good for my skin tone -
it evened out my skin tone and from a distance looks nice

Up close you can see how patchy it is - there is a clump between
my eyes and a few missed areas on my cheeks

 

Perhaps I just need to practice the application a little bit more and the results might be more even. But all in all I don't see myself using it again. Yes, it saves a step compared with applying moisturiser then foundation but I still prefer the look of moisturiser plus foundation as you can match the colour to your skin better and can reapply foundation as needed without it balling up.


Have you tried a BB Cream before. Should I give them another go or just stick with moisturiser + foundation?


All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. This product was provided to my to review as part of BeautyHeaven's trial team.

Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation

I recently wrote about my Foundation Dream Team of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear but that post was becoming a little too epic so I reviewed the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear in more detail (here) and will now review the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation in more detail.

I have really struggled to find a foundation that looks natural on my skin. I hate having an obvious makeup look. I have tried quite a few different brands in my quest yet I had never given Revlon a thought. No particular reason why, it is just not a brand I tend to turn towards - or should I say was. I have now discovered my ideal foundation so it makes me want to explore this brand more.

What they say: Finally, truly decadent makeup offers ultimate performance. The mousse-like texture feels like silk on your skin. And, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy.

What I say: I trialled the ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation in 220 nude. I am NW20 at MAC and found that this was a good match. It might be a tad light in summer but at the moment it is an excellent match for my skin tone. I wore this foundation over the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear primer and set it with my Guerlain Meteorites Pearls.

The foundation comes in a jar yet looks like it is going to be runny; however, it isn't. The texture is really quite lovely. It is very light and whipped creme really is the best way to describe it.

I found the foundation so easy to apply. I used my fingers to apply it and it blended effortlessly. It spread like a dream and there was no obvious foundation line on my forehead or chin. Once it had been blended in, it was almost undetectable - it just left my skin looking fresh and nearly flawless.

The foundation is incredibly light feeling. Once applied it does not feel like I am wearing any foundation at all. Their description of it feeling like silk on your skin was very apt as my skin really did feel silky soft after application.

Although it is light feeling, it is also incredibly long lasting. They claim that it lasts 24 hours. I wasn't going to stay up that long to test it, nor was I going to sleep in it. I ended up wearing it for about 8 hours and in that time I did a fair amount of walking (about 5km) and it still didn't budge. It didn't slide off, nor did it look shiny or greasy. At the end of the day it still looked freshly applied. As it is long wearing, it did mean that it was somewhat hard to remove. I had to double cleanse with an oil cleanser and a normal cleanser to make sure that it had been completely removed.

The skin concerns I have at the moment are some quite noticeable pigmentation on my forehead, thanks to pregnancy, and some redness on and around my nose. I found that the foundation completely evened out the redness. It did not completely cover the pigmentation; however, I highly doubt other people would notice it - I just know to look there.



This combination of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear left my skin looking naturally flawless and luminous without the makeup being cakey or even particularly noticeable on my skin. It is exactly what I have been searching for all these years!

I highly recommend this foundation to anyone who wants light feeling foundation that offers good coverage and is long lasting. The claims made by Revlon, the time release formula balances skin for a flawless look. All day flexible wear without flaking, caking or feeling heavy, are absolutely true - this is exactly what the foundation did.

This is my perfect foundation, my Holy Grail foundation. What is yours?

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. The Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation was provided as part of BeautyHeaven's trial team.

My foundation dream team: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear

After perhaps a decade and a half of searching I think that I might just have found my foundation dream team: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation used on top of Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear so I am here to review both of these wonderful products. I have previously written about my frustrations at not being about to find an 'invisible' foundation (here if you missed it) and I think that I have finally found products that are close to invisible on my skin. Hooray!! I will start with some pics of how the products look on my skin before getting into more detailed reviews.

Edit: This ended up being the worlds longest blog post - it rivalled my PhD thesis in length! As I didn't want to scare you away from reading about these great products I have decided to break this up into three different posts so that I can review each product in the depth that I like.

The first photo is of my skin without makeup. It is not too bad, some pigmentation issues on my forehead and a slight pigmentation moustache as well as redness on and around my nose. All I have on my skin is Avon's ANEW Aqua Youth Moisturising Day Lotion SPF15. Just as a little aside, I am finding the Avon Aqua Youth to be a brilliant moisturiser to wear under makeup. It has a really light gel/cream texture that absorbs nearly instantly into my skin leaving it fresh, hydrated and not at all greasy. It is the perfect lightness for wearing under makeup.

After applying my moisturiser and allowing it to full absorb (about the time it takes me to brush my teeth), I then applied two pumps of the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, as instructed, to my entire face. The Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear is designed to be used like a primer and once applied it hydrates the skin as well as filling in wrinkles and giving it a luminous glow. You can see in the picture below, that my skin now has a slight bronzed tint to it and it is also looking quite luminous. (If you would like more detail on the ingredients in the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear and how they work then check out this post).

I then gave the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear about 2 minutes to fully absorb and dry before applying the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation. The absolute best thing about the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation is that you can easily apply it with your fingers. My skills in makeup application are limited and makeup brushes scare me so I loved that I could use my fingers to apply it. The only issue with this is that the foundation comes in a jar and I have quite long nails, at the moment, thanks to my Gelicious manicure so the foundation got caught under my nails.

The foundation applies like a dream. It smooths in effortlessly and doesn't leave any noticeable foundation lines. It is completely weightless when - you literally cannot feel it. It felt as if I had only put moisturiser on. I trialled Nude 220 and it is perfect for my winter skin though may be a tad pale for my summer skin - though I could just set it with a bronzer to bring it to the right tone. My MAC colour is NW20.

I didn't bother applying any concealer and you can see that it has practically covered my pigmentation and it has totally taken the redness out of my nose. So it has really decent coverage considering the lightness of it.

It claims to last 24 hours; however, I didn't take it for that long a test drive. I would have worn it for about 8 hours and in that 8 hours I walked around 5km to pick The Crazy Kid up from daycare, so I worked up a slight sweat, and it still looked fresh at the end of the day so it is definitely long lasting.

This combination of Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation + Alpha-H Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear left my skin looking naturally flawless and luminous without the makeup being cakey or even particularly noticeable on my skin. It is exactly what I have been searching for all these years!

For your info, I set the foundation with my Guerlain Meteorites Pearls and am wearing Arbonne Lip Polish in Posh Chic on my lips.

Want to win some Alpha-H goodies? There are three different Alpha-H prize packs up for grabs, including the Liquid Gold Perfecting Daywear, but get in quick as this giveaway closes on Sunday August 19th. You can enter this giveaway here.

All opinions are my own and I received no remuneration for this post. Both of these products were provided for consideration (the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Foundation was provided as part of BeautyHeaven's trial team).



The risks you take when buying grey market cosmetics

I mentioned the other day that I attended a Lancôme media briefing. Whilst I was there, a few of us had an informal chat about grey market cosmetics and it really was quite eye opening so I thought that I might share some of what we talked about with you.

What are grey market cosmetics? These are cosmetics that are legally sold through unauthorised distribution channels. It does not necessarily mean that the product is fake; however, as the distributor has not been authorised by the manufacturer the authenticity cannot be guaranteed. The best known grey market cosmetics distributor would have to be Strawberry Net. Others include some of the larger sellers on eBay or discount stores (as opposed to department stores) such as Chemist Warehouse.

What are the risks? The main risk is that you have no idea whether the product you have bought is in fact genuine, or if it is genuine, just how fresh it actually is. Lancôme bar code all of their products so that they can be traced throughout the distribution chain. There have been times when they have tried to trace back the origins of a product purchased on the grey market to find out which distributors were responsible for the products ending up on the grey market only to find that the bar code did not correspond with any of theirs. So, in this case, the products were fakes.

If the products are fakes then you have absolutely no idea what is in them so you are putting yourself at risk of a reaction to the product as it is unlikely the ingredients have been tested for safety. Best case scenario you have wasted your money on a product that does not do what it claims. Worst case - you have a severe reaction to dodgy ingredients.

As I mentioned, not all products on the grey market are fake. Some find their way there by being bought in countries where the product is cheaper (either for full retail or wholesale prices), then on sold at a profit to countries where the product is more expensive. In these cases, the products are genuine but you have no way of knowing how old the products are or whether they have been stored correctly. Storage at incorrect temperatures can cause cosmetics to greatly deteriorate. Before I understood the concept of grey market products I bought some Estee Lauder skincare from a cheap online site. When they arrived, the packaging all looked genuine; however, when I went to use the products they had separated and there was an oily residue on the top with the cream below looking curdled. I suspect that this was either old stock or it had been stored at excessive temperatures though I really have no idea what as in that jar.

The big companies hate the grey market distributors and it is not just because they cut into their profits. These grey market distributors can really affect the reputations of the big brands by selling products that are inferior that the consumer believes are genuine. Say a beauty blogger buys a much hyped skincare item from StrawberryNet or any other grey market distributor and finds that it does nothing for them, or worse they react to it. They might then blog that the product is a load of crap and not worth the hype. So their readers then think 'Ok, I am definitely not going to waste my money on that one'. The bad review is then on the net forever for anyone to google when in reality the 'load of crap' product is probably not even genuine.

Now, I am not saying to not look for bargains online as no-one likes to pay full price. However, you really should do you research to find out whether the supplier you are buying from is an authorised distributor - often it will say so on the website. If it isn't, ask yourself is it worth the risk and if it is then don't be disappointed if it doesn't perform as expected as you really do get what you pay for.


What are your thoughts on discount cosmetic retailers? Worth the bargain or too risky? Have you ever been burnt by a non-genuine product?


All opinions stated in this blog are my own and I received no remuneration for my comments

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

I mentioned on my Facebook Page that I was off to a Lancôme event, yesterday. It was a media briefing for two new products that are being released shortly - Visionnaire LR 2412 Correcting Polishing Cream (which is being released in Australia on July 29th) and the Gentifique Yeux Light-Pearl Eye-Illuminating Youth Activator (being released in September 16th). The science behind both these products is really interesting and I will be sharing it with you closer to their release dates, but one super exciting thing that I can tell you is that these products are being released in Asia Pacific first which means that for once we will be the first ones to get our hands on a new product!  In the interim I thought that I would review my Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation.

Time and time again I have found myself disappointed with the foundation I was wearing. I would always see models wearing foundation in magazines and it looked flawless yet, whenever I tried it, I found that it was noticeable on my skin and I hated that. I wanted my skin to appear perfect but also look natural - not caked in make up. I had virtually come to the conclusion that the perfect foundation did not exist - that what I had seen in magazines was air brushing magic and not reality (and here is my rant on airbrushing if you missed it!). Well, it seems that I have been proven wrong! Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation is amazing. It leaves my skin flawless. Not as flawless as an airbrushed magazine, obviously, but it is so natural looking that my husband didn't even notice that I was wearing foundation when he got home from work.

What they say:

24-hour wear for divine, lasting perfection Following 8 years of research, Lancôme unveils its first 24-hour wear foundation for lasting perfection. With its new EternalSoft technology, Teint Idole Ultra 24H defeats all challenges. Complexion stays perfectly flawless and unified. Never cakey.

24-hour divine comfort In perfect affinity with the skin, Teint Idole Ultra 24H is irresistibly comfortable. Its new, blendable and fresh texture leaves the complexion perfectly smooth, velvety matte with no powdery effect.

Result The full coverage you need – flaws, pores, redness and all imperfections visibly disappear. The velvety finish you love for 24-hour lasting perfection and comfort. Full coverage. Velvety matte finish with no powdery effect.

Oil-free. Fragrance-free. Transfer-free. Non-comedogenic. Tested on sensitive skin. Tested under dermatological control. Patent pending.
                                                                                           

What I say: This foundation did not feel heavy at all. In fact, it did not feel like I had any foundation on at all - yet the coverage was quite high. I have some patches of pigmentation that really irk me - and these were made worse by the fact that I was pregnant and went to Hawaii - the pregnancy pigmentation was quite bad this time around and was quite noticeable. Not when I am wearing this foundation. I am actually quite shocked at how it can feel so light yet offer such good coverage.
 
It is a liquid foundation and at first it felt a little difficult to apply - however, on this first attempt I used my fingers to apply it and it just didn't seem to spread well. I then tried applying it with the Lancôme Foundation Brush 03 and it still looked a tad streaky. However, once I had set it with some powder (I used Guerlain, Meteorites Pearls), it was complete and utter perfection - there was not a hint of streakiness - just an even, perfect complexion. So, once I was used to it, application was actual very easy.

The foundation came in a glass pump bottle which was very luxurious. I suppose the packaging doesn't make it easy to carry around with you during the day, but in all honesty I never really carry my foundation on me - just some powder to blot the shinies away - so this was not an issue for me. At any rate, the foundation claims to last 24 hours so why would you need to carry it with you! I never took it for the full 24 hour test drive but after a good 10 hours of wear, my skin still looked amazing - very, very impressive. It didn't look as good as freshly applied but with any other foundation I have tried, after about 5 hours it has all but vanished so this was a massive improvement.

I have quite oily skin and when I first applied this, it looked and felt oily on my skin for a good couple of minutes. I was actually a tad disappointed. Even after I applied my powder it still felt a little sticky. I then had a few things to do so left the bathroom, pottered around, then happened to run my hand over my face. The foundation had completely settled into my skin and there was not even the slightest hint of oiliness. By the end of a full day's wear I am a tiny bit shiny but the foundation hadn't budged which is a massive improvement on any other foundation that I had previously tried.

Colourwise, I ended up going with 03 - Beige Diaphane and this colour had both the golden tones that I have in my skin but it also had pinky tones which was very true to my skin tone. I also trialled 035 which is very very similar to 03 but without the subtle pinky tones so it ends up looking a tad too yellow on my skin. I could easily get away with this shade in the summer but think that it would be a tad too golden for me in winter while I think 03 would work beautifully for me year around. You can see below how natural the foundation looks on my skin.

I can honestly say that I have found my Holy Grail foundation and will most definitely purchase this again in the future.

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation retails at $68 and the Lancôme Foundation Brush 03 for $72 can both be purchased from Myers, DJ's and selected pharmacies.

Have you discovered your HG foundation and if so what is it?

All opinions stated in this blog are my own. I have no affiliation with Lancome and received no remuneration for my comments. The dfoundation and brush were provided to me by Beauty Heaven to review as part of their Trial Team.

How to know which foundation colour from any brand best suits your skintone

These days, especially with the Aussie dollar going so strongly, I find myself doing more and more of my beauty shopping online. However, there is one thing that I find near impossible to buy online and that is foundation. Unless I have bought the brand before, I can never work out what colour I need. In fact, I can barely get it right even when I trial it in store. I find the names given to foundation shades to be useless - my skin isn't porcelain, or sand or beige - so I end up sticking to couple of tried and tested brands rather than trying new ones.

 Well, I have some awesome news for every person who has been too scared to buy a foundation online, a solution to your foundation woes. Findation.com is a website that will recommend foundation colours based on the colours of foundations you currently wear. From the website:

How does this work?

People like you, all over the world, tell us what foundation colors they use. We then use an algorithm (=fancy math stuff) to figure out what colors are similar, across different brands and products.

For best results:

• Only tell us colors that are a good match for your skin. Would you buy that same color again? If not, don’t enter it.
• Don’t guess, if you can’t remember exactly which color you used. Go check the packaging just to make sure!
• If you’ve worn two different shades in the same foundation before (e.g. one in summer and another in winter), just tell us the one that is the best match for your skin for most of the year.
• If you only tell us your matches in sheer coverage foundations or tinted moisturisers, we may not be able to give you a perfect match in a full coverage foundation.

I decided to give it a try. I have only found two foundations in which I have been really happy with the match - Napoleon Perdis Camera Finish in Look 1 and Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation in 03 Beige Daphane (so my skin is beige after all!). I entered these into the website and it spat out 46 foundations that would be suitable, each one with a percentage indicating hw good the match is. Below is a couple of foundations it picked out for me.

This website is currently in Beta mode so what we all need to do is enter in as many foundations as we can that are great matches to our skin. The more people who enter colours, the more accurate the results will end up being.

This is an absolutely genius idea that I can't believe no one has thought of sooner. The founder of Findation.com is Kate Morris, who is also the founder of Adore Beauty. She obviously has had to deal with many frustrated customers who had been unable to work out which foundation colour to choose.

So, what you need to do now is to go to Findation.com and enter in all the foundation brands and colours that you wear. Not only will you get a selection of suitable suggestions to try, you will also be helping create one of the most valuable online beauty tools!


Once you have entere your shades, let me know what suggestions it has come up with you.


So, are you as excited about this as I am?

 

Posts you may have missed: makeup, makeup, makeup

As I mentioned last week, I saw on Sara-May's blog, Makeup Utopia, that she does a recap each Sunday of posts you may have missed during the week. I thought that this was a brilliant idea so have decided to steal incorporate this idea for my blog. However, rather than recapping posts that I have done in the last week I will try to group together posts of a similar theme. This is because there will be some weeks where I only manage to achieve one post and that will look a little pathetic sitting there all on its own!

I was so excited to hear this week that Lush is releasing a makeup range that I have decided to make this week's recap all about makeup.

I will start with the huge news that Lush is releasing a makeup range: Emotional Brilliance. This is a totally new concept in makeup - makeup to suit your psychological needs. All the colours are laid out on a wheel which you then spin. The three colours that jump out at you first are the colours that you are subconsciously craving. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it! I'm not sure whether I will go by what is on the wheel or just buy the colours I love - we will have to see come July 21st when the range is released!

Some other exciting news that I have been writing about is that Sephora might be coming to Australia. I first published the rumour that they would be coming here back in Feb after I heard it from sales staff in Hawaii. This post created a lot of interest with many different people piping in with the rumours that they have heard, so I then wrote an update post compiling all these rumours so that we can assess whether they are likely to be true. I really hope so but am not too sure...

I was so surprised to hear that there was such thing as an organic makeup range, but there is - NVEY ECO! Here I review their foundation and their eye makeup.

Ever wondered exactly how makeup primers work? Well, it is all explained here. I then went on to investigate whether Face of Australia Face Base and the Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre Foundation Primer were actually identical products in different packaging.

Finally, in the lead up to IMATS last year I got the opportunity to interview some pretty awesome people. I had the most fascinating chat with Donna Mee (we skyped for over 30 minutes!) and found out that her approach to makeup is actually really scientific, then I got to pick Napoleon Perdis's brain and finally I had a talk with Elessa Jade from pursebuzz.com.


If you have any interesting makeup posts, I'd love you to post the link in the comments below!

A makeup range from Lush: Emotional Brilliance

Years ago, Lush had a sister company B Never Too Busy to be Beautiful. B Never produced the most stunning makeup range, with really vibrant eyeshadows, gorgeous lip products as well as some amazing perfumes and body products. In fact, I wore one of their perfumes - Two Hearts Beating as One, to my wedding (I will review this in my Rose Quest). Unfortunately, B Never closed down in 2009. I was never lucky enough to try their makeup range but always hoped that one day Lush would bring some of it into their stores. (Have a look here if you would like to see swatches of the B Never makeup range).

I have just found out, thanks to Su from My Perfume Diaries, that Lush is now releasing a makeup range. I was so excited when I found out that I went straight to BeautyDirectory to see if I could find out more information, and below is what I uncovered. The range is called Emotional Brilliance. All the colours are laid out on a wheel, you then spin the wheel and grabbed the three colours that jump out at you first. These are the colours you are psychologically drawn to. From Temptalia:

These three chosen colors will then be placed in the middle of the wheel in the order they have been picked. The first color choice symbolizes your STRENGTH OR WEAKNESS; the second choice represents your SUBCONSCIOUS NEED; while the third choice is your TALENT and it is what you require to achieve your subconscious need.

Image courtesy of Musings of a Muse

 

You might end up drawing out three colours from the one range (ie all eyeliners) or a mixture - it doesn't matter. The colours can be worn together but don't have to be. The range is entirely vegan. Below are the products that are included in the range and their descriptions (inages and descriptions courtesy of BeautyDirectory).

Charisma Skin Tint

Lush Charisma Skin Tint can be worn under your make-up to give the skin a healthy, warm glow. Tint is great on tanned skins or for paler skins to give a bronzed effect. $19.95

Cream Eyeshadow

Lush Cream Eyeshadow is bold and colourful. The base softens easily into the skin with rose petal infusion and skin-softening almond and jojoba oils that are caring on the sensitive eye area. Glycerine will help carry the colour onto the eyelid and capuacu butter helps set the colour pigments so the formula stays in place and lasts.  $24.95

Emotional Brilliance Translucent Face Powder

This translucent, ultra fine, light-reflecting face powder is suitable for all skin types. It can be used over foundation to set it in place and create a shine-free finish or on its own to even out skin tone for a natural look. It won’t dry the skin out as it contains softening jojoba oil that allows the pigments to be delivered onto the skin smoothly, without dryness. Jojoba oil is also exceptionally nourishing for the skin and creates an excellent protective barrier between your face and the elements. The powder can be smoothed onto the upper eyelid to prevent eyeliner from smudging. The face powder has a talc base that delivers the pigments onto the skin smoothly with no mineral oils or preservatives to irritate skin. $19.95

Eyes Right Mascara

 

This gentle mascara contains only one preservative in the formula, so the Lush Eyes Right Mascara won’t irritate eyes. It contains wheatgrass packed full of vitamins and minerals to condition and nourish the lashes. Japan and carnauba wax will help it set so it won’t smudge throughout the day. $19.95

Feeling Younger Skin Tint

Lush Feeling Younger Skin Tint contains orange pigment which works as a reflector on the skin making it look bright and youthful. Use it as a highlighter on the brow bone and eyelids or under the eyes. $19.95

Emotional Brilliance Liquid Eyeliner

Lush Liquid Eyeliner has a no-smudge formula that sets quickly and is long lasting. The eyeliner is made with a base of eyebright infusion, a herb with an ancient tradition of use for the eyes. Available in Independent and Fantasy. $24.95

Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lips

Lush Liquid Lips uses Lush super softening ultrabalm as a base. The ultrabalm combines organic jojoba oil, candelilla wax and rose wax to soften and soothe and carry pigment. Lips will be brilliantly coloured and left soft and smooth and deeply moisturised. $24.95

I have searched around but it appears that swatches have not yet been released for this range. It is being released, worldwide, on 21st July 2012 and I can't wait to get my hands on cream eyeshadow or some of the lip tints - they all look absolutely stunning from the press images that have been released.


Who else is excited about Lush releasing a makeup range? What product do you most want to try first?