Pretty Pretty Pretty

How to: classic pin up girl October 18, 2008

This is a great vid with some great tips. I like the tip about cutting you false eyelashes in half - much easier to apply and very effective. Oh and beauty spots - I love beauty spots. And using eyeshadow to shape your brows - great stuff. Brilliant vid, just brilliant.

MAC does Dame Edna - wtf October 11, 2008

It’s crazy but it’s true. Click the pic to read more about it at Pursebuzz.com.

Get the most out of your lip gloss October 8, 2008

Near the end of your favourite lip gloss and finding it hard to get the last, valuable blobs of gloss? Watch this from the super, amazing Enkore.

How to: get pink eye October 7, 2008

My local Farmer’s had a clearance cosmetic rack, and I found a fabulous Napoleon Perdis eyeshadow in ‘Indian Rose’ for only 10 bucks! (down from $34.)

I’ve been wanting a bright pink eye shadow for a while and spring is a great time to start experimenting with colour.

Here I packed the pink shadow onto my upper lid, blended some purple into the crease of my eye, and light pink on the brow bone below my brows. Then applied the pink to lower lash line with a fine tipped brush.

I also put some white pencil liner on my lower water-line so that the pink didn’t make my eyes look tired and red. (The one I have is Maybelline and I recommend it for your lower water-line to brighten your eyes.)

Nutrimetics2.0 October 3, 2008

If you’re a fan of Nutrimetics products, but can’t be bothered going to a Nutrimetics shindig to buy your stuff, you’ll be pleased to know you can now buy online. It’s a good way to keep tabs on Nutrimetics sales a specials too.

Here’s the link to an online Wellington rep for Nutrimetics.

Beauty myths October 1, 2008

First of all, I’d just like to say, I hate Mythbusters. The method of dispelling the ‘myth’ is often not rigorous, so there’s no real point to the show at all.

For similar reasons, I’m not entirely convinced by the dispelling of the following beauty myths. But at least it makes you question conventional truths in the beauty industry, aye.

These “myths” vs “truths” come from the latest Australian Marie Claire (which is a particularly good issue this month, by the way).

• “Myth”: You must trim your hair every four to six weeks. “Truth”: (according to some premier stylist in Sydney) If you’re growing out your hair, eight to 10 weeks is more reasonable.
• “Myth”: Shaving makes your leg hair grow back faster. “Truth”: (according to Gillette Technology Centre) Extensive testing proves that shaving doesn’t affect hair growth, nor change colour or texture in anyway.
• “Myth”: If you wax your lip, the hair will grow back thicker. “Truth”: (according to some beautician) waxing that does not follow the direction of hair growth can break off the hair rather than pull out the follicle. Hence hair growth will feel thicker.
• “Myth”: Using foundation under eyeshadow makes it last longer. “Truth”: Foundation is normally too fluid and eyeshadow sitting on top will move and crease in the socket. Oil-based concealer, on the other hand, will hold on to eye shadow all day.
• “Myth”: Drinking two litres of water daily will make your skin hydrated, smooth and clear. “Truth”: (according to the International Dermal Institute) Research has proven that water does not have a direct effect on the skin’s hydration. But water is essential for healthy body function which includes the skin.

I reckon you’re all your own personal experiment, so it’s feasible you have your own “truths”. So what do you think about these ones?

Custom eyeshadow base September 28, 2008

The ingenious pursebuzz has this quick tip for mixing your own colour bases for eyeshadows. You’ll just need some primer (I love the Napoleon Perdis face primer - it’s great for eyes too, and the MAC eye primer is OK). This will create bright, long lasting colour. Perfect for spring! (Is everyone else experiencing the same fabulous sunny weather as Welly at the mo?)

Make-up sale at Avant Garde September 27, 2008

Avant Garde (2 Woodward St, Wellington) are having an awesome sale on all their Trucco (by Sebastian) stock. All Trucco items only $15!

Trucco is no longer being imported so Avant Garde are getting rid of all their stock. Eyeshadows, mascara, foundation, brushes, concelaer, lipsticks, and more!! all only $15!! That’s a super good price for these products.

Brow basics September 25, 2008

I love brows. They’re a great feature. You can dye, pluck, shape, pencil and brush them. And then leave them to grow wild.

Now, I’m no professional, but I do have some advice on drawing on brows for novice brow-artistes. Note that shaping brows is a whole other matter - I won’t begin to give you advice on that… maybe in another post.

You can see in the ‘before’ and ‘after’ shots in the pics below that drawing brows can make a subtle (yet at the same time super-awesome) difference. Between taking the first and the second pictures I have used a soft brow pencil to fill in my brow, brushed the brow into shape, and smoothed over with some brow gel. Seems like a lot or work, but it’s fun and great for special occasions.

Tips:

• There are a lot of different products you can use to draw on brows: pencils, powders, gels and creams. Personally I prefer soft pencils with a brow brush at the end (like the Kevyn Aucoin one pictured below).
• When you apply the colour to the brow, use short, gentle strokes as though you’re drawing in individual brow hairs.
• Basically, you are wanting to highlight the existing shape of your brow (so don’t go outside of your natural brow area), and fill in any gaps in your hair.
• Brushing your brows into shape afterwards is important because the bristles themselves create tiny lines in the colour that mimick the natural look of brow-hair. It also softens the colour so you can tone down the colour you’ve applied.
• Brow gels (like the YSL one pictured below) are possibly a waste of money. But I guess if you have particularly unruley brows it might help keep them in place.

I’ve used a number of brow pencils over the years. I can recommend the Kevyn Aucoin (very pricy but the brush at the end is really handy) (available online and at Mecca Cosmetica), Nutrimetics pencil, Clinique retractible pencil (this item looks exactly like the Maybeline version, like exactly, so it may be the same as the Maybeline). You could also play around using brownish eyeshadows on your brows - apply with a sponge tip eyeshadow applicator.

For your glamorous benefit September 14, 2008

If you happen to be browsing the magazine racks somewhere, and you see a small British Glamour magazine with a free lip gloss - the July edition - buy it. Not for the magazine itself, because it is truly truly hollow and the article on cleavage at work was particularly misogynistic, but rather because the attached lip gloss is the best lip gloss I have ever used. And that’s a bloody big call from someone who has as many lip glosses on her at one time that most people would have in a lifetime. It’s a UK company called Benefit, and their ‘‘Her Glossiness’ lip gloss sells for 13 pounds - or $40NZ. Glamour costs $8. You do the maths. The lip gloss goes on slickly, and makes your lips look beautiful and smooth, even if you’re in the middle of Sickness of Death.