Be A Glow Getter


Alpha H


Exclusive to Sephora Australia, I've been using Clear Skin Daily Moisturiser to blitz a couple of spots (can't always cleanse and tone between yoga and barre classes...) and I can thoroughly recommend it. It isn't as addictive as the Liquid Gold that tingles but leaves skin thoroughly revitalised if you apply overnight.



VMV Hypoallergenics


Exclusive to Sephora in Australia, VMV Hypoallergenics is ideally suited to sensitive skin and also to skin prone to acne, rashes, eczema, psoriasis and allergies to typical makeup.
Their packaging is beyond design 101. Little suitcases package eyeshadows, blushers and bronzers. The Skintelligent beauty blush brush comes in its own recycled paper bag with soy-based ink. If you are a fan of #greenbeauty you are ticking every sustainability, environmentally friendly box on the way to karmic heaven. You’re going to look especially lovely when you get there too. My picks are Smauve and Heat blush palettes and you absolutely MUST have a blush brush and no-water-required brush cleaner spray (hypoallergenic of course!).

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess
Look no further if you’re after luxe and a brand name you know and trust. I once read a book on Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden. Though Estee Lauder didn’t enter the picture until towards the end, all those makeup queens were the true pioneers and entrepreneurs of their day. BronzeGoddess has been a cult hit for beauty lovers since it was released some years ago. With a fragrance, colour palette and face/body bronzers as part of the collection, you have your pick of products.
Right now, it’s all about highlighting and the “strobing” effect where the skin is given a glowy effect all over. That said, you don’t want to blind people with your ridiculous luminescence. Be subtle. The Bronze Goddess Palette has a bronzer, coral hued blusher and gold highlighter. Each shade could be used alone but in combination, it adds vibrancy, shade and light to your face.

Bobbi Brown
Talking of glow, the only foundation I consistently return to over and over is Bobbi Brown. I loved the cushion foundation but I'm a bit old school and a liquid foundation that I can pump out a reliable and ritualistic amount is perfect for me. Totally recommend the Skin Nourishing Glow Foundation. I wear it to the gym and it still lasts all day without giving me spots. Bam.
My next trial? The Foundation Stick. My shade is Warm Ivory but there's a zillion to choose from whether you're icy pale or Grace Jones. Also, for highlighting heaven, you can't go past the subtle gold glow of Telluride Highlighting Powder.

e.l.f
Hello budget beauty. Not only will you get change from your weekly pocket money allowance, you’ll also have the happy glow of knowing many e.l.f products are vegan and therefore, cruelty free and ethically produced.

There is a full makeup range for face, lips, eyes and also a skincare range if you’re so inclined. A makeup artist friend highly recommended their brush sets (a BUDGET quality brush set? YES!). I can back this up. Most of the brushes are vegan but not all. If this is of concern, do your research and you can always ask via email or online.

Clean Up Your Act and Blush Right

The Cleanser
Fizzy Clean Face
I recently had a nasty episode of red, swollen facial skin after getting a little too enthusiastic with eucalyptus oil to solve a spot.

While I'm relegating the eucalyptus oil to cleaning my bathroom, I AM all for using savvy natural ingredients for skin treatments where it's safe, effective and delivered by a credible brand. Hence, my new addiction to Biore Baking Soda cleansing scrub and pore cleanser. This is perfect for acne-
prone and oily skin and also for your everyday combination skin (sometimes a bit dry, sometimes a bit oily, sometimes just right!) Dermatologist Tested. Just pump product into your hand, mix with water and voila! Instant skin scrub. Another bonus?

Super affordable. You will have extra dollars left over for makeup. Of course.
Biore Baking Soda Range
The Mask
Salon Quality At Home

Mesoestetic is one of the international leaders in medical-cosmetic companies making salon-grade skincare based on research and potent formulae.
They work with hospitals, universities and cosmetic and dermatology specialists on treatments to target acne, pigmentation, dryness, sensitivity and also for anti-ageing.

I'm new to the brand but I have been using the Pure Renewing Mask (because who doesn't love a mask in the morning or at the end of the day?)
I was fortunate enough to try the mask before it's launch in Australian stores and salons, but it will be available through select stockists.
Find an in-store or online stockist.
The Base

You're fizzy, just-been-to-the-salon clean and clear. You've got the blush ready to sweep on, but here's the vital step. Get your base right. You want a non-comedogenic formula (doesn't clog pores) that closely matches your natural skin shade. Don't test on your hand, test on your face.

I rotate the foundations I use because there are new products all the time and also, sometimes I am more tanned than the day before and need something a shade darker or lighter as necessary. As for my latest loves, both of them are budget friendly AND skin friendly. Australis Oh2Glow gives a luminous finish that won't suit oily skin, but great for the majority and Maybelline Superstay Better Skin.
The Blush
Pretty and poised never go out of fashion when it comes to makeup. Whether it's some serious contouring or just a gentle "I just ran for the tram" flush or "I woke up like this" glow, every skin shade has a perfect pink.

La Femme Flamingo Pink
La Femme is a new brand for me - it's cruelty free, it does every possible shade of pink you could dream of, and it's beautifully packaged.  As a general rule, which you are very free to break, the paler your skin shade, the paler the colour you want to opt for with your blush.
I'm a big fan of Flamingo Pink - it's richly pigmented but applied with a light hand (as it SHOULD be), it's subtle and looks gorgeously natural.
Lilac Champagne and Mulberry are a little more blue-based and will suit those with a cooler complexion. That said, they are also really flattering on olive skin.
The entire range of La Femme colours is at makeup mecca Scotty's - either at the Melbourne or Sydney stores, or online.
Scotty's Makeup Store

Where do I apply it? How?
Good question. Suck your cheeks in and make a fish face. The bronzer goes in the hollow from the outer face to mid cheek. Apply your blush, lightly, with a fluffy, pre-cleaned brush to the higher point of your cheek, from the outer edge of the eye to the hairline. You don't want to leave any lines so blend, blend, blend.
If more is more, and some days it really is, then add some highlighter. You can sweep your blush brush through a highlighter en route from blush to cheek for some shimmer and glow. Especially recommended on evening outings to catch the (disco) light.
Totally love the W3LL People Bio Brightener (vegan, cruelty free) from Nourished Life.

Beauty School: Cult Beauty Buys and Vitamin B


YSL Touche Eclat is a cult beauty buy worldwide. Not just a concealer in a wand shape, but a brightening pen that works wonders on tired eyes and sallow skin. Models, makeup artists, beauty editors and beauty addicts all have at least one of these magic pens. See image below for a guide to where to conceal - make sure that "teardrop" area inside the eyes is on your radar. It instantly brightens and wakes up the whole face!
Mecca Cosmetica ($59)
L'Oreal True Match Blush in Baby Blossom was a chance discovery. I won the Garance Dore x L'Oreal Beauty Box competition and it arrived along with a bunch of other goodies. It is a pale ballerina pink that I absolutely adore. So subtle and with a naturally pale complexion, this is ideal. Rather than sweeping the apples of the cheeks, it is much more flattering to take blush to the upper cheekbones and towards the upper ear.
Vitamin Grocer Australia ($24.27)

Youngblood Creme Blush in Champagne Life is oil free, cruelty free and enriched with Vitamin C and E. I tend to use this shade as a highlighter rather than a typical blush because it is so glowy. Applied to the centre of the eyelids and the cupid's bow of the lips, it gives you a gentle burst of light where the sunshine would naturally illuminate your face. Glow, my pretty, glow!
Ry.com.au ($35.20)

Dior Air Serum Foundation is a luxe buy - no doubt. Entirely worth it if you consider cost-per-wear though! This goes on and stays on (through yoga, Pump, barre and meetings) while also being non-comedogenic so no nasty spots as a result of all-day, everyday wear.
David Jones ($79)

Here's another tip. The most vital really. No matter how much makeup you have or use, unless you are caring for your skin, hair and organs by eating well and sleeping, there can be no beauty mecca for you! To paraphrase Roald Dahl. If you are smiling and joyful, sunbeams will radiate from your face and make you truly beautiful.
In addition to joy, I am taking Vitamin B# - the new super dose from Blackmores. Vitamin B3 is essential for DNA repair, energy, digestion, skin and hair strength. It can't replace a balanced, healthy diet and this is your first priority - but if you are vegan or vegetarian, you may need to find out if you're low in Vitamin B generally. Totally recommended. Blackmores ($16)