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)

Get Nude - Not Rude

Makeup looks on the runway change from season to season. You only need to look at Riccardo Tisci's incredible lace face masks for Spring/Summer 2016 to see the latest magnificent manifestation of makeup artist Pat McGrath. She has previously done sequined and latex eyebrows, gothic, Victorian and punk rock inspired looks.
What doesn't change is that there will be designers who want to keep the makeup pared back to emphasise the clothes and the natural beauty and features of the models.
Your interpretation of the "nude" look is going to work along a spectrum, just as the shade "nude" is not a single pale, pink bottle of foundation anymore.
Makeup brands and artists recognise that there are a range of ethnicities and skin tones and textures to work with. Lancome is one of the best for doing foundations for dark skin.
Here are the essentials and if heavy contouring appeals to you, work that bronzer! Just avoid harsh lines. Blend. Blend. Blend.

• Take care of your skin. No amount of makeup can disguise super tired, blemished and flaky skin. A combination of supplements (silica, fish oil, flaxseed oil, zinc) and high quality, natural skincare is going to serve you well.
• Exfoliate. I love Aveda's Botanical Kinetics Exfoliant for sensitive skin. It is non abrasive so won't aggravate redness or dry skin. Exfoliating removes surface oil and dead skin cells to allow skin to breathe and be radiant.
• Spend on your base. By all means, stock up on $2 eyeshadow and glitter but think about the Cost Per Wear equation. This is going to cover your face MOST if not EVERY day! I am blemish-prone and also have dry skin. I need breathable coverage that will last through a sweaty yoga session followed by meetings and appointments. I swear by:

1. Dior Nude Air (gorgeous, light texture and fabulous coverage) @ David Jones
2. Dior Skin Forever Fluid (slightly heavier formula but great shades for my skin tone) @ David Jones
3. L'Oreal Lumi Magique (excellent coverage, radiant dewy finish) @ Priceline

• Use concealer. Even if you don't use foundation, a concealer magically revives sad, no-sleep skin. Just as you would match your foundation perfectly IN THE LIGHT to your face colour, make sure your concealer is a perfect match. Try:

1. Dior Nude Skin Perfecting Hydrating Concealer @ Sephora

• If you are a lipstick junkie, like me, you will go crazy for a nude range that actually really flatters your face! No chalky, zombie lip effect here! I am totally addicted to Rimmel's Kate Moss line of nudes. Not only housed in peach coloured bullets, these shades can work alone or blended and they are beautiful.

1. Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lasting Finish Lipsticks @ Priceline
   

Conflict Between loving the Superficial and Leading a Meaningful Life

It might be hard to believe considering how often I write about skin and makeup, but I do feel a true conflict over

a) my deep passion for yoga, health and a meaningful, creative life AND

b) my ecstasy over discovering an incredible lipstick shade

Does one mean the other shrinks in importance or value? I hope not. The way I choose to see it is that I lead a blessed enough life that I can find the joy and thrill in something as simple as lipstick and nailpolish. I also go crazy for an amazing editorial in Italian Vogue. 

That said, I'm thoroughly enjoying Yoga Girl by Rachel Brathan (out through Hachette)and read biographies and autobiographies of powerful, spirited and creative women like Judy Cassab, Peggy Guggenheim and Coco Chanel.

I am a complete set of contradictions and it does bring me great angst, but so many things bring me great joy and without doing any harm to anyone, so I am trying to find peace in that!

Now that I've come clean on my contradictions and conflict over my love of the superficial, I have to share the things that are thrilling me the most. And look, makeup is an artform. It's creative expression, endless variations on texture, colour and application. It's playing with crayons or painting watercolours made into a daily ritual. Even the Egyptians were poisoning themselves just to have a kohl-rimmed eye. It's ancient. There's culture and tradition in it. 

If it brings you joy, and it harms nobody, indulge with me...

Urban Decay Naked Skin is vegan, weightless, perfect coverage foundation from the cult beauty brand that is best known for their nude eye palette range. I am all about perfect skin and foundation that conceals without looking obvious, and definitely survives a yoga class and a full day or running around without resulting in blemishes. This ticks all my boxes. Exclusive to Mecca Maxima. Check out their Top 10 UD Obsessions!

Dior Secret Garden IV is the amazing campaign featuring Rihanna. The mini-film is incredible (view it!) Look, I won't be jetting off to Paris or investing in a Dior handbag anytime soon, BUT I discovered the products that were used to achieve that French Film Star bombshell lip and that's romantic enough for me. She is wearing the Rouge Dior lipstick shade #941 Cannage and the Lip Liner Thrilling Plum #943 (Rouge Dior Couture @ Myer)

My Beauty Day

I am thrilled with how clear and glowing my skin is looking at the moment! So I had to share my current regime with you. Nothing super complex or fancy about it - just what works for me.

1. Wake up, wash face with Elemis Rosepetal Cleanser then 2. Apply Dermalogica PowerBright Pure Light SPF 50 mixed with 3. Dior Star Foundation. I love a little colour care of 4. Illamasqua blush in Naked Rose 5. NYX Cosmetics retractable lip liner...then in the evening again I wash with 6. Elemis Rosepetal Cleanser, apply 7. Elemis Resurfacing Mask for the super tingly and revitalising 8 minutes before 8. Dermalogica PowerBright C-12 serum and finally, my insurance against puffy eyes, 9. Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Eye Cream