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.

Makeup Must Have List for 2016 - bronzer for fair skin, bold lips, pastel nails

There's a zillion makeup brands and products out there - I should know! I find myself in seventh heaven any time I am near a Sephora or a Mecca Maxima. So many colours! The packaging! Oh, the sparkle!

But.

There's what is absolutely worth the spend and the space in your makeup cabinet, and there's the novelty factor. Herewith, the products absolutely worth your hard-earned dollars and my solid gold assurance that I use them, I love them and I totally recommend them.

Bold Liquid Lipstick that Lasts: Estee Lauder Pure Envy Liquid Lipsticks in Savage Garden and True Liar. Savage Garden is a deep, midnight purple that can be a subtle stain if you apply one coat, or a dark, violet gloss if you apply 3. True Liar is a fuschia-pink that applies dark and lasts and lasts and lasts. Much more daytime friendly if you’re not going for an A+ in Bold at the office!

Foundation That Does Double Duty: Bobbi Brown Skin Perfecting Fluid is the ultimate! Sure, it's not cheap, but consider Cost Per Wear. Every damned day if you want to convince people you are from an alien planet where everyone has glowing, flawless skin. I also love Bobbi Brown Cushion Foundation - again, not a bargain basement product but you get what you pay for - A Grade Skin.

Concealer You'd Take To A Desert Island: Organic, perfecting Evelyn Iona concealer. God forbid I use up my current stash. I am obsessed. Whatever any makeup artist says, I apply BEFORE foundation. Then touch-ups later in the day as required. #GreenBeauty y'all.

Matte Bronzer for Fair Skin: Bobbi Brown Golden Light Bronzer. Because nobody likes to have a smear of orange or glitter across their face, combat style. Your bronzer is meant to give you a healthy glow, not look like you’ve been shoving your face into a bag of Twisties. Hard to find the perfect blush for fair skin, that does subtle but complexion-boosting, but I have. Bobbi.

Nude Lip Pencil: Bobbi Brown Art Stick is a lip defining pencil that works just as you'd use a lip liner, except that it glides and has a softness to it that means no dry lips, no sharp lines and no vanishing within an hour or at the first sign of lunch. I use the nude shades alone for definition or as a base for stronger colours. My favourite shade is Bare.

Overnight Serum That Makes You Glow: I can't pick just one here. I alternate between two and both are fantastic. I work out daily and wear makeup daily and these are the maintenance tricks required to rejuvenate and fully refresh my skin. It's like a 3 hour facial in an overnight serum! Both Mesoestetic Collagen 360 (Available at RY) and Alpha H Liquid Gold (via Sephora) are Must Haves.

Pastel Nails That Aren’t Sickly Sweet: OPI (available at RY) does 5-free nail colours that have a cult-like following for a reason. Beyond the snappy, laugh-out-loud names, their formula and colours are pure salon quality and the packaging is simple, chic and collectable. That’s my excuse for housing a zillion more than I need, though! What you must Add To Cart is the gelato hued gorgeousness of Gelato On My Mind (pale mint green), Mod About You (pastel pink), Your Such A Budapest (pale lilac purple).

New Nude Makeup, Toxic Free Nails, British Beauty Lands in Oz...

So much exciting beauty and makeup business, my lovelies!

I'm going to kick off with the basics. The base, even. I adore Queen of Strobing Bobbi Brown for having every conceivable shade of "nude" when it comes to foundation, lipstick, eyes, blusher and concealer. Because not everyone in the world has one skin tone to cater to - and so many makeup houses are behind the 8-ball on this. For my own skin, I go with the Light/Medium foundation but there are so many shades. If you're unable to get into a store and be matched professionally, order online and do your research on the ACTUAL Bobbi Brown website. 

I'm a total addict when it comes to the Cushion Foundation. It metes out just enough to cover your face and you can tote it around with you for touch-ups (or post-gym showers). It's SPF 30. For an extra dose of glam, the Nude Illuminating Powder comes in at least 6 shades. I choose Nude. There's nothing glittery about it - super, super subtle.

You do need to buy the compact and the refill, but from there, the refills are easily affordable and you'll re-use and re-use.

And re-use.

As a yogi and a barre instructor, I spend a fair bit of time barefoot and looking at both toes and fingernails. Chances are, whether you're barefoot much or not, you're texting and tapping things almost non-stop so fingernail glamour is a non negotiable. Until recently, nailpolish was a toxic cocktail of formaldehyde (yup, preserving-dead-bodies stuff), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, camphor (which can trigger allergies and disturb the hormonal balance) and parabens.

 Thankfully, most brands have recognised that these nasties aren't necessary and are proudly labelled 5-Free.

My latest discovery is Mavala - and since I'm prone to change my nail colour after mere days of wear, I've gone with the mini colours so that I don't feel bad about neglecting full bottles of nail polish for months and years!

My picks of the gorgeous mini range are Bamako, a deep sea-green that brings to mind the Emerald City from Wizard of Oz. I have topped this will Emerald Gold for shimmery bling effect.

My purple picks are Jelly Grape - a pinky purple that looks much bolder in the bottle and is truly flattering on pale and olive skin tones, and Touch of Provence - a true pale lilac.

Mavala also does skin and makeup. There's a new collection that matches a mini nailpolish with an identical lipstick. YES. My pick is Tallinn from the Symphonic Collection.

W7 - straight outta West London, innit? And it's Well Fit.
Ok, enough. I'm not Tom Hardy nor Scary Spice so I cannot continue with the British Slang, guv. I get excited when foreign fabulous brands arrive, like the ancient spice merchants, bringing colours, fragrances, shapes, designs and general exotica to our shelves. The best bit is this is totally accessible, totally affordable makeup that covers all the basics perfectly. Highlighter, eyeshadow kits, concealer, foundation powder, and a mini face blender... zig-a-zig-ahhhh!
Find it at My Chemist, Chemist Warehouse or go follow on Facebook.

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.