Getting that Glow!

Everybody's always aiming for the Victoria's Secret glow that we see in all their campaigns and on the glitter runway when those leggy ladies are strutting their stuff! For those of us who don't wake up looking like Candice Swanepoel, there are many different things we can do and put on our face to fake the glow. Fake it 'til you make it ladies!

There are different types of highlighting products on the market which for the most part can be separated into cream and powder categories. More and more we're seeing 'new technology' in products on the market that aim to give you an even more 'natural' look to your highlight. Cream contouring/highlighting that we see so much on Instagram and YouTube is more about creating depth and structure to your face rather than a glow. In the past I've been a bit afraid of highlighting the high points of my face mainly because I felt like it drew attention to any pores and made them look larger but more recently, I've found the best way to apply and the right products for me which doesn't make me look like a discoball belonging in Saturday Night Fever! I prefer to keep my highlight for the evening generally but you know, sometimes things are lookin a lil drab so you gotta add some glow in the day.

My glow endeavour began with Benefit's Sun Beam which is a gorgeous bronzey glow, perfect for tanned skin in the Summer which is when I bought it but of course kept it unopened until a few months ago.. Classic me. Anywho, regardless of what it would look best with, I was getting ready one evening and thought it was time to crack it open. I dabbed it on the high points of my cheekbones, down my nose and on my cupid's bow- all the places the experts recommend and voila! I got the glow! Subtle enough for me to have to move my face to catch the light and make it visible but enough that I could see a difference in how my skin looked. A much later addition to the highlight game but again from Benefit was their cult classic High Beam; the same consistency just a more pinky pearl shimmer. A gift from the lovely Lipstick n Linguine's giveaway, I hadn't made this purchase before because I thought my skin tone needed a more champagne toned shimmer but the old High Beam, she goes alright. Same application, same points on my face and the shimmer is perfect for day and nighttime. I just make sure to apply the cream highlight after foundation and before powder because it won't sit well on top of powdered skin. You can also add a drop of the Benefit highlighters to your foundation for an all over glow but I haven't been game enough to try this for fear of turning out like a shining moon.

Once I'd dipped my toe in the proverbial highlighting pool, that was it! Dim Light from my beloved Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette gets a lot of use but the middle and right hand shades- Incandescent Light and Radiant Light have been a little neglected. Until recently that is. Incandescent light has become my everyday brow highlight and my general face highlight for both day and evening looks because this palette is phenom. If you know these powders then you know they're designed with new technology to create even looking skin texture by reflecting light so therefore the way these make your skin glow is beautifully natural. The shimmer is super fine so there's no chunky particles and you're just left with very healthy, radiant looking skin. You may know this if you've read my past blogposts or seen my Instagram posts but for me, Hourglass can honestly do no wrong.

MAC's Porcelain Pink was in fact the first highlighter I ever purchased. It was quite a long time ago now, I just haven't really used it. I bought it at the Estee Lauder corporate store and at the time I swore I'd heard the name mentioned on YouTube but I think I was very wrong. Nothing wrong with this highlighter but I find it a little too pink for my skintone so I don't reach for it that often. I've used it on my friends and thought it looked gorgeous but just don't feel it on me. It's the standard formula for MAC highlighters so a very fine powder, easy to use and blend out. Usually products like this that don't get much use I'll giveaway but I keep challenging myself to use it and writing this post has reminded me so I'll be bringing it to the front of my cheek drawer!

Now that we've talked about things to put on your face to #getdaglow, there are a few things you can do for your skin to get it looking more radiant and at its best. Water! Drink a lot of it, all day everyday. Small sips throughout the day even if you aren't hungry and this will improve skin's clarity and complexion. Moisturise! I used to be one of the sinners who thought because their skin was more oily that I didn't need to moisturise as much/twice a day. Ba boooooooow- wrong. Your skin then tries to overcompensate and it just makes things worse (I might go more into this in a skincare post but not sure yet). By moisturising you help to balance your skin and it'll look more radiant and plump.

They're my two quick and easy tips for things you can do for yourself but if you just want a lil extra VS glam then go artificial and light yo'self up girl! What is your favourite highlighting product? Do you prefer cream or powder products?

The Debate | To Prime or Not?

"To prime, or not to prime.. That is the question." - Anon

But really, should we be worried about using a primer or just not bother and skip the whole faff completely? I was asking myself this very question maybe 6 months ago before I had really tried a few primers or seen any difference when I had used one for that matter. Beauty brands seem to be bringing out more and more primers these days that are designed to combat various issues and problem points- oiliness, redness, pores, dullness, dehydration, dark spots, pigmentation, textural issues; the list goes on! There are a few brands in particular that have become quite regarded for their primers like Benefit's Porefessional and now their new release for anti-shine as well as Smashbox's wide range of primers combatting almost all of the previously mentioned issues. As well as this, more and more 'accessible' and I suppose drugstore brands are bringing out their own versions of similar products which is what prompted me to write this post. With the release of an awaited 'drugstore' product I felt slightly more well-rounded in the primer world and able to share with the blogosphere my thoughts.

All Over Face
The Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer which I think if I mention once more I'm going to annoy myself for being so boring and anyone who is reading this. I've expressed my love and adoration for this product many times so check out previous posts if you're interested.

L'Oreal Magic Blur- Available from Priceline so it is much more accessible and retails for $24.99. This product created a big hype in the YouTube land as well as all over beauty blogs. It was one of the first drugstore primers to create a wide interest and I waited and waited for it to hit our Australian shores. Months later, during a casual stroll in my local Priceline there it was on the middle shelf just at eye-line for my ease, the Magic Blur! Here to save the day and blur all my imperfections and make me look airbrushed in real life all day everyday. Safe to say I had fairly high hopes for this little tube. I've only used it a few times now and despite this being recommended as an all over face product, I think for my skin type it's better suited to just being focused on problem areas like my t-zone and the pores beside my nose. So far I haven't been overly impressed with how it seems to make my face more oily rather than having the opposite effect that I hoped for. It does fill in the pores so this can fit into two categories of this post but I might do a more detailed post in the future when I've been using it for longer.

Pores
Benefit Porefessional, like the Hourglass primer I don't think I need to say anymore on this product. It is  a cult product for a reason. It fills in the pores to create a more smooth surface and doesn't break up your makeup throughout the day, make my skin more oily nor does it highlight my pores and make them centre of attention.

Innoxa Pore Vanishing Cream A great drugstore dupe for the Benefit Porefessional and does match up pretty well to it's Benefit counterpart. It is still a silicone texture making it great for filling in pores but the texture is slightly (only ever so) to the Benefit. I bought this on recommendation from Australian YouTube gals and was intrigued and excited to try a more affordable product and see if it truly does compare. I would say it is a great alternative, I'm not sure it has the same lasting power as the Benefit but if it is more in your price range then it is a great product but I guess same with a lot of things, the original is often the better.

Eyelids
Urban Decay Primer Potion was the first eye primer I had ever used and I've been using it for probably six months consistently as in I reach for it everyday that I'm wearing makeup, whether it be only eyeliner or a full on eye for a night out. I like to know that whatever I'm putting on my lids is going to stay and not crease if I'm going to put in the time and effort to blend it all in! Plus it's just not the look I want to have my eyeshadow creasing and smudging throughout the day.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance  One of my beautiful pals bought me the Too Faced Blogger Box from Sephora while she was in the States and this was one of the products included. I haven't tried a great deal of Too Faced products, not for any particular reason, just haven't been on my radar too much so I was very excited to have minis of some of their more popular products to test out. In comparison to the Urban Decay it's extremely similar in texture and smell and for me it has the same great lasting power and helps my eyeshadow stay all day and avoid creasing.

On the 'To Try' list are the L'Oreal Lumi Magique which is more for radiating and creating that glowy, dewy skin so I'm reserving that for Winter to brighten up my skin. Also for eyes, my next purchase I think will be the Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow base which has been recommended online as well as to me by advisors at beauty counters.

Not so impressed- despite my mentioning them at them beginning of this post, the Smashbox Photo Finish Primers. I got a tester of the original oil-free version from Mecca Maxima and very glad I didn't purchase it because I felt it did more bad than good. My makeup definitely didn't last all day and from memory just broke up especially in my t-zone and around my nose. Not a fan and I don't think I even finished my little tester pot.

Instagram- @beautylocale

Brush Free Makeup

There comes in a point in my week, generally a Sunday when I do my weekly deep clean of my brushes then realise, oh wait I need to go somewhere and therefore need to do my makeup.. or even if I go to do my makeup in the morning, depending on how late I cleaned them, they're not always dry enough for me to be able to use. So came the dilemma but also the solution! After remembering Anna's Post from last year which had obviously been stored in my subconscious because I knew I'd be in this situation months down the track, I felt fairly confident that I could go caveman and have a good go at getting as close to the final effect I would've had with brushes.


So it began. By the way, I'm also considering the Beauty Blender a brush in this instance because it would generally be drying with all my other brushes.

Foundation- pretty obvious, no need for explanation here. My Chanel Mat Lumiere actually recommends using your fingers so that's a bonus that it does blend well. Recently I've also used the new L'Oreal Nude Magique and blended it in with my fingers and I really like the result as it is meant to be a liquid to powder formula so works well in this instance. Something heavier like Estee Lauder Double Wear I think I would avoid in this situation just because of the amount of blending it needs to look fairly natural and seamless. So, base- tick. Again, concealer is pretty self explanatory, I generally apply it with my fingers anyway to warm up the product and blend it in well- tick.

Generally I would go on to my brows next and this is where I may cheat only slightly because both my brow pencils by Maybelline and Hourglass have little spooly brushes on the end so they are still at my disposal. Not entirely sure how i could manage to do tidy brows completely brush free.. they would be quite harsh indeed. Next up, eyes. The obvious choice for this would be a cream product and no surprise I tend to use a Maybelline Colour Tattoo or Benefit's Creaseless Cream Shadow as they're both super easy to apply and blend in with your finger and I have a few different shades. To further intensify the lids, I like to apply either a shadow or pressed pigment because they can be patted on using your ring finger and will generally be quite neat. I like the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows because they have a beautiful shade range and are so buttery to apply. Not as easy to do is a transition shade through the crease so I usually avoid this by just taking my base shadow a bit higher than usual. Eyeliner in the waterline or smudged out with my finger again on the upper lash line then mascara = eyes, tick!

Next is back to the base and bringing some colour back to my cheeks and face. As Anna explains in the post you can use the side part of your hand, below your thumb that connects to your wrist (I hope my overly scientific explanations are clear) to in fact contour because it's the perfect shape to fit in the hollows of your cheeks. So using either a powder bronzer or the Bourjois Bronzing primer I'll do that and then apply a cream blush using patting motions to the apples of my cheeks and drag it upwards towards the hairline for a more flattering look.

If it's a night time look, I'll apply some liquid highlighter like Benefit Sun Beam or a powder to the highpoints of my cheeks and under the brow bone. Finish with a spritz of setting spray because it's a bit difficult to powder and set your face without a brush, and that's it! It's actually quite easy, just make sure you have a makeup wipe handy because it can get a bit messy and you may run out of fingers if you don't.

Let me know if you have any brush-free tricks!

 Instagram- @beautylocale

Current Makeup Wishlist

I don't do these often because generally there's just too many things I'm lusting over at one time but for the past month or so I've been really diligent with my makeup spending ban and I think I can count on one hand the amount of products I've bought, all of which were either essential- brow gel or on an offer too good to refuse. So, naturally my little mental list has been steadily growing but it's also made me realise that I, as one person do not need the amount of makeup I have nor do I get enough use out of everything in my stash. Us as beauty obsessed gals and bloggers do tend to hoard and I know it's not about need with us, we're sucked in by company's pretty packaging and advertising and the promise of making us look like we've just stepped of the VS runway. This being said I am being much more selective about the makeup I do buy and I'm doing a lot less 'oh it's a good price, I'll buy it and use it one day' and the 'it's all the hype on instagram and youtube, I NEED it.' Most recently I surprised myself with MAC's abundance of limited edition launches; I said to myself if there's something amazing I will buy it but nothing grabbed me enough to make me want to spend. I know to most this will be like woww... good on you, you resisted spending almost 2 hours pay on a blush or lipstick (not) but to other beauty obsessed ladies, you get me!

Blimey I ramble.. ok so these are the products that I'm currently wanting but it will be a slow and steady accumulation if I am to even buy any/all of these.

L-R Clockwise- Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet, Benefit Watts Up, Zoeva brushes, Makeup Geek eyeshadows, MAC Lip Prep + Prime, Nars Eye Primer, MAC Prep + Prime Highlighting Pens, Real Techniques Sponge, By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock.  

As much as I would like to waltz on in to David Jones, Myer & Mecca and spend up a storm because I'm constantly #feelingspendy I can't do that to my poor savings so instead I'll just treat myself every now and then.

Friend's Faces | Evening Look

So my beautiful friend, Ainsley nominated herself to be the next appearance on my blog in terms of a makeup look and it just so happened that we had a 21st to go to so perfect opportunity! This was now almost two weeks ago I think but I've just been so busy at work and haven't had time to be bloggin'. It was a cooler evening so it definitely felt like Winter was approaching. Ainsley was wearing a mostly black outfit so I had free reign in terms of colour on her face. Her signature look is a simple winged eye and for the evenings she sometimes adds a little shimmer to the inside corner or all over the lid. I think doing a full glam makeup look was a bit out of her comfort zone but ah well, that's what best friends are for, right?

As it was quite a while ago, I can't remember the exact products I used and didn't get a chance to do a 'makeup mess' photo of all the products as I had to slap on my own face after hers. From what I remember for the eye base I used a mix of two cream eyeshadows, Benefit's RSVP and MUFE's #17 on the outer corner for darker definition. For eyeshadows I'm pretty sure majority was using the Sleek Makeup Storm Palette and a few random MAC shades where I fancied. Subtle contouring using MAC Harmony, a bold wing using Maybelline's gel liner, lashings of mascara and a fairly neutral shade on the lips. *As a face base I used Bourjois Healthy Mix which was Ainsley's own and a spritz of Fix + to set it all for the evening ahead!

Ainsley has her own YouTube channel which is travel based as in the past 2 years she's been a hell of a lot of places including a 6 month exchange in Bristol, England. Go check her out and SUBSCRIBE!

xx

'No Makeup, Makeup'

I've seen a lot of this type of blog post and YouTube videos around but then when I watch them I'm just sort of left dumbfounded at how someone can think that packing 25 different products on your face is attempting a no makeup, makeup face. I understand wanting a natural look but I think that is different from what I consider this to mean. For me I try to have at least 1 or 2 'no makeup' days a week depending on how often I'm working obviously. It's good to let your skin breathe and just have a day off from packing on the makeup and I've found the more I do this, the more confident I feel to brave more than just the local shops with a bare face. I know that it's bad I don't feel comfortable without a full face of makeup or at least a foundation base but I guess that's just what I've become used to and how I feel more confident. In saying that, I am getting better.. slowly... but slow and steady wins the race, right..?

Anyway, my biggest issue is my skin because it is far from perfect but I do feel it is necessary to give it a breather and get some fresh, non-chemical, pore-clogged air. So on days like these I just prefer to avoid fluorescent lighting and large, magnified mirrors.. Obviously a walking advertisement for self-confidence but whatever, I'm getting there. So I like to avoid putting anything on the majority of my face, I'll just moisturise in the morning and probably pop on some type of pore-filling product, so either Benefit Porefessional or Innoxa Pore Vanishing Cream just to make things appear more even textured. Then I'll lightly conceal under my eyes, using a good colour-match to avoid stark light under-eyes that make you look worse rather than more awake. Then if I have any overly red or major little spotty pals on my face, I'll dab a bit of concealer over those and blend them in with either my finger or buffing brush to appear seamless.

Brows are a must for me. Whether I'm doing exercise or going to the shops, lunch whatever, I've become one of those girls who can't at least pencil in her brows before leaving the house. I naturally have very light and sparse brows so by filling them in even just a little bit I feel it balances out my face a lot more and just is more of an attempt when I otherwise can't be bothered. Always making sure that I don't go too dark especially because as I'm base-free so my face is quite pale. Then I'll just finish with lashings of mascara to detract from any other focal points happening on my face, generally my holy grail- Jordana Best Lash Extreme or I'm also currently using L'Oreal False Lash Architect which I'm enjoying. If I'm feeling a little lacklustre I'll line either my tightline with a black liner which is the most simple step yet makes quite a difference or my waterline with a nude liner to make my eyes appear wider and more awake.

Some lip balm or a tinted lip product, nothing too strong to overpower your bare face and that is what I consider to be 'no makeup, makeup'. Still have a few products on your face but at this point, this is the most bare faced I'll go in public..

Instagram - @beautylocale

The Wedding Face

Last week one of my beautiful friends, Michelle was attending a wedding and asked me to do her face for her. Of course I was more than happy to and she was also kind enough to let me photograph before and after and now she may be making future appearances on this blog
Her dress was a coral, lilac print and she wanted a purple toned eye to complement both her dress and lovely green eyes. For a Summer wedding I thought a nice soft purple eye would be appropriate and a few quick tweaks later on could take the look into the evening.

I started with Benefit's Porefessional Primer around the nose and a bit down the T-zone and prepped her eyes using Urban Decay's Original Primer Potion. As a base I used Maybelline 24hr Eye Tattoo in Barely Branded seeing as these things last for hours and hours. For the most part of the eyes I used a L'Oreal trio in 405- Stay Ultra Violet, Tease from the Naked 2 palette through the crease, Bootycall as a brow highlight and a touch of this iridescent LA splash glitter on the inner third of the lid for an extra touch of glitz and glamour! A small cat eye using Maybelline gel liner, a few lashings of Jordana's Best Lash Extreme and finally L'Oreal infallible eyeshadow in Purple Obsession smudged into the bottom lash line.

Brows were done using Wet n Wild Brow kit, some subtle bronzing around the edges of the face with MAC Matte bronzing powder and Nars Amour blush on the cheeks for a gorgeous pink glow.

As Michelle is slightly more pale than I am, I used her own foundation which was Napoleon Perdis Advanced Mineral Makeup liquid foundation and set her whole face using the Camera Finish powder.

A spritz of Urban Decay 'Chill' setting spray and voila! She was ready.

All of the brushes used were either Real Techniques, Sigma or Bdellium. I know this is a very brief rundown but I wanted to share this anyway. Maybe in the future I'll do a more step by step but usually I just wing it and make it up as I go along!

Product Reviews | The Best of the Minis

When it comes to things that are miniature in size, I'm a complete sucker. Whether it's deluxe samples or products that come in a small size, I can't resist, they're just too cute! (An advertiser's dream right here..) I've been collecting some of the miniatures that I have either acquired or purchased with a future blogpost in mind to share my thoughts and maybe endorse a few purchases..

Let's start with Benefit's Porefessional ($53AUD) There's no denying this is a serious 'cult' product that receives glowing reviews and I was lucky enough to get this deluxe sample size as a freebie with a magazine I bought when I was in the UK. Surprisingly this size lasted me a good while seeing as you only need a small amount and a year later I purchased the full size, again whilst overseas. This product is great for filling in pores and giving you an all around smoother appearance. Not sure how much this does in terms of mattifying your t-zone though but I do enjoy using it as more of a targeted area primer.

Origin's Super Spot Remover ($19AUD) Not a sample size, just adorably small. This may seem pricey for a spot gel but man oh man is it worth spending a bit extra. This stuff is definitely my go-to when my skin is acting out, I just pop it on before I go to bed and in the morning my spots are definitely reduced in redness and size. This dries it out without making the skin around the area too dry and flakey. I think this may be my second or third bottle..

Kiehl's Ultra Face Cream (from $34AUD) and Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense (from $38USD) Both of these deluxe samples were gift with purchase of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum as a little rejuvenating pack I think. For an oily skin gal like me, I think the Ultra Face Cream would be too heavy generally for everyday use but at one point my skin was looking quite dehydrated and flakey and this fixed it right up! Hasn't sold me enough to purchase the full size but a good product nonetheless and I scraped the mini jar dry. Daily UV Defense is still going strong and I put this on underneath my makeup when I know I'll be outdoors rather than inside at work all day. With an SPF of 50+++ it definitely has the tick of approval for Australia's hot, Summer days and I feel well and truly protected when wearing it.

Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer (from $25AUD) Hourglass, can you do no wrong?! Honestly, every product of theirs that I've tried, I've loved. It is quickly becoming one of my favourite high-end brands and this was no exception. This sample size came with my purchase of the Ambient Lighting Powder Palette and when I bought it the lovely assistant at Mecca Cosmetica slyly pointed out the free gift and told me I'd love it. Yep, she wasn't wrong. This primer is silky, radiant and beautiful and definitely gives my makeup lasting power for a long day at work and keeps my oiliness at bay as well as smoothing out my pores and general textural issues. And yes, I may have treated myself to the full size of this last week but in my defence I did have a voucher from Christmas to ease the blow to the bank account.

The luxury that is Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation ($72AUD) This little tester is in the shade B30 which I was trialling along with B20. I have overcome my anxieties about approaching makeup counters for samples especially when I could be spending my pretty pennies on products that I end up not liking, which has happened all too often in the past! The lovely assistant at the David Jones Chanel counter helped to match me and suggested I try both B20 and B30 in natural light and see how they sat and oxidised on my skin throughout the day and wear. I thought I'd include this cute tester tube in this post purely for how adorable (and as it turned out, quite impractical) it is. Together with the Hourglass Primer, this is a winning duo and I decided to purchase the full size in shade B20 and then I can just use bronzer to warm it up when I need to.

Last but not least, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara ($28AUD) This may seem like a gimmick and a completely unnecessary product but when you've got it, you can definitely see its necessity. I was lucky enough to pick this up at the Estee Lauder and Companies corporate store for a steal so I could justify the purchase. The minuscule wand is the perfect size for separating your bottom lashes without looking unnatural or clumpy. The formula is also non-smudging and long-wearing which is a must in order to avoid the sleepy panda look.

That's my wrap up of some recent minis that I've loved and as you've seen have influenced future purchases. These companies know how to rope you in!

Millie x