Thursday 26 July 2012

How to apply bronzer the right way! - Makeup Tutorial

Hello lovelies ♥

I promised a while back in one of my posts that I'd share with you my tips on using bronzer correctly for perfectly defined cheekbones, so here is a mini-tutorial!

Before I start this post off, I have to admit, I've only been using bronzer for a month or two. I always thought that bronzer was what you used to make your skin look more tanned (only partly true) and as I have olive skin, never really thought to use it.

BUT.

Bronzer is actually for contouring (duh, I know now haha)! You know, for making your already gorgeous features stand out for super gorgeousness!

But as I hadn't given it a go before, I was a bit clueless on how to use bronzer. At first, I thought just using a kabuki brush and applying it all over my face would give me that "glow" everyone seems to be talking about.

NO. NO. NO.

WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.

It just makes you look orangey, and all one colour = NOT FLATTERING.

So.

I put down the brush and decided not to pick it up again until I knew how to apply bronzer properly without looking like an Oompa Loompa.

In my bronzer-technique-seeking-adventures, I sought out the help of one very talented lady. She is a lovely makeup artist who I met at the Rimmel London Girlfriend Model Search as part of the Beauty Insider Competition.

During the Search, I watched her every colour choice, every sweep of her makeup brushes, and every slick of lippy she applied to the girls in the comp, to learn the tips and tricks of the trade. AND HER BRONZER TECHNIQUE IS GENIUS AND ONE I WILL KEEP IN MY MAKEUP MEMORY BANK FOREVER.

And I just have to share that genius-ness:

Apply bronzer in the shape of the number 3 
(and a backwards 3).


Original photo without edits can be found here.


This is easily the best way to use bronzer because it hits all of the definition-areas of your face! It slims your face, make your cheekbones more prominent, and smooths your jawline - it's all around lovely!


Taken By Surprise Tutorial: How to apply bronzer


I used Rimmel London's Natural Bronzer in Sun Glow.
Use a soft bronzer/blush brush.
Mine is from The Body Shop.

Note: I have already applied my foundation, concealer and powder.
1. Apply beginning at the temples,  curving in towards the apples of your cheeks.
2. Go along your cheekbone, making a slight "kiss/pout" face to help guide you along the natural bone. 
3. Then curving back around, apply along your jawline, and blend into your neck.






The results!

See how my face seems slimmer and more streamlined?
That is the power of bronzer!
(When applied correctly :P)
Hello cheekbones!
Bloopers!
#bathroommirrorshotsyeowww
In other news, I've been listening to Gasoline by Alpine on repeat - there's something so cute and fun about it :) I just love the opening lyric: There's gasoline in your heart. There's fire in mine.

Have you heard any makeup tips that changed the way you used your makeup for the better? I'd love to hear your stories so pop a comment below! xx
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Wednesday 18 July 2012

Review: Integrity Cosmetics Organic Skincare

Organic. It makes me think of healthy food, apples straight off the tree, and chemical-free products that are better for the environment and better for you.

But one of the areas where we use a lot of chemicals without even really thinking about it is our skincare and makeup! You almost overlook it, but I don't even know 10% of the ingredients listed on the back of my products...

I don't really shop or eat organically, but a few weeks ago while I was working at the MindBodySpirit Festival, I discovered Integrity Cosmetics, a Melbourne-based brand that provides certified organic skincare products.

As there isn't much organic skincare on the market at the moment (If you asked me to name one, the only one I can think of is Miranda Kerr's KORA Organic range), I didn't really know much about it, so curious, I tried out a few of their products. The girls at the stall recommended the Purifying Cleanser, Nourishing Moisturiser and the Rejuvenating Serum, and actually, they were all so lovely! They seemed to work just as well as my usual skincare, but without all the nasties - bonus!

At the time I couldn't buy anything as organic products are generally a bit exxy for a university student, but I entered their gift voucher raffle, because, well why not? But then I won!

I received a $15 voucher to use on their online store, and decided on the Protecting Moisturiser and the Rejuvenating Serum, both in sample 5ml sizes.


So because there aren't many organic skincare options around, and since I didn't know much about the topic before this, I thought I'd do a review of these two products and share what organic skincare is like with you!

**This is a non-sponsored review and all opinions are my own**

Protecting Moisturiser
I'm naughty and barely ever use sunscreen because I have oily skin. I normally just use makeup and skincare that already has SPF in it, as I'm yet to find a sunscreen that works with my skin. So I was happy to find a moisturiser that could look after me in the sun :)


It's definitely thicker than the moisturiser I'm used to, more like a body butter.
Like a sunscreen, you do need to massage it in a bit, but once it soaks into your skin, it feels really nice.
How to use:
After cleansing in the morning, apply a small amount all over face and neck. It's also pretty versatile and application isn't limited just to your face! It also works great as a hand cream, and mine felt velvety smooth after using it.

My thoughts:
While the protecting moisturiser contains sun-protecting properties, I wouldn't exactly call it a sunscreen. It contains some zinc oxide, which provides some protection, so it's great if you're not going to be in the sun very much, like only waiting at the train station to go to school or something. If it's summer or a really sunny day, I'd go for a sunscreen over this, but it still does the job for light sun exposure and days spent mostly indoors.

Plus, it was such an amazing makeup base! My foundation glided over it and my skin looked really even, so that was an unexpected bonus! I went to uni in the city, and it lasted all day, with NO shine! I came home and my makeup had not moved, so I'm really loving this one. It's winter here at the moment, and my skin gets a bit tight and dry in cold weather, but my skin soaked this all up and felt plush all day! It also has a scent, it's kind of a macadamia oil smell, which if you like, you'll love this :)

Price: 50 mL $47 AUSD
Rating: 
Rejuvenating Serum
I've never used a serum product before, but after finding out that serums are like super versions of your stock-standard skincare, I thought I'd give one a try. The one I chose is like the powerful big brother of moisturiser, as I always find my cheeks and nose a bit dryer than the rest of my face. 

When I took it off in the morning,
I did notice that the colour came off onto my makeup wipes,
so it does have a bit of a tint.
I initially thought it'd be more like a gel,
serum just kind of sounds like that, but it kind of like the consistency of sauce haha
In a good way! I couldn't think of another way to describe it haha.
Sorry about my chipping polish...
How to use:
Think of serum like a face mask; you don't need to use it every day, just occasionally. You use it in your usual nighttime skincare routine instead of moisturiser. Cleanse your skin first, then apply to your face and neck, but not too much because serums are a lot more heavy duty than moisturisers.

My thoughts:
As soon as you start using it, you notice the almond-y fragrance, which is quite nice although a little strong for me, and probably due to the sweet almond oil listed in the ingredients. That's something I love about this brand, is that the ingredients are all normal things like green tea, olive oil, honey etc. not crazy chemical names!

It's nice and light, so I could also use it under my eyes. Even though the back of the packaging said to use it instead of moisturiser, you can still apply some moisturiser afterwards and the serum will kickstart your skin into drinking it all up. It's suitable for all skin types too, which it a nice bonus. Thanks to winter, my nose is the first place to get dry, and sometimes even flake (eww) so I pack on the moisturiser at night to combat it, but this serum fixed it all in one night! No more constantly checking the compact mirror for me :) 

Price: 50mL $57 AUSD
Rating: ★★★☆☆

All in all, I was quite impressed with these products, especially the protecting moisturiser. I never thought that organic products would do this good a job, so I'm very happy that they're not only better for the environment and for my skin, but work almost exactly (if not better in some areas) than the non-organic skincare that I normally use.

Try going au naturale with organic skincare, you'll be surprised by how good it is!

Visit Integrity Cosmetics

*Prices correct at time of upload.
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Monday 16 July 2012

Butter London Giveaway Winner!!!

It's time to announce the winner of the Butter London Giveaway!

Here's a reminder of the prize that was on offer... 
Three lovely sets of Butter London Nail Decals!
 Well, before the big reveal, I'll let you know how I chose the winner. I tallied up everyone's entries, then gave them each a number in Microsoft Excel. I then used a random number generator, found here, which selected the winner!


I am happy to announce that the winner of my giveaway is...

*DRUMROLLLLLLLLLLL*


NUMBER 28!! Emi from emi-doll is the winner!! clapclapclapclapclap!!

Congratulations! I will be sending you an email to you soon, make sure you reply within the next week, or I'll have to redraw the prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered my very first giveaway! It is because of your thoughtful comments, your readership and support that I love blogging so much, and I will definitely do more giveaways in the future!

Love xxx

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Friday 13 July 2012

Adelaide Adventures + shopping haul

Ahhhh it's so good to be home! Over the last week, I have been adventuring around the lovely city and countryside of Adelaide, in South Australia, shopping and wine-tasting, and doing a whole lot of driving!

As much as I enjoyed the trip, we drove there (from where I live in Victoria, that's like a 10-hour journey!!) and you can imagine what it's like to be wedged in the car between luggage and people for that long! When I woke up this morning in my own bed, I could have purred I was so comfortable and happy haha

So if you're wondering why I've been a bit MIA over the last few days, that's why! I promise I'll get around to answering all of your comments very soon!

Here are a few of the snaps from the trip:
At Haigh's Chocolate Factory. Heavs!
Wine tasting. Fancy!
The wines even came with a cheese platter, I felt so spoilt!
The cutest woodcut badges at Camellia Country Cottage in Hahndorf!
I took home the Tinman and Cowardly Lion (bottom right) - how cute do they look together??
OOTD
Coat - The Coat Department
Dress - Lipsy
Top (worn under dress) - Supre
Tights - Razza Matazz
Boots - n/a
Bag - my nanna made it, isn't she talented!
Ring - Sportsgirl
Daisy: What kind of a garden do you come from? 
Alice: Oh, I don't come from any garden. 
Daisy: Do you suppose she's a wildflower? 
- Alice in Wonderland (1951)
At Maggie Beer's Farm!
I wish I had peacocks roaming around my garden.
Being an awkward tourist in Maggie Beer's kitchen!!
I've made one of her upside-down cakes, want the recipe?
At Maggie Beer's cafe, all the food comes in picnic basket form!
Cheddar cheese, quince paste, raisins, a fresh pear (picked from her garden!!),
walnut bread, and onion relish! Mmmmmm...
After a visit to the caves at the Naracoorte world heritage site
 I discovered I am wildly claustrophobic underground...
I admired the crystal formations in between hyperventilations.
In other news, today I am presenting my first haul! Yay! You know that mood when you just feel like shopping? Like you're itching buy something nice for yourself? Today was exactly like that, so I came home with a little more than I planned haha...

The haul!
As university starts back up next Monday (I'll miss you sleep-ins!), today I went stationery shopping for the new semester, and went where I always go come school time... Typo!

This all cost me $15. NO JOKE! Typo always has the best sales, but it's all on good stuff!
Today there was a $6 for 6 items table, as you can see I snapped up most of my things on that deal :)
L-RSilhouette paperclips, wooden apostrophes, quotable bull clips,
address book, self-inked stamp, ball pen, notebooks.
Having pretty stationery always makes me study better.
How cool is the stamp?? I'm going to be putting this on everything
even if it isn't 'tweetworthy' just for the fun of it :)
I needed new shoes for work that are black and cover my feet -
 I used to wear cheapo ballet flats, but they gave me sore knees...
As they say, never get stingy with shoes or you'll regret it!
Shoes - Miss Shop
 I also received a parcel in the mail including these Rimmel London makeup goodies! I entered a comp on their Facebook page to win one of 200 Scandaleyes packs - before I knew I was a finalist for the Rimmel Beauty Insider competition - just for fun, and won one! So much makeup mmmmmmm <3 Thanks Rimmel!!

L-R
Scandaleyes Mascara in Black
Scandaleyes Mascara in Extreme Black
Scandaleyes Gel Liner
Glam Eyes HD Eyeshadow Quad in English Oak
Glam Eyes HD Eyeshadow Quad in Black Cab
What was the last thing you bought? Let me know in the comments below!

Make sure to enter my International Butter London Giveaway! Only a few more days to go, you can enter here.
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Friday 6 July 2012

Chinese food, cute shops, and country towns

Holidays are the best time for getting away from the hustle and bustle, but you don't always have to leave town for weeks at a time to some exotic place! Who knows, there could be something really lovely tucked away just outside of the city you live in, hidden away yet right under your nose.

And like all things hidden and treasure-hunt-esque, once you find them, you feel super happy about discovering something so special.

During most holidays, be it long weekends or school/university break, my family loves to pack up the car, and head out to the Australian countryside for good food, wine and shopping, and it's a great way to experience the culture and see country life (while getting driving hours if you're still a learner driver like me haha).

Today we all headed out to Castlemaine and Maldon, two small country towns about two hours drive from Melbourne. Both are relatively small towns, but had lots of little things to see and be charmed by!

While I didn't take many photos, here are the ones that I did manage to snap up! (I took these on an iPhone so they're not the best quality ever, sorry!!)

Yum cha for lunch really is yummy!
These were actually the biggest dimsum, tsiu mai and dumplings I've ever seen,
as my Chinese mum called them, "they're Aussie size". XD
Golden parcels! Crispy, crunchy and all around delicious,
served with sweet chilli and mayo!
It's a bit hard to tell in this photo, but this roast pork bun (Char siu baow) was MASSIVE.
You could pick it up in your hands like a burger!!
Gosh, I love desserts! These are red bean sesame balls
- how can something so crunchy be so doughy and lovely in the middle?
I don't care, they were goooooooooood.
This was a kind of pumpkin flavoured mochi, which is a sweet made with rice flour.
AND IT'S THE SIZE OF A MANDARIN.
(I have a thing for adorable fruit and vegies,
I may or may not have bought a tiny watermelon over the weekend the size of a grapefruit.)
Love a good yarn bomb <3
How do they do this, seriously? Did they knit around the bike or make like a bike-sock?
Even the library door in Castlemaine was yarn bombed! 
Even picket fences get chilly in winter.
Citrus cheesecake baked in-house at Apple Annie's Bakery.
So. Good.
I didn't get any photos of this shop (Much Ado, in Maldon), but it was heavs.
Vintage-inspired gifts and home-wares, and they were playing 50s swing!
Couldn't go past this cute mug, it'll keep me company filled with coffee as I blog away late at night!
This is the coolest card ever, it's a "scratchie card"!
They had a whole range at this deli/gift shop in Castlemaine,
 but this one was so cute because it's for a date!
It comes with a little scratching thingy,
which when used, reveals "will you be my date?" at the bottom of the card!
You fill in all the gaps, like the clock hands, date and place,
and you give it to someone special,
and once they discover the little message, cue warm and fuzzies!
What I Wore:



Coat - The Coat Department, Myer
Knit - Miss Shop, Myer
Jeans - Jay Jays
Boots - I can't remember, but they're pretty universal so you could pretty much find them anywhere :)
Scarf - Koko Ribbon Boutique
Bag - Equip

Until next time!

Don't forget to enter my International 
Butter London Giveaway
to win some gorgeous nail decals!
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