Is Natural Beauty Making a Comeback?

Enter to Win!

With several billion eyes across the world focused this past weekend on one woman - waiting feverously for their first glimpse of HER, her dress, her poise, and who she might really be outside of her television character.

It doesn’t appear there was much disappointment.

Meghan Markle’s character in the television show Suits, if you haven’t seen it, is a bright, savvy and talented young member of a large NYC law firm.  Her appearance matches:  perfectly tailored to-suit-her figure business attire, and hair and make-up that can say, “don’t mess with me”.

On her wedding day however, her dress was classic and her hair and make-up natural.  She was prepared for a TV event, yet, clearly the change in direction of her look was on her terms and not driven by Hollywood.

Light, dewy foundation that let us see her natural look, freckles and all.  Freckles - yes - while many women are doing their darnedest to hide “facial fingerprints”, Meghan’s were out and proud!

Completing her natural look was a light smudging on the eyes, lashes, mascara and a very soft lip.

Photo: Instagram - Meghan Markle

So as Princess Katherine before her - among many others - that can crash a fashion house’s website and sell out a dress within the blink of an eye, will Meghan become a style icon?

Celebrity make-up artist, Nigel Stanislaus has given us a clue in his post-Royal Wedding statement:

“Women used to look like this, and then Instagram took over.”

So let’s raise our champagne glasses to highlighting our natural beauty with softer new make-up looks!

…AND THERE’S MORE….

To celebrate the new fashion direction in make-up looks, we are giving you the chance to WIN one of 3 WORKSHOPS!!

One winner will be drawn each month in winter.

To win a workshop for yourself and 7 friends, simply enter upon your next hair, beauty or nail appointment at our styling boutique - the more times you visit, the better your chances of winning.  

So don’t forget to make your next appointment.

SUMMER AND YOUR HAIR

Summer in Australia is long days, bbq’s, cricket and the beach.  We spend more time outdoors and protect ourselves from the sun.  The Slip, Slop, Slap campaign reminds us of the effects of the sun on our skin, but what about our hair?

Dermatologist, Dr Wilma Bergfeld, notes that the effects of the sun on our hair is similar to bleach.  The impact is an irreversible reaction that strips the colour from your hair, damaging the cuticle and protein in the strands.  Without the protection of our hair’s natural protein, the sun can penetrate your hair further and do more damage.

The result is breakage, a thinner, frizzy appearance and a loss of your hair’s tensile properties.  Let’s not forget about colour loss, your fresh new colour will fade before your very eyes. Thicker, oilier hair may offer some protection against the sun damage, but it is not enough.

Some products offer UV protection, however, there isn’t a UV product like 50+ sunscreen to protect your hair when you are out in the sun or swimming - yes chlorine and salt do their own damage to your hair. So when you slip, slop, slap this summer, think about your hair as well as your skin.

Look for a hat that will cover your hair, or allow your a hairstyle that will sit neatly underneath or consider working an umbrella into your look - that way you can have a great hairstyle all day without the impact of a hat.

And most important of all, quality products can replenish the protein and oils in your hair, add volume and help you keep luscious, long locks.

So cover up and remember to wash that salt and chlorine out as soon as you’re out of the water.

Have a great summer!

To Shimmer or not to Shimmer

Eye shadow - it’s alluring - even before it gets onto you face.  Packaged in pots, compacts and palettes, in creamy or powdery textures, eye shadow is one of the first things we are drawn to as little girls, playing “make-up” with our Mums or older sisters.

Eye shadow sets the tone of your look.  It changes with where you are going, the outfit you are wearing and the time of day you will be wearing it.  But, eye shadow is really all about our eye-shape, and accentuating or downplaying certain features to achieve a desired appearance. 

The right application of make-up can make a young person look older or an older person appear more youthful.   So eye shadow can be your friend or foe depending on how you are using it with your natural features.  If you have deep set eyes, you don’t want your eye shadow to make them look deeper.

A trick of the trade is using shimmer eye shadow.  Placement of the shimmer depends on the features of your face you want to accentuate or avoid.  Shimmer draws the attention of the viewer so be mindful of the focal point you create with your make-up.  If you have fine lines around your eyes, apply the shimmer to the inner eye to draw attention there - or use just on your eyelid with no expansion, you want to draw focus away from the lines.  Work with a lighter shimmer such as a pale blue or white.

Remember, shimmer is not for every face or for every occasion.  Definitely avoid if you are to be photographed, shimmer reflects and will not give you the cover girl shot you are ready for.  And, finally, shimmer is best for a night out.

Once again, thanks for stopping by and if you have questions, please post them to my Facebook page.

Until next month beautiful ladies!

The Tools of the Trade - Make up Brushes

One of the more asked questions I receive in my studio is “what make-up brushes do I need”?

A walk through the cosmetics section of any department store and you will find brushes sold in packs, lots of different sized handles and brushes, some natural hair, some synthetic, some sponges, and when you trial new products the consultants will use a variety of brushes.  All very confusing.

But the simple truth is professional make up artists work with many models on the same day.  That’s many different skin types, make-up types (creams, liquids, powders), and make-up styles. You’re just working on you, so your tool kit doesn’t need the volume or complexity of a professional to get a professional look.

For a daily routine, a minimum of about four brushes is all you will need:  a powder brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush and an eyebrow brush and comb - which can also be used for eyelashes.

Contouring and foundation brushes are not necessary for an everyday make-up application, you will achieve the smoothest application of foundation with your fingers, and contouring is not for every make-up style or every face.

As I mentioned, the type of make-up you use will dictate what kind of brush bristles you need - natural hair or synthetic.

Natural hair contains a cuticle which will hold the make-up, so are best for powders.  You may find when you are apply a powdered eye-colour that colour is falling onto your cheek, if so, you’ve probably the wrong brush and it’s likely to have synthetic bristles.  This prevents you from achieving the truest colour result.  But this doesn’t mean synthetic bristles are a bad thing.

If you are applying liquids or creams, the natural hair cuticles will work against what you are trying to achieve. Cream and liquid will get caught in the cuticle and not transfer well onto your skin, working against the colour and preventing that flawless finish you want.

Also keep in mind the quality of the brush, this will give you improved results over cheap brushes.  A budget of approximately $150 should get you the brushes you need.

Don’t forget these are a part of your style regime you use everyday, so you want quality that will last.  You wouldn’t expect a cheap dress that you wear everyday to last you more than a few months - so invest in quality.  And take care of your investment, brushes are easy to maintain with washing them in water with a little diluted shampoo.

If you would like advice on what brushes will work best for you, just ask at your next appointment.

Until next month!