Pretty in Pink

Pink has always been my favourite colour - FACT! Here are a few of my current pink obsessions.

Vintage Pink Bobble Earings

These are super Golden Girls, right? They give every outfit feel like a poolside Miami cocktail hour vibe. I think I picked them up at an Op Shop in Melbourne a few years ago, how could you not love them?

Yves Saint Laurent Reading Glasses

My very serious and smart reading glasses, wearing these makes me feel like *Bubble. You know when you see 'Art Mums' wearing brightly framed glasses and big jewelry banging around the supermarket? Well I fear that I have already become an 'Art Mum' at 29 without even having a child. Also when I got the lenses for these fitted at Spec Savers the girl called every member of staff working over to laugh at my glasses and said 'Are you actually going to wear these?' YES!

*Bubble = Edies Assitant in Ab Fab, duh!

YSL 6263 Eye Glasses $162.95 available from www.smartbuyglasses.com.au

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick in 325 Spellbound

Taylor Swift vows that her signature red lip is CoverGirl's Lip Perfection Lipstick in 'Hot Passion'....So I immediately tried every Priceline till I found 'Hot Passion' in stock, it wasn't for me....way too much orange and washed out my skin. On the same shopping excursion I picked up 'Spellbound' it is a berry-magenta-bomb! If MAC's 'Girl about town' and 'Rebel' had a baby it would be 'Spellbound'. The finish of the Lip Perfection's is a Satin but don't be fooled these babes have some amazing lasting power, you will need minimal re-application throughout the day/night and will need a makeup wipe for removal. 'Spellbound' is my new favourite pink and hasn't left my makeup bag since we met. We are totally going steady.

CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick $14.95 available from www.priceline.com.au

Real Techniques Stippling Brush & Blush Brush

Power cheek duo! The Stippling Brush for cream blusher applies the most perfectly controlled amount of product to your cheeks, then with dabbing and circular motions blends the colour into your skin leaving flushed natural look. The Blush Brush for powder blush, swirling only the brush tip into your blush pan means that when applying colour to the cheeks it is blended by the outter clean brush hairs instantly and these brushes is super soft like a bunnykins tail  - 100% acryllic! Eeewwww real hair in brushes makes me want to gag.

Stippling Brush and Blush Brush are $22.99 available from www.priceline.com.au

Australis Nail Polish in Glitter Strkes Back

Excuse you Australis whilst you just bring out some of the most incredible glitter nail polish ever! Pink, purple, orange and gold! Wow this is really screaming Bollywood too me but at the same time very appropriate for an everyday glitter nail when applied over a nude. To achieve even glitter coverage apply thin coats and allow dry time between each layer.

Australis Nail Polish $7.95each available from www.priceline.com.au

Have you tried any of this Pink Pretties?

xxx Nella

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What's in my bag? Summer Everyday Makeup

My makeup bag changes daily depending if I have had enough time to apply eyeshadow or if I can be bothered with a bright lip.
This is what I have been carrying about in my makeup bag today:

Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle:
This is my perfect brownie nude - finally I have found one! Having a very light and pink toned skin beige-nude toned lip colours look terrible on me, l look absolutely sick. In the packaging Pink Truffle looks slightly mumsy, but on the lips it gives just the right amount on 'my lips but better' with a slight nod to Olivia Palermo.

Real Techniques Contour Brush:
The only brush I have been using to apply blush, it can get into the hollow of your cheek to do a bit of cheek-bone cheating contouring and can also apply your blush perfectly onto the apples of your cheeks. Recently I have been totally into using smaller brushes to apply product and then a larger kabuki to blend out.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar:
Previously I had written about Bobbi Brown Shimmer bricks saying that they weren't worth the hype - I am putting my hand up - I was wrong. The reason I was hating on the bricks was that I was applying them all wrong! Using smaller brushes like the Real Techniques Contour Brush, and using the colours in the shimmer brick separately and only applying to your cheeks not an all over shimmer mess- they give you the sweetest glow to your cheeks.

The Balm Sexy Mama Transulesent Powder:
By 10am my forehead is shining like its just won a logie during summer, translucent powder is my best friend. Tinted powders give me too much coverage and look cakey but this powder is just right.

Lancomes Hypnose Drama:
With such a neutral face go I BIG with my lashes, like 8 layers of thick spider lashes.

Dr Jart+ BB Water Fuse:
Being out and about this doubles as my sunscreen, if I am going to have lunch outside or going to appointments I will re-apply this to make sure not to get burnt. The formula is light enough to be build-able and blends easily with fingers.

Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Concealer Shade 2:
I picked this up over the weekend and already it is a new favourite, giving good coverage for under eye concealing with slight light reflecting shine not as much as YSL's Touche Eclat. It is also a very affordable at $26.95 compared to other higher end brands concealers.

Loreal Brow Stylist in blonde:
Wow this is great, it is such a soft wax pencil and glides onto brows rather than pulling. The colour isn't that amazing - but it does the job.

Sportsgirl Travel Kabuki:
Such a soft brush - I love it for applying translucent powder throughout the day.

So that's it - probably my most restrained makeup bag ever.
What's in your summer everyday makeup bag? Is there anything that you cannot leave the house without?

Light Summer Makeup Base

My skin has been looking particularly good and glowy at the moment -  even if I do say so myself. It is probably to do with the weather being warmer and also being very strict with remembering to apply Rose hip Oil as my night cream.

 Not wanting to clog up my newly clear pores I have been experimenting with lighter makeup base routines, here is my current favourite:

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer available from Kit Cosmetics $52.95 available from Kit Cosmetics

 www.kitcosmetics.com.au

Real Techniques Delux Crease Brush $39.90 (part of set)available from Priceline 

www. Priceline.com.au

Stila Perfecting Concealer (Shade 2) $37.00 available from Mecca Cosmetica www.meccacosmetica.com.au

Clinique Air Brush Concealer (Shade 2) $40.00 available from Clinque 

www.clinique.com.au

Real Techniques Buffing Brush $44.99 (part of set) available from Priceline 

www. Priceline.com.au

The Balm Sexy Mama Anti-Shine Transulsant Powder $25.90 available from David Jones and www.thebalm.com

STEP 1

Apply your day moisturiser with SPF, remember to moisturise your neck and ears.

STEP 2

Using a silicone primer and your fingers apply a small pea size amount over your t-zone where you would normally get shiny or oily through the day and also anywhere your pores are larger and visible - for me this is on my cheeks near my nose.

It will feel very strange almost a velvet-y soft sensation, because I am not using a foundation the primer gives the powder a base to be applied on to. The Smashbox one I am testing out is lovely and I will be purchasing the full size.

STEP 3

Eye brightening is essential for me, having dark circles and visible blue veins around my eye area because I am so pale. There are lots of light brightening / highlighting concealer pens available but for me the Clinique Air Brush Concealer gives slightly more coverage than others like the YSL Touché Eclat which is more of a highlighter - I am also going to try Bare Minerals Stroke of light Eye Brightener next.

When blending the product onto the eye area, I start from the bottom of the darkened area and work upwards going slightly onto the eyelid blending in very light small circular motions with a synthetic fluffy brush.

STEP 4

Spot concealing is essential, this Stila perfecting concealer is going to last the rest of my life because you only need the tiniest pin prick amount of product. Using the same brush as under your eyes blend out the concealer using dabbing circular motions.

STEP 5

At this stage if you are freaking out that you need more coverage you can use a mineral powder like Laura Mercier Mineral powder which will give you more colour and coverage. If you are cool as a cucumber with the coverage and just want to blend and even your skin tone out with a light coverage I like The Balm's Sexy Mama Translucent powder. Using the Real Techniques Buffing Brush load the brush up with powder and push then blend the powder into your skin. Starting from the centre of your face and work outwards.

STEP 6

This is the finished base, it is very quick and easy - great for summer!

Also if you have trouble matching a foundation to your skin tone this is a great alternative to a traditional foundation routine as you wont have a mismatched face and neck.

Bronze like a boss!

Ok I will admit it - my bronzing technique up until now has been a total disaster, going back through my facebook photos to un-tag I was coming across some real mis-matching head to body skin tone doozies. After a lot of practising and trying to find the perfect bronzer for my skin tone I think I have pretty much mastered it now. Here is my step by step bronzing guide:

1. Apply your base I am still very pale because it is still winter so I have used Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in shade 52, it is a slightly matte finish which works well with powder bronzers. If you like a dewy finish then a cream bronzer would be better suited.

2. Oh there I am with my Real Techniques Blush Brush, this brush is great for bronzing because of the tapered brush head combined with the Stila Bronzing Powder in Shade 1 it is a match made in heaven for my fair skin.

3. When loading the brush with product use a very light hand to get the powder on the middle point of the brush hairs leaving the outer hairs clean, this will help blend the edges to give a more natural bronzed look rather than stripes of bronzer down your cheeks.

4. Using rounded sweeping motions apply the bronzer to your neck and jaw line first working up the face - This will ensure a matching neck and face. Next focus on the hollows of your cheek, making a fishy- face to make it easier to find them if you have chubby cheeks like me. Lightly around your temples and lastly blending up into your hair line on your forehead. To make sure your bronzing is seamless using a large powder brush blend the areas where you applied your bronzer.

5. Ta-da! Have you been to a health retreat in Hawaii? No I just learnt how to use my bronzer silly!

PRODUCTS

Real Techniques Blush Brush $24.00 available from www.priceline.com.au

Stila Bronzing Powder in Shade 1 available from www.meccacosmetica.com.au

If you have pale skin, most bronzers will be too dark for you try using a muted neutral blush as a contour shade like Mac's Gingerly or Harmony Powder Blush's $41.00. www.maccosmetics.com.au

Real Techniques Brushes : Core Collection

I previously posted about the much anticipated Real Techniques brushes, well they are now available Australia wide at Priceline stores. Deciding I would start with the 'Core Collection' consisting of 4 brushes designed to perfect your makeup base, usually one for applying my foundation with my fingers or if I have a little time on my hands I will use my Sigma F80 brush. Am I over complicating my routine by adding these brushes? Hells to the no! These brushes are a breeze and blend out product in seconds flat, here's my round up (from left):

BUFFING BRUSH:

Primarily for applying liquid foundation this brush works miracles, seriously. I have been pumping 2 squirts of foundation (I am testing out Lancome Teint Mircacle at the moment) on the back of my hand and dabbing the brush on the foundation to lightly coat the bristles and starting at the centre of my face and blending out. It leaves a seamless finish and is good at allowing you to build up your foundation in areas you need more coverage. My only qualms are that I would like it to be slightly more dense and I wouldn't try and apply mineral foundations with this brush as it would place the product on the skin rather than blending it out.

POINTED FOUNDATION BRUSH:

Well I don't now who would uses this small brush for foundation? Maybe a gnome? What it is good for is applying highlighter to the tops of your cheek bones, brow arch and cupids bow. It's also great for applying setting powder to small areas like under eye or chin.

DETAILER BRUSH:

The box says that this brush is for applying concealer or lipstick hmmmmm -  I don't think so! The tapered end to the brush is brilliant for taking cream eyeshadow under the eye and blending it into the lower lash line.

CONTOUR BRUSH:

Woah this brush is phenomenal! I have been using this with Soleil Tan de Chanel which is a cream bronzer to contour my 'cheek bones' and temples -  I don't normally have cheek bones but now I do! Holy Moly this brush sits so comfortably into the hollow of your cheek bone when you make a fish face, in circular motions it carves out cheek bones like you are chipping at marble sculpture.

Ok so here's the deal, at all possible occasions we should all be trying buy our products from local Australian retail stores to support our economy and promote local business. Here are your options of buying Real Techniques brushes - Just saying:

Real Techniques 'Core Collection' AU$45.00 Priceline

Real Techniques 'Core Collection' US$17.99 iHerb

Hype Machine # 1

I love living in Australia but I do not love reading international beauty blogs and reading about amazing products then searching to find an Australian stockist or and even international online stockist that will ship to Australia only to come up with absolutely nada. The Australian Beauty retail options are very limited with Mecca Cosmetica being the most forward and stocking limited range of international brands and Department stores only offering the big brands. Smaller and more interesting boutique beauty brands are not being represented on the market.
So here are a list of things that I am desperately in lust with because I cannot get my greedy little mits on them.

1. Real Techniques Brushes  $5.99 - $17.99 (US dollar price)
The much raved about line of brushes developed by Makeup artist and youtube guru Samantha Chapman, which by all reviews sound absolutely amazing. Especially the 'Buffing Brush' for liquid and mineral foundation and the 'Concealer Brush' for blending in under eye concealer. I can only find the brush sets with international shipping on US eBay, the prices are more than inflated they are hot air ballooned. The core collection set is available at Ulta in the US for US$17.99, the lowest price I have found on line is US$30.00 + US$23.00 shipping. I may be obsessed with makeup but I am not an idiot.

2 Deborah Lippman $23.00 (US dollar price)
Recently I posted about 'Accross the Universe' the mermaid-esque polish from Deborah Lippman, somehow I managed to buy this on eBay at a reasonable price. I knew I would love the polish so I risked not actually ever seeing it in person and 'confirmed to buy' however with all nail polish brands there are good colours and not so good colours. With no Australian stockists as yet I am stuck browsing the Deborah Lippman website imagining the perfect colours on my nails.

3. Rouge Bunny Rouge Sea of Illumination Highlighting Liquid  £64.00
Rouge Bunny Rouge is a brand I heard about from my favorite youtube beauty reviewer SETH!!!!!
He is incredible, I cannot explain how much I love watching his videos - his voice has the most calming tone and he knows what he is talking about in terms of makeup. He did a complete brand review of Rouge Bunny Rouge and it aesthetically looks like a brand I would really bro down with, my main obsession has been the Illuminating Highlighting Liquid - available in 4 shades Sea of Clouds, Sea of Showers, Sea of Tranquility, Sea of Nectar. Divine - right? Anyway no international sellers as yet and with product this expensive I would like to test it on my skin before jumping in with £64.00 (AU$98.00).

4. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation $47.60 ( Available 9th July)
OK OK OK! Hold onto you hats! This is very exciting news, 20 years after the famous Touche Eclat highlighting pen was released by Yves Saint Laurent  they are following up with a Foundation. Yes you read that correctly and you weren't hallucinating in heaven. The spiel is basically the same as all new foundations light weight, illuminating, light infused blah blah then I got to this part which is GENIUS:

'Classical foundation formulas contain varying amounts of opaque powders that ensure a diffused reflection. The negative drawback? A "mask" effect that can be a real problem, especially on darker skins, which tend to look grey.

Now, for the very first time with Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation, Yves Saint Laurent has succeeded in resolving this by replacing the opaque powder with a soft focus gel. It forms a diffusing and translucent film on the skin’s surface that smoothes away imperfections without ever masking the skin. Its key asset is to ensure skin colour purity.'


5. Sisley Highlighting Orchidée Blush $108.00 (US dollar price)
This is the prettiest bronzer/highlighter/blush compact I have ever seen! Imprinted with an orchid - are you kidding me? It is stunningly beautiful and stunningly US$108.00 so for now I am going to just put it on my 'Lust List' and try and dupe it with something less and expensive and less pretty.