APRIL MAKEUP FAVOURITES!

So as promised I'm bringing to you my April Makeup Favourites!! 

This is always a hard one to categorise and to say I'm loving one product one month and another the next makes  me sound a little bipolar. The thing is, it doesn't mean I'm over the past I just like to bring the best of the new or what I'm currently enjoying to you! Everyone is different and we all enjoy different products so I'm sure my variety will satisfy even the fussiest of beauty connoisseur. 


YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat
This bottle of glowing, dewy skin is one definitely to be tried. Due to the popularity of YSL's Touche Eclat highlighter pen (not be confused with a concealer people - its not!) the lovely people of this beauty mecca have outdone themselves in providing us with a gorgeous foundation. After trying this formula it is ideal for dry/normal/ and some combination skins. For those of you with oilier skins don't bother with this one it will only make you look like you've taken dewy to a whole new level, one that olive oil may be made out of! 
As demonstrated in the below colour chart there is a great array of shades to choose from catering for both cooler and warmer toned skin which I find a lot of foundations don't cover sufficiently. If you're super lucky and have the opportunity at purchasing two get one a couple of shades darker and lighter then your skin then customise your shade to suit you whatever season you may be in.

http://www.yslbeautyus.com/Foundation...

NARS Light Reflecting Powder - Crystal
Personally, finding a good setting/translucent powder is not an easy task. Some look cakey, way too powdery, give you a 2D look and the rest.....

This product does non of the above. Its light reflecting property Photochromic Technology, ensures there is no look of build up assists in diffusing various lighting depending on your environment. Great for prolonging your makeup and to top it off its Paraben and Fragrance Free AND Non - Comedogenic! Depending on your preference is comes in bot a loose and set formula.

http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/shop...

By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Primer
Talking of prolonging your makeup, this MUST HAVE primer will certainly do that and control oil at the same time. Ive been on the hunt for a new primer (formally a Laura Mericer Oil Free advocate!) and wanted to try something new. Before forking out $90 something dollars I was fortunate to grab a sufficient sample of this product which in-turn has me addicted.

Ideal for normal/combination and oily skin, this product ensured my foundation stayed looking fresh throughout a long hard day and most certainly prolonged the life of it. Its full of all the new filling technologies and although its a mattifier in many ways its innovative formula ensured my skin remained luminously matte. Sadly I will now be forking out that $90 something dollars - ha!

http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/shop...

NARS Pro Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Continuing with the theme of Primers this eyeshadow primer will. make. your. eyeshadow. last! Its a fact that the oiliest part of our body is our eyelid - I know who would have thought..... And because of this fact a lot of us find our shadow creases, disappears or smudges throughout the day. This nifty product was produced to help with that and help it does!

As its a colourless formula it will not interfere with your eyeshadow pigments in fact its polymer and mineral powder blend establishes a firm grip on colour ensuring hours of wear.

http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/shop...

Rae Morris - 12 Chiseled Smudger
Rae Morris an International and beyond talented makeup artist has created her very own brushes. Being owner to several of her brushes the standout one for me is her #12 Chiseled Smudger. With is tapered soft bristles it allows me to easily blend shadows close to any lash line particularly darker colours! 

http://store.raemorris.com/collection...

Gino McCray Small Dome Brush
This last minute Thai purchase has proved to be a little gem. Unaware of how much Id love this brush I'm sooooo devastated I didn't stock up. Its small soft dome head gently blends eyeshadow into the crease of my eye so easily and effortlessly. I wont continue to make you jealous as I have found it really hard to find stockist unless you live in Thailand!!

http://www.beautybuffetshop.com/pro/h...

Cle De Peau Concealer
The Crème de la crème of concealers is here. Hailed by makeup artist as the best concealer ever, I now know why. Not only did its creamy formula NOT settle into eye wrinkles (you know those annoying little things under your eyes that can be accentuated with the wrong product) it also hid those annoying black circles under the eye!! Falling under the same manufacturers as the Japanese brand Shiseido this formula is innovative and pigmented enough to cover any imperfections.

http://au.strawberrynet.com/makeup/cl...   

Benefit Brows A Go Go
This product has been in my kit for a long time and I recently rediscovered it while rummaging through my collections. I enjoy its versatility and compact convenience but most of all the fact I can do my brows, eyeshadow, highlighting and even contouring has made it a favourite. It truly is an all in one product ideal for any ones cosmetic bag. The colours are ideal for most skin tones and the packaging even features a step by step how to! I personally really like to use the eyebrow powders as eyeshadow.

http://www.myer.com.au/benefit/

YSL Pure Chromatics #19
Its not the first time these eyeshadow palettes have featured in a favourite review but its a testament to the product. This particular #19 palette features gorgeous shimmery colours ideal for everyone! Ive used them both wet and dry (which is what they're made for) and both ways of application offered a beautiful result. If you feel these colours aren't for you rest assured there are plenty to choose from and the below are just a sample. I also am a huge fan of #8 and if you love bronzy/champagne colours you will be too. The only thing you will need to be aware of is that you may experience fall out so when applying ensure you tap excess off your brush first!

http://www.yslbeautyus.com/Pure-Chrom...

Make Up For Ever - Star Powder 917
Another favourite which has remained a favourite of mine is Make Up For Ever's Star Powder. This particular one I featured is their #917. Its gorgeous bronze/burgundy iridescent colour will make many eye colours literally pop. To achieve this I highly recommend using it on top of a dark smokey eye. Although the powders are shimmery when pushed gently onto your eyelid it actually sticks and remains there I have yet to really get annoyed with any fall out. There a so many lovely colours in this range that you are bound to find a few that you like. If you prefer more natural colours or like to use shimmers as a highlight you cant go past #947 

http://www.makeupforever.com/products...

Hair Brush Cleaner/Scraper
I will apologise in advance as this MASSIVE favourite was purchased from a department store in Bangkok for like 90cents and I cant find it anywhere to link it to!! Basically this little invention has saved my daily routine of picking hair out of brushes  EWWWW!! I'm going to treasure this like a first born!!

Zoe Karlis Melbourne Based Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist. Watch this review  http://www.youtube.com/user/ZoeKarlis 

How to properly clean your Makeup Brushes!

SORRY! That's all I can say.

I'm terribly sorry its taken so long to post but I do have a great excuse and its called an Hawaiian holiday.

Very soon Ill be showing you ALL of my purchases (*gasp) there is a lot, with reviews and recommendations on them all.

But in the interim, and following my post on brushes, I wanted to share with you the way I clean my much loved brushes. With the right tender love & care brushes can last you a very long time and considering you're spending so much on them its only right you really look after them - right? Cleaning them regularly also rids them of all the yucky unwanted bacteria that lurks and breeds in your brushes particularly if you're a makeup artist!

There are several ways to clean them with my favourite simply being some baby shampoo and warm water. The reason for this is that its gentle and it thoroughly cleans them leaving them without any residue.

• All you need to do is place a small amount of the shampoo into the palm of your hand, wet the bristle part of the brush and gently massage the bristles in with the shampoo. 
• Once you've worked up a lather rinse the brush doing your best to avoid the ferrule (the metal part of the brush) to avoid the adhesive deteriorating. 
• Grab yourself a clean towel and squeeze the brush head/move it gently around the towel to remove excess waters.
• Lay them flat on a table edge NOT STANDING to dry. The reason you need to have them not  standing is to once again avoid any excess moisture moving down the brush particularly the ferrule section causing them to eventually come apart.

For quick and easy cleans in between you can purchase pure alcohol or brush cleanses (MAC stocks one), spritz a little onto a tissue and clean the head of your brush. I often find many brush cleansers leave a soapy/oily residue so I personally would choose the alcohol which instantly cleans and kills any bacteria.

MAC Brush Cleanser

BEN nye alcohol based cleaner

MAKEUP ARTIST MAKE YOUR WAY TO IKEA…..NOW!

I have found the absolute best, makeup artist must have ever - it's from IKEA and now only $14.99. I say now because when I purchased it (maybe a few months ago) it was only $7.99.


I have literally spent $100's on brush containers, brush protectors, brush belts and this is, by far, an amazing brush bag that I will definitely continue to use. 


It has 9 compartments, 7 for brushes and 2, as you can see, for whatever you want. I've used it for tissues, cotton buds and pads. The pouch is quite compact and can easily be cleaned which of course is always a bonus.


Obviously this was not IKEA's intention when popping it on their lovely shelves but I'm pleased to say this may be the purchase of the year!

Here is the link to it on the Ikea site http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/20179389 

 Now that I've let this little secret out I think I better stock up.