May & June Skincare Favourites!

So it's that time again where I have been trialling and loving new or rediscovered products! 

As we are right, smack, bang, in the middle of winter I tend to, even more so, use products that are moisturising and protects the skin. Often during winter we forget how much the harsh environments (heating, wind & cold) effect and harm the skin. The following are my loves and Ive been religiously using for the last couple of months.

Dermalogica precleanse: 
This extraordinary oil based cleanser is filled with gorgeous and nourishing Olive, Apricot and Kukui Nut oils. Ideal if you are a heavy makeup wearer, use sunscreen daily, suffer from poor skin or like to know every single trace of makeup, pollution or debris from the skin. I love that you can use this product all over your skin and eyes which makes it super convenient and easy to remove waterproof mascara and makeup.  Simply rub it all over dry skin and massage for a little while. Then add some warm water and watch it emulsify right before your eyes!

Where to buy:
http://buy.dermalogica.com.au/product.php?productid=16166&cat=255&page=1 

Bioderma Crealine AR 
It's no secret that I'm completely in love with Bioderma products......if I could, Id bathe in Bioderma Crealine H2O!! And now to have discovered another beauty from this range is truly amazing. Bioderma Crealine AR (anti- redness) is perfect if you have sensitive, inflamed, irritated skin and particularly great for Rosacea sufferers! The slightly green tinged moisturiser will instantly help cover redness and makes it ideal as a makeup base.

Where to buy:
http://bellabox.com.au/bioderma-crealine-ar-anti-redness.html 

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo
As I mentioned in my intro with winter truly here I have become a little obsessed with skincare. La Roche-Posay is another French brand I cant recommend enough. I suffer from regular breakouts and this is one product that has been able to control it - miracle I know! The formaula works by unclogging pores and gently exfoliates to remove dead skin which can cause unwanted breakouts. Reasonably priced at only $26 this treatment is a must have for clearer skin!

Where to buy:
http://bellabox.com.au/la-roche-posay-effaclar-duo.html

Caudalie Beauty Elixer

There seems to be a clear theme here - the French certainly know their skincare! Inspired by Queen Isabelle of Hungary’s elixir of youth, this treatment smooths away fine lines, 

tightens pores and gives the complexion a real boost of radiance. This spritzer of youth is filled with Grape, Orange blossom, Rose, Balm mint, Rosemary and doesnt contain any of the nasties such as Parabens, sulfates, gmo's and the rest!

Where to buy:
http://www.frenchcosmeticsforless.com/proddetail.php?prod=9569&cat=7

Grown Alchemist Body Serum 
This body serum is so highly absorbent that that my skin has remained well moisturised and hydrated despite the awful cold we are experiencing. Formulated with a sensuous and potent blend of botanical bio active ingredients including essential fatty acids omega 6 & 9 and antioxidants from tamanu oil it helps restore skin elasticity while providing maximum hydration helping protect against premature ageing. 

Where to buy:
http://www.myer.com.au/shop/mystore/grown-body-serum-100ml

NARS Pro Prime - Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base 
Already featured in my last favourites blog and youtube review I have continued to love this product even more! 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.

Where to buy:
http://reviews.meccacosmetica.com.au/0583/b48edc77-ef64-4b9b-93f1-9d7400b50238/nars-smudge-proof-eyeshadow-base-reviews/reviews.htm 

TONI&GUY Sea Salt Texturising Spray 
This Sea Salt Texurising Spray is a must have to create a lived-in, beach look. Since getting the big chop I found my dead straight hair often looked limp and quite boring. This product has changed my life (and hair)! Just a quick spray either on towel dried or dry hair I quickly run my fingers through my hair and mess it around...bed hair that easy!!

Where to buy:
http://www.priceline.com.au/hair/hair-styling/hair-styling-products/sea-salt-texturising-spray-200.0-ml

By Terry Hyaluronic Face Glow 
I LOVE THIS PRODUCT LIKE A FIRST BORN!! Following my April favourite of the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Primer I decided to give this a go and Im equally in love with it. In all honesty I have found them to be quite identical, the only difference is this one contains colour which I don't mind as I can wear it alone if I want a light coverage. When worn as primer I found the foundation truly stayed fresh and lasted all day......no touch ups required here!
I found it also filled out my pores and left my skin looking plump and healthy. LOVE!!

Where to buy:
http://reviews.meccacosmetica.com.au/0583/5e6e5fdc-bc77-4660-949f-9f9d00c6682b/by-terry-hyaluronic-face-glow-reviews/reviews.htm 

GLAMCOR LIGHTS 
We need to thank Makeup and Glow (www.makeupandglow.com) for bringing these extraordinary professional lights into Australia for distribution! I take these lights with me everywhere. I can have the best products in the world but if my lighting is bad (and lets face it, us makeup artists are often shoved in a dim corner!) no makeup will look good. Super light and compact I have no issue adding this to my kit. But rest assured you don't have to be a makeup artist to enjoy the bright light! I find people who live in apartments/flats/hotels are subjected to horrific lighting and there is no way you can apply your makeup effectively, or more mature ladies who need that extra bit of light to assist in application can also benefit from it.

Where to buy:
http://www.makeupandglow.com.au/GLAMCOR-Classic-Elite-Light-Kit-Ltd-Edition-Matte-Black-p-17909.html 

Kosmea Skin Clinic® Certified Organic Rose Hip Oil 
Im sure we're all familiar with Rose Hip Oil and how beneficial it is for our skin! Well now you can add certified organic to that sentence. Ive been applying this luxurios oil to my face nightly and after a few days of use I feel the texture of my skin has smoothed slightly and existing blemish scars have started to fade......thats enough for me! And if you like that dewy finish to your makeup add a couple of drops to you foundation! Your skin will thank you for it!

Where to buy:

http://shop.davidjones.com.au/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchDisplay?searchTermScope=&searchType=1002&filterTerm=&maxPrice=&showResultsPage=true&langId=-1&beginIndex=0&sType=SimpleSearch&metaData=&pageSize=20&manufacturer=&resultCatEntryType=&catalogId=10051&pageView=image&searchTerm=&facet=mfName_ntk_cs%253AKosmea&minPrice=&categoryId=26553&storeId=10051

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: Smokey Bottom Lash Eye!

As you will see or have already noticed there were a few minutes in the clip that didnt upload/was deleted or didnt record (I DONT KNOW!!).

Anyway it was things that you've seen a million times - I applied mascara, a little color to the bottom lash and some blush. I have listed all the stuff below!

Can't say sorry enough!!

FACE

Chanel Pro Lumiere #40

EYES

Burberry Eyeshadow - Trench #02

NARS Eyeshadow - Bali

Bourjois Waterproof Clubbing Eye Pencil

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre #83

Kevyn Aucoin Volume Mascara

CHEEKS

Bourjois Rose Ambre #74

Chanel Illuminating Powder

LIPS

MAC Creme De Nude

MAC Cremesheen Right Image

www.zoekarlismakeup.com.au

How to Wear Red Eyeshadow!!!

Red eyeshadow can be quite scary and daunting to pull off. The trick is to ensure the tone compliments your eye and skin colour and also add a darker colour to create some depth.

FACE
YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat - B50 & BD60
Cle De Peau Beaute Concealer - Ocher

EYES
NARS Exhibit A
CHANEL - OMBRES MATELASSÉES Pearl River
Bourjois Waterproof Nightclubbing Eyeliner
YSL Shocking Mascara - Black
Elise False Lashes
YSL - Pure Chromatics #8 Palette

CHEEKS
Stila Convertible - Peony

LIPS
NARS Sweet Dreams
Bobbi Brown Crystal

My all time favourite products!

All the products I featured in this video were selected due to the fact 1) I could not do my job properly without them or 2)I personally use them and they are a stand out for me!

I have many many many more 'favourite' products but I think what Ive shown you today is very accessible and worth trying.

Products featured:
Bioderma Crealine H2O
Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre Moisturiser
REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask
Shu Uemura Foundation Brush #18
Beauty Blender
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation
Cinema Secrets Foundation
YSL Pure Chromatics #8
Burberry Sheer Eyeshadow
NARS Laguna
MAC Springsheen Blush
Revlon Grow Luscious Liner
Bourjois - Contour Clubbing Waterproof 
Anastasia Brow Wiz
Kevyn Aucoin Volume Mascara
Revlon Lip Butters

Professional Interview Makeup!

Job interviews are absolutely nerve racking and you want to feel absolutely comfortable in every aspect. Just like preparing what you want to say I also think the makeup you wear on the day plays a huge part. No potential employer wants to see caked on makeup, massive false lashes or bright pink lipstick........unless its a particular job you're going for *wink *wink!!

Hopefully this may prepare you in the makeup  department. Keep your nails neat, clean with a soft coloured polish and dont go overboard with the jewellery!!!

xx

Simple Summer Makeup!

Yay summer's just around the corner.......well for us Australians it is!

The look was a request and one that I loved doing. Summer makeup should be kept simple and really shouldn't take long to do. Tinted moisturiser is an ideal base for the summer season as it is light in texture, often build-able and allows you to bronze up nicely.

Also when considering your summer makeup it is essentil that you use a sunscreen!!

Products featured:

FACE
Dermalogica Extra Rich Faceblock
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Oil Free - Almond
Bourjois Concealer Stick #73

EYES
Clinique Touch Tint for Eyes - Nude Sparkle
Bourjois Eyeshadow #54
Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara Black
Chanel Brow Pencil #30
Anastasio Brow Gel

CHEEKS
NARS Laguna Bronzer
Stila Convertible - Gerbera

LIPS
Lancome Lipgloss #322

How to apply bronzer!

Bronzer is the one beauty product when applied incorrectly can looked absolutely horrendous..........no ifs or buts! But when applied correctly will give you that Jennifer Lopez goddess glow.

To simply avoid the horror follow these 3 simple rules:

1. When trying to achieve the tanned/bronzed look go for a matte bronzer preferably 2 shades darker then your natural skin tone.
2. Add a seperate highlighter to the areas you want to basically highlight.
3. Apply the bronzer to the areas the sun would naturally hit and blend away.

One base - 3 lips!

Lip colour can make a world of difference to any ones makeup. Whether you select a lipstick, gloss, tint, pigment or even glitter it can totally change the outcome of the overall look.

Don't believe me? Below are some examples of how three different colours and even shapes (for fun!!) can look completely different. Remember I haven't changed anything else but the lip product. 


Before you go slapping your lipstick on PLEASE remember flaky dry lips are sooooo not attractive. For a quick do it yourself gentle lip exfoliate mix a little baking soda with some water and gently rub it over your lips.  Then smother on lip balm and let it do its job!!

MAC Cremesheen Gloss in Boy Bait

NARS Bloodwork lipgloss & MAC red glitter

Chanel Noir  Obscurs - Hysteria
MAC studio fix to block lips out.

Have fun with lipstick - there is a shade out there for everyone….if not 10!

Who doesn't love a bronzer?

Sadly, winter has truly settled in but that doesn't mean we have to put up with pasty pale skin (unless that's the look you're going for!).

One of my most asked questions is "What's my favourite bronzer?" and every time I answer "NARS Laguna!". The reason for this is because most bronzers leave you looking like you've had a bad orangey spray tan where Laguna doesn't give off any orange tinge.

I do however strongly recommend having both a matt and luminous bronzer. The matt is ideal for all over the face - no one wants to see a full sparkly glittery face so save it for applying it to where the sun hits. A great inexpensive matt bronzer is Hoola from Benefit. And who doesn't love their packaging…..so cute!