Beauty Tricks and Tutorials

My Emergency Makeup Look

Emergency makeup lookI haven’t done a makeup tutorial post for ages. Truth be told, they are a pain in the ass to photograph and the posts take 100 years to write… And I don’t have the time nor inclination! If I knew how to edit videos maybe I’d do a start to finish quick and easy video tutorial (remember last time I tried that and I poked myself in the eye with the tube? #fail).

Anyway, for the last few days I’ve worn this super quick and easy minimal makeup and I’ve had a few compliments about the “low key Lou look”. Thus, I thought this would make a good tutorial, whilst also putting it out there that I don’t always wear a full face (just most of the time, ha).

Note, as I have oily skin, I don’t get a lot of wear out of this look – as I don’t bother to prime my face, nor set my foundation with a light dusting of powder (necessary for me to lock my base in place). But, it’s a quick and simple look that, longevity of wear aside, is fit for purpose. I guess you could say this is my ‘Makeup in an Emergency’ look!

Products used are below, there’s a new find in there – a McDaddy brow product at a hamburger-like price. I know you guys like it when I find good yet mega affordable products. (more…)

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Lip Liner – Why you should bother

lip liner why you should bother

I reckon lip liner (aka lip pencil) is the underdog of the makeup world and quite possibly one of the most misunderstood makeup products. I personally didn’t ‘get’ the appeal of lip liner until this year – and now I’m making up for lost time and I’ve transformed into an avid lip liner spokesperson!

So, why bother? Here’s three reasons you too should get excited about lip liner…

It’ll make your lips look fuller and more defined

In a few weeks I’m going to be hitting a zero birthday (it starts with the number four…) and in the last year I’ve noticed my lips have started to thin, albeit slightly.

Asking around my friends in their forties and fifties as market research for this blog post, everyone is whinging about the same thing: Bloody lines and thining lips. A few of them have even got Vaaesthetics.com Lip Fillers to help stop the aging! So why does this happen? I asked a beautician friend. She told me that the older we get, the less collagen we produce and it’s collagen that gives our lips plumpness. Seeing as there’s sod all we can do about collagen production (I’m not keen on having a procedure) this is where lip liner comes in. After a well defined natural lookin’ lip? Invest in a liner that’s close to the natural colour of your lips, line your lips, fill ’em in and your lips will have way more definition. Now, all that said, if you have super thin or uneven lips – you should go for a liner that is slightly darker thank your natural lip shade. This’ll make them look fuller. (more…)

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Super Speedy and Foolproof Bronze Eyeshadow Look

Super speedy eyeshadow is my favourite. So is a bronze eyeshadow look.  

I watch a lot of makeup tutorials on You Tube and read a lot of beauty blogs. I’ve been musing lately how detailed and complicated makeup is becoming with a lot of the beauty gurus I follow (not all, but definitely some). So much so, I was inspired to go against the grain and do something a bit more simple. Something you can whack on and be out the door in 5 minutes and it looks like you’ve gone to oodles of effort…

Products used

Super Speedy and Foolproof Bronze Eyeshadow Look
See where the brush is placed? That medium matt brown colour? That’s what I used. It’s Creme Brulee from Makeup Geek and I FREAKING love it.

If you are a bit of a newbie when it comes to makeup, the product above might still look like a lot but I promise, you only need a few things! (more…)

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Warm Burgundy Eyeshadow Tutorial ft MAC Sketch

SAMSUNG CSCI was conscious that I haven’t blogged a step-by-step eyeshadow tutorial for a while now. When I was expressing my love for MAC’s Sketch eyeshadow in my July Favourites blog post I had a lightbulb moment: I should do an eyeshadow tutorial featuring my beloved Sketch! Sorted.

What’s so special about Sketch, you might ask? Firstly it’s a beautiful plum/burgundy shade which suits all eye colours.  On blue eyes it makes baby blues ‘pop’; Sketch compliments brown eyes nicely and as for green eyed gals, it makes green eyes look, well, intensely green. It’s just gorgeous.  I also find Sketch really versatile: You can wear it on it’s own, all over the eyelid blended out really well, or you an pair it with purples/golds/pinks/browns. It really is a gem of an eyeshadow! (more…)

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Eye Makeup for Hooded Eyes

Look straight ahead in the mirror, relax your eyebrows. Can you see your eyelid? I can't...
Look straight ahead in the mirror, relax your eyebrows. Can you see your eyelid? I can’t…

I have spent a large number of years being bummed out about my hooded eyelids. I used to despair how painstakingly applied eyeshadow would totally disappear when my eyes were open. My eyelids were a total waste of eye makeup. Fast forward to a few years ago and great news: I’ve learnt some clever eye makeup tips and tricks that make the most of my eye shape and now when I wear eye makeup, you can see it!

Hooded eyelids, it turns out are very common, particularly in folk from Asian or Scandinavian descent. Lots of people reckon hooded eyes are sexy and alluring: “Bedroom eyes” they are often called. We’ll take that, right girls?

Wait a second… Not sure if you have hooded eyes? Here’s how to find out: Look straight ahead in a mirror and relax your eyebrows. Can you see your eyelid without needing to close your eyes slightly, or needing to tilt your head back a little? Nope? Are you playing “where has my eyelid gone?” Welcome to a well-populated club: You have hooded eyes.

So, if, like me, you have hooded eyes and you’d like to learn how to make the most of what you’ve got: Keep reading! Note, you might like to read this blogpost in tandem with this blogpost which explains the different part of the eye from an eye makeup perspective šŸ™‚ (more…)

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Removing Waterproof Mascara… How the heck?

eyemakeup off“Lou, how the heck do I take off waterproof mascara or eyeliner?” Given I usually recommend waterproof mascara for everyday use, this is a great question that I’m often asked.

Truth be told waterproof mascara is a stubborn bugger to remove and you probably won’t get it off with a regular face cleanser.  On that note, please: Don’t take your eye makeup off  by rubbing at your eyes with a flannel and water (or regular face cleanser): The skin on your under eye area is incredibly thin and delicate and is the first area where people show aging.  Rubbing, tugging  or using unsuitable products on this fragile area will cause premature aging, so treat it with respect, tonnes of love AND the right products.  You’ll thank me for this in years to come… šŸ™‚ (more…)

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Five Minute Face – When going out au naturel isn’t an option

5 min makeupOne of the design faults of my personality type is that I seriously under estimate how long things are going to take. I am frequently running late and I totally stress myself out and it’s entirely self inflicted! Aggh.  Here’s a classic example:  At 10.00am on Sunday morning I organised to meet my Mum for coffee at 11.00am. “Tonnes of time” I thought. Then, nek minnit (Kiwi speak for next minute, FYI), it’s 10.40am, I am still in my PJs, I haven’t washed my face let alone whacked a face on.  Believe it or not, I’m not adverse to going out in public with no makeup on: I do it often. But, on this particular day, I looked haggard, tired and my eyelids were unusually puffy. Heading to our local cafe au naturel , frankly, wasn’t an option. So, first I invested approximately four minutes in face washing/prepping (skipping this isn’t negotiable) then I pulled out my five minute makeup face.  Here’s what I did.

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Eyeshadow Placement – Where do I apply it?

eyeshadow placementWhen my makeup obsession first started* I was baffled by ā€˜makeup speakā€™, particularly all the terms relating to eye makeup application. I felt like screaming ā€œSlow down! Speak English!ā€ Yet, Iā€™ve realised, looking back over some of my older posts, Iā€™ve fallen into the same trap, talking about the ā€œinner cornerā€ and the ā€œupper waterlineā€ left, right and centre. Oppsā€¦ Sorry. I should know better!

So, hereā€™s a post for those of you who aspire to wear eyeshadow but might not know where to start. I know thereā€™s a few of you out there as one of the makeup questions Iā€™m most frequently asked is ā€œEyeshadow – Where do I apply it?” This is such a great question and one Iā€™m going to answer right now! Alternatively, you might have eyeshaow basics down pat – but you are keen to take things to the next level. In this blog post we’ll walk through the different parts of the eye from a makeup perspective and answer the question ‘Where does it all go?’ Makeup tutorials are what I watch before I used to give any look a go. You learn techniques and you can get inspiration from the various looks that people will create. So if you’re new to wearing eyeshadow, watching tutorials may be a good step to take. My hope is that this helps makes eyeshadow application less intimidating and heck, you might be able to follow eye makeup tutorials without feeling like an amateur (like I used to). (more…)

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