Showing posts with label mua. Show all posts

OCTOBER

Keep it simple, stupid.



October arrived far too quickly for my liking this year. That said it was probably because October saw me submitting my thesis, my brain baby, a piece of work ten months in the making, without doubt one of the biggest, hardest things I’ve ever done.

So why oh why would I complicate one of the trickiest times of my year by having an overly complicated beauty routine?

By October I’d perfected the ‘I’m-maybe-wearing-a-bit-of-make-up-but-it’s-so-minimal-I-could-also-not-be’ face for uni, days in the library, and days where a full face wasn’t immediately needed.

For all my skincare picks, flip back to the last post of blogmas.
Following my Too Faced Hangover Primer (ultra hydrating coconut-water based make-up prep) I usually turn to the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette. 












Sometimes I’ll prime, sometimes I won’t; I go for a mix of the two matte shades, Heaven and Nudie, as I find they colour correct my purple-toned lids and the Heaven shade (a light cream) brightens my eyes so I look awake. Then it’s time for brows – lightly filled in with the Hourglass Arch in warm brunette. A waterproof wax pencil that makes them look a little less sparse and a little more Brooke Shields. 





The one thing I refuse to give up or compromise on, even on days off, is mascara. Nope, not happening, NOT TODAY SON – the bigger and bolder my lashes, the more doll-like, the better. Lately I’ve been favouring the Perversion Mascara by Urban Decay (star of blogmas July), as it is the blackest black mascara imaginable.

















After eyes, I use my fingers to apply Bare MineralsComplexion Rescue in vanilla. The formula is an oil-free gel cream that gives medium coverage with SPF 30+ UVA/UVB protection, and a really dewy finish. 

Always followed by an under eye concealer – my pick being the Smashbox CameraReady BB Cream with SPF 15 (all the SPF possible) which brightens and colour corrects under the eye. The amazing thing about Smashbox is that all of their products – even the ones with SPF – don’t give a flashback when photographed. 



If I’m having a bad skin day (common in times of extreme stress, like thesis submission) I’ll conceal with Nars Radiant Creamy concealer in vanilla. It contains turmeric which helps any blemishes to heal, as well as tone down any redness.







For cheeks, I pop on a little Stila Convertible Colour inPetunia. A bright, happy pink that always makes me smile. Over the top of this I blend – you guessed it – Josie Maran Argan oil Illuminiser along my cheek bones, a tiny bit on my cupid’s bow and the tip of my nose.














Everything is set with Luminous Light by Hourglass and that’s it! My simple face, daily, easy-as, glowy, hydrating and all-round “Yes I do that Natural Beauty Thing” appropriate.

If you can’t do something simply you can’t hope to master it!

Tweet tweet xx

AUGUST

Do you guys remember when I was all about mattes? Matte shadows, matte contour, matte base, matte lip (still loving those though) and matte everything, essentially?

Let’s all laugh together, shall we?

This year was the year I not only learnt how to strobe, but how to do it properly, and all the joys that come from having THE LIGHT OF APOLLO ON YO FACE.

Highlighters. All the highlighters. ALL OF THEM.

Liquid. Cream. Powder. Eyeshadow (hear me out) – you name it, if it gives the skin a glow, I’ve used it on my face. August saw me swapping my beloved Sheer Glow for the Nars Velvet Tint; a satin finish, medium-full coverage skin tint that made for the perfect base for all kinds of highlighting and glow. And it wasn’t something I restricted to a full-face kinda day – even study days saw me whipping out the Josie Maran Argan Oil Illuminiser, as the Argan oil base gave that bit more hydration and protection to my skin on long library days.

So here are my top fave highlighter/illuminators – for the time being, of course!

Josie Maran Enlightment Illunimiser – liquid crème with a rosy gold

NARS Illuminator in Copacobana, and Super Orgasm

NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Frenzy – used with a wet brush for a POP like you wouldn’t believe!

Hourglass Ambient Strobe Lighting Powder in Incandescent Strobe light – silvery pink that sits beautifully with a blush, and best used with a sponge

Too Faced Candlelight Glow – Rosy Glow

Stila Kitten Eye shadow Single – when used with an extremely light hand, this is the ULTIMATE glow-getter. I’m obsessed. And a multipurpose product that’s so so easy to travel with? SOLD!

Stay tuned to @beautybyasparrow on Instagram for swatches and daily looks with these bad, bedazzling boys!

Tweet tweet xx

JULY

Melbourne might’ve been cooling down, but my make-up bag was heating up come July. Urban Decay need no introduction – if you’re here, you like beauty, and if you like beauty and sometimes even glance at Instagram you’ll already know the brain child of Wende Zomnir (former beauty queen/current surfer chick/all-round badass) and its reputation for high pigment, high impact products that last all night long.

I’ll never forget ordering my own Naked palette – at that point it was the most luxe, most expensive palette I’d bought for myself, ever, and the packaging reflected that too. Who makes the perfect neutrals palette and then covers it in velvet?!? (Urban Decay do). And that brush that comes with it isn’t your average, let’s-tack-on-a-double-sponge-applicator-for-the-lol’s deal, it’s a full on, multitasking, synthetic fibre double-ended brush, that works amazingly well for all of my shadows, not just Urban Decay.


That said, holy heck, Urban Decay knows how to pull together a good eye shadow palette. Never mind the Naked range, the Electric palette, and the individual shadows give insane colour payout. My favourites? The Moondust shadows. Oh. My. God. So, so, incredibly beautiful and iridescent – I myself use Cosmic, a slightly translucent, silver-based glitter, but my next fave has to be Space Cowboy (because it makes me sing ‘Maurice!’ in my head) as it’s a champagne, rosy based shimmer that makes it look like your eyes have been gilded with rose gold. And who doesn’t want that?!





The Vice lipsticks are also insane. Mainly because there’s one hundred of them. (ONE HUNDRED. 100. WHAT COMPANY BRINGS OUT 100 LIPSTICKS AT ONCE?) Ranging from cream, to sheer, to matte, to comfort matte, literally any and every colour you can think of (from the perfect red to royal blue and a true purple) is available, with a matching lip liner. So ONE HUNDRED LIP LINERS as well. Oh my God. No, I haven’t bought all one hundred (despite the temptation), but I’ve given quite a few as gifts as they come in at $28AUD – which, for the amount of pigment and the texture, is a really good price. Everyone I’ve gifted a Vice lippy to has loved it immediately, and it makes for the perfect Insta selfie. That and Ruby Rose is a pretty cool chick (she was in Mecca Myer literally FIVE MINUTES before me! Just missed her!).
So if you’re feeling like trying something a little edgier, and wanting a cruelty free, predominantly vegan brand to boot, give into your inner Vice and check out Urban Decay this summer. Did I mention almost all the products are waterproof? Festivals and pool parties, here I come – with purple and gold eyeliner, of course.



















Tweet tweet x

Step into Spring: New Skincare & Beauty Loves

Hello my little birds!
Let's not talk about the fact it's almost the end of November and I'm convinced some cosmic giant pressed the 'fast forward' button on 2015 haha - instead, let's talk about SPRING, because it has indeed sprung, and it's gorgeous thus far! Trends including crisp whites, co-ord sets, full brows, coral lips, and of course, Spring Racing colour and florals are making me all kinds of excited for the Spring/Summer season ahead.


So in keeping with the whole, spring-is-a-new-season-ergo-I-need-to-get-new-things vibe, I thought I'd give a little update on my skincare routine, and what I'm loving colour-wise as we move into warmer weather (YAY! SUMMER!)

actual footage of yours truly in summer

SKINCARE

Now you long-time sparrows will notice a couple of old favourites in this photo, and some newbies. My faithful Cetaphil SPF 50+ Daily Moisturiser took a back seat during Autumn/Winter this year, but as the mercury creeps up and the days grow longer, I'll definitely be reaching for my 50+. I'm going to attempt to NOT get sunburnt this summer, and whilst I know the likelihood of that succeeding is low, I'm hoping with a little help from some wonderful SPF+ friends I can make it!

Speaking of SPF, my current moisturising duo tick that little box too. The two Clinique jars with green lids are from the Youth Surge range, designed for dry/combination skin. Whilst my skin has behaved fairly well these last few months, exposure to artificial air and heating has dried it out something shocking. I picked these babies out of Mumma Sparrow's stash (sorry Mum) and I've found them to be really effective. The day cream contains SPF 15+, perfect for overcast, wintry days, and the night cream is buttery and feels luxurious on the skin. I don't know if I'll repurchase this duo in future, simply because there are so many products I'm wanting to try and experiment with. I think around this time next year though, if my skin is again feeling damaged and dried out, I'll definitely come back to them. 

The Garnier Gentle Cleansing Milk has also become a fast friend of my poor, dried out skin. I often use this as my 'second step' following a trusty Johnson's make-up wipe. Whilst wipes aren't the best thing in the world for your skin, I find they remove a majority of that 'top layer' make-up that usually comes off quite easily. The Cleansing Milk, with cotton pads, is great for getting rid of the stuff you maybe can't see. I also find it really gentle to use on the eye area, and very effective at removing waterproof/eye make-up. Whilst the idea is that you can leave your skin after using the milk (as it's also a moisturiser on its own), I'll often follow this with my Swisse Cream Cleanser, because as nourishing and luxurious as the milk is, it can feel a little heavy if I leave it on my face. 

Lately when I feel like I need a good, deep cleanse, or I want to do something a little more relaxing and ritualistic at the end of the day, I've been turning to the Eve Lom cleanser. THIS STUFF IS AMAZING. Eve Lom is a facialist, honing her craft in L.A., and created the balm for clients who wanted the same effective cleanse and treatment at home, between facial appointments. The balm is a cleanser, an exfoliant (when used with the accompanying muslin cloth), and a moisturiser, if you choose. For starters it smells incredible, so right off the bat you receive aroma therapeutic benefits. Following the instructions included with the pack, I found it easy to give myself a facial massage, which felt incredible. Even more exciting, it removes make-up so, so easily and quickly, including eye make-up. Unlike the Garnier milk, the balm doesn't feel heavy on the face. Out of habit I'll still rinse after cleansing, but I could leave the balm and just not moisturise, if I wanted to. A really, really beautiful product that I highly recommend for anyone looking for a more pampering, relaxing way to effectively cleanse x

Last but not least, primers! Yay! I recently re-purchased the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, with SPF 15+ and I've fallen in love with it all over again. It feels like silk on the skin, and causes make-up to become water resistant, something that I know I'll really appreciate when those sticky, hot summer days come around. I've also been using the Too Faced Shadow Insurance eye make-up primer, and again, it feels so silky and wonderful on my eyelids, as well as preventing my shadows from creasing or fading. and evens out skin tones as well. 


COLOUR

First things first (I'm the realest), I know there's a lot of Nars happening in the above image. After having such amazing success with Sheer Glow, however, I felt I should give a few more products a try, and it's been terrible because now I love them and I'm never going to be able to NOT have them in my kit because I love them infinite amounts!

Above I've included my Soft Velvet Loose powder in Eden, the Eye shadow Duo in Portobello, and the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red (swatches below). I find the powder perfectly compliments my Sheer Glow shade, Mont Blanc, as well as perfectly setting my T-zone for a full day's wear; it mattifyes without adding pigment, which is so wonderful because I adore my colour match. 
The Portobello duo contains a mushroom-like brown, and an almost-nude taupe shade, which are wonderful for creating a basic day look, but can be blended and smoked out for something a little more intense when going out. 
Finally, the Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Mysterious Red has toppled my favourite red lipstick of all time (Bombshell by Sportsgirl). It creates the perfect red lip, every time, without fail, and is long-wearing without flaking. An incredible red, and something I'd recommend to anyone wanting to attempt a red lip, but feeling unsure. 

Now my Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face should technically be in with my skincare, but the amount of time, care and thought put into the Mecca Cosmetica range means I'll count it in with my colour. Containing SPF 30+, I find this moisturiser a happy medium between my Clinique Youth Surge, and my Cetaphil 50+. Whilst it provides a higher level of protection than Clinique, it feels less sunscreen-like, and far less heavy than my Cetaphil. Also, as I use this as a base under my primer and foundation, I feel like it counts as make-up... sort of... not really... but I think we agree it looks good in the photo...? Hehe

 Two new picks from Stila have made their way into my collection, the CC Cream and the Convertible Colour in Gerbra. 

The CC cream is colour correcting, as well as providing hydration and brightening effects to the skin. It does come out of the tube green, but quickly adjusts to your skin tone, providing a more natural colour-match, with a radiant finish. A new go-to for days off, this stuff is foolproof, and definitely worth a try if you're looking for something user friendly!

The Convertible Colours have long been a Stila fave and staple for many the beauty junkie, and for good reason, In that little compact is your lip and cheek colour, and they're super blendable, so it's easy to achieve a hint of colour, or a full-blown natural glow. My chosen shade, Gerbra, is what Nina wears in Offspring (for any of you fellow fans out there!). Again, so user-friendly and foolproof it's not funny, this convertible cream is perfect for day-off chill, and work-day madness! 

Now, as promised... swatches!


NARS Portobello - L is the nude/taupe, R is the mushroom brown

 

Stila CC Cream - goes on green, blends and adapts effortlessly to the skin! Easy as!

To the right - Gerbra, so beautiful and peachy!
To her left - on the bottom is a swatch from a NARS blush tester, in Deep Throat
Above left - another NARS tester, the Liquid Illuminator in Super Orgasm

NARS Mysterious Red - mysterious because it's a mystery why this doesn't have its own cult following, seriously guys, GET ON IT



That's all for now my little birds, stay tuned for how NOT to contour and strobe! 

Until next time,
Tweet tweet xx

I HAD AN ALLERGIC REACTION AND IT SUCKED

Pretty self explanatory title, right?

Here's what happened - Napoleon Perdis make-up artists came into my workplace and offered all of the staff make overs. I'm serious! I thought they were joking too, I waited for the catch but... there wasn't one! I was SO excited, you have no idea, I've been desperate for a lovely make-up session, and I was hoping to learn, finally, how to contour like a boss.

So I ran from work when I clocked off, hopped up into the chair, and was practically bouncing at the thought of having my make-up done professionally. I'm a major nerd, so I was SO ready to learn some new tips and tricks. One of my favourite make-up artists (who has done my make-up for a few events) was trained by Napoleon Perdis, so I've always had respect for the brand and the training.

The lovely girls helped me take off my work make-up, and used a cleansing oil all over my face which was actually quite scary - evidently, ONE make-up wipe doesn't remove my whole face. NOT EVEN CLOSE. So I'm going to be looking into some new cleansing methods, folks.

Then my lovely make-up artist applied a primer and we got to chatting. She applied my mascara first, as Napoleon believes it not only gives the formula time to dry, but it means you definitely get time for a second coat. Now I like to do my mascara next-to-last, simply because I do it whilst my foundation sets, before I use a setting powder. But I thought hey, ok, let's see how this method goes.

Now my eyes are NOTORIOUS for FLIPPING THE FREAK OUT the minute ANYONE but me tries to use ANY sort of eye product on them. You can imagine the struggle for Mumma Sparrow back when I did dancing, and eyeliner was a mandatory part of costume. Essentially my eyes turn into Niagara Falls and water all over the place, meaning you have to work super quick to get liner/mascara/falsies on before whatever shadow work is messed up. So when my eyes DID begin to water, on cue, I didn't think much of it.

My lovely make up artist talked me through the products she was using, explaining their benefits and qualities. Were my eyes stinging a tiny bit? Yeah, maybe, but I put that down to them settling from the whole, someone-other-than-me-doing-make-up-thing. Then we got to the good bit, the contouring! I realised that my main problem with contouring is I do stripes rather than swipes, if that makes sense? Rather than buffing and creating ROUND shapes on my face, I do rather sharp, 80's-style diagonal lines, and that's not a good look folks, not at all.

She then used an eyeshadow as a liner (a technique I love myself) to create a softer, natural look, and again, eyes watering, unhappy with me, but again, I ignored it. She applied another coat of mascara. Then she set my look, and I ended up buying a mini-kit with the contour trio and primer (because my Nude Airbrush Mineral primer had run out that very day), and went back to work to show my girlfriends.

The minute I walked in everyone asked if I'd been crying, and if I was all right. And, yeah, my eyes were watering and a bit stingy, but I thought they were still just settling. As I was chatting to a couple of the girls, that stinging turned into a real irritation, they hadn't stopped watering, and I was starting to feel quite hot. I cracked and used a Johnsons' make-up wipe to start taking off my eye make-up, figuring once it was off I'd just fix my face with my own Australis powder and be off to dinner.

I WAS WRONG.




My eyes went into a full-blown allergic reaction, and I had to detour from dinner and instead go to a chemist, who was very lovely but very concerned. She recommended I wash my eyes out thoroughly and use eye drops to calm the irritation, and keep taking Telfast (which I'd been taking already for a cold/hayfever situation). The eye drops worked pretty quickly, considering, and even though they still hurt like hell, my eyes stopped watering and started to clear slightly.


I pretty much went home and went straight to bed, hoping by morning I'd be back to normal.
Welp. I was, and I wasn't.

My eyes were A LOT better when I woke up, but they were a bit gummy, very puffy, and still quite sore. Also, that cold/hayfever thing? Yeah, that had reared its ugly head overnight and left me with NO VOICE. So unfortunately I had to call in sick to work, but I'm glad I gave myself time to recover properly.

When I returned to work the following day, my colleagues, who had seen me after the session, said I did look a lot better, but my eyes were still quite puffy.

I have NEVER in my life had an allergic reaction like that to a mascara or eyeliner. EVER. I couldn't believe it, I was so shocked, and it was honestly a little frightening. I haven't been back to Napoleon Perdis yet to tell them about my reaction, simply because I haven't had time, but I will, just in case it helps them with future clients. I'm not mad at anyone or upset with the brand, if even I didn't know I was allergic to something, how could they? I've been going through the ingredients of the NP mascara versus those of my favourite mascaras, and so far I think it might be either the rice bran extract or the bamboo leaf extract that set me off. Apparently in this case, natural ingredients weren't the right choice!

The lesson here is:
If a product (especially an eye product) begins to sting, irritate, or make your eyes water (more than normal), TELL YOUR ARTIST IMMEDIATELY. Who knows, if I'd mentioned it earlier, she could've switched mascaras, or at least taken it off, which may have lessened the severity of my reaction. I know I'm very lucky it wasn't any worse, especially considering how sensitive the eye area is. I also think I was just too excited to be thinking clearly!

If you want to see a photo of how my reaction played out, visit beautybyasparrow on Instagram, or look for the tag - #beautybyasparrow. (I thought I'd leave it there rather than repeating it and making you all see the redness and horror).

Until next time my little birds,
check your make up ingredients!

Tweet tweet xx
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