Tag Archives: Estee Lauder

Red Lips + Light Foundation: Makeup Utopia Wildcard FOTD

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The Makeup Utopia is holding a Beauty Bloggers Conference in September. They have been very selective with their invitations, but have given those who didn’t make the original list a chance to win one of two wildcard invitations. We were asked to recreate ourselves using makeup. I chose to keep it relatively simple: I did the opposite of what I usually do with makeup. I chose to use a very light coverage foundation, minimal eye makeup, almost no brow products and a red lip. Also, since I almost always wear my hair out, I pulled it back into a ballerina bun to keep it sleek and simple.

To create this look, I started with Face of Australia Face Base Primer, buffing it into my skin over the top of my moisturiser. I created a light, luminous canvas with Georgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 4.5 (the lightest foundation I own) {Edit: when I say “lightest” I mean “palest”. I own several lighter coverage foundations, but they’re all closer to my natural darker skin tone. This foundation was a good combination of lighter coverage and a paler colour.} I wanted to make myself as pale as possible, as my complexion is naturally quite deep and olive-y. I also wanted to make sure that my freckles showed through. I finished the foundation off by buffing it into my skin with a powder brush, to ensure the coverage was flawless.

The eye look was created using shades from my Naked 2 Palette. I began with Australis Eye Shadow Primer, followed by a white Maybelline Colour Tattoo all over my lids, providing a good base for the colours to follow. I began with Foxy (a matte beige), from my Naked Palette, sweeping it all over the eye, right up to the brow bone. Then I used Tease (a matte brown) from my Naked Palette to create a soft winged out look and accentuate the crease, and widen my eyes, to make them look larger. Then I used Bootycall (a light, slightly shimmery pale gold) in the centre of my lids to accentuate the rounder eye shape I had created.

I double lined my eyes, verrrry carefully, as I wanted just a very thin line. Firstly with Lord + Berry Polish Eye Pencil (I barely let it touch my eye, just very softly scribbled it along my lashline. Then I followed with Smiink Liquid Eyeliner pen, smoothing the line and winging it out a little. I wanted to keep my eye makeup minimal, as the one thing I am known for is a lot of eye makeup.

The lips were the hardest. Since I don’t often wear dark or bright lip colours, I decided this was a great way to reinvent my makeup look and myself. I used Clinique Quickliner for lips in Perfect Poppy, being very careful to line right on the edge of my lips. I then applied Rimmel’s Kate Moss Spring Collection Lipstick in 22 (bright red) with a lip brush. This was certainly the part that took the longest to get perfect.

I finished off my luminous skin look by contouring under my cheekbones and chin/jaw with Tease (from my Naked Palette) as the contour powders I own are all tailored towards my natural, darker complexion. Then I contoured the sides of my nose, thinning it out a little. Savoir Faire Concealer was patted under the eyes with my finger to even out my complexion and hide those awful dark circles.

Then I lightly dusted MAC Prep+Prime Powder along my T-Zone and buffed Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics Lunar Dust Illuminator in Twilight across my forehead, cheeks, down the bridge of my nose and across my chin, to give it that little extra dose of luminosity. The finishing touch was a very light dusting of a baby pink blush just along the tops of my cheeks, Estée Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush in Peach Nuance. Lastly, I swept a q-tip dipped in makeup remover over my brows to remove any foundation residue, combed them into place and (because I just couldn’t fathom doing nothing) I did as little as I possibly could… I just tidied them with some brow pomade from SAX Cosmetics Perfect Brow Kit, and lightly defined the shape with a little of the lightest brown powder. One teeeny little application of Maybelline’s The Falsies Mascara (because I wanted to keep my eyes minimal) was the finishing touch.

So beauties… do you think I look different? Have I recreated myself using makeup? Do you like my new look? Let me know!

Note: per the rules of The Makeup Utopia’s Wildcard Challenge, no photoshop, instagram filters or any post-processing of any kind has been used on these images.

Love,
Rosie xox

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30 Days of Lippy – Week Two

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I’ve had a brilliant second week of 30 Days of Lippy, shopping my own stash, trying colours I’d completely relegated to the “do not wear” pile and wearing lipsticks I had forgotten I even owned. The lovely Kimberley from Pop Couture came up with the idea for 30 Days of Lippy after realising she was in a bit of a lippy rut, and since I was in a bit of a lippy rut myself, I offered my obsessive list making skills to help guide us through the challenge. Read the story of how it came about here. There’s a whole bunch of gorgeous ladies, bloggers and makeup lovers alike, taking up the 30 Days of Lippy challenge!

Week two offered plenty of fun challenges and lip loving hijinks for me. Here’s how it went…

Day Eight – Wear a matte finish

M.A.C Cosmetics Shop M.A.C Watch Me Simmer^. I LOVE this lipstick. I love the vibrant electric coral colour. And I love the matte finish. For some reason though, as it wears, (usually around the 2 hour mark) the coral undertone disappears on me and it goes kind of magenta pink. That’s not going to stop me wearing it though, everytime I wear this lippy someone comments on it. Probably because I don’t tend to wear bright matte finish lipsticks that often. Wear wise, it lasts about 3 or 4 hours, and will need touch-ups after eating or drinking to keep its vibrance and depth. (note: these are not my real eyelashes! I’m wearing Revlon Beyond Natural falsies in Natural Defining* which are absolutely awesome, not too false looking and super easy to apply.)

Day Nine – Hot Pink
Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss in Indulge^, quite possibly one of the best lipglosses ever. It’s a vibrant bright hot pink with a slightly cool undertone and super glossy finish. The colour is really strong for a gloss, and the finish isn’t too sticky either, which is a nice surprise considering how shiny it is. It does need regular touch-ups though, to keep it looking bright and glossy. (Which honestly doesn’t bother me in the slightest.) This shot was taken at Hair Expo with a lovely Michaela of Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

Day Ten – Your most recent lip purchase
Maybelline Baby Lips in Anti-Oxidant Berry. I am seriously addicted to this stuff. It sits on my nightstand and it’s first thing I apply in the morning. I ran through my last tube rather quickly and I’m always happy to spend a little cash on something I know works like a charm. Besides which, I love the scent, delicious flavour and cute packaging.

Day Eleven – Shimmery
Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour is definitely one of the best beauty inventions to come out of the last few years. Lanolips is a brilliant lip conditioner which is never sticky and always super dooper moisturising. Combine that with some delicious colours and hey presto, you’ve got yourself a lipgloss that’s actually good for your lips! I love the Rhubarb colour as it’s a soft, peachy, pretty pink which suits my skintone beautifully. I also own Dark Honey and Rose. I know it’s not especially shimmery, but I like the soft glossy finish. (p.s. again, these aren’t my natural lashes. I’m having a bit of a fascination with falsies this week. These are Smiink Everyday Full Lashes in Short & Sweet, which I love because they’re not only easy to apply and not too “over the top”, but they fit my eyes perfectly so don’t require cutting down to size.)

Day Twelve – Close to your natural lip colour

I love the “close to natural” “my lips but better” look and so I have a few lipglosses and lipsticks that qualified for this category. Napoleon Perdis Lip Veil in Cocoa* is one of my favourites though: it’s creamy, moisturising, beautifully tinted with a slight pinkish-brown colour and has a gorgeous glossy finish that makes your lips look a little more fabulous, a little prettier and a little more voluminous than normal. The soft caramel-ly warmth in this colour brings out a flush in my cheeks and gives my slightly yellow toned skin a nice faux glow.

Day Thirteen – Lilac or mauve
Sephora Lip Attitude – Glamour in Lyric Lilac (G08) {Edit: this shade is G09 Mauve Emotion. I wrote it down wrong!}. Oh my! The perfectly pink toned purple for me. This is a lippy that a fellow blogger friend sent me from the States and to be honest, this is the first time I’ve worn it. (I KNOW! What the heck is wrong with me??) I told you, I’m stuck in a lippy rut. The filter I’ve chosen doesn’t really do it justice, it’s a little more purple than it appears here and oh so creamy, beautifully semi-sheer and glossy. On my skintone it needs a few applications to build up the colour to this depth and it wears down to a very soft lilac stain. To keep the glossiness it needs reapplication every couple of hours. You’ll want to keep putting it on too, it’s just that pretty. (And here… the apex of my false lashes fascination this week, with massive Revlon Fantasy Lengths* lashes.)

Day Fourteen – Wear blush on your lips

Estée Lauder Tender Blush in Wild Rose. This is one of my favourite blushes because it’s a lovely warm pink with a hint of a blue undertone when applied to my cheeks. It’s very close to my natural flush and isn’t too shimmery or glittery. Estée Lauder no longer make this blush or this shade, but they have a similar one here – shade “The Siren” is quite close. To keep my lips from drying out too much I prepped them with Kosmea Rosehip Oil* (and they stayed really well hydrated throughout the day.) Although I shouldn’t have been surprised, I was disappointed that the blush didn’t come out the same colour on my lips as it usually does on my cheeks, it went a kind of reddish brown, which I didn’t love. But hey, it was worth a try!

I am having so much fun with 30 Days of Lippy and it’s such a thrill to see everyone’s photographs everyday. Check out the tag #30daysoflippy on Instagram and hey, if you need to shake up your beauty routine, why not join us?!

Love,
Rosie xox

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p.s. Per my disclosure policy * Items were kindly provided to me at Lashes & Lattes for editorial review ^ Items were kindly provided to me as Editor of Modern Hair+Beauty and/or Luxury Weddings for editorial review and I enjoyed them so much that I decided to include them here. All opinions are honest and my own. I have not been compensated for mentioning these products.

Disney Princess FOTD – Beauty + The Beast

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Last night I was chatting with some friends on twitter and suddenly, for some reason we were discussing Disney Princesses. I adore the Disney Princesses, so flawless and good and generally sparkly with happiness. It was decided that the Disney Princess I most closely resembled was Belle, from Beauty & The Beast. What a wonderful compliment! I always loved that movie and Belle is incredibly beautiful. Here’s what she looks like in cartoon form.

Image courtesy 1st-cartoon.blogspot.com

The basics of Disney Princess makeup are these:
1. flawless skin
2. fluttery lashes that look natural
3. arched but natural, full eyebrows
4. flushed cheeks
5. pretty pink lips

Here’s my interpretation of Belle as a human.


It’s essential to start with a beautifully flawless base, so I chose a few products that always give me glowing, perfect skin.

Key Products
Face
Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Foundation in 07/Medium-Deep
(warmed & applied with fingers)
Revlon PhotoReady Compact Powder in  030/Medium-Deep
(dusted over the top to set and help to matte down the foundation)
M.A.C StudioSculpt Concealer in NW25 (for illuminating under-eye circles)

Eyes
M.A.C All Races Matte Eyeshadow
(on the lid and swept up into the crease with a small blending brush)
M.A.C TenderSmoke Metallic Eyeshadow
(pressed into the crease and then allowed to collect in the outer corner of each eye to give the eyes depth) 
Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Liner in Equinox
(applied with a very fine angle brush right along the top lash line, and flicked out slightly beyond the lashes for an almond eyed shape)
Lash Curler (gently walked up the lashes for a wide-eyed look)
Australis Cosmetics Killer Curves Mascara in Black Brown
(Brown-black because it’s a bit softer than full-on black. Apply two coats, then comb through the lashes and apply a final coat just to the tips of the lashes)

Brows
Run a q-tip dipped in makeup remover over them to remove any traces of foundation, which would stick the hairs to your face. Then brush upwards in the direction of the growth.
Benefit BrowZings in Medium
(use the pigmented gel to define and help to keep them in place, then wet the powder brush with a little water and use the powder to fill in your brows)
Designer Brands Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown
(very softly and gently use the pencil to outline and define any bits still looking sparse or uneven. Then comb through again to disperse the products evenly.)

Cheeks
Australis Cosmetics Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush in Screen Siren
(applied generously to the apples of the cheeks)

Lips
Face of Australia Lip Quench SPF 30+ Moisturising Lipstick in Lychee Crush
(applied directly to the lips from the tube, blotted with a tissue and then applied again for a strong colour and super shiny finish.)

Some close-ups…

The eyes and the brows

The cheeks

The Lips

I hope you enjoyed my Disney Princess-inspired Face of the Day! I feel very happy, sunshine-y and sparkly! I could burst into song at any moment. In fact…. *wanders off looking for backing orchestra*

So my lovelies, do you have a favourite Disney Princess? Which one would you be? Would you ever try Disney Princess-inspired makeup? Let me know. Leave a comment, stop by Facebook or tweet me!

2011 Top Products

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I was tagged by Tara* of Keeping Up With Me to write a post about my favourite 11 products of 2011. Initially I thought, “easy-peasy”… but as a began to attempt to whittle my favourites down, I realised what a difficult task this would be. 2011 has brought me so many awesome products, so much new knowledge and so many new favourites. I did, however, soldier on and with delight, I bring you my top 11 products of 2011.

A lot of these are relatively new finds. I think it’s because I started blogging this year, I’ve suddenly been surrounded by all these wonderfully knowledgeable people with fantastic tips on products to try, and many of the products listed below have been recommended to me by friends.

HAIR PRODUCTS:

I took the plunge and balayaged my hair this year. The change was refreshing, but the ends of my hair were a bit fried afterwards. I’ve been using Moroccan Oil religiously, so when I discovered they made an Extra Volume shampoo and conditioner, I was thrilled. You need very little of each product to get big results. The shampoo leaves your hair beautifully clean and the conditioner was finally able to bring some life and shine back into the ends of my hair. The combination gives bounce, volume and most importantly that beautiful healthy shine.

The David Babaii for Wildaid Bohemian Beach Spray is a “can’t live without” product for me. For those days when you really wish your hair was looking awesome, but it isn’t. Spritz a little on the ends, scrunch and fluff. The result is supermodel-esque beach hair that smells like honey.

SKIN PRODUCTS:

I’ve never had fabulous skin. I get the occasional breakout, blackhead and lots of blocked pores. I switched to using organic products on my skin about six months ago and the difference has been incredible. No more breakouts, no more dryness. My skin is plumper, dewier and much smoother. Planet Eve Certified Organics is the heart of my skincare routine. But the main product I absolutely adore is the Daily Face Moisturiser. It absorbs immediately into my skin, making it feel so quenched and soft. And the anti-aging ingredients aren’t doing me any harm either.

Trilogy Rosehip Oil was recommended to me recently and I cannot speak highly enough of it. It really is liquid gold. It has almost completely gotten rid of some old acne scars, smoothed out some fine lines around my eyes, softened dark circles and generally improved the tone and texture. It’s also beginning to assist with fading some sun damage on my cheeks. It is so cheap, you simply can’t afford to go without it.

FOUNDATIONS:

I’m a foundation junkie. That’s why I’m including two. Estée Lauder Double Wear is my holy grail foundation. I work long hours. Double Wear means I never have to worry about my makeup. I put it on at 5:30 in the morning and it’s still perfect at 8pm and beyond. It’s lasted me fifteen hours and longer without a single touch up.

Australis Paparazzi Perfect is my night-time, party foundation. The light reflecting minerals mean it matches my skin/body perfectly no matter if I’ve had a brand new tan, if I’m a little pale or even if I’m halfway between the two. I never have to worry about people photographing me, because my skin always looks flawless, dewy and perfect.

EYE PRODUCTS:

I LOVE eye makeup. I adore it. I used to use two mascaras, one on top of the other until I discovered Australis Killer Curves Mascara. It curls, it lengthens, it volumises and it doesn’t clump or stick your lashes together. You can put on two or even three coats and still no clumps. Round of applause from me.

Napoleon Perdis China Doll Gel Eyeliner (in Equinox – black) is a relatively new find. I’ve been a devotee of the kohl pencil for years, but I always ended up with panda eyes or fall out no matter which brand I used. This baby is black as can be, sets and doesn’t budge and can be used on your inner and outer lids with perfect results. Using a really fine angled brush means you can get a much finer line and you have much more control than with a pencil. I can see and long and happy relationship in the future.

LIP PRODUCTS:

I’ve never been much of a lipstick wearer until recently. I used to be happy with a slick of gloss or tinted lip balm, but my lipstick adventures of late have convinced me I’ve definitely been missing out. Lipstick is no longer drying, boring, dark or messy. My two favourites from 2011 are Face of Australia Lip Quench in Lychee Crush – because it’s so deliciously moisturising, packs an SPF 30+ punch and is the perfect combination of pink and nude. My other favourite is Inglot Slimline Gel Lipstick in #40 because the beautiful bright coral really lights up my face, it’s absolutely packed with pigment and leaves your lips feeling soft, smooth and plump. It also lasts beautifully.

What are your favourites from 2011? Did you make any wonderful beauty discoveries? Please let me know! I’m always on the lookout for new products. Leave your comments, stop by the new Lashes & Lattes facebook page or tweet me.

* Tara tagged all her readers, and I’m subsequently tagging all of you :)

Here’s to a wonderful, blessed and beautiful 2012!
Rosemary xox