Cover It: The ultimate guide to concealer

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beauty, beauty tips, complexion, concealer, cosmetics, makeup

Turns out the secret to having flawless skin is knowing how to apply concealer. Read on to find out how to brush up on your camouflaging skills.

How to conceal puffiness

You need: highlighter + liquid concealer

Mix a liquid concealer with a tiny bit of highlighter, and dab it on the puffy areas of your face. This will help reflect light and give the effect of smooth skin. I recommend recommend Peter Thomas Roth Un Wrinkle Concealer & Brightener, $55.

How to conceal redness around the nose

You need: cream concealer + latex sponge+ loose powder

It’s a known fact that the area around your nose gets oily quickly, so it’s best to use an oil-free cream concealer for heavier coverage. Use your ring finger to pat and blend the concealer into the crease around the nose. Then take a damp makeup sponge, dip in loose powder, and blend. Try Youngblood Ultimate Concealer, $43 coupled with Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder, $38.

How to conceal a pimple

You need: green concealer + concealer pencil + latex sponge + translucent powder

Pencils are best at coating blemishes because the pointy shape allows you to go on the pimple and around it easily. Reach for RMK Concealer Pencil, $51. Then take a damp sponge and powder over the area. If your pimple is red, try neutralising the color by using a green concealer first.

How to conceal scars or dark spots

You need: cream pot + lifting concealer + concealer brush + latex sponge+ loose powder

To completely erase dark pigment or scars, the heavy coverage of a cream concealer works best thanks to the thicker texture which contains less oil than liquid and therefore lasts longer. Apply the concealer with a brush over the problem area and then apply a dab of lifting concealer, which will provide a highlight. Finish with a damp sponge and loose powder to blend it all together. Try Laura Mercier Secret Concealer, $40.

How to conceal under-eye bags

You need: liquid concealer with lifting ingredients + latex sponge + loose powder

To counteract the yellow, bluish hues under the eyes the key is to use a peach-based concealer as it brings warmth to the area. A lifting ingredient like vitamin A prevents the concealer from settling into creases and fine lines. Another key trick is to dip a damp makeup sponge into loose powder and then dab over the under eye area to set the concealer.  Try Diorskin Sculpt Lifting Smoothing Concealer, $56.

❤ Kristina xo

PS. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow Fresh on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Get The Look: Weekend party makeup

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cosmetics, get the look, makeup, makeup how-to, makeup tutorial, runway, runway beauty, winged liner

TGIF! It’s almost the weekend which means it’s time to set aside your office-appropriate makeup in favour of a more bold and glamorous look. The star of the show? A blue winged liner! Yes, you heard correctly. This runway trend can easily be fused with your weekend (or dancefloor) attire. Here’s how:

1) For sheer, dewy coverage mix equal parts illuminator with a tinted moisturiser and apply with your hands. The heat from your fingertips will help the formula soak into the skin seamlessly.

2) Draw a fine line of electric blue eyeliner onto the top lid.

3) Shade in silver eye pencil on the inner corners of the eyes.

4) Apply blue mascara on the lash tips only: try applying with a fan brush.

5) Define the brows with powder or a pencil.

6) Lightly highlight down the center of nose & above the cupid’s bow.

6) Brush some soft rose blush across the cheek bones.

7) Finish with a lip balm.

Too easy!

SHOP THE LOOK

1. Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Color in # 01 Lovely Rose, $49, 2. NARS Illuminator – Laguna, $45, 3. Becca Luminous Skin Colour Tinted Moisturiser SPF 25+, $64, 4. Estee Lauder Shimmering Powder – Pearl, $47, 5. Jane Iredale Super Shape Me Eyebrow Kit, $93, 6. Korres Soft Eyeliner Pencil in # 5S Silver, $10, 7. Yves St Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Long Lasting Eye Pencil in No. 9 Azure Blue, $39, 8. L’Occitane Shea Butter Organic Moisturizing Lip Balm, $20, 9. Yves St Laurent Dessin Du Regard Waterproof Long Lasting Eye Pencil in No. 9 Azure Blue, $39

Would you wear a blue winged liner?

❤ Kristina xo

PS. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow Fresh on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Hey There, Bright Eyes! How to make your peepers appears wide awake

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beauty tips, concealer, cosmetics, eye makeup, eyeliner, eyes, eyeshadow, mascara, wide awake eyes

Late nights, icky winter weather — there’s lots of reasons why your peepers may be looking a little lacklustre. Luckily for you, there exists a few simple makeup tricks that can take your peepers from half asleep to wide awake in moments. Read ahead to learn how to how to troubleshoot tired eyes (something I’ve been seriously trying to exercise lately to banish my dark shadows… and it’s been working!).

ELONGATE THE LASHES

A few lashings of mascara will instantly make your blinkers appear larger than life. To get your longest-looking lashes, start by taking the tip of the mascara wand and apply the formula directly to the ends of your lashes in an upwards direction. Then, continue to apply mascara to the base of the lashes using quick right-to-left strokes to coat the lashes as much as possible.

I love Bare Escentuals i.d. Weather Everything Waterproof Mascara, especially perfect for all this rainy weather.

ADD SHIMMER TO YOUR LIDS

To appear more doe-eyed, concentrate on applying an opalescent or shimmery shadow to the middle of the lash line to emphasise the widest section of your eye shape.

Reach for Kevyn Aucoin The Loose Shimmer Shadow in Citrine. 

ENHANCE THE EYE SHAPE

Experiment with blue-hued eyeliner as the cooler tones will make the whites of your eyes appear brighter. You can also brighten the inner corner of the eye and the water line with flesh-toned eyeliner. Remember – light colours open up the eye! To fully enhance the eye shape, softy smudge eye shadow along the bottom lash line. This will make your blinkers appear larger, especially with the contrast of the nude liner.

CURL YOUR LASHES

Curling your lashes will work wonders on your eyes. Start at the root of your lash and gently pulse the curler shut three times.

PRO TIP: If you have stick-straight eyelashes one of the best ways to curl them is to heat your eyelash curler with a hair dryer for 5-8 seconds. Heating it will act like a curling iron and that paired with waterproof mascara (which dries faster) will give you perfect eyelashes.

My choice is Tweezerman Professional ProCurl Curler.

CONCEAL IT

Use peachy, pink concealers, instead of yellow-based ones, to erase under-eye circles as the orange undertones are better at camouflaging blue tones.

PRO TIP: After you apply concealer to your under-eye area, use a makeup sponge to lightly buff out any globs. To prevent distracting streaks, you should blend all the way out to your temples to catch any lingering foundation traces.

ILLUMINATE AND HIGHLIGHT

Use a light, illuminating highlighter to open up the eye area. Brimming soft, light reflective pigments along the inner corner of the eyes and the contour of your brow bones will make your peepers pop.

Now go and bat those lashes to the world!

❤ Kristina xo

Ps. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow us on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Mother’s Day Beauty Gifts: Pressies under $50 to suit every type of mum

Tags

bargain, beauty, budget, cosmetics, Fragrances, gifts, mothers day, skincare

Okay folk, Mother’s Day is just around the corner (May 12th in case you’ve forgotten!), meaning if you haven’t yet bought your leading lady a present, now is the perfect time.

But rather than trawl through endless shops trying to find your ma the perfect gift, save yourself the effort by enlisting the help of this so-simple gift guide. The best part? Everything’s under $50 (particularly after the member loyalty discount is applied) and there’s a pressie to suit every type of mum, so rest assured you’ll hunt down something your mummy dearest will adore.

THE CLASSIC MUM

She falls under this category if… She’s always been into all the classic beauty staples across a range of iconic shades and textures (think: Chanel, Estee Lauder, Olay, Lancome, Dior).

SHOP IT: 1. Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour in # 09 Organdi Rose, $50, 2. Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Super Cream, $41, 3. Christian Dior DiorBlush Glowing Color Powder Blush in 839 Vintage Pink, $59

THE GLAMOROUS MUM

She falls under this category if… She loves getting dolled up and often indulges in life’s most lavish treasures.

SHOP IT: 4. Moschino Glamour Perfumed Body Lotion, $28, 5. Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volume Mascara in # 01 Extreme Black, $42, 6. Yves St Laurent Pure Lipstick in No.68 Venetian Red, $24

THE FEMININE MUM

She falls under this category if… She fancies herself a girly girl, loves the colour pink and enjoys flower-infused fragrances.

SHOP IT: 7. L’Occitane Rose 4 Reines Bath & Shower Gel, $29, 8. Clinique Chubby Stick in No. 15 Pudgy Peony, $27, 9. Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely Eau De Parfum Spray, $45

THE NATURAL MUM

She falls under this category if… She only uses organic and/or all-natural products and lives a holistic lifestyle.

SHOP IT: 10. Bloom Organics Scented Soap in Fresh Citrus, $24, 11. L’Occitane Verbena Harvest Body Salt Scrub With Organic Verbena Extract, $56, 12. Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate, $45

THE DESIGNER MUM

She falls under this category if… She’s obsessed with labels and would rather be caught dead than be seen without the latest designer handbag hanging off her arm. She feels much the same about her beauty collection!

SHOP IT: 1. Burberry Eau De Parfum Spray, $49, 2. Christian Dior Rouge Dior Lipcolor in No. 555 Dolce Vita Pink, $44, 3. Giorgio Armani Eyelash Curler, $43

THE VINTAGE MUM

She falls under this category if… She’s rather old-fashioned and gets inspired by the era of Old Hollywood glamour.

SHOP IT: 4. Kate Moss Vintage Eau De Toilette Spray, $29, 5. Fusion Beauty The Ultimate Jet Black Eyeliner Collection, $40, 6. Lauren Luke My Vintage Glams Complete Makeup Palette, $32

THE INDULGENT MUM

She falls under this category if… She loves a good pampering session and can’t go a week without a facial or spa treatment.

SHOP IT: 7. Cowshed Gorgeous Cow Blissful Time Duo Set, $32, 8. Crabtree & Evelyn Iris Bath & Shower Gel, $32, 9. Estee Lauder Stress Relief Eye Mask, $54

THE ALL-IN-ONE MUM

She falls under this category if… She embodies every kind of quality in her own special way!

SHOP IT: 10. Elizabeth Arden Day Essential Color Collection, $46, 11. Clarins Wonder Length Set, $43, 12. Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders Mini Kit, $50

❤ Kristina xo

Ps. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow us on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Mother’s Day Gift Guide: The beauty loot your ma will love!

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anti-aging, beauty, cosmetics, gift guide, gifts, grooming, makeup, mothers day, pampering, shopping, skincare

This year, be organised, and avoid that inevitable hand-to-forehead move that comes along with the realisation that you forgot to get Mum something for Mother’s Day. May 12 will be here before you know it, but as of right now, you’ve got some planning time.

I’ve done some scouting for you on www.fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au and have come back with some serious beauty winners, because frankly you can never go wrong with the old faithful perfumes and grooming products.

Ahead are 19 of the best Mother’s Day gifts handpicked by yours truly that your ma will simply adore (no fake delightful squeals, promise!). She deserves it, after all.

Click on the below images to shop the items now. You can also check out the more extensive gift guide via Facebook by clicking here, or enter the FRESH Mother’s Day store by clicking here.

Happy Shopping!

❤ Kristina xo

Ps. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow us on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Fresh TV: My Beauty Haul

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beauty, beauty haul, clarins, cosmetics, Dolce & Gabbana, fresh tv, la mer

So I’ve recently scored a bunch of other goodies from the FRESH 25% off sale (I jumped on the bandwagon super early and got these bad boys within the first day… yikes!). I know you’re probably all thinking I’m a product hoarder extraordinaire and it’s true but hey, who doesn’t love adding new cosmetic and skincare wonders to their beauty arsenal?

In this Fresh Beauty TV episode I go into detail about why I’m loving all things La Mer, Clarins and Dolce & Gabbana. Press play to hear me yabber on (and don’t forget to subscribe to the Fresh channel!).

SHOP THE HAUL

1. La Mer Creme de La Mer, $244

2. Clarins Skin Illusion Mineral Plant Extracts Loose Powder Foundation, $55

3. Dolce & Gabbana The Lipstick Classic Cream Lipstick in The Iconic, $49

❤ Kristina xo

Ps. In a beauty fix and need some advice? Or maybe you just want to chat about all things pretty? Drop me a line: kristina@fragrancesandcosmetics.com.au. Or, if you’re in the mood for some eye candy, come and see what I’ve been Pinning over at www.pinterest.com/freshdiscover. Better yet – join me on Facebook for more beauty fun www.facebook.com/freshfragrances. And for a plain old good time, come and follow us on Instagram – @freshdiscoverbeauty – & Twitter@fresh_fragrances.

Beauty Trends – Metallics

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beauty trends, black eye liner, Christian Dior, cosmetics, Dior, Estee Lauder, eyeshadow, kohl liner, Laura Mercier, makeup, metallics, smoky eye, Too Faced, trends

 

There are some weird and wacky trends around and then there are some just plain “wrap-you-in-a-white-suit-crazy” trends (like the Gaga eyebrow makeup that occasionally gets shown on various beauty forums).

Then there are some trends that make you think, heck, I can pull that off! Just be warned, these are TRENDS. Not designed for longevity like, say a Chanel red lipstick.

One trend I think is quite eye-catching and great for jazzing-up a simple smoky-eye to something a little more fancy for night wear is metallics. This trend has been seen on Pucci, Sass and Bide and Cavalli to name a few.

The trick with metallics is to keep the rest of your face simple. If you are putting on metallic eyeshadow, then keep you lips down to a gloss or pale lipstick. If you are using metallics on your cheeks, then keep your eyes down to liner, mascara and nude shadow and lips down to a gloss.

For the metallic shadow itself, use a black kohl liner (Dior has some great ones) for around your eyes, this can be smudged on the top lid. Use a gold shadow in the corners of your eyes (Laura Mercier has a good one that you can put on with your fingers). As you go out to the edge of your lid, put a darker brown metallic (like the Too Faced chocolate collection). Get a really dark, black metallic shadow near the edge of eyes and in the crease to really make your eyes stand out (such as Estee Lauder Metallic collection).

Finally, have a great time looking fabulous!

Scrub a Dub Dub

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bath, bath crystals, bath oil, bath salt, beauty, Body lotion, body moisturiser, Body scrub, cosmetics, day spa, Dr. Dennis Gross, Dr. Dennis Gross Purifying Bath Crystals with Himalayan Salt, Jurlique, Jurlique Citrus Body Care Lotion, L’Occitane Verbena Harvest Body Salt Scrub with Organic Verbena Extract, LOccitane, Organic, peaceful, relaxing, skincare

Yesterday I spent a blissful hour being scrubbed head to toe while at a day spa. It reminded me that I don’t get scrubbed often enough and that wonderful feeling of shiny, new skin is just so amazing.
I do have a body scrub and good quality body moisturisers at home and a good soak in the bath surrounded by candles (and perhaps with a glass of red) is pretty nice. It’s not quite the same as the day spa, but your skin will feel and smell good afterwards. This is the way I achieve my at home day spa:
Run a hot bath and put in some nice smelling bath crystals to give your water a lovely, relaxing, day-spa-esque, scent (such as  Dr. Dennis Gross Purifying Bath Crystals with Himalayan Salt). Make sure you have everything you need at hand, glass of water, wine, book and towel for later etc.
Once you are all sorted, I recommend beginning with a scrub (such as L’Occitane Verbena Harvest Body Salt Scrub with Organic Verbena Extract). Some scrubs recommend dry, rather than wet skin, so just check the packaging. You may want to have a bit of a soak first as you are going to wash off the scrub in to the water in which you are sitting. Up to you. Most scrubs seem to just evaporate into nothing with hot water anyway, or sink to the bottom.
Once you have indulged your love of red wine, hot water and a good read for long enough and decide it’s time to hop out, give yourself a good dry, making sure all the scrub is gone from your skin. Now you can lather yourself with body lotion (such as Jurlique Citrus Body Care Lotion).
Remember that this is all about feeling like you are at a day spa, you should wrap yourself in a robe, have a cup of tea and sit somewhere peaceful, if you can. Enjoy the sensation of your skin feeling like new, if only for a short while.

Working Overtime

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aloe vera, beauty, Bliss, Bliss Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner, bronzer, cleanser, concealer, cosmetics, Dr Denese Hydrashield tinted moisturizer 15 +, exfoliate, First time mother, Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara, Lancome, Lancome Flash Retouche Brush On Concealer, L’Occitanne Cherry Blossom Lip Gloss, LOccitane, MAC Mineralize Skin Finish, MAC powder, make up, make up pads, makeup, Makeup forever, Makeup forever bronzer, Makeup Forever Mat Bronze Bronzing Powder, mascara, moisturiser, moisturizer, night moisturizer, Olay Regenerist, Olay Regererist Revitalizing Cream, Philosophy, Philosophy Microdelivery Micro massage exfoliating wash, rosewater toner, sensitive skin, skincare, skincare routine, sunscreen, tinted moisturizer, tinted moisturizer with sunscreen

As a first-time Mother, I didn’t realise how much my own routine would be thrown out of whack by setting up my mini-kind’s sleep-eat-play habits.

Before my son was born, I had a regular skincare routine, exfoliated weekly and made sure I put on body lotion everyday. Oh how that has changed. It’s not that I don’t care, I do. I’m just time-poor most-mornings in between getting a sippy cup full of milk and changing a dirty nappy plus managing to squeeze in a hot coffee. And I’m exhausted at night.

It took me no time at all to realise that I had to cut down my skincare and makeup routines so that I could prioritise other things, like sleep and coffee. To do this I had to make my products work double as hard so that I could effectively cut my time in the bathroom in half. So this is how I began…

I am a big advocate for making sure that your skin is moisturised daily. Even though I’ve been worn down and am tired, I’ve made sure I’ve continued that routine. When I have only slept 3 hours a night, it has made me feel a little more human. I also have a rosewater toner that I only use occasionally that is great for refreshing tired skin (Bliss has a similar one to mine called Daily Detoxifying Facial Toner). It’s important however, to make sure your moisturiser has sunscreen in it (covering two products). Even better if you have a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen (extra points for 3 products. I use Dr. Denese Hydrashield Tinted Moisturizer).  At night, I use a night moisturiser (Olay Regenerist Revitalizing Cream) as it’s richer, has no sunscreen that will clog your pores and is totally pointless in the dark.

I have sensitive skin and only exfoliate weekly with a cleanser that has clear beads in it in the shower (I use Philosophy Microdelivery Micro-massage Exfoliating Wash. Nightly, I simply remove my makeup with aloe-vera lotion on makeup pads. I have learnt from experience that anything harsher will cause me to break-out. This is also very quick.

When Cam was very little, I was known to either not wear any makeup as I was simply too tired, or I would put on my concealer with some bronzer which doubled as eyeshadow. Luckily, I have more time these days.

A good way to get your makeup done in 5 minutes is to use a good-quality concealer that you know will last the day and that will hide those tired eyes (Such as Lancome Flash Retouche Brush On Concealer $45 from Fresh). Use a powder (MAC Mineralize Skin Finish is fantastic) to seal your face and ensure that the concealer lasts the day. Use a bronzer on your cheeks and eyes (one like Makeup Forever Mat Bronze Bronzing Powder), therefore giving your face some much-needed colour after a sleepless night.  A great mascara (Kevyn Aucoin Curling Mascara I cannot rave about enough) also opens up your eyes. To finish, put on a coloured gloss (L’Occitanne Cherry Blossom Lip Gloss provides a light colour, lots of gloss and no stickiness). There, you’re done in 5 minutes!  Now, where did put my mug?