Starting out in Makeup : Part 1 - Using Primer

Face - Creating the Base

I've met so many ladies who don't wear any makeup but really want to. The problem is that they don't know where to start. 

You'll find millions of different makeup products out on the market ranging from inexpensive to very expensive all declaring they can do amazing things. It can be confusing and intimidating for those who don't know much about makeup to know just where to start and to work out if it is worth paying extra for the luxury brands . Plus some makeup shops (and staff -ha ha!) can be really intimidating...

The best way to enter the makeup world, is starting off with the basics. I'm going to help you cover all the basics starting with the "Face" and breaking products into little sections so it isn't too overwhelming. I will also cover brows, eyes and lips once I've finished with covering the face

Lets gets started!

Face Primer

The purpose of using a face primer is to help your BB cream/foundation last longer, blend easier and look smoother. It also fills in fine lines and pores and can help control oil for those who have a oily skin type. 

Primer is used after your moisturizer and before your BB cream/Foundation.  It creates a base for your foundation and I consider it an essential product in summer as it really helps your foundation last through the heat of the day.

Affordable Options: 

• She Pure Magic Primer (all skin types ) 

• Rimmel Stay Matte Primer (oily skin)

Splurge Options: 

• Smashbox Photo Finish

• Mac Prep and Prime Natural Radiance

Personally sometimes I skip using primer in my makeup routine...  Some day I just want to do wear a touch of makeup but I can really tell the difference in how long my makeup lasts and how fresh it looks.  So if you want your makeup to last all day I really recommend using a primer first and you will be able to see the difference.

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REVIEW - CLEAN & BRIGHT OXYGEN BUBBLE MASK

BOTANICAL CHOICE CLEAN & BRIGHT OXYGEN BUBBLE MASK "PEACH" BY PUREDERM

What they say about their product...

'Purederm Clean & Bright Oxygen Mask "Peach" immediately turns into oxygen-rich foam, revitalizing skin with oxygen as it deep-cleanses, exfoliates, and massages skin. The oxygen foam deeply penetrates into the skin to eliminate pore-clogging impurities, blackheads, and dead skin cells, while it helps brighten uneven skin tones. Peach extracts moisturizes and re-illuminates dull skin, papaya, green tea, and bamboo extract leave skin soft and supple"

What I think....

Firstly I was VERY surprised to learn that Purederm is actually a Korean brand...  Without reading the back of the product closely I wouldn't have known this and just assumed it was American.  Korean skin care and cosmetics have taken the makeup world by storm in recent years and produce lots of great products. However usually they are all labelled in Korean which it just a bit tricker :) 

Regardless of where it was produced I was excited to give this product a try as I've previously tried several products from this brand and been really pleased with the results. In the past I blogged about the Purederm Nose Pore Strips   - which I didn't even realise were a Korean product!

It is a very easy product to use... Just apply product onto a dry face and start gently rubbing it it. Once it is applied to your face the mask starts to foam up. I kept  just massaging it onto my skin until I had used the full sachet. Leave on your skin for 30-60 seconds before washing off with warm water. 

The mask  has a pleasant peachy smell and my skin felt lovely once I had washed it off.  I always find these sort of masks an enjoyable experience, probably because of the pampering aspect...  I'm not sure it re-illuminated my skin as they say it will but my skin definitely looked and felt better after I used it.

Priced at under $5 it is an affordable treat and probably much better for me than a coffee. I would definitely consider re-buying this product as a little treat for myself!  

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Tips for buying your foundation online

Buying Foundation Online

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REVIEW : ZA Cosmetics BB Cream

Za Total Hydration 12 in 1 BB Cream

Really a 12 in 1 BB cream???

ZA say this...

The Za Total Hydration BB CREAM is a multi-functional 12-in-1 BB cream that will give your skin a healthy natural glow.

Za Total Hydration BB CREAM has a special mineral formula, it moisturises your skin and protects it from the sun’s harmful rays with SPF 43 and PA+++, it also works as a foundation and conceal to hide blemishes and other skin concerns, and smooth’s skin to achieve a healthy skin tone.

Can we really believe one product can do the job of 12 products?

I was very keen to give this product a try as I really love it when I discover a product that makes my life easier.  After trying this product I was hooked and it is a perfect product for me when I'm travelling :)

So here are are my thoughts on this product...

It is great value for money - I paid less than $12.00 for it at LoveMy Makeup

The squeeze tube makes it easy to dispense and you don't need to worry about the container breaking in your makeup bag

The lightweight coverage blends well into my skin. I use my finger tips to apply!

At SPF 43 it is good extra sun protection for my skin

(although I still like to use a proper sunscreen if I'm heading to the beach)

Gives your skin extra moisture. Acts as double moisturiser when conjunction with your usual moisturiser

A small amount of product goes a long way and it looks really natural on 

It asts well through the day - even when the day is hot and sticky

To me the only downside is that it only comes in one shade - the colour suits my fair colourings but won't match darker skin tones

I'm not sure if does the job of 12 products but it certainly is a great multi purpose product and certainly worth trying if you are looking for a good BB cream with SPF

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Matching foundation

Finding your perfect foundation shade can be tricky...

I spend quite a lot of time at work colour matching to find the perfect foundation shade for customers. Some skin tones are more tricky to find the perfect foundation for but rest assured a perfect match can always be found!

Obviously most makeup stores will colour match for free but sometimes you might want to find a match without asking for help or there might not be someone around to help you straight away.

Here's some tips & tricks I've learnt over the years as a Makeup Artist...

• Do more than one test swatch - I suggest cheek & jawline 
• Check the test swatches under a couple of different lighting situations 
• When you can’t open the products hold up the bottle next to your face to check 
• Buy somewhere with a good return policy and don’t be ashamed to return if it’s not a match 
• Have two foundation shades if you colourings change from summer to winter 
• If you really want a low-maintenance routine use BB cream or tinted moisturizer :) 

The perfect shade of foundation will almost appear to blend into your skin. You don't want to look like you are wearing a mask once you've spread it all over your face!

Natural sunlight is always best to check if you have the correct colour match. Lighting conditions can really affect how a product looks on your skin. 

For lots of people their skin tone can change through the year.  So it may be worth having a slightly lighter foundation for winter months and another slightly darker shade for summer. 

Sheer products such as tinted moisturizers and BB creams allow for more leeway when it comes to colour matching and the light coverage allows for your natural skin tone to show through.

Have you got any tips to share?

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NEW - LA GIRL PRODUCTS....

LA Girl Lipify Stylo  Lipstick & 

LA  Girl Ulimate Intense Stay Auto Lip Liner

Shown :

LA Girl Lipify Stylo Lipstick in Ambitious

LA Girl Ultimate Intense Stay Auto Lip Liner in Unlimited Wine

LA Girl Ultimate Intense Stay Auto Lip Liner 

What LA Girl says-

Define lips with long-lasting color! The extremely soft formula is smudge-proof, anti-feathering, and sets to a matte finish. Ergonomic gel grip allows comfort and ease of application in a quick twist. Dermatologist tested and free of preservatives. Available in 8 shades.

What I think-

I really like this lip liner.
 It’s easy to use and glides smoothly on the lips without any tugging or pulling. It had good pigmentation and lasted well on my lips. I agree with LA Girl that it defines your lips well and it has a great formula. It definitely makes your lipstick stay longer and can also be used to fill in your lips.
I just wish it came in more shades...  I like it that much!

LA  Girl Lipify Stylo Lipstick

What LA Girl says-

Lipify glides on rich, intense color in just one swipe. Enriched with hydrating argan oil and olive oil, the non-sticky lightweight formula moisturizes lips with a luxurious soft and shiny finish. Available in a wide range of shades. Easy to use, non-retractable tip.

What I think-

This lipstick is super velvety and is almost like a creamy liquid lip colour. It feels ultra light on your lips when applied and is definitely non-drying. It has great pigmentation and a single swipe really does give great colour pay off. The colour lasted well on my lips.

To use the lipstick you need to twist the bottom part of the packaging. Unlike usual twist mechanisms only a very little bit comes up when you twist so you may need to twist a few times. However be warned the tip is non-retractable so make sure you don’t twist up many times as you can't wind it back in!

My final opinion-

Definitely both these products are worth purchasing in my opinion...  I have since purchased a few more colours in the lipstick range and really loving this range.

They represent great value for money definitely perform as expected after reading the advertising from LA Girl :)

LA Girl Lipify Stylo Lipstick - $9.09 from LoveMy Makeup stores
LA Girl Ultimate Intense Stay Auto Lip Liner - $8.39 from LoveMy Makeup stores

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An expensive habit...

Loving Makeup can prove to be an expensive habit...

There is so much hype around makeup & unfortunately we are often led to believe that only high end makeup lines create great products & all quality makeup is expensive.  The big  cosmetic firms have massive advertising budgets & are tempting us to pay an arm and a leg in the vain effort to find that one cosmetic product that we just can’t live without.

The truth is that is possible to get the feel of high-end makeup without paying HUGE money & drugstore makeup was actually comparable to high end products...  Believe it or not!

Now I'm not saying all cheaper makeup products are great & that they are all comparable to the pricey designer cosmetics you so often covet from afar. But there are definitely  drugstore makeup alternatives that are absolutely awesome without costing the earth.

So over the next while I'm going to concentrate on sharing drugstore dupes that I LOVE & that I hope you will LOVE!

I hope you will share your favourite dupes in the comments section below too

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Review : Purederm Nose Pore Strips

Purederm Nose Pore Strips

Is it weird that I'm excited about this product I recently tried???

Clogged pores and blackheads aren't a very nice topic to blog about but unfortunately they can be an issue for some of us.
 Thorough cleansing and good skincare habits help to minimise or even eliminate these issues but sometimes Nose Pore Strips are required...

I recently tried this brand of Pore Strips for the first time and was very pleased with the results.

PUREDERM Botanical Choice Nose Pore Strips are marketed as a one-step cleansing treatment specifically designed to unclog pores and lift away unwanted blackheads.

In each box there are 6 individually sealed strips and there are very clear, easy to follow instructions on the box. Essentially wash face, apply strip, wait till it dries and then remove. 

In the past I have had varying degrees of success with these sorts of products - strip get stucks, stings to remove, gumminess left on skin etc.

I'm very pleased to confirm that this product was super easy to use, worked well and I will certainly be using the rest of the box :)

Strip was easy to apply, dried without too much waiting, painless removal, no sticky residue and skin felt really good afterwards.

This is definitely a product I would recommend - I tried the 'original' however it comes in 5 different options and next time I'm considering buying the 'Charcoal' to see how it compares.

Anyone else keen to share their Nose Pore Strip experiences????

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