A Classic Take On Emerald

Before the year runs out...

A light colour on the lid, mid tone through the crease, and natural defining eyeliner is a classic go-to shape when paired with neutrals. For a trendy take on a classic, I used the same flattering shapes with a fun pop of colour!

Pro Tip

To make the eye appear more open, keep the inner corner light with an irridescent shadow and bracket your eyeliner on the outer corners of the eye only!

Brows

Shu Uemura Hard 9 'Seal Brown' Pencil

Eyes

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #10, #91, and #04

Stila Smudgestick Waterproof Eyeliner in "Bluefin"

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in 'Light' - under brow

Buxom Mascara

MJ Inspired Cut Crease

You guys know I'm a sucker for a mod 60's look so naturally I had to put my own spin on this Marc Jacobs Beauty promo image.

Pro Tip

Lightly filling in your brows with a pencil or powder will keep a dramatic makeup like this looking grounded and polished. Without the brow grooming the makeup is noticeably incomplete and can start to look messy.

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Hard 9 Brow Pencil in 'Seal Brown'

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Bare Minerals Eyeshadow in 'One Hit Wonder'

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #60

Laura Mercier Creme Liner in 'Noir'

Illamasqua Liquid Metal in 'Phenomena'

Buxom Amplified Mascara

Marc Jacobs Mascara

Complexion

Kat Von Dee Tatto Lock-It Foundation

Tarte Smooth Operator Concealer

Tarte Smooth Operator Setting Powder

Laura Mercier Dune Bronze

MAC Beauty Powder in 'Oh, So Fair!'

Holiday Gifts You Shouldn't Miss

Here's a quick snapshot of gift sets and palettes that I would love to give and receive for Holiday 2013! Happy shopping!

Caudalie Favourites Set $32

Every product included in this set is a hit and a steal at this price! Lip Conditioner and Beauty Elixer have been long time favourites of mine and Divine Oil is accurately named as the luxurious texture and to-die-for scent is amazing.

Laura Mercier Souffle Body Cream Sampler $67

These body creams not only smell absolutely amazing but they have the most amazing textures as well. They're super hydrating with shea butter and macadamia-nut oil and yet still fully absorb into the skin leaving no sticky residue. Definitely a must have!

Atelier Cologne Voyage Collection $95

This niche fragrance house is dedicated in it's style to the classic perfumery. Each unisex eau de parfum is crafted with the highest quality of ingredients offering unique fragrance blends, each telling it's own story of treasured emotions and powerful memories. I could die!

Deborah Lippmann Big Bang 12-Piece Mini Nail Colour Set $78

All of the Deborah Lippmann nail colours are infused with treatments like biotin and green tea and offer quick dry time and glossy finishes. I've recently fallen in love with the brand and adore this little set and it's full spectrum of colours! 

MAC Nocturnals Pigment and Glitters Set: Green and Teal$33

I look forward to the MAC Holiday Pigment and Glitter sets every year and I particularly love the nod to Art Deco packaging that this years collection showcases! With a variety of textures and finishes these gorgeous shades are wearable all year round.

Lorac Pro Palette $60

This palette is a staple in both my professional and personal kits. It includes 8 matte and 8 shimmer colours in flattering shades for everyone and for all occasions. The texture is velvety and the pigment is loaded; Lorac shadows are truly a pleasure to work with!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette $60

"Another Naked palette?" I thought, but this product is truly unique from all of the other neutral eyeshadow palettes out there. As always, UD shadows are smooth and pigmented but this particular set houses shadows that all have rosy undertones. The new pink-nude shades are so universally flattering to create soft (or daring) very feminine and womanly eye looks. Gorg!

Bite Beauty Cuvee Collection $72

Only 1200 of these limited edition sets were produced and each come with an actual production number. These four lipsticks have been formulated with Champagne grapes, freshwater Tahitian black pearls, and Japanese silk powder making them the absolute ultimate in luxury! The texture is smooth and they have great staying power.

Happy shopping!

Think Pink

I recently stumbled upon this picture that was taken of me in the beginning of the year and couldn't help but feel inspired to whip out this gorgeous lip combination again!

Sephora Collection Retractable Lip Liner in 'Sangria' (deep berry red)

Nars Pure Matte Lipstick in 'Carthage' (hot pink with warm undertones)

This long lasting combination is surprisingly comfortable for a waterproof/matte lip because of the mango butter and Vitamin E that the Nars Pure Matte Lipsticks have to offer.

'Carthage' is one of my favourite hot pink lipsticks because it strays from the typical blue base that bright pinks are often formulated with and truly warms and enhances your complexion.

Pairing these two products together creates a bright candy colour that's not quite red and not quite pink but completely flattering and makes your complexion glow!

Pumpkin Costume

I wanted to do another makeup that was something scary, but that wasn't your classic gorey look... I startled a few people this day so I guess it worked! Haha.

Pro Tip

Simple accessories really complete a look. For my pumpkin leaf headband I cut off a piece of a fake plant I had at home that has wire vines. It was easy to manipulate into a halo shape and helped pull the makeup together.

Products Used

Kryolan Aquacolour in 'Orange', 'Yellow' and 'Green'

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadows

WolfeFX face paint in 'Black' and 'White'

Buxom Inner Rim eye liner

Tarina Tarrantino Eyeshadow in 'Butterfly Black'

Lit Cosmetics Glitter Adhesive

Lit Cosmetics Glitter in 'Solar Blast'

Pirate Costume

Ahoy matey's!

Earlier this week we had an "Under The Sea" theme at work. I kind of cheated because my character is above water but I had a serious need to be a pirate, haha!

Pro Tip

Dot lash glue where you want your jewels to be and then pick up your rhinestones with ease by dipping a cotton bud in water and then touching the jewel. Because the glue is sticky you can press the rhinestone right on with the q-tip!

I had a few people tell me that they thought it was a real eye patch... which is pretty funny because I'm not sure that I've seen an eye patch where you can still see the persons eye, haha! Makeup only!

Products Used

Kat Von D Tattoo Lock-It Foundation

Bobbi Brown Corrector

Bare Essentuals Original Foundation Powder

WolfeFX face paint in Black

Tarina Tarrantino eye shadow in 'Butterfly Black'

Buxom Inner Rim eye liner in 'Black'

Marc Jacobs mascara

Velour lashes in 'Oops, Naught Me!'

Nars blush in 'Geity'

Laura Mercier bronzer in 'Dune Bronze'

Bite Cuvee Collection Lipstick in 'Rose'

Rhinestones with Duo Lash Adhesive

Leopard Costume

I love doing animal themed face paintings! I know that a leopard look is a popular one and I hadn't done it before so I thought it would be fun... and it was!

Pro Tip

Leopard spots aren't perfectly symmetrical and come in lots of shapes and sizes. As long as all of your spots are headed toward the same focal point (the centre of the face) your design will always have a cohesive flow!

Products Used

Make Up For Ever eyeshadows

WolfeFX Face Paint in Black and White

Buxom Inner Rim Eyeliner in Black

Lit Cosmetics Glitter Adhesive

Michaels craft glitter

Velour lashes in "Doll Me Up"

Silent Film Star Costume

I saw an image on Pinterest of someone dressed up as a silent film star and thought it was a really cool idea so I gave it a go for my Halloween costume on Saturday night. I wanted it to look like i just stepped out of a black and white film and I'm really pleased with how it turned out!

For the make up I mixed a black and white cream to create my base and applied it all over my face and neck. I used a grey eye shadow to set it in place and then used black and grey eye shadows to do my eyes and contour. For the lips I used a dark grey eyeliner.

For my costume I used an inexpensive black wig; a dress, necklace, gloves and shoes I already owned; and then grey stockings on my legs and arms.

My fella wanted to look like he got beat up so I gave him a few bruises and a pretty bloody nose! 

Hope you guys are enjoying celebrating Halloween!

Nars X Guy Bourdin

Guy Bourdin's colour-saturated photography insinuated a high-fashion world of dangerous women and sexually charged fashion photography of the 70's. Nars pays homage to Bourdin's seductive, suspenseful images with bold, uninhibited colour and high-impact finishes. 

If you know me, then it's no secret that I have a love affair with Nars Cosmetics - but I haven't been this excited for a collection in a long time. One of the coolest things about this collection is that all of the imagery is Guy Bourdin's original photography.

The bright pops of colour are a rebellious take on your traditional holiday collection and the limited edition textures of the eye shadows and lip colours are to die for!! We're talking rich, velvety pigment in these shadows... nothing like what we've seen in Nars shadows before.

I can absolutely see myself scooping up Bad Behaviour (pewter grey), Rage (glowing purple), and Cambodia (strawberry copper). Plus I'm a sucker for a pink lip and I've definitely got my eye on lipsticks in Goodbye Emmanuelle (bright pink) and Last Tango (rosy nude).

In addition, as a Sephora exclusive, Nars is launching a Guy Bourdin blush palette. Last time Nars launched a blush palette it sold out within the first few days!

What do you guys think of this collaboration? The DNA of this collection really speaks to me and I'm super excited about it! 

1960's Beach Bombshell

One of my favourite periods for makeup is the 1960's, where the eyes were big, the hair was bigger, and the complexion was flawlessly matte. Here I took inspiration from the beachy bombshells of the 60's and kept the look modern with glossy touches on the lips and cheeks.

Pro Tip
Use a thick eyeliner brush and light shadow to map out your shape before committing to a strong cut crease. When you're happy with the placement and symmetry, build the intensity of your colour slowly by using consistent pressure and small strokes. 

Complexion

Nars Sheer Flow Foundation

Benefit Fake Up Concealer

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in 'Light'

Givenchy Healthy Glow Powder #2

Benefit Boxed Powder in "Rockatuer'

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Brow Pencil Hard 9 in 'Seal Brown'

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in 'Light' - All over the lid

Tarina Tarrantino Eyeshadow in 'Butterfly Black'

Laura Mercier Creme Eyeliner in 'Noir'

Nars Eyeliner Pencil in 'Iceberg'

YSL Faux Cils Mascara

Lips

Buxom Full Bodied Lipstick in 'Nudist'

Nars Larger Than Life Lipgloss in 'Candy Says'

Starry Eyes

I really love the dimension that "bracketing" your eyeshadow gives. The touch of light in the centre of the eye really makes the eyes pop and sparkle when wearing a sultry smokey eye. And what better way to do it than in my favourite Fall shadow colour? Navy!

Pro Tip

Dark matte colours can be tricky to blend and have some fall down. Take your time building colour and try doing your eye makeup before foundation for easy clean up. Ensure you have a great concealer to keep the under eyes looking fresh and bright!

Complection

Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation

The Balm Time Balm Concealer

Tarte Smooth Operator Setting Powder

Hourglass Ambiant Light Powder in 'Moon Light'

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Brow Pencil Hard 9 in 'Seal Brown'

Too Face Shadow Insurance

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #60 and #00

Hourglass Ambiant Light Powder in 'Moon Light'

Too Face Starry-Eyed Glitter Liner

Stila Smudgestick Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Bluefin'

Nars Eyeliner in 'Iceberg'

Buxom Mascara

Lips

Bite Luminous Cream Lipstick in 'Retsina'

Nars Larger Than Life Lipgloss in 'Candy Says'

The Day I Met Alex Box

On Monday evening I met a Make Up Artist who has been one of the biggest inspirations in my journey through artistry. Her body of work is absolutely breathtaking and her instinctual knack for colour and placement is incredible. Meeting Alex Box was a dream of mine and I'm so excited to be able to share it with you guys.

(Alex & I rocking Lipstick in 'Box' - one of my favourite reds)

The Illamasqua counter at The Bay Queen Street was buzzing while dozens of us adoring fans crowded around to catch a glimpse of the infamous Alex Box - Illamasqua Creative Director and Co-Founder.

Julian Kynaston, Illamasqua Founder, gave a wonderful introduction and truly energized the crowd as he showed us how humbled he is at the success of his five-year-old brand.

Powder was smoking in the air and brushes were gliding all over. I watched Alex dig into Powder Eyeshadow with the blunt end of her brush to create a loose pigment and press it into the skin with exceptional prowess. It was so incredible to watch her work.

After the demo, Alex mingled with us and we were invited to shop the counter with the Illamasqua team. 

I'm so happy that I was able to take part in this event and hope that my path will someday cross with hers again.