Throwback Thursday - HOW TO: Clean your makeup brushes

If you knew me back in the day, my makeup obsession started out on Tumblr. Lucky for me I use to be pretty pro-active with my posts and I still have my archive so here's a Throwback post that will always come back. As a makeup artist, some of the most common questions I get are related to brush care, so I'm gonna knock it off in today's post by answering one of my Instagram followers questions from last week;

What brush cleaner do you recommend? The interwebz says everything from proper brush cleanser to baby shampoo and even DIY mixtures of olive oil and other natural stuff...help!

Photo taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5

Happy Tummy Part I

Monga Japanese 

 

Night Noodle Markets (Melbourne)

Eat 8Bit

Images taken using my Samsung Galaxy S5

Fix my face

As a bridal makeup artist, it's important that my makeup application lasts up to 18 hours on my brides. But the challenges of weather and humidity can make it tough, which is why I rely heavily on the products I use. I could go on for hours on the various products, but today I'm focusing on finishing (setting) sprays.

As mentioned in my previous post, MAC Fix + is my holy grail in summer to keep faces fresh in the heat but believe it or not I don't use it as a fixing spray. Some may claim it holds their makeup but for me it's essentially a spritz used to revive your face by keeping it fresh throughout a long day (that yummy scent though, lol). We all have those long days going from work to a night out with no time to re-do our faces, so I highly recommend using face spritzers to avoid looking like a hot mess, especially in summer.

Some of my favourite setting sprays I currently use or have used in the past are;

- Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray

- Makeup Forever Mist and Fix (currently in my kit)

- Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

Photo taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5

2015, I see you

It's coming....

Photo taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5

Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.

Cesare Pavese

Flight form Melbourne to Singapore, taken using my Samsung Galaxy S5

Summer vs Winter

Melbourne has been on that bi-polar heat stroke as of late, if it ain't super hot then it's raining and muggy. As a result, my skin can't get use to the same products on the daily however I have managed to stick with a few staples I use over the summer months and winter months that have become my faves over the last year. You'll notice that my choice of winter products are much heavier and creamier, this is because my skin tends to dry out and I need that extra moisture to keep that dewy look I prefer. My summer product staple has to be my all time fave MAC Fix + spray or fancy water as some call it ;)

SUMMER

- MAC Fix +

- MAC Prep & Prime 50+ skin primer (Aussie sun, you know what I mean)

- MAC Pro Longwear concealer

- MAC Prep & Prime concealer/highlighter

- Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser (day time)

- Sephora 10 hr foundation (for nights out)

- MAC mineralise skinfinish powder (used as an all over powder or simply a light contour and bronzer)

- NARS Orgasm blush (for a summer flush, red cheek)

WINTER

 - Arbonne makeup primer

- NARS concealer cream stick (spot concealing)

- MAC cream concealer (I like to use as my highlighter)

- MAC Studio Sculpt foundation (gel type, really dewy/creamy)

- MAC creme blush 

- MAC RiRi colleciton blush/bronzer combo

- NARS blush in Dolce Vita

Photos taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5

Welcome to Australia, Sephora

The highly anticipated opening of the first Sephora store in Australia, was it worth the wait? Personally, I find it more interesting going into a Mecca Maxima store. Don't get me wrong, it's exciting! To be honest, I'm glad they've finally brought it over, cosmetics galore but it's nothing new to the Australian Beauty Industry, especially with Mecca and other leading department stores expanding their range over the last 12 months.

Sephora pickups while I was in Sydney. For all those who are wondering, Melbourne isn’t missing out on much at all. I’ve always loved Sephora every time I’m in the US and usually walk out with a load of unnecessary products. Unfortunately they haven’t brought down Urban Decay to Sydney and price wise, Marc Jacobs Beauty, MUFE & other brands that are not already sold retail in Myer, Kit & Mecca are not the same price as the U.S stores. I can’t argue though, it’s only fair that Australia has to impose import taxes when bringing down international brands. It’s not all bad though, Sephora Australia has kept true to their word, the Sephora brand is very affordable. 

Here's what I got;

- Sephora 10 hour wear foundation for $26 (US price is $20)

- Sephora waterproof jumbo liners for $18 each (brown and metallic brown)

- MUFE Mist & Fix 

- Sephora Double Duty Exfoliator & Mask 

Photo taken with my Samsung Galaxy S5