The Look: Matt skin – all the better to set of those glossy lips and make eyes look shinier – not to mention diamond look more sparkly.
The Low-Down: Use a foundation brush to paint a cream-to-powder finish base all over the face, making sure to blend through hairline and down the neck. This coverage should be heavy-duty enough to camouflage most blemishes but if any spots stand out, take a concealer brush and – before the base sets - quickly dab a little more foundation on any offenders.
The Lust-After: CoverGirl Aquasmooth Makeup, $20.25.
NB: To get Molly’s sun-kissed cheeks, use a powder bronzer in a matt finish, as cream formulations won’t blend in well to a powdery base.
As a tribute to Ms Minogue on her 40th birthday, I was just image-googling her to find my favourite all-time Kylie look. How to choose? Ra-ra skirted Kylie in ‘Locomotion’? Ponytailed Kylie in the pink and white bra-and-skirt suit in ‘Shocked’? Cool Kylie from the Nick Cave era? Sex-kitten Kylie from the Olivier era? Kylie in sparkling Dolce & Gabbana corset and thigh-high boots? Kylie in the apple-green Chloé dress? That one came close. But in the end, the pert-butted ‘Spinning Around’ Kylie had to win out. Not the ideal image to look at on a morning when you’ve slept in and missed yoga class and have a day of desk work ahead of you. But just the inspiration necessary to get one’s own butt into gear with some serious loofah-ing and slathering of fake tan.
PS – Winners of last week’s Scunci hair accessories competition: Christine Dang, Fleur Whylie, Jo Gilkison, Beth Healey, Ashleigh Bennett, Amy Chhour, Christine Lee, Mekaila Lawson, Sally Uren.
Nothing new I’m afraid … but at the risk of sounding like a record, I’ll go through some of my top blackhead fix-its:
1) Regular deep-cleansing facials. Expensive I know. But so worth it. Find someone who specialises in extraction and if budget is an issue, ask if the therapist can customise for you a mini steam-and-clean facial at a discount price.
2) A salicylic acid-based treatment. Apply this to your nose every day and it will keep pores exfoliated, and therefore less likely to block. Try Neutrogena Rapid Clear Daily Cleansing Pads, $13.99.
3) Those good old Biore pore strips, used once a week or as needed – total and instant satisfaction.
One last tip – I know it may seem counterintuitive, but don’t skip moisturiser. If your skin dehydrates it will be harder to extract blackheads. Just make sure to use an oil-free moisturiser.
The Look: Ruby nails – working right back to the jewelled detailing on her Dolce & Gabbana frock.
The Low-Down: Keep nails short and slightly rounded when wearing darker shades of nail polish – it makes for much more impact. To up the glamour quotient, go for a shimmery red shade, and finish it off with a glossy top coat.
The Lust-After: O.P.I Nail Lacquer in I’m Not Really a Waitress, $19.95 from Adore Beauty
“The Only Anti-Wrinkle Cream That Works” kind of thing. They’re referring to sunscreen, of course. And they pop up when the medical world gets a bit of a bee in its bonnet about certain claims made by the beauty – or more specifically, skincare – industry. I don’t blame them, I have to say. Between you and me, some of the claims I hear are enough to make eyes roll right out of the room. When I’m told, for instance, that some multi-hundred-dollar cream will reduce wrinkles by something like 13%, it kind of underwhelms me. (more…)
