BeautyEditor.com.au

Oh Christina, Where Do We Start?

Kat — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:57:39 +0000

I like to play up the positives. I have a tendency (some would say talent) for ignoring unattractive things. Like most of my bills. Or my ears. Or that corner where I throw all of the clothes I put on and then discard every morning. That’s why I almost didn’t run this photo of Christina Aguilera.

But something kept dragging me back to it and I’ve just worked out why I find it so intriguing. It’s a perfect example of how someone can get so many right things wrong. I mean, she’s a pretty girl and she ticks some good boxes: (more…)

I’m Asian – is there any way that balayage could be applied to black hair?

Kat — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:48:19 +0000

Balayage tends to be a blonde to mid-brunette thing, mainly because the current trend is for quite tonal golden effects. That’s not to say it couldn’t work for darker hair. Any hair that can be highlighted the regular way could theoretically be highlighted via balayage – and Asian hair can look beautiful when flecked with copper. The only thing you need to be aware of is that balayage, being painted on rather than foiled, tends to lighten larger areas, meaning that your hair will be even more prone to damage from lightening solution. You should also make sure that your colourist isn’t too heavy-handed – balayage can end up looking streaky, and this would be especially obvious on black hair.

Kristen Bell, Hollywood Style Awards

Kat — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:44:35 +0000

The Look: A tousled twisty bun.
The Low-Down: If your hair is clean it will be too slippery to stay in place, so work through a styling paste before plaiting and twisting hair back into a bun. As for the exact up-do technique: don’t think about it too much, this look is best when done quickly and casually, without too many mirror checks.
The Lust-After: Wella High Hair Punk Chic, $21.50, call 1300 885 002 for salon details.

L’Oréal Paris Elvive Re-Nutrition

Kat — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:44:24 +0000

Move over pomegranate. Honey is shaping up to be the beauty flavour of the moment. And this new haircare is one of the sweetest buys out there. Formulated to treat dry hair, the key ingredient is Royal Jelly, which is the nutrient-packed food that bees produce for their queen. And with the addition of apricot notes, it smells as good as you’d hope. Must-try buys include the ultra-creamy Deep Nourishing Masque ($10.95) and the super-dreamy Night Elixir ($10.95), a serum-like treatment that can be applied to dry hair and – better yet – doesn’t need to be rinsed out the next day. So you can get away with even more beauty sleep.

Details: Priced from $6.95, from supermarkets and pharmacies this month. Call : 1300 659 259 for further information.

Lindsay Lohan, 6126 launch, New York

Kat — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:11:30 +0000

The Look: So much fabulosity: the bronze skin, the gold eyes, the rippling hair… but most covetable are the sapphire nails.
The Low-Down: Bold blue nail polish may sound less than wearable – but when you consider the fact that blue tones cool down any ruddy tendencies in hands and fingers, it’s actually a very practical polish option.
The Lust-After: CND Enamel in Blue Blood, $16.95 from Creative Nail Place

FYI: 6126 is Lindsay’s new line of leggings - the brand is named after the birthdate of LL’s idol, Marilyn Monroe.

Is it okay to apply your facial sunscreen to the eye area as well? Or do you have to apply an eye area-specific product?

Kat — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:11:18 +0000

There aren’t actually many eye creams that feature SPF (although Advanced Stop Signs Eye Preventive Cream SPF 15, $54 from Clinique, come to mind). Most experts will tell you that the best sun protection for this area is sunglasses. But no matter how big your sunnies are, UV rays can still sneak in through the side, so you do still need some sort of back-up plan. I actually apply my usual facial sunscreen to the eye area and have never had any problems. I always use non-chemical suncare, where zinc oxide or titanium dioxide block rays – these ingredients are also very well suited to more sensitive skins, so should be fine around the eyes. Just don’t go too close to your lashline: no sunscreen’s good when it melts in your eyes.

Pictured: Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 09

We’re Watching You, NKTV

Kat — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 20:07:06 +0000

Sharon Osbourne has made headlines for saying that Nicole Kidman’s forehead looks like a flat-screen TV. And it, well, kinda does. Nicole has sworn to one magazine that she is all-natural. Call me naïve but I still like to think people tell the truth when they know they’re going to be quoted in print. Perhaps she just sleeps with masking tape all over her brow each night to train her muscles not to move.

But whatever she’s doing, it’s all starting to look a little too bizarre. Because while she doesn’t really look her age, she also does. If that makes sense. I mean that anti-ageing can get to a point where you don’t look younger – you just look like you’re trying really hard to look younger. I came across a great quote in UK Vogue the other day, from English facialist Amanda Lacey: “Women are so uptight and worried about ageing, they forget that looking young also has something to do with an attitude to life that shines from within.” Nice words to age by, don’t you think? Huh, Nic?

Cherry ChapStick: A Whole New Meaning

Kat — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:06:12 +0000

I wonder what the ChapStick people think about Katy Perry’s song, I Kissed a Girl. On one hand, it’s product placement you can’t buy. But on the other, I wonder if they can handle the potential new market of Cherry ChapStick users – and the fact that Cherry ChapStick is now code for so much more than ‘I have dry lips’. (more…)

I want a tinted moisturiser for summer but I have dark skin and everything I find leaves a white-ish sheen on my skin. Any recommendations?

Kat — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:42:48 +0000

The problem with tinted moisturiser in the first place is that there’s a reduced number of shades - because they’re diluted they don’t have to exactly match skintone like a regular foundation does. Add to that the fact that many companies don’t bring out the darkest shades to Australia, thinking there’s not enough of a market here. One exception is Becca, known for its incredible spectrum of shades. Its top-selling Luminous Skin Colour ($68 from Adore Beauty) comes in fifteen shades and is just divine, evening out the complexion and imbuing it with subtle shimmer. I have a feeling you’ll love it as much as I do.

Bourjois Liner Effect Mascara

Kat — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 21:36:16 +0000

You know how makeup artists are always going on about applying eyeliner to the inside of the base of lashes to make them look fuller and eyes more defined? That’s the inspiration behind Bourjois’ new mascara. One side of the wand head features barely-there bristles – so if you wiggle it along the roots of hairs, the kohl-enriched, pigment-dense formula tints the inner upper rim; on the other side of wand, there are longer bristles for brushing the lash colour right through to the tips. (more…)