Skin Care and Make Up advice for young teens(school appropriate)

Hey all

Before I start I just want to make it clear that I am not endorsing young girls to wear makeup but am more providing them a guide that may be helpful for those who do want to start but want some tips.

I want every girl out there to look into the mirror everyday and say to yourself "I AM FABULOUS AND I AM BEAUTIFUL" and truly feel it xox

Its been so long since I've done a blog post I thought long and hard about what to blog about next. I had so many ideas and wanted to start each one right away but then stopped and thought to myself, stuff reviews and do something a little different. Now I've done the tips for going blonde and at home manicures and facials(links at the bottom of this post if you are interested) but I wanted to do something that would really help someone who is young and may be interested in make up or wearing it but doesnt know where to start! This is a combination of my own experience, what I know,what I wish I had known and hopefully at the end in the comments section maybe you could add your own advice and experiences, maybe link this topic to a younger sister or cousin or friend or someone who maybe has some more useful advice that I may have missed or simply have not thought about. 

Ok so enough of my babble lets get to it!

Skin Care

OK, so you want to start wearing make up, this is when you should really start taking care of your skin. I started wearing make up at the age of 12 and this when I started using skin care products. What you should be using to keep your skin in good condition is a make up remover,cleanser and moisturiser. I don't see toner as an absolute must but it helps if you have acne or blackheads or large pores.

You need to be vigilant in washing your make up off otherwise it is going to cause skin concerns which as a teenager you don't need that on top of everything else going on in your life! After removing your make up follow with cleanser and make sure you really work it into the skin and rinse off thoroughly(I do this in the shower while I'm letting my conditioner work its magic). Follow with toner if you desire and moisturizer. Be careful not to overdo the moisturizer,I know I often slathered as much on as possible but really you don't need all that much. Also smooth moisturizer down your neck and chest, for this you can use a regular moisturizer or a body moisturizer if you have it.

Also use products for younger skin, alot of brands are coming out with "young" ranges and these generally will be best for you(I'm talking age range 11-17/18). If you have problematic skin like acne, brands like Neutrogena have some pretty good products to help.  Use sunscreen daily to protect against UV and UB rays or at least use a moisturizer with a good SPF

Another important tip I'd like to add which I wish I had been told is DON'T use anti aging or anti wrinkle products. You may think you are getting in early and beating wrinkles but your young skin does not need it! If you are using moisturizer,looking after your skin and wearing sunscreen you are already getting in early. Trust me on this.

Older teens may want to use an eye cream. Get something very light(eg no heavy creams).

Time to talk make up!

Now we get to the fun stuff, MAKEUP!

If your reading this blog you probably know a bit about make up or maybe just have an interest in it. First I want to discuss choosing make up

Right now you have a choice when it comes to the basics but first off I want to butt in here and put across something from my personal experience

Apart from the occasional pimple I had pretty lovely skin in my teen, skin that didnt need much if any coverage but yet I caked on the makeup which I now regret. The world we live in today has programmed us to look at ourselves with an overly critical eye, we are trained to find flaws that are only noticeable to us because we search for them. We are bombarded with what we are supposed to look like and they are often standards we cannot live up to. Please please please try not to critisize yourself and your peers too harshly, because you are beautiful and while I wear make up and talk about make up and hiding flaws, make up only enhances your natural beauty

So when it comes to the basics,start with tinted moisturizer or a light to medium coverage foundation. Have a good look at your skin and what sort of condition its in,ignore the pimple that will be gone next week and think,Do I need a tinted moisturiser or foundation that will give me a little extra coverage?

When you make that decision then you can start looking at product reviews and brands.

I'm not too clued up with tinted moisturisers as I havent used many and dont particularly like them.

So if you choose foundation the best tip I have for you is,when you go to buy one,take your MOTHER! YES YOUR MOTHER! Your mother sees you as you are,beautiful and she will be more helpful than your friends and she has your best interests at heart. She wants you to look and feel beautiful so she will be the best judge when picking out a brand and shade with the right amount of coverage. If you dont want to take your mother or she isnt in your life maybe you have an older sister or cousin who could take you. Either way take someone who is a little bit more experienced with make up who cares for you.

Another thing,if you and your mother are similar in coloring she may have a foundation you could swatch which may match and will help in selecting a shade.

I think at this age concealer is unnecessary 

A light pink blush applied with a light hand can look pretty and add color to your face but make sure your applying it correctly here is a link to one of my favourite YouTube guru's MakeupGeekTV's tutorial on how to apply blush CLICK ME.

If you're an avid YouTube tutorial watcher you probably know about bronzer and contouring,I think at this age don't bother with contouring, a young girl with a sculpted face is a bit OTT

When it comes to eyeshadow,this is a personal choice,if your going to school your not going to get away with teal eyeshadow or peacock inspired eyes so netural colors,fawn,beige,brown etc are your best bet. YouTube gurus have so many tutorials for school make up that you may want to check them out before purchasing eyeshadow. If you want to try color and you have the money go for it,but remember you don't have to do it all in one go, YouTube guru's often have large makeup collections but these were built up over time, and your will grow too Brushes are really pushed on YouTube,and being young you may not be able to afford brushes, and thats ok,with a bit of practice eyeshadow sponge applicators can work just fine as long as you are not going for anything too elaborate.You may find that you dont even want to use eyeshadow and you dont have to either. To see a simple back to basic video on eyeshadow(not a schoolday thing but maybe for the weekend) check out one of my favourite beauty guru's videos, emilynoel83 CLICK ME

Eyeliners,now these I think,so many young girls overuse eyeliner,the thick ring around your eyes,girls please please DON'T. Eyeliner can look good but you don't need the black raccoon look to do it. If you're going to school,you may not get away with eyeliner(I know lots of NZ schools would not let you) so you may want to skip it. If you do get eyeliner, brown is more forgiving color wise and pencil is a bit easier to master than gel or liquid liner. Again,there are tutorials all over YouTube for applying eyeliner and things. But remember, you are young so take time,you dont need to wear a million products and try and look 22 when you are 12!

Mascara is something I am never without, dark lashes look great! If your colouring is dark(dark hair and eyelashes) black mascara will be fine but fairer girls(remember Im thinking more for school) may only be able to get away with brown or clear mascara,which will look great especially with curled lashes. Application of mascara in my eyes is important because if you do it wrong,it looks silly. I start from the base of my lashes and wiggle it while moving upwards and do it again,making sure I get the inner and outer lashes coated. Alternatively you can watch this tutorial also by MakeupGeekTV.  

For your lips for a school look go for a gloss(or creamy lipstick) as close to a natural lip colour,you want colour to bring out your lips but you want it to look as natural as possible(no hot pink or vibrant reds girls,leave that for the weekend!)

And eyebrows,get them shaped or groomed professionally if you can,they will give you the best shape for your face and you can maintain them with daily maintenance plucking. 

Well thats it for me(its 5.05am right now!). I will be doing a follow up blog on this with more info

Please share your tips and tricks in the comments below or visit the simplystunninglygorgeous facebook page and comment and keep updated on new blog posts. I hope you enjoyed this and found this useful and till next time

Stay SimplyStunninglyGorgeous xx

Links

Tips for going from Brunette to Blonde

Give yourself an at home manicure

Give yourself an at home facial

The eyes have it- Review

The eyes have it

I have been so slack with my blog lately so thought instead of doing a single review I would review 4 seperate eye products in one blog post!

So enough of my babbling and onto the reviews!

Maybelline Volum’ Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara

I had been wanting to try this for AGES. This claims to give you the look of dramatic,false lashes but without the need for false lashes! Just look at the promo pic!

The website says

FALSE LASH GLAM IN A TUBE, INSTANTLY!
300% MORE VISIBLE LASHES corner-to-corner, WATERPROOF
SPOON BRUSH

I was very dubious when purchasing this product, I mean come on, false lash effect using only mascara and the lashes you are 

born with? COME ON! But I could'nt resist so went out and bought myself a tube of the waterproof formula

 The packaging

The tube is CUTE! Purple with aqua lettering is cute. The brush is a standard spoon brush but the solid part of the wand has a little flexible,bendy bit a short way down which actually makes it easier to apply the mascara

The product

One thing I noticed instantly about the formula itself is it is VERY wet! Wet to the point where I would notice little splatters around my eyes after applying the mascara the first couple of times. After a few weeks the formula tends to dry up which is great for application but is really a pain in the arse because mascaras,after being opened have a lifespan of 3-4 months,so losing 2-3 weeks waiting for it to dry up so you can use it is pure wastage. You have less chance of finishing the mascara before it has to go to mascara heaven!

The performance

I will give credit where credit is due, this baby creates awesome volume and amazing length,length like no mascara I have ever tried in my life! BUT it clumps like no other mascara I have ever tried so an old,clean dry mascara wand or lash brush is a necessity when you use this mascara. I did find after 10 hours it started flaking which was dissapointing.

Does it fulfill its claims? 

Well yes and no. It will give you longer lashes with more volume and while  I have been asked twice,if I was wearing false lashes while wearing the mascara it does not give you the lovely effect the promo pictures show and you have to work with the mascara to get it to work for you. For example having to wipe the wand to get rid of excess product,having to comb through your lashes to avoid clumping etc

Price

I think I paid roughly $26 NZD for this product but have noticed it varies store to store,so a pretty standard price for a mascara

Would I re-purchase? 

This is a really tough one. Probably not as I believe there are mascaras out there that probably give you comparable length and volume without the hassle and mess 

Simply Stunningly Gorgeous rating 4/10 

Designer Brands Fine Liquid Eyeliner in Black 

This eyeliner is an absolute favourite of mine! One of the first liquid eyeliners I had ever purchased and was in total love with it from the start!

Designer brands is an australian company that sells its products in Australia and New Zealand at prices everyone can afford!

The website says 

Create a dramatic eye with a liquid liner featuring a high quality fine hair brush to ensure perfect application.
Designer Brands Liquid Liner is available in a luxury acrylic case, it's smudge and clump free! PERFECT!

Packaging

The packaging like alot of DB's products is very clean cut,stylish and looks almost high end! It comes with a brush applicator as opposed to a "felt" type applicator.

The Product

The formulation is long wearing AND smudge resistant. The product doesnt seem to dry up or clump at all ensuring a smooth application every time.

The Performance

This is one hell of an eyeliner! As I said above the formulation is long wearing,smudge resistant and a little goes a long way.

The brush has bristles which can be a little harder to work with as opposed to say a felt applicator because there is no density and if one of the bristles stick out you can accidentally get a line of eyeliner where you dont want it,but this can be remedied with a small pair of nail scissors(and removing the eyeliner isn't ultra hard with a Q-tip!). I find the softer brush easier to work with when it comes to creating a winged look and cat flicks. The brush is super fine so its easy to create a thin line but you can also build it up if you like a thicker,chunkier line!

Does it fulfill its claims? 

Yes,yes,yes. Apart from the brush issue which isnt major,I cannot find a fault with this eyeliner.

Price

Would you believe me if I told you this fantastic liner was only $8.99 NZD?! Well ladies it is!A tiny $9 is all you will pay!

Would I re-purchase?

Without a doubt yes,and I have re-purchased this product!

Simply Stunningly Gorgeous Rating 9/10

Avon Glimmersticks Liqui Glide Eyeliner

This eyeliner came into my collection through  Avons lovely "We don't have what you ordered,so have this instead" policy. Instead of sending it back with my rep I figured I may as well try it. The concept is it gives you the look of a liquid liner in a self sharpening, pencil form. The concept is a cool concept. I couldnt find the info I wanted on the NZ Avon website so jumped on avon.com to find the info

The website says

The intense look of a liquid liner with the ease and precision of a pencil. Long-wearing. Smudge-resistant. Retractable, self-sharpening

The packaging

Basic standard pencil look. The product is retractable and "self sharpening" just like Avon's standard glimmersticks.

The Product 

The product is a stick and feels quite moist to touch and is very very soft. The colour intensity is magnificent but while it claims to be long wearing and smudge resistant,I have found this to be untrue. I also feel you dont get alot of product

The Performance 

I find "self sharpening" claim very gimmicky, while it is true you dont need to sharpen it it doesnt have a pointed tip once you start using it. Once you start using it, it flattens which means if your are trying to achieve and precise flick or a thin line, it is very hard to achieve. I also find the pencil very hard to work with as it is too long and harder to control. If you can figure out a way to apply it then it may be worthwhile because the pigmentation is fabulous and very dark,but it smudges easily and isnt very long wearing.

Does it fulfill its claims?

Yes and no. If you find pencil on the upper lash line easier to work with and want the look of a liquid then it fulfills its claims on that part. However I find its claim to be self sharpening to be misleading and I find it doesnt last very long and smudges

Price 

I'm not entirely sure as avon prices always vary but you are probably look at a price somewhere between $8 and $12 NZD.

Would I re-purchase?

Hell no! If you put the colour intensity aside it has nothing I look for in an eyeliner

Simply Stunningly Gorgeous Rating 2/10

Unbranded 88 Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette 

The 88 Palettes in the beauty community overseas is a cult classic!There are different palettes examples are 88 Matte,88 Warm,88 Metal Mania and the one I am reviewing 88 Shimmer.

Orginally released by Coastal Scents, the 88 palettes are made in Hong Kong and are re-sold by different companies. My one was from Crush Cosmetics.  

The website says

88 beautiful colours, for lovers of shimmer eyeshadow. Very pigmented and easy to blend, you will not be disappointed with this hot item!

The Packaging

A large rectangular palette housing 88 eyeshadows. Comes with a decent sized mirror and 2 double ended ,sponge ,eyeshadow applicators.

The Product

All 88 shadows are extremely pigmented and shimmery although I have noticed some eyeshadows are less pigmented than others and a couple are very powdery. All of the shadows are long wearing.

The Performance

 I have found all of the shadows to be super shimmery, long wearing and super blendable. The large selection gives you limitless options. Some of the more powdery ones can cause shadow fall out which isnt a good look and ones that are less pigmented you have to work a little harder with to achieve the colour payoff. The eye looks you can achieve are only limited by your imagination!

Does it fulfill its claims?

Simply put,yes it does. I find this to be an amazing palette.

Price

From Crushcosmetics.com.au it is currently $48.91 NZD and $35.95 AUD

Would I re-purchase?

If I ever get through them all,yes. Its only 55 cents(NZ) per eyeshadow

Simply Stunningly Gorgeous rating 8/10

So thats it for this post,hope you have enjoyed the reviews and learnt about some products you may have been questioning buying

Till next time Stay simply stunningly gorgeous! xoxo

Disclaimer All opinions expressed on this blog are mine and mine alone. I am not paid by any company to review products.

Concealers!

Concealers

Good ole concealers! They can be your best friend,they hide imperfections,disguise redness,blotchy skin,dark circles etc. But if used incorrectly they can be your worst enemy. A concealer can make the world of difference to your appearance

I am going to share with you my concealer tips and tricks I have learnt through trial and error.

My preferred concealers are liquid and stick concealers. Stick concealers offer more coverage where as liquid applies more smoothly and is more lightweight.

When choosing a concealer make sure you don't go too light. I have read time and time again to go lighter than your skin tone and well I couldn't disagree more! Using a too light shade can actually draw attention to what you are trying to hide,especially when it comes to the under eye/dark circle area. When you go too light it can make your dark circles appear slightly grey and ashy which looks awful. My advice is don't go more than half a shade lighter than your skin tone but don't go any darker than your foundation. Try to match your concealer shade to your foundation shade as closely as you can.

Concealing redness

My red areas are often around my nose and a certain spot on my cheekbone where I have broken capillaries. For this I first use a green based corrector which is designed to disguise redness followed by a concealer although if you don't have a corrector you can just use a concealer.I generally use stick concealer for fuller coverage with less product. I usually use foundation before concealer so I don't have to use too much(as the foundation should help hide the redness). But be sure to blend it in,if you don't you could end up looking a hot mess. I generally then set the concealer with pressed powder.

The under eye area

This is my most challenging area! For ages I read "use a shade lighter than your skin tone" and always looked ashy. Then I would use concealers too heavy for the inner corner and inner half of my under eye. I read everything I could and could never figure out what I was doing wrong,until I read that you shouldn't actually go lighter. How could this be right?I thought to myself,everything I read tells me go lighter and now I'm being told don't?Oh well I'll try it,I cant be any worse off than I am now! All I can say is the difference it made was WOWEEWOW!! No ashy look,I looked well normal yet flawless.
OK moving on the two thing I struggle with is getting my concealer to not seep into fine lines(and ageing me) and concealing bags and under eye circles. Now these two how -tos have worked amazingly for me(yet I have never combined the methods so if you do you could and let me know what you did and if it works for you?!)

Method to reduce under eye concealer creasing

Its almost impossible to stop concealer seeping into fine lines and creasing but this method can help avoid it
You will need
-2 tissues
-An eye lid/eyeshadow primer
-A concealer that matches your skin tone
This method is pretty basic
1:Make sure you have not used an eye cream,if you have gently blot the area with a tissue to absorb excess moisture/oil
2:Apply an eyelid primer to the area you are applying concealer. Eyelid primers help stop eye shadows from creasing and work the same under the eye.You can use any eyelid or eyeshadow primer,I use Australis eyeshadow primer but have also used an avon one as well. Many brands have them available
3:Take your concealer and apply under the eye as usual
4:Take a tissue and separate it so you are left with a very fine tissue "film".Gently pat it over the concealer,this helps soak up excess moisture/oil without disturbing or removing the pigment
5:Avoid using powder to set as powder can exaggerate fine lines
Voila! Crease resistant concealer

Reducing dark shadows
This method is more than concealer but its an option if you have the products needed.The under eye correctors I talk about are widely available if you look for them.It is preferable to use a salmon or bisque coloured corrector(eve pearl and Bobbi brown both have them) but if like me you struggle to find one,I use australis gold colour corrector which works a treat
You will need
-2 tissues
-An eye lid/shadow primer
-A colour corrector designed for dark shadows,bruising etc
-Concealer that matches your skin tone
1:Make sure you have not used an eye cream,if you have gently blot the area with a tissue to absorb excess moisture/oil
2:Apply an eyelid primer to the area you are applying concealer. Eyelid primers help stop eye shadows from creasing and work the same under the eye
3:Take your colour corrector. Apply sparingly to the darker areas,including the inner corner of your eyes,including a little bit on the sides of your nose if needed.Keep applying until the shadows are faded or completely gone.
4,Apply your concealer as usual. Don't be too heavy handed as the corrector should have taken care of concealing the shadows,you are just applying the concealer to blend everything together nicely and create a more flawless look.
5:Set with loose,translucent or pressed powder

Concealing under eye circles and bags

This I have struggled with for AGES! You can chop and change this method to suit you,I use 2 shades of concealers for this method but you can probably get away with one,this is just the way I have always done it. At the end I will also link the video I did back in Feb for this method
You will need
-2 shades of concealer,one slightly lighter than your skin tone and one that matches your skin tone
-A pressed powder(or loose if that is your preference)
1:Take the lighter concealer,with it draw a line from the outer corner to the inner corner of your eye
2:Draw a line from the inner corner straight down,parallel to your nose to parallel to your nostril.
3:From the outer corner of your eye draw a line and connect it where the line ends near your nostril
4:You have now made a weird triangle,blend the concealer in,make sure you blend it right up to your lash line and into the inner corner of your eye if you so desire.
5:If you wish you conceal the veins on your eyelids dab a little concealer over the lid
6:Take the darker shade of concealer and repeat steps 1-4
7:Take a pressed powder and lightly set the concealer,also run this over your eyelid
 Now here is a pic of me with one eye done and the other not,you can see a difference!

Concealing pimples

I have found more often than not concealing large pimples can make them look worse. If your pimple is a Papule (a red lump containing no pus or white head) it is generally easy to conceal. A Pustule on the other hand has a "cap" or "head" on top,caking concealer on these can really highlight the area and make it worse.I'm not going to talk about cystic acne as I have never had any experience with it.

-My best suggestion for concealing pimples is DON'T! You want to let your skin breathe and heal. But seeing as I don't adhere to my own suggestion a few tips I have are
-When applying concealer to a pimple,do not use the brush,applicator or the actual concealer straight onto the pimple. Put some on your finger and apply with your finger(or a clean brush). You do not want to contaminate the product,if you need to add more clean or wipe your finger/brush before dipping it back into the product.
-Use some type of spot treatment under your make up. Tinted spot treatments are available,these are perfect for treating and concealing
-When using concealer on a Papule, gently brush from the outside in towards the pimple blending as you go to conceal the redness,you may just need the lightest strokes over the actual pimple to conceal.
-When you have a Pustule use the same method as a Papule,run the brush up the reddened sides of the pimple but try to avoid concealer on the head/cap as this may cause it to tear or rip off which can make it worse and spread
-Don't over conceal. This only draws attention to the pimple making it look worse.

So thats it ladies,hope I have helped and please remember to blend,blend,blend. That is one make up rule you should never forget or skip.
Till next time,stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous!

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Links
Youtube video for under circles and bags
Simply Stunningly Gorgeous Facebook Page

My top 10 Australis Products

Hello Beauty Lovers and welcome to my latest post

Now, I was going to do a “My most used beauty items post” but when I was putting it together I thought hmm there are  A LOT of Australis Products here! Australis has to be one of my 2 favourite brands of makeup (and as you probably see from some of my recent posts I love love love their products!) so I thought I should do a top 5 Australis products. I then realised I can’t choose just 5 so bumped it up to my 10 Top Australis Products

So I wrote out a list of what products I own (as I have listed below) and choose my top products. It was a tough decision when it came to some products but I managed to be cut throat and chose my most used items. I only chose from the items I currently own,not the ones I have tried but no longer use

I love Australis Products because they are high quality without the high price tag. I have also used Australis Products for about 12 years!

Here are the products I own

Australis Colour Inject mineral Lipstick in Salsa and Flamenco

Australis Eyeshadow Primer

Australis IntensifEYE Eyeshadow Quad in The big smoke

Australis IntensifEYE Liquid Eyeliner in Black Shimmer

Australis Lash TLC Mascara in Blackest Black and Black Curling

Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Eyeshadow in Totally Busted

Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Tinted Moisturiser

Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Foundation

Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush in Flash it

Australis Stay Put foundation

Australis Perfection Brush on Foundation

Australis Mineral Inject Foundation

Australis Mineral Purity Powder Foundation

Australis Pressed Powder

Australis Primer

Australis Foundation Brush

Australis Makeup Finishing Spritz

Australis Colour Corrector in Green and Gold

Australis Concealer(stick form)

Australis Nail Colour

So who made the cut? Here are the top 10 in no particular order!

Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick

I use this lipstick more than any other lipstick I own. My most used shade is Flamenco, if I’m having a down day I swipe it on and feel better, if I want a bold look it’s my total go-to lipstick! It doesn’t dry out my lips like a lot of lipsticks do.

Eyeshadow Primer

What on earth did I do before this came out I do not know! I use this daily. While it extends the life of my shadow and intensifies the colours I actually use it under my eyes as a base for my under eye concealer  (makeup artist secret),not only does it make my concealer last longer it helps prevent creasing!. The texture and feel of it is also velvety smooth

Lash TLC

I cannot express how much I love this mascara! I have both Blackest Black and Black curling and love them equally. Both leave my lashes feeling stronger and softer and my lashes look so much longer when I use them. When it comes to this mascara, there is NOTHING wrong with it except I don’t have a lifelong supply!

Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush in Flash it

I love this blush more than any blush I own. Its design alone is funky with the splattering of colours through it, I often squeeze an angled brush and swipe it through the pale colour and use it as a highlight for my cheeks and swirl a blush brush over all of the colours and use as a standard blush, it gives me an awesome healthy, dewy glow

Paparazzi Perfect HD foundation

This is my Holy Grail liquid foundation. It just makes my skin look fantastic! It blurs my imperfections just like it claims to, it doesn’t look or feel heavy or cakey. The coverage is amazing and I can just use a little extra on my problem areas and it doubles as a concealer!

Stay Put foundation

The ultimate summer time must have foundation. It gives me full coverage and through heat, humidity and the oh so awful bodily function perspiration (can I just say EEEEEWWWW!) it STAYS PUT!  I always wear this when I go dancing because there are a lot of people, its hot, its sweaty and when you’re wearing this foundation your face still looks flawless!

Foundation Brush

The Australis foundation brush is my must have tool for applying liquid foundation!

Makeup Finishing Spritz

I could not live without this. This miracle product is something I use every day without fail. I use it to set my makeup, if Im wearing a powder and it looks a little cakey around the eyes(as it almost always does for me)or around the nose it does something and helps all the particles “blend”. Its also awesome to have during the day when your make up starts looking a little flat,a spritz or two somehow refreshes it bringing new life to your makeup

Colour Corrector

These babies are a new find of mine. The colour correctors come in green and gold(the green corrects redness, the gold corrects under eye shadows, dark pigmentation and bruising) I use the green to correct my broken capillaries and the gold under my eyes. I also use a little of the gold as a cheek highlight

Concealer(stick form)

Im not a big fan of stick concealers but this one is FANTASTIC. I was surprised at the fact that I could use it on my under eye area which I can usually only use liquid on otherwise it looks creasy and cakey. I have found this is the best coverage concealer I have ever used bar none!

So there you have it,my top 10 Australis Products!

A few of the products listed I have reviewed right here on my blog so for more in depth info check out the links below. If you want full reviews on any of the products listed please feel free to email requests to me at simplystunninglygorgeous@gmail.com or visit my Simply Stunningly Gorgeous facebook page and leave a comment or if you have any requests on a blog post covering a particular problem or topic feel free to contact me and I’ll do my best to accommodate you

Please link this blog to anyone who may be interested and also get them to join my facebook page,the more likes the closer to a giveaway we get which will very likely include Australis Products!

Links below,simply click on them

Simply Stunningly Gorgeous Facebook Page

Paparazzi Perfect HD line review

Lash TLC Review

Nail Colour Review

Summer foundations featuring Australis Stayput foundation 
Perfection Brush on Foundation


Official Australis Facebook Fan Page
Australis Website

Tips for going from Brunette to Blonde

My tips for going from Brunette to Blonde

I have recently gone from Brunette to Blonde,a long and lengthy process I can tell you! So going from my own experience I thought I would share some tips on the whole process.

Before you go blonde I suggest you think long and hard about it and about the condition of your hair.
If you are 110% sure you want to go blonde then awesome,if you are not sure take a week or a month to really consider it because you are going to be putting your hair through alot. Its alot easier to go from light to dark but going from dark to light isnt so easy. Also you dont want to spend alot of time and money and damage your hair to think a month later "I want to be brunette again" and all that time and money has been wasted.

Now, think of the current condition of your hair. If your hair is in really bad condition I reccommend waiting because going blonde is hard enough on your hair as it is,bleaching damaged hair is asking for trouble in my opinion. I suggest working on getting your hair in a good condition first,maybe speak to a hairdresser for advice on doing so.

A few other things you need to consider is,if your hair does start to snap,are you willing to go shorter length wise if need be. I had to as my hair was fried after the first 2 bleaches,of course this is all dependant on how your hair reacts. Each person is different

 My hair was not too bad but was not in tip top condition. I had 4 full heads of foils over a 2 month period I think,possibly a bit longer and lost alot of hair due to it snapping off,this is quite common.

You should also be wary that if your hair is previously coloured or you colour your hair alot it may take alot longer to go blonde than if your hair is 100% its pure and natural colour. If you have regrowth coming through you also risk different shades of blonde.

OK,so you have decided going blonde is something you want, you are happy with the condition of your hair you need to consider how your going to go about doing it.
You have a few options
1) Use at home bleaching products and do it yourself(or get a friend to help you)
2) Go to a hairdresser for a full head bleach
3)Go to a hairdresser and get foils

My personal view is if you have previously coloured hair,go to a hairdresser. I have tried going blonde in the past,from black to blonde and my black was growing out. I thought 4 bleaches over 3 days was a good idea, this was the result(1 month after bleaching)

Not only did I end up with that,I ended up with open,weeping sores on my scalp that took a MONTH to heal! No hairdresser would touch my hair because of my scalp,even if my scalp wasn't so bad they probably would have told me to wait.

If your hair is light brown you may be able to get away with doing it at home but any darker you do risk yellow/orange tones.

The benefits of going to a hairdresser is they know hair! Its what they do best,they can also to an extent control the strength of the bleach which with at home bleach you have no clue of the strength. At home bleaching is cheaper but going to a hairdresser will help ensure you get the best result.
If you have a friend who is a hairdresser talk to them and see if they can help you out. Also some Polytechs have "client" days where students,under the supervision of their tutor,will do haircuts,colours etc for a reduced rate. If this is something you would consider do a ring around.

If you are quite dark I do reccommend going for a full head of foils each time,your blonde will be multi tonal but it also lessens the damage to your hair and protects the scalp. Please do remember if you are quite dark this will be a long and drawn out process.

Ok so you have decided to go ahead,you know how your going about it but before you do ANYTHING I am going to suggest something I would have done(hindsight and all)
Buy a multi use, deep conditioning hair mask(masque) for damaged hair and a purple blonde toner. This way once you have been bleached you have these products on hand. The deep conditioning mask is essential because you need to help re hydrate and start restoring your hair because it will be quite dry and damaged even after one bleach. A purple toner is used to help reduce yellow and gold tones in your hair after it has been bleached and can be used to help stop your hair from going brassy even once you have achieved the blonde you desire.

Now remember once you go blonde some hair WILL fall out/break off,this is NORMAL but you do need to be prepared for it to happen

I hope these tips have helped if you have been thinking of going blonde.

This is my hair now after a few gruelling months of going blonde

Till next time stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous xx

Product line review: Australis Paparazzi Pefect HD line!

Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD - Fear the flash no more!

Put a stop to bad photos and look flawless in any light with the Australis Paparazzi Perfect HD line.

As a long time user of Australis makeup (10 or so years)  I love when they come out with new products, so this time was no exception. 

 Being a close follower of their facebook fan page I was well aware something was in the works before Paparazzi Perfect was released.  When it was released I was so excited and was expecting a new big display at my local Radius Pharmacy and was promptly disgusted when these products were just simply shoved in willy nilly with the rest of their products. Not to bother I still had to try them!

First off I have to mention the packaging,I am in love love LOVE! The compacts for the eyeshadows and blush are sleek and shiny black but still have a funky look with their trademark hot pink,shiny labelling. Even my husband who(I’ll admit was a little tipsy at the time!) picked up my eyeshadow palette and another one of my palettes(I think it was an E.l.f one which is just matte black with no stand out labelling) and said    “Now if I was a woman,I would look at this (holidng up Australis)over this(holding up e.l.f compact). It looks nice and stands out”. The compacts of the blush and eyeshadow also have large and very useable mirrors which is always a bonus!

 The foundation bottle while simple looks very elegant and again I will say sleek. The tinted moisturiser just comes in a squeeze tube but looks nice all the same. Anyway enough of my ramblings, I am proud as punch to present my review of  these fantastic new products!

Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Foundation

 

What is it The intelligent mix of High Definition balancing pigments with their amazing light reflecting properties creates flawless even skin perfection under any light. Combined with White Sapphire soft focus pigments, skin tone appears smooth, and imperfections are corrected. Vitamin E and calendula oil assist to moisturise and soothe the skin.

Why we love it Fear the camera flash no more! A flawless, smooth complexion is achieved in any light. It provides a medium to heavy coverage with a subtly dewy finish. 
(Above is from the Australis Wesbite) 

To be honest, I was not expecting to like this foundation. The claims seemed too good to be true. Also its only medium coverage, now for me I usually love my full coverage foundations so light to medium usually isn’t my bag

I have to say I’m ashamed of myself because this foundation is AMAZING! Since I started using it I haven’t touched my other foundations, not my Revlon, not my Maybelline not even my Australis Stay Put foundation which is my usual go to foundation!

This covered all my flaws and it truly does blur my imperfections. I even managed to go without concealer and just used a little extra foundation around the areas I need that little bit extra.

I found this foundation easily blend able (and love using my Australis Foundation brush to apply it), its ultra light on the skin and I don’t look like I’m wearing foundation when I put it on! It’s like my skin, only better, it survives a good 8-10 hours and while I don’t get snapped by the paps on a regular basis , I have noticed a more flawless look in photos! I have to say I have found my perfect foundation!

There are 5 shades Nude, Natural Beige, Natural Fawn, Natural Tan and Golden Tan. I have Natural Beige and find it has quite pink undertone but as I have not swatched any other colours I’m unsure if this is a trend throughout the foundation line. It retails for $24.00 and for the quality of the foundation you are really getting a great deal!

Paparazzi Perfect High Definition Tinted moisturiser

What is it Light reflecting properties, combined with White Sapphire and Pearl Powder creates a sheer complexion that corrects imperfections. Formulation contains Vitamin E and calendula oil to moisturise and soothe the skin, while White Sapphire soft focus pigments blur out imperfections and provide a subtle glow. A lightweight formula, allowing the skin to breath comfortably. 

Why we love it An ultra moisturising formula that evens out complexion while at the same time provides a lightweight tinted coverage. Fear the camera flash no more! A flawless, smooth complexion is achieved in any light. 
(Above is from the Australis Wesbite) 

I am not a fan of tinted moisturisers, I’ve always found them gimmicky and they only seem to work for people with good skin. I do not like going out without some form of coverage whether it be a full face of foundation or mineral powder.

It came in a cute squeeze tube, I don’t know why but I have a thing about squeeze tubes!

I found this gave me a little bit of coverage but I looked like I wearing nothing at all but my skin looked good!  My pores were a little more hidden, I had a hint of colour and the redness and broken capillaries in my skin were less noticeable. I have started using this on the days that I cannot be bothered applying makeup but do feel I need some colour added to my skin and my imperfections reduced without a full face of foundation. It comes in two shades Light-Medium and Medium-Dark and retails for $18.90

Paparazzi Perfect HD Eyeshadow

What is it Silky pearlescent 5 pan eyeshadows that create endless combinations and effects. Eyeshadows are formulated with light reflecting photocromatic pigments and enriched with Jojoba and Grape seed oil for smooth and hydrated lids for that just applied glow.

Why we love it A smooth silky formula that glides easily onto the eyelids with intense colour payoff. Shades are highly pigmented with a soft pearlescent finish.
(Above is from the Australis Wesbite) 

When it comes to eye shadow I am very fussy because my eyes naturally stand out, so if a product looks awful on my eyes, people notice!

I have the palette “Totally Busted”

These eye shadows rock! They are 5 pan palettes with some intensely pigmented shades. Also the styling of the palette unique.

There are 4 different palettes and I think no matter what your eye colour there is a palette that will help bring out your eye colour.

The shades from left to right are

-A-Lister Sister

Pearlescent shades of bright orange, light gold, deep plum, brown and charcoal

-Frock & Roll

Pearlescent shades of coral pink, medium grey, cool grey, charcoal, deep red

-Snap Attack

Pearlescent shades of charcoal, light cream, light orange, light beige and light brown

-Totally Busted

Pearlescent shades of dark grey, light grey, pink, deep purple and light peach

They claim to be pearlescent; I think they are quite shimmery without being OTT. You don’t need to use a hell of a lot of product and they are easily blendable.  The only downside is if you try to apply too much you get quite a bit of fall out which is hard to remove if you have already applied concealer and foundation. They have very little creasing(I love using these in conjunction with Australis Eyeshadow Primer),and they last ALL DAY. I give 2 thumbs up for long wearing, pretty eyes!

These awesome palettes retail for only $19.90

Paparazzi Perfect HD Blush

What is it Perfectly blended multi-coloured blush that allows for customised shades to suit any complexion. Formulated with light reflecting and balancing photochromatic pigments that assist to create instant camera ready photos. Pigment is high in Mica content providing intense colour payoff. The blush is enriched with Jojoba and Grape seed oil to lock in skin moisture and soothe the skin.

Why we love it A smooth feel with intense colour payoff that provides an instant glow that highlights and contours cheeks. The marbled effect allows shades to be customised to suit individual complexion. 
(Above is from the Australis Wesbite)

I love blush so to see a complimentary blush in this range was awesome. I have the shade Flash It

These blushes are funky to look at, they claim to look marbled, to me they look like someone took the product in a liquid form, splashed a couple of colours together and it dried into a blush, which I love!

I was a little disappointed with how intensely shimmery my blush was, while I expect blushes to be a bit shimmery, this was insanely so. While it isn’t a bad thing, I do prefer more matte blushes. In saying so I do like this blush.

Like the eyeshadows, this blush is highly pigmented ,long wearing and a little goes along way. It gives my cheeks a nice colour and healthy glow. I also use a smaller brush and swirl it in the beige and use it as a highlight on my cheekbones as it’s the perfect colour.

There are 4 blush options(left to right)

- Poser

Blend of cream, medium brown and dark brown

-Shoot to thrill

Blend of bright pink, light pink and coral pink

-Screen Siren

Blend of light brown, peach and a light plum

-Flash it

Blend of beige, pink and brown

As you can see the colours are gorgeous! This retails for only $18.90

Overall Opinion

Australis have outdone themselves with this line! They have created a fabulous line with claims their products live up to! All the products in the Paparazzi Perfect HD line are high quality while still very affordable. I give this line a Simply Stunningly Gorgeous rating of 9 and a half out of 10!

Here is my full Australis Face using some Paparazzi perfect products!

Products used:Australis Primer,Paparazzi Perfect HD foundation(as foundation and concealer), Australis eyeshadow primer, Paparazzi Perfect eyeshadow palette in totally busted,Paparazzi Perfect Blush in Flash it, Australis intensifeye liquid eyeliner in black shimmer, Australis Lash TLC in black curling and Australis colour inject mineral lipstick in flamenco finished with Australis finishing spritz

The following are some products I think are very complimentary to the Paparazzi Perfect HD line

Make-Up finishing spritz

I love,love,love this spritz! I apply this after my make up. It helps your look last longer and if you use mid way through the day it revives your make up,keeping it looking fresh and less tired

RRP $21.00

Lash TLC

My all time favourite mascara. Comes in two forms, Blackest Black and Black Curling. Please read my previous review for more info http://simplystunninglygorgeous.blogspot.com/2011/04/product-review-australis-lash-tlc.html

RRP $18.00

Eyeshadow Primer

This colourless eyeshadow primer provides the perfect base for eyeshadows and helps prevent creasing. I use this all the time and is my new favourite eyeshadow primer

RRP $16.50

Please note: All opinions expressed on this blog are mine and mine alone. I am not paid by any company to review products.