Vol. 2 No. 7 July 2015
THE
AUSTR
ALIA
TIMES
®
beauty
2
13
beauty
07
07
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Verity Fiction and
her fairytale reality
Chasing your dreams can be hard work but if it’s something
that you’re passionate about, then you can make it work!
13
|
Skin needling… Do I really needle it?
Chantelle was brave enough to head out for a interesting
cosmetic procedure, read about her experience here!
22
|
Managing curly hair
Curly hair can be an absolute curse but Lucy is here to
share her top tips to tame a curly mane
26
|
Brighten your winter
with a bronze glow
Winter does not mean you have to settle for having the
skin complexion of Bella Swan!
32
|
Put your best face forward
A contouring and highlighting how-to
22
26
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CONTRIBUTORS
TAHNEE-JAE LOPEZ-VITO
CHANTELLE WHITE
LUCY WISE-CHALKER
NAKITA MARENDAZ
DEATH TO THE STOCK PHOTO
COVER IMAGE ATTRIBUTION
NOTE
WELCOME
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T
his month at TAT Beauty, we’re exploring the theme of
“doing what you love”. For a lot of the contributors here,
beauty is something that they live and breathe. Most have
their own blogs and for them, TAT Beauty is another platform
for them to express their passion and share their insights. Some
of us have amazing lipstick collections, some of us love natural
beauty products, some of us love sharing makeup tips and some
of us love haircare. This edition has a little bit of everything and
each of our contributors have been able to share some aspect of
beauty that they love and feel passionate about.
The world of beauty is huge and it’s growing every day. At TAT
Beauty, we are proud to be part of the beauty community and
share our love, passion and dedication with our readers.
D
ani
S
mith
TAT Beauty Editor
5
image attribution
Verity Fiction photographed by Aysha Manori
6
Chasing your dreams can be hard work
but if it’s something that you’re passionate about,
then you can make it work!
by TAHNEE-JAE LOPEZ-VITO
rom transforming actors in epic
Hollywood movies to transforming
her own fantasies into reality, one
woman did it all after years of hard
work, passion, and a night’s sleep that
inspired her to enrol in makeup school
and move to the other side of the world.
Young Brisbane-born makeup artist
Verity Fiction crossed continents to
pursue her dream of working behind
the scenes with Hollywood’s biggest
names. Fast forward 11 years and her
name can now be seen on the big screen,
including in epic films such as The
Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the
Dawn Treader and Dwayne “The Rock”
Johnson’s upcoming flick San Andreas,
hit television shows Nikita and Suits, and
Lady Gaga’s Paparazzi music video. In
this throwback interview, The Australia
Times shines a spotlight on Fiction as she
talks about makeup, aspiring artists, and
how travelling changed her life.
Verity Fiction and her
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What made you decide to pack your bags
and move overseas to pursue your career
instead of staying in Australia?
I had always wanted to travel and always
had a goal of living overseas. But the
Australian film industry started to dry up.
I made the decision that if I wanted to
continue working in film, Australia was
no longer the place for me. So, after a lot
of saving and a lot of research, I made the
move to Toronto, Canada.
What was the change to Toronto like?
It was scary. I had to make new contacts.
It was like starting at the bottom all over
again. It took some adjusting and getting
used to, but Toronto is now home.
After moving, did you ever have a
moment where you just knew that your
decision to take a big leap and head
overseas was the right thing to do?
A 100 per cent yes. I love, love, love living
in Toronto. Sometimes when I’m working
on a really cool film I’ll just take a step
back and look around think to myself,
“wow”, I can’t believe how blessed I am.
My dreams are coming true.
From your experience in working on
a range of films, television shows and
music videos, what does it feel like
seeing your work on screen? Does it
change from job to job?
I love seeing my work on screen. It gives
me a real thrill and it’s also a great way
to monitor and improve my skills because
you can see what works and what doesn’t
when you watch things back.
What have been your highlights?
Working on two Guillermo del Toro
productions have definitely been huge
highlights. I love his films. He was also
a makeup artist before he became a
director. So, when you work on one of his
films you know that the makeup is really
appreciated.
From getting the job to seeing the
final product on the big screen, what
is the process like for makeup artists?
Are there many opportunities to get
involved in designing looks or are the
looks already decided?
The amount of input can vary no
productions. Usually the overall makeup
look and design is collaboration between
the director, producers and makeup artist.
The director tends to have an idea in
mind and then we put together designs
and do any appropriate research to help
the director create that vision.
What made you go into makeup and
beauty and specialise in the different
areas you work in now?
I had always wanted to work in movies.
I did acting all throughout my childhood
and teens because that was really the only
way I could work in film when I was a
child. I was slowly getting out of acting
when I was on set for a music video one
day and decided to talk to all the other crew
members about what they did and what
they liked about it. Makeup seemed the
most interesting to me, particularly special
effects because I really loved the TV show
Buffy and all the monsters. I knew then
and there that was what I wanted to do.
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A few weeks later I had a dream that I was a
very successful makeup artist. I took it as a
sign and a week later I was enrolled in makeup
school and I haven’t looked back since.
For the average-Joe makeup symbolises
change. Many see and use bronzers and
foundations to cover up blemishes and
hide insecurities. As someone who works
with makeup as an art form, especially
when it comes to prosthetics, what does
makeup mean to you?
For me, makeup is story telling. It’s not
about covering up imperfections. It’s
about creating fantasies and helping the
audience understand who that character
is. One of my favourite kinds of makeup
to do is character makeup. They usually
involve altering an actor’s appearance and
are the most fun to design and create.
I’m currently in talks to do a couple of
really fun indie films. One is an action
film with lots of zombies, and the other is
a stoner comedy about the undead.
What advice would you have to any
aspiring makeup artists?
My overall advice would be to practice.
Practice all the time (and) as much as you
can. Take photos of everything you do,
then send those photos to makeup artists
you respect and ask for feedback. Take on
that feedback and practice more.
It’s a really hard industry to get into. It can
take years. But if you really love it, stay
strong, keep it up and you will achieve
your dreams.
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BEAUTY
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Do I really needle it?
Chantelle was brave enough
to head out for a interesting
cosmetic procedure,
read about her experience here!
by CHANTELLE WHITE
13
ow am I going to write a good story on skin needling?
How am I going to not offend the clinic and the nurse
who gives me the treatment? How am I going to
balance being a nice person and an honest writer once I make this
commitment? These are the questions that I asked myself and worked
myself into a panic into weeks leading up to my appointment to
trial skin needling for The Australia Times. You see, being a beauty
writer, you can get sent various products and offered free services
by companies that hope to get good reviews on a public platform,
but it is up to the writer’s discretion what they choose to review, or
not, and how. When I began my beauty-writing career four years
ago, I made a promise to myself that no matter how many free
goodies I get sent, I will never accept payment or incentive of any
other kind for a good review. I will only ever write the truth. I value
honesty in writing because before I became a writer myself, I was the
consumer. I read the magazines and watched the Beauty YouTubers
and took their recommendations into account when making my
own purchases. But, unless they openly stated it, and not many of
them do, the influencer may have been ‘influenced’ themselves,
via payment, free product, contracts etc. to say certain things and
express certain views about products and services. And this is where
the Knowledge Economy state of our world comes into play- when
ideas and opinions are actively sought on such an extreme level, they
become commodities and unfortunately, with commercialization
and capitalism, honesty and integrity sometimes fades into the
background. I’m not going to let this turn into my University essays
about 16 year-olds who sit in front of their computer and make half
a million dollars a year to talk about makeup, but it is important
to me that my readers know that I will always offer the truth in my
writing and you can trust that whatever product/ service I receive,
whether I pay for it myself or not, I will say exactly what I think.
And so you should be encouraged, that I went into my skin-needling
appointment as a skeptic, because I was so impressed! I didn’t think
I would enjoy needles rolling all over my face and chest, but now I
have a lot of good things to say!
What is Skin Needling?
Firstly, I need to explain what exactly skin needling is. Skin
needling involves rolling a specially designed tool, studded with
tiny needles across anaesthetized skin. The process involves
causing controlled trauma to the dermal layers. This causes a
boost in collagen and elastin production. It isn’t just limited to
facial skin, you can have skin needling on your bust, thighs, bum,
etc. practically anywhere you have a skin blemish or scar that you
would like to remove.
Skin Needling for
Different Reasons
Collagen and elastin are re-
sponsible for firm, plump,
young-looking skin and as you
age, collagen and elastin levels
decrease, which is why old-
er skin is less plump and has
more wrinkles. Skin needling
is often used by young people
(18-30) to prevent and delay
the aging process by continu-
ously promoting collagen and
elastin production. In clients
who already have wrinkles, the
skin needling works to reduce
their depth and appearance
and can successfully minimize
wrinkles, and improve skin
texture and firmness with suc-
cessive treatments.
Skin needling is also an in-
creasingly popular procedure
for treating scarring includ-
ing acne scarring, chicken-pox
scars, stretch marks, pigmen-
tation, uneven skin-tone and
texture and even cellulite. Skin
needling targets these prob-
lems the same way as it does
with wrinkles; the controlled
dermal injury immediately re-
acts by producing lots of col-
lagen and elastin which means
new skin is being produced,
while old skin is being lost.
As you get new layers of skin,
that are high in collagen and
elastin, you are replacing the
skin with deep scarring. The
scarring over time becomes
shallower and can eventually
be completely reduced with
enough treatment.
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There are other benefits to
skin needling as well that
come from your dermis los-
ing its top layers, removing
clogged and congested skin,
this means many clients feel
like they have just had a super-
deep cleansing facial, their face
will feel “tight” and “clean”
and “fresh”. Many people have
skin needling as a luxury treat-
ment to experience bright,
plump skin before a special
event, particularly weddings,
but others just get it done
a couple of times a year to
maintain this brightness and
firmness to their skin.
Finally, skin needling, because
it promotes new skin growth,
and new skin is best at absorb-
ing nutrients, or anything re-
ally, after treatment your skin
will be better at absorbing
your skincare products, giving
you better results from them.
One treatment of skin needling
can increase collagen and elas-
tin production for up to 12
months, but for best results, de-
pending on what your purpose
is for having the treatment,
more frequent procedures may
be required to get desired re-
sults. Another thing to note
here is that different reasons for
use require different penetra-
tion depth, so for deep scarring,
you would typically need a
deeper penetration than if you
were just having it for a rejuve-
nating treatment for plumper
skin before a formal event.
Do I need to take any precautions?
The treatment is offered in
beauty salons everywhere but
should only ever be performed
by a qualified Nurse or Doctor
if using a needle depth of more
than 1mm, which is typical for
any treatment to address scar-
ring, pigmentation, wrinkles,
etc. anyway, so you should do
your research before making
an appointment. If you are
treated by a Beauty Therapist,
not a registered Nurse or Doc-
tor, the needle depth should
NOT be more than 1mm as
they are not qualified to work
with these circumstances.
Additionally, skin needling
needs to be performed in a
completely sterile environment.
Strict hygiene procedures must
be followed and your nurse or
doctor should use only, one-
time-only disposable needle
tips. You are opening up your
skin and making open wounds,
which are perfect breeding
grounds for infection. Cosmetic
Nurse Kymberly recommends
investigating the place you book
your appointment lives up to
these standards, are qualified to
do the procedure, and able to
assist in post-treatment care and
if there were any adverse reac-
tions. For example, if they were
highly qualified, they would be
able to prescribe anti-bionics in
the case of infection.
Post Treatment
Post-treatment care is extremely important and you need to discuss
this with the nurse BEFORE letting them penetrate your skin. If
they don’t have the qualifications and knowledge to assess adverse
reactions, or simply don’t bother to tell you about post-treatment
care before you start, don’t continue with the appointment, it’s all
well and good that they do the treatment and take your money,
but the service doesn’t end when you leave the clinic.
Your skin may bleed a little during the treatment, but it won’t be
a lot of blood, just imagine you have picked a tiny scab on your
face. You will not be covered in blood, it will not look anything
like Kim Kardsahian’s ‘Vampire Facial’, which is a completely
different procedure FYI, and you will definitely have stopped
bleeding before you walk out the door. Your face will be red for a
few hours post treatment, so I don’t recommend going on a first
date that night. It can stay red for up to 24 hours, all obviously
depending on how deep the penetration was and how long
the needles were concentrated in each area. The best way I can
describe it is that it looks, and feels like sunburn. It will probably
feel very tight, but also very clean, but because you have just
made open skin wounds essentially, it is very important not to let
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BEAUTY
it get infected. This means keep your hands and
hair, away from your face. Use a hand sanitizer
as a precaution, you are likely to not even notice
how often you touch your face in one day. After
about 6 hours the skin is already starting to
heal and create a new layer of protection, skin
is good like that, so you don’t have to be a germ
freak for too long, but in general skin health it is
best to keep your hands and hair away anyway.
It is very important that you use a cleanser free
from chemical acids such as AHA and BHA
My experience
after your treatment, as they would cause
more trauma to the skin. You should also use
an intense hydrating moisturizer, preferably
one recommended by your Nurse, as there
are some ingredients in moisturizers that you
need to avoid after this treatment. Kymberly
recommends one with a cocktail of Vitamins
A, B, C, peptides and antioxidants to her
clients to promote faster recovery and boost
the anti-aging and scar rebel process while
your new skin is so good at absorbing these
key ingredients.
As I mentioned earlier, I was pretty skeptical
about the procedure actually delivery any
results. I wasn’t so worried about the pain, I
knew it would hurt, but I also knew that a local
anesthetic is applied to the skin, so you don’t
cop the full impact anyway.
When I walked into Renew Skincare Studio I
was immediately greeted by Cosmetic Nurse,
Kymberly and even offered a cuppa! Everything
looked completely obsessive-compulsive level
clean and I was comfortable that I was in good
hands.
We went into the treatment room and Kymberly
explained very thoroughly, everything she was
going to do to me, and about post-treatment
care before we began.
I started by having my face and chest cleansed
and then the local anesthetic was applied.
Kymberly was double gloved at all times,
everything was one-use only disposable and I
sort of felt like I was prepping for major surgery,
and even though that sounds scary, it gave
me an overwhelming calmness because I am
terrified of ending up being one of those women
on A Current Affair who went to a dodgy and
unsanitary salon and ended up with irreversible
skin damage, or gross infections and diseases.
Nope, this could not happen here, everything
was brand new, sterilized, etc.
We gave the anesthetic some time to work
before she bought out the weapon!... well the
dermapen. She showed me how tiny the needles
were and how deep they would go; about 2mm
and I wasn’t so scared anymore. And off we
went.
Seems I didn’t have wrinkles or acne scarring,
the facial procedure was mainly to achieve
plump, bright and rejuvenated skin. However,
I did have a chicken-pock mark from my
childhood, which Kymberly focused on, and by
this I mean, the rest of my face was completed
pretty quickly, a couple of glides over each
section, but this evil chicken-pock mark needed
longer spent on it. In order to get the best result
and reduce the depth of the mark, Kymberly
had to promote more bleeding in this area,
which didn’t seem like a big deal, because the
rest of my face didn’t incur much blood at all.
I’m not going to lie (again, honesty is key in my
writing), it hurt. It wasn’t unbearable, but it was
certainly uncomfortable. It felt hot. It felt like it
was beginning to burn. At this point I stupidly
asked Kymberly if the Dermapen was similar at
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all to a tattoo gun, to which she replied yes, and
I think my brain decided it now hurt more. But,
it was only about 60 seconds of pain and I would
definitely do it again if I had other scars like this,
and maybe even on this one. It has reduced, it
hasn’t completely disappeared, but obviously
deep scars take more than one treatment. But
with the amount it decreased with just that one
treatment, I am incredibly impressed. The most
painful parts on my face were definitely my nose
and forehead, this is because you have less skin
and fat there, and the needle gets closer to the
bone. All in all, painful, yes, but bearable yes.
I have included some extremely embarrassing
photos to show you what my face looked like
during the procedure. After Kymberly let me
shoot some selfies to show you guys, she cleaned
my face up and we got started on my bust.
I am a large chested girl and unfortunately
my breasts decided to grow at a rapid pace
when I was quite young. I remember being in
grade 4 in Primary School and going to school
swimming- I would get changed in the toilet
cubicle rather than the change room at the
leisure center because I was so embarrassed
being the only girl in my class who had
‘developed’. I’ve had a bad relationship with
my breasts pretty much my entire life, and
even if other people would “die” for my natural
size F’s, I have cried and would like nothing
more than to have them Dermapenned away
a little bit. But, I’ve got what I’ve got, and
unfortunately, the whole, quick-growing
big-breasts on a pre-teenage girl, means I
have stretch-marks. They aren’t horrendous,
they aren’t too noticeable, but I, obviously
notice them (and hate them) and I thought
it would be a good way to test the results of
skin needling on stretch marks. Although I
was incredibly nervous and shy about showing
even just my cleavage, (which is all I had to
Chantelle pre-needling Chantelle immediately post-needling
image by Chantelle White
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BEAUTY
show- you don’t need to remove your bra if
you just have stretch marks on the top), but
Kymberly was extremely professional, and also
came through with feminine understanding,
and it makes all the difference when you are in
an uncomfortable situation.
Result?....... Oh my goodness! Hallelujah!
*Happy dance* etc. The depth of the stretch
marks have already reduced sooo much. I will
admit I looked at them every day for about a
week after the procedure and was disappointed,
thinking it didn’t make any difference. But two
weeks on, and I can tell big-time! I also took
before and after pics, but I’m not going to show
them on an online publication for obvious
reasons. But let me tell you, there is a difference,
and when I have the money, I will be getting
repeat treatments until they are completely gone,
but I’m also noticing a bit more improvement
as weeks go on- I was also skeptical about the
whole “it will continue to promote collagen
production for months”…. Well it has! Also,
boobie skin needling isn’t nearly as painful as
on your face, that coming down to more fat
protecting the bone.
All in all I am really happy with my experience
and I will be doing it again in the future. Facial
wise I would like to work on removing my
chicken-pock scar, and I really, really enjoyed
the deep clean feeling so I would consider
having it done when my face feels a bit dull
and I know it will give me a boost for a good
few months. The only negatives I have come
up with on my pros and cons list is that 1.
I did incur a break out a few days after the
treatment, with really stubborn blind pimples
with no heads, which was really annoying, but
was explained to me before the treatment as a
possibility by Kymberly- as you probably know,
blind pimples are congested in the deeper
layers of the skin and this is what got exposed
via the needling method. And 2, the cost.
Skin needling requires high quality products,
medical grade tools and qualified practitioners.
That means, prices aren’t cheap. (A typical
treatment can cost anywhere between $250-
$350 depending on the area being treated)
However, if you have stretch marks, scarring
or wrinkles that you want to minimize or
eliminate I would definitely say it’s worth every
penny. For anti-aging prevention, it will work!
If you have the money and this is something
you desire, (and who doesn’t), then I would
say it is a good investment. For the benefits
of plump, bright skin for an event, it is quite
costly, but the only reason I am saying cost is
a negative, is because I think it worked really
well, I enjoyed it, well, the results at least and
want to get it again.
Chantelle looking bright
and glowy post-needling
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Wrapping it up
So, there you have it. I am
a skin-needling convert, and
I’m so glad. I hope my review
was helpful and answered
any questions you had about
skin needling or even helped
you decide whether it is
something for you or not.
Please remember, I am not a
qualified Dermatologist, and
I have insisted throughout
that you do your research,
find a trusted and qualified
professional before having
this treatment done.
A little about Kymberly and
Renew Skincare Studio
Kymberly has spent 18 years being a successful and well known
makeup artist, and has even had gigs doing makeup for commercial
television such as Dancing with the Stars on channel 7, but made
the switch to dermal therapies five years ago. “My decision to follow
a career path in makeup was to hide and conceal what women didn’t
want to show, for example, blemishes, scarring, pigmentation,
wrinkles etc., and to enhance their beautiful features to make them
feel confident, beautiful and sexy. I decided that rather than just
concealing these things that women don’t like about their skin, I’d
like to help change them so women can feel beautiful in their own
skin, even when they are not in a full-face of makeup. So my passion
of enhancing the skin took me back to Uni to study Nursing, and
then a Post-Grad degree in Cosmetic Nursing, so I could learn the
fundamentals of correcting imperfections like pigmentation, acne
scarring etc. with medical grade equipment and products. I feel like
my passion has stayed the same throughout my entire career, but
now I get to help women feel beautiful with the skin they are in, not
just the “face” we put on”.
I can highly recommend Kymberly and Renew Skincare Studio for
great customer service, friendly, welcoming and calming atmosphere
(which you want when you are about to have needles rolled all over
your face), and professionalism, cleanliness etc. She is currently
located in Melbourne’s North Western suburbs, but is in the midst
of opening a new store closer to the CBD.
To make an appointment with
Kymberly you can contact
Renew Skincare Studio on
0432 582 233 or kymberley@
renewskincarestudio.com.au
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MANAGING
CURLY HAIR CAN BE AN ABSOLUTE CURSE BUT LUCY IS
HERE TO SHARE HER TOP TIPS TO TAME A CURLY MANE
The struggle for girls with curly, thick hair is an everyday one. If you are a
member of the curly clique, I’m sure you can sympathise over the effort and
time it takes in order to make the luscious locks look presentable. Knots, frizz
and finding hair ties that can actually hold your hair together all come with
the territory of curly hair. For the girls who appreciate the pain of having to
get up an hour early to hair prep in the morning, here are some easy styles
that will tame your hair throughout the working week.
The natural look.
Start your week with minimal work to
your hair. Brush the night before getting
rid of knots. To fend off any morning frizz,
put some Moroccan oil through the ends
before you hit the streets.
To get rid of those pesky knots, try the famous
Tangle Teezer followed by a spritz of Bed
Head Foxy Curls Spray for a natural look.
Braid and bun.
Proven by the guru of
curly hair, Mary-Kate
Olsen, a front braid
with a bun at the back
can look classy and
sophisticated when
paired properly by the
right outfit. This style
is a quick easy do and
is appropriate for work
or just a casual catch up
with friends.
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by LUCY WISE-CHALKER
Fishtail braid.
Finally for the Friday
hair style, end the week
with a fishtail braid.
This will constrict most
hair back and can be
worn either curly or
straight.
Straight hair.
Straightened hair can be time
consuming for curly haired
girls so I recommend doing
it the night before and doing
a touch up in the morning.
Due to the time put into the
‘straight look, you’re going to
want it to last a few days.
For the ultimate straight
and sleek look,
try the GHD IV Styler.
Dealing with oil
If your hair begins to get oily after a
day or two, don’t worry! To hide any
oily bits, try a slicked back pony. The
oil in your hair will help make your
style look sleek and refined.
Tame any extra frizz with a slick of
Moroccan Oil Frizz Control Spray.
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FACE OF AUSTRALIA
Bronzing Loose Powder
This bronzer will give a shimmery, sun kissed
coverage that will last throughout the day. The
light weight of the bronzer will give a natural
look while also leaving your skin feeling clean
and fresh. The Face of Australia bronzer is ideal
for a body bronzer because of its glittery quality.
It can also be used for contouring, and is suitable
for most skin colours.
This bronzer is great for an everyday use and is
a top pick if you’re looking for value for money.
with a
by LUCY
WISE-CHALKER
26
NARS
Bronzing Powders
If you’re willing to spash cash
and spend a little extra on a
bronzer, try one of the offerings
from Nars. These bronzers
come in three shades; Laguna,
Irresistiblement and Casino.
From the three ,Laguna is the
most well-known Nars bronzer
due to its rich time and subtle illuminating quality. The Laguna bronzer
blends in fantastically with foundations and other makeup products, therefore
avoiding the tired cake face appearance.
BOBBI BROWN
Face & Body Bronzing Duo in Telluride
Not quite ready to completely throw away your blush?
Bobbi Brown is exactly what you need! The Bobbi Brown Duo
Bronzer is a perfect fit for adding a little extra colour to your
cheeks. This two-tone bronzer allows you to add extra colour and
pop to your cheekbones and achieve a beautiful, summery glow.
Swap your blush for a bronzer and trade your
pasty flustered look in for a Beyoncé glow. Bronzer
helps highlight facial features and instantly give
skin a warmer appearance with a few simple
strokes. If you want to warm up your winter, opt for
one of these great bronzers that will be sure to give
you model like cheekbones right away.
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BEAUTY
CARGO
Swimmables
Looking for a bronzer that will resist the notorious
unpredictable Melbourne weather? Look no further
than Cargo Swimmables Bronzer. Swimmables
Bronzer is a weather-proof and sweat-proof bronzer,
which means no more touchups. For an outdoors girl
or adventure type this will become your beauty savior!
Savvy
Mineral Baked Bronzers
Don’t be fooled by the low price, the Savvy
bronzer is a go-to for a night on the town.
The deeper browns and glittery elements of
this bronzer will add a pinch of sass to your
look. Again if you’re struggling to part with your
rosy cheeks, Savvy also have the ‘Radiance’ bronzer
which incorporates swirls of pink.
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Mitochondrial disease (mito) can
affect any organ in anyone of any age.
www.amdf.org.au
It is often terminal; there is no cure and
few effective treatments exist.
One Australian
child born each
week will develop
a severe or life-
threatening form
of mito.”
“
Jack
Mitochondrial disease (mito) can
affect any organ in anyone of any age.
www.amdf.org.au
It is often terminal; there is no cure and
few effective treatments exist.
One Australian
child born each
week will develop
a severe or life-
threatening form
of mito.”
“
Jack
29
30
31
by NAKITA MARENDAZ
A technique catapulted into the
spotlight by none other than Kim
Kardashian, there is no doubt that
you have all seen the images on
Instagram of makeup that can be
likened to war paint (pre-blending of
course). Despite the flawless finished
looks, these images probably leave
most women with the misconception
that contouring and highlighting is
extreme, highly difficult and best
left to the professionals.
Fear not ladies, as this guide will
provide you with a crash course in
contouring your face, sure to take
you from novice status to contour
connoisseur in no time. Although
we don’t all have a professional
makeup artist at our disposal to
chisel our cheeks to perfection every
day, with the right products and a
little practice you are still more than
capable of achieving great results.
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What to use
To start out we recommend using powder
products to contour rather than creams
or liquids, as they are easier to blend and
therefore more beginner-friendly.
The two golden rules of contouring:
• Useaproductthatiscompletelymatteand
contains NO shimmer whatsoever! The
purpose of contouring is to give definition
and shape to the face by creating the illusion
of shadows and as we know shadows are
not typically shimmery.
• The product should be cool to neutral
toned and not warm.
Your skin tone will determine whether you
go for a cool or neutral toned powder. Fairer
skinned women should opt for cool tones, as
they create the most realistic looking shadow
and look natural on their complexions.
Medium to deep skin tones are best suited
to neutral undertones, as more cool toned
shades can pull too grey and ashy.
As the focus is to sculpt the face through the
use of ‘shadows’, you should never use a warm
toned product to contour, as shadows are
cool and almost grey in colour. If you used a
warm bronzer for example, it would only add
colour but it would not give the appearance
of stronger bone structure, which is what
we want. Remember, the worst product you
could use to try and contour would be a
shimmery warm bronzer.
Products to try: A great bronzer that is
both matte and neutral toned is the Hoola
Bronzer by Benefit Cosmetics. It is extremely
blendable and is not too cool, too warm or
dark, allowing it to suit light to medium skin
tones.
Another standout is the Smashbox Step by
Step Contour Kit, which contains a trio of
contour, bronze and highlight shades as well
as an angled contouring brush. Not only is
this set great value and highly convenient
for travel, but the brush is a great shape for
beginners as it hugs the cheekbone and takes
out all the guesswork for you.
Technique
Where you first apply your brush is where
the product will apply the most heavily, so
begin at the outside of the face and blend
inwards. As a general guide for the cheeks,
start the contour at the top of the ear and
take it down to meet in a line with the outer
corner of the eye. If you blend it down any
further than this it can become muddy and
dirty looking around the mouth. Always
start with the least amount of product on
your brush, blend and build up as you go.
This will allow you to stay in control and
minimize any potential mistakes, as it is
always easier to add more than to take away.
You should always even out the contour and
hit different parts of the face as this creates
a much more even and natural appearance
than just contouring the cheekbones,
which can look quite stark and harsh on
its own. To complete the look, sweep your
brush across the temples and outside of the
forehead, as well as lightly along the jaw
line. That’s your everyday contour done
and dusted.
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BEAUTY
Highlighting
Contouring and highlighting are like peanut
butter and jelly: they just go better together.
Where as contouring creates definition
on the face by receding areas, highlighting
emphasizes and brings your features forward.
Both of these techniques work in unison to
enhance your natural face structure.
For a super natural look, highlight with a
concealer that is 2 to 3 shades lighter than
your foundation. Apply it on the areas of
the face where the light naturally hits, such
as the tops of the cheekbones and under
the eyes for a brightening effect (draw a
triangle under the eyes), as well as down the
bridge of the nose and on the Cupid’s bow.
Two concealers we highly recommend for
highlighting are the Nars Radiant Creamy
Concealer and the Maybelline Age Rewind
Concealer. The Kit Cosmetics Blender Sphere
is the perfect tool for blending out concealer
and it will soak up any excess product if
you happen to apply too much. Once the
concealer has been blended out, set these
areas with a lighter powder than you use for
the rest of your face to keep them looking
bright. If you set the highlighted areas with
your regular face powder it would defeat the
purpose of highlighting in the first place, as
the powder would make those areas the same
colour as the rest of your face.
To enhance your features even more, you
can also apply a shimmer highlight to the
same places. Mary Lou Manizer by the Balm
creates a beautiful glow on the skin and will
suit a variety of skin tones from light to
dark, a staple in every woman’s collection.
Use sparingly if your skin is prone to getting
oily throughout the day. Lightly blend your
highlight and contour together with blush to
achieve the most seamless finish.
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