Winged Eyeliner Made Easy (or at least achievable)

Lauren Conrad - the queen of winged eyeliner.

Sounds like a simple enough concept right? However, according to my female friends, colleagues and family members this is one of the most daunting makeup looks one can attempt when standing in front of the bathroom mirror preparing for a night out.

This is a terrible shame beauties as few things make a woman look as pulled together and chic with just a hint of seductiveness as a well-winged eye.

Luckily, you don’t need to be a liquid liner pro or a make up artist to achieve this look. I’m going to talk you through it step by step and show you how easy it really is!

Tools:

·         black gel liner pot

·         thin angled brush

·         black liquid liner

·         volumising mascara

·         cue tips

·         eye makeup remover

 Suggested Prods:

M.A.C Fluidline in “Blacktrack” RRP: $32 available from major department stores or online at http://www.maccosmetics.com.au/

M.A.C Small Angle Brush 266 RRP: $39 available from major department stores or online at http://www.maccosmetics.com.au/

Face of Australia Liquid Eyeliner in “Black” RRP: $8.95 available from Priceline, Kmart and Big W  Australia wide. (I love this budget friendly find as the ultra-fine applicator creates precise definition to the shape of the eye.)

Diorshow Mascara in “Black” RRP: $52 available from major department stores and selected pharmacies.

Method:

Gently run your angled brush through the gel liner pot then remove any excess product by gently wiping on a tissue.

Starting at the inner corner of the eye, gently drag the brush along the lashline to the outer corner. You can do this in short strokes if you prefer.

Don’t make things more difficult for yourself - rest your elbow on a counter in front of your mirror. This will give you a steadier hand because the only movement possible will be at the wrist.

Then imagine an invisible line from the outside corner of your eye to the end of your eye brow. That becomes the angle for the wing/flick. With light brush strokes, slowly draw the wing at that angle.

Tip 1: The harder you press down on the brush, the thicker the line will be. This goes for liquid eyeliner too.

Now, using your liquid eyeliner, slowly and gently draw a second line over your gel liner handiwork.

By adding a second coating in the form of liquid you are defining the line without having to worry so much about getting the thickness of the line and angle of the wing correct. It also adds extra staying power as it dries over the first “gel’ line, setting it into place.

Ideally your liner should be a its thinnest in the inner corner of the eye and become gradually thicker towards the outer corner (achieve this by applying more pressure).

Tip 2: If your wing is too fat or slightly wonky, clean up the line with a cue tip soaked in a little eye makeup remover.  

Add two lashings of a volumising mascara to your top and bottom lashes and VOILA! Winged eyeliner perfection.

My handiwork.

If you have any other tips or tricks I’d love to hear them.

Coral kisses,

P & L x

Diamonds on my wrist whiskey on my tongue: The allure of the 1960s femme fatale

The 60s were a decade punctuated by historical milestones such as the Vietnam War, Beatles Mania, the Civil Rights Movement, the assassinations of both John F Kennedy and Martin Luther King and Woodstock.

It also signalled the emergence of a new type of woman, one who wholeheartedly embraced her feminine allure with brushed-out bouncy curls, flicked eyeliner and shit loads of mascara.

These were just a few key attributes served up on the beauty menu throughout the 60s and nobody did it better then the era’s finest femme fatales: Brigitte Bardot, Raquel Welch, Ursula Andress and of course Marilyn Monroe!

Brigitte Bardot

Raquel Welch

Ursula Andress

Marilyn Monroe

There is something incredibly desirable about the beauty looks these dolls were dishing out. The rouge was matte, powdered and perfectly applied. The hair was big, back combed and hairsprayed into submission.

Last year Beyonce paid homage to these vixens in her “Why Don’t You Love Me” film clip and more recently controversial Indy-Pop Goddess Lana Del Rey in her “Born to Die” video.

Beyonce "Why Don't You Love Me" film clip

 Still image from Lana Del Rey's "Born To Die" film clip

In my humble awesome opinion, I think both ladies did a stellar job evoking a charming 60s aesthetic. In a society where Snooki’s roam among us, cashing in on their “underwear is optional” catch-phrases, abusing fake tan and killing many a mink for their eyelashes I’d  prefer to go down the 60s route any day.

My prod picks for recreating these looks:

A smooth base and flawless finish is imperative for emulating some 60s glamour. Try MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation available in a whooping 32 shades RRP: $48.00 available online at http://www.maccosmetics.com.au

Get perfectly winged, sultry eyelids using Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in “Black Ink” RRP: $45.00 available from selected David Jones and Myer stores nationally.

These beauty looks were really about playing up the eyes, so go for a neutral lip with the likes of Natio’s Mineral Lip Colour in “Nude Peach” RRP: $15 available from Priceline stores nationally.

Tell me beauties, what beauty era do you covet?

  

WANTED: Neon Pastel “French” Manicure

Would you look at this manicure! How totally adorable without being over the top. I will be recreating this design ASAP using the following prods.

For the base I would go with a classic opaque nudey/pink like OPI’s "Bubble Bath” (every beauty ed’s go-to colour) RRP: $19.95 available from beauty salons and David Jones.

A crucial element to creating this look is making sure it’s neat. You can only get away with multi-coloured tips without looking like a tranny if everything else is looking perfect – this means well oiled, pushed back cuticles (I like CND cuticle oil), buffed nails and using french manicure tape to create perfect half moon shaped tips. I'll be using Manicare French Tip Tapes RRP: $3.25 available at Priceline and Myer. Obviously wait until your base coat is complete dry before applying the tape, I’d even do it the night before just to be safe!

Now for the fun part ... picking the tip colours! Australis has some very pretty shades including “Sweet Pea” a lovely minty green, and “Peek-A-Boo” a creamy pastel purple both RRP: $7.95 available at Target, Kmart, Big W, Priceline and selected pharmacies.

Nicole OPI in “Fresh Squeezed” – a juicy looking bright orange RRP: $14.95 available from Terry White Chemists.

BYS is doing some amazing Pastel Nail Polish hues right now. My picks are “Prima Ballerina” a milky coral/pink and "Anyone For Tennis" a hot acid green RRP: $4 available from Cosmetics Plus.

DIY nail art is MASSIVE right now albeit super time consuming! What are your thoughts ladies? Would you spend the better part of an hour decorating your talons for a holidays party or just cough up the $$$ for a professional nail job?

I got Lobbed!

1.       Lob

A long bob. Tis a bob that extends past the chin skimming the shoulders and collar bones. In the beauty industry this is known as the "lob." This length allows more opportunities for various hair styles. Made famous by Olivia Palermo.

I think it’s fair to say that for someone who loves following a great beauty trend, I’m a little late jumping on the Lob bandwagon. Why I waited so long I know not (I mean it’s such a fun bandwagon to be on, lots of shiny haired Lobby vixens flicking their dos’ about and asking Olivia and Lara Bingle for fashion tips).

A few weeks ago I finally decided to chop off my signature long, goldeny hair and replace my former mane with something a bit more grown-up, chic and easy to look after. You could say I got Lobbed!

Here's me with my old mane.

Having spent over a decade with long hair I found the first snip of the scissors quite terrifying. After all I had a lot of memories (read: favourite hairstyles – beach waves, side braids, voluminous buns) attached to that hair that I would no longer be able to perform A.L (After Lob) however the metaphorical and literal weight off my shoulders felt extremely freeing and I love the end result.

My ends look and feel incredibly thick, healthy and shiny. I mean when you think about it my old, long ends had been hanging about getting dry, brittle and scraggly for a good ten years – ewwww!

 So here was the end result ... 

I asked for a modern, blunt cut that was very slightly longer in the front and outer layers so that the hair would gently curve in rather than flicking out in a terrifying 90’s, layered way. This length is perfect for me as I can still whip it into a ponytail or top knot.

I’m currently caring for and styling my new Lob with: L’Oreal Intensive Repair Shampoo and Conditioner, Kerastase Chroma Thermique, David Babaii for Wildaide Bohemian Beach Spray, Kerastase Volumising Mask, L’Oreal Professional Volume Rich Techni Art Mousse and Moroccan Oil Light.

So tell me your thoughts beauties, have you ever had a kinda dramatic hair change and loved it? Or have you gone for it and hated the end result? (I had a cringe worthy incident in 2005 when I decided to dye my hair the darkest of dark browns and dad told me I looked like a goth but that's a story for another time!)

Trending: South of the Border

Hola amigos! Sorry it has been soooo long between tequila shots, oh how I've missed you. I am THRILLED to be back in action at P & L headquarters after a crazy-busy few months at work.

So, on to the reason we are all here. Every now and then you see a look/trick/trend that is so inspiring you just have to "have a crack" (what an awful expression) at emulating it. Having witnessed the Aztec inspired ombre eyeshadows, nail art, hair feathers, bags and prints and that have been popping up on blogs and in magazines for the best part of 2011 I decided to stop resisting and give in to my inner Aztec.

Here’s a visual reference to what I’m talking about ...

Maybe it’s because summer is just around the corner but I am seriously diggin’ the quirky prints and carefree, mismatched colour schemes.

I decided to get a little crafty and try out some Aztec-inspired nail art on my paws and this was the end result.

I used Face of Australia Brights Nail Enamel in “Show Pony” for the blue, BYS Basic Colour Collection in “Coral Sea” for the orangey/red, Sportgirl’s Nail It in “Milkshake” for the earthy brown and BYS Nails Art Lacquers in Black and White for the detailing. (All of these polishes are under $8 each!)

As you can see I got a bit excited and applied my clear top coat too soon streaking all my hard work! Meowwww L

Hint: This requires a very steady hand, attempt before your morning caffeine fix.

What are your thoughts beauties? Do you love or loathe the Aztec trend?

I want MOR!

Every now and then you come across a skincare product that not only provides the basic functionality that it claims to perform on the label (many fail dismally on this point!) but also produces additional benefits, smells delicious and is packaged beautifully.

Mor’s Candied Vanilla Almond Body Butter is one of these rare prods that deliver beyond expectations.

MOR Emporium Black Collection - Candied Vanilla Almond Body Butter RRP: $29.95

Let’s start with scent. It’s fragrant and sweet without being overpowering and over-staying its welcome i.e masking your perfume and rubbing onto fabric and stubbornly refusing to dilute after five hours. Think fresh toasted almonds with vanilla over tones – REAL vanilla pod smelling overtones, none of the sickly fake, toilet spray smelling stuff. What MOR says about it – Candied Almonds blended with Sugar Blossom are decadently layered upon a base of smooth vanilla to create this sweetly sophisticated fragrance.

Consistency. Smooth and velvety minus the oily residue that I detest in most rich moisturisers/body butters. This stuff feel lush and opulent to the touch! However I will say that its rich, creaminess did make it slightly more difficult to spread across larger areas like the legs so that I ended up using quite a lot of product per application.

Moisturising capability. After using every second night for two weeks straight I noticed a real improvement in the quality of my skin’s elasticity and overall hydration. My skin felt plumper and softer in all my weird dry patches – elbows, knees, heels which is exactly the result I was after.

Available from David Jones, Myer and select retailers

All in all I would rate this body butter 9/10. Perfect for when I’m wanting to indulge in some luxury instead of my everyday $10 a pop multi-use moisturiser. Loved it!

Tell me my lovely P & L readers, do you have a favourite body moisturiser?

Will you be switching brands and/or products now that we are officially in Spring?

khaki nails and cool cats

Gosh today has been an utter drag! I know it's bad blog manners to start off on such a negative note BUT please indulge me a little and allow me to point out a few reasons why many of us dread the start of the work week.

1.   Mondays will often bring PERFECT WEATHER with them, which makes being in an office seem extra bleak and cause one to have a “why am I working for a massive corporation and not being more liberal/creative/unconventional in my career path?” moment. OR it will be pouring rain with a chilly wind thrown in for good measure which makes it unusually difficult for usually spritely women to get their asses’ outta bed.

2.   Upon stumbling into work and switching on the computer, I have somehow acquired 40 emails since Friday. Twenty two of which have those annoying “high priority” red flags attached. Ugh. Double ugh.

3.   Because it’s Monday, it’s back to healthy/sensibly eating (consisting of dark green veggies and freshly harvested grains), meaning that four slices of delicious soft cheese, three olives, two delicate sheets of weirdly named but tastily cured Spanish meat and a few (small) glasses of wine does not constitute as “a well balanced meal” between the days of Monday-Friday.

     All of these things contribute to making me feel a bit gloomy and I like to look at things that brighten my mood. Things like ... cats. I know, I know, apparently I am unmarriable because of my preference for furry, whisker wearing things over large, bounding dogs.

MEOWWWWWWW.

Something else uplifting? Wearing my NEW nail varnish! On the weekend I picked up two hues from BYS’s massive wall of colour – it almost makes it harder picking the good from the bad when faced with so much choice. I settled on a muted khaki green/grey suitably named Army Chic and a bright orangey/red called Coral Sea.

Army Chic - Looks a bit like Chanel's Khaki Vert yes? But about 1/8 of the price!

Coral Sea

RRP: $4 - Available from K-mart

At $4 a bottle these babys are well worth their weight in gold coins. Army Chic came out highly pigmented in one coat and I honestly could have left it at that however a double slick of colour, clear top coat and few drops of OPI's Drip Dry added some depth and a flawless looking finish with zero streaking.  I haven’t tried Coral Sea out properly yet except for one nail however it too looked highly desirable.

One tip I will give you is to make sure to try out the tester of the colour you are eyeing as some of the neon ones were very transparent.

Army Chic in the flesh ... You know how some people get told they have the hands of a piano player? Well I'm not one of them so I apologise for my dismal hand modelling skills.