*Note to readers: I
apologise for my absence in 2013. This year has been chaotic to say the least
however things are settling down and looking up. I cannot wait to get back into
the glossy world of Parlour and Loot!
We Australian lasses are undoubtedly lucky to live in a
world laden in excess but nowhere is this abundance of “stuff” as blatantly
clear as the beauty section of your local Priceline/David Jones/MECCA/Myer. Between the CC creams, tube-y mascaras, highlighters,
contouring palates, lip stains, gel pot liners, translucent finishing powders,
bronzing beads and cream blushes it can be tres
tempting for a cosmetics loving gal to use all her makeup wares at once. But
alas dear beauty, this tactic will only serve to leave your mug looking cakey
and over done when really the adjectives we should be striving for are FRESH,
POLISHED and EFFORTLESSLY STUNNING (sorry for shouting). I mean, nobody wants
to be the girl you avoid air kissing at a party because she leaves half her
“face” on the shoulder of your raw silk Zimmerman jumpsuit you spent half your
pay check on right?!
Don't do it, ok?
Now don’t get me wrong, in my younger years I played fast
and loose with the makeup rules. Sometimes even pairing a red lip with a smokey
eye (what a little rebel) but you see as I’ve hit my mid-twenties and spent
most of my professional career working in the beauty industry I’ve come to
realise that less really is more. My beauty
mantra is now, “work what yo mamma gave you” (minus the Will Smith inflection
of course). It’s all about enhancing your best features to make them pop
without going OTT on the products, this attitude towards makeup application is
universally flattering and won’t get you voted out of the Big Brother house.
Want some examples? Ok!
Are you in possession of naturally dark and/or thick brows? Have them professionally shaped (threading is my method of choice), trimmed and tinted for timeless appeal and face-framing-beautification. Work with your natural brow shape not against it, lean towards “natural looking definition” – a little more Miranda Kerr, a little less Katie Price. For at home maintenance and every day wear, invest in a waxy brow pencil or matte, cool-brown (no red-y tinge) eye shadow that matches the roots of your hair and a small angled brush for filling in any gaps. And don’t forget to slick those bad boys down with a spooly brush + hair spray for polished perfection that will allow you to get away with wearing a lot less makeup and still look ‘done’.
Doing a stellar example of this on a night out, two of my girlfriends Kadie and Zoe.
Maybe you’re lucky enough to belong to the Angelina Jolie club of plump pouted vixens? Then take care of those lush lips of yours! Do use a lip exfoliating scrub and wear a balm with SPF protection! Make sure to play with colours too, typically speaking dark or bold lip colours conspire to make pouts look thin, so pay thanks to the genetic gods and embrace true reds, hot pinks, deep plums and bright oranges!
My soul-sister Else, rocking a fuchsia lip at her birthday high tea earlier this year #babealert
We can’t all have naturally flawless skin but if there’s one thing I've learnt in my twenties and working for a cosmeceutical skincare company the past three years it’s that you can achieve a healthy, fresh looking complexion no matter what your skin type or concerns. Cleansing is crucial! Once in the morning and twice at night; first wash removes makeup, dirt and pollution while the second wash helps clear out pores and balance the skin, preparing it for your treatment products. Regular exfoliation changed my complexion woes for good. Soo many of us have underlying congestion that affects the texture and overall tone of your skin. I use a gentle powered exfoliant each morning made of fruit enzymes as opposed to the old school coarse scrubs which caused my oil-prone skin to breakout – eww! And last but not least, you really should be having facials once a month. You'll thank me when you're 50! Whether it be Microdermabrasion or a AHA/BHA peel, think of this as you would the treatment mask you put on your hair once a week (and I know you do this because Parlour & Loot readers are whip-smart and want shiny, Victoria Secret Modelesque locks), time consuming and sometimes costly but worth every single penny!
Me! Snatched from my Instagram account @tessstolly if you so wish to be social media friends.
It’s good to be back beauties, I promise on the butter-soft
leather of the Deadly Ponies Mr Caiman bag I plan to soon own, that I Tess
Stolarchuk will regularly post on P & L and do my very best to keep you
engaged and inspired after each visit.
Peace, love and makeup.
T
xx
