Chemical or Physical Facial Sunscreen? Which to Choose and Why.

With summer only a matter of weeks away it’s time to get serious about sunscreen.

No, that measly SPF 15 in your BB cream is not enough to protect you and your gorgeous young mug from premature ageing!

You need the strong stuff and you need to be wearing it errday, over the top of your serum/moisturiser and under your BB cream/ tinted moisturiser/ foundation.

Why? Because it will prevent burning, halt pigmentation in its ugly tracks (those horrible brown spots commonly found on your cheek bones and upper lip – if you’re on the pill) and stop premature ageing.

As most of you now know, I work for a skincare company so nobody’s more familiar than I with the particularly high-pitched, somewhat hysterical tone emitted from a skin therapist when explaining to a client how important sun protection is to ensure you stay looking beautiful darllllllling.

A cute hate and some good quality sunnies to protect those peepers is also a must!

Lazing by the pool a few Sundays ago ...

So, should you be using a chemical or physical sun block? Or a slinky hybrid containing both?

Here are the facts. 

Chemical

Chemical sunscreens work by absorbing or sometimes scattering the UV rays. 

• A chemical sunscreen must go directly onto clean skin, and will take 20 minutes to work.  
• They are supposed to be better at the UVA (ageing) protection.

• They utilise well, chemicals, such as: Octylcrylene, Avobenzone,Octinoxate, Octisalate, OxyBenzone and Homosalate and Helioplex to absorb or scatter the UV rays.

• There has been some worry that some of these filters may cause free radical damage.

• It should also be noted if pigmentation is on the top of your Skin Concerns list that chemical sunscreens can actually trigger pigmentation – what the flying feck!

My top picks:

Ultraceuticals Ultra Protective Daily Moisturiser Mattifying SPF 30+ (Octylcrylene + Avobenzone) RRP: $65

 Alpha-H Protection Plus Daily SPF 50+ (Octylcrylene + OxyBenzone) RRP: $59.95

Physical 

A Physical (or mineral) sunscreen reflects UV rays off the skin without allowing it to be absorbed at all.

• Physical sunscreens should be applied on top of your other skincare products but before makeup and start working immediately. They are better at UVB (burning) protection, but so long as you pick a broad spectrum prod you’re covered. (Or, choose a hybrid with some chemical sunscreens and some zinc oxide.)

• Physical sunscreens use zinc oxide or/and titanium dioxide to physically block the UV from getting to the skin. Remember zinc from your school days? Vile green or hot pink non-spreadable lard. Modern Day micronized zinc is transparent (ohh fancy) so it won’t leave you looking like Casper after application.

• For the most part they should not cause irritation which is why the organic skincare brands sell physical sunscreens. However if they do cause you to break out, it’s likely the titanium dioxide that’s causing havoc, not the zinc oxide.

My top picks:

 O Cosmedics Mineral Pro SPF 30+ (Zinc Oxide) RRP: $45.00

 

 Coola Mineral Face SPF 30+ Matte Finish (Zinc Oxide + Titanium Dioxide) RRP: $40.00

Personally, I prefer a physical sunscreen as my pigmentation has been causing me some bother of late. 

Which do you prefer? Why?

 

I would love to hear your thoughts beauties. 

T xx

Seeing Red

Classic, elegant and versatile. Done well, a red lip ups the va-va-voom factor by about oh say, 2046%.

But before getting all gung-ho with your lippy, checkout these simple guidelines to help you achieve a beautifully made up pout.

Me wearing M.A.C Ruby Woo

Cautionary note from author:

Please use your smarts beauties. No applying red lipstick casually in the back of a cab or when you’re rushing out the door. This is when many enter the high-risk zone for the Lipstick Cardinal Sins as stated below.

• ·   Bleeding or “feathering” into the fine lines around the mouth
• ·   Unsightly smears around the mouth area #hotmess
• ·   Rouge all over your teeth! Eww T.A.C.K.Y

The Rules

Exfoliate and Moisturise

Don’t even think about putting that lipstick near your pretty little mug until you’ve exfoliated the dead skin from your lips. Use a lip exfoliant or gently buff using your tooth brush – sound weird but trust me on this. Then generously apply lip balm, something with actual medicinal properties like Carmex. Dry, cracked and flaking lips won’t hold colour for long. Once you’ve applied thoroughly, dab off the extra moisture with a tissue.

Outline

Outlining your lips will keep the colour from running and looking like a hot mess. When finding your signature red, look for a lip liner in a matching shade. You can also buy invisible liners now too - ahh makeup sorcery, you never cease to amaze me!

Lipstick

Apply your lipstick evenly and generously. If using a semi-matte or hydrating lipstick, apply it from the centre of the lips and move outwards, then fill in the edges with lip liner moving from the corners to the centre of the lips. Both lipstick and lip liner will glide on easily for a smooth finish. If you favour a matte pout, apply your colour with a steady hand (before coffee/three tequilas) using a lip brush to follow the natural shape of your lips.

Concealer

Delicately apply just a little bit of concealer around your lips using a concealer brush. This will not only keep the colour from smearing, but will also really make the red pop!

Suck It

Your finger that is! This removes any build up of colour on the inside of your lips which often causes lipstick-on-your-teeth awkwardness to occur.

Optional Extras: Gloss or Translucent Powder

You can finish off your dramatic red lip with a tiny bit of gloss patted into the centre of the pout to enhance the colour and add fullness. Otherwise, use the lightest sweep of translucent setting powder for extra staying power.

Other Lippy Tidbits

Let your pout behave like an attention whore Miley Cyrus by keeping the rest of your makeup minimal. A lightweight hydrating foundation, filled in brows, a swipe of mascara and some bronzer is all you need.

If you're looking to make teeth appear whiter, choose a red with blue undertones.

As a general rule of thumb (or elbow) those with warm complexions generally suit corals and orange-based reds while cooler complexions suit more blue-based “true” reds. That said, it really comes down to trial and error to find your perfect red!

Here are my top red lipstick picks grouped into orange-based reds and blue-based reds:

Orange-Based Reds

NARS Lipstick in Heatwave

Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge d'Armani Lipstick in 401

 

Miranda Kerr

RiRi

Blue-Based Reds

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Kate #1
M.AC. Lipstick in Ruby Woo

Jessica Alba

Kate Bosworth

So tell me Parlour and Looters, do you have a signature red lipstick you can't live without? 

Please, share with the class.

T xx

Messy Hair Don't Care

It’s time to get dirrrrrty.

Yep, just like Christina Aguilera circa 2002, ass-less chaps and all. I kid, I kid. I much prefer the ‘ole g-string and cowboy boots look. Ok stop, let’s be serious for a minute because I am of course talking about HAIR here people! Long, short, curly, wavy and poker-straight.

It’s time to put the gritty back into pretty.

Cara Delevinge

There’s something about the slightly unkempt, slept-in look that’s quintessentially model-esque. Cara Delevingne, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller are prime examples of this. However the trend has been around for years and years. Brigitte Bardot in the 1960s defined her image with sexy, bed-head blonde locks, distinguishing herself from the likes of Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, who all sported exhaustively polished ’dos.

Sienna Miller

The early 2000s’ boho chic trend brought back the style once more, with the likes of Mary-Kate Olsen and Nicole Richie showing off their messy manes for the paparazzi.

Mary-Kate Olsen

The key to this look is don’t try too hard! Sounds obvious right? Teasing and too much product will leave one looking more like a bin lady come swamp-creature rather than the daughter of an 80s rock star/heiress. 

Here are my tips and tricks for achieving the look effortlessly.

I’m ALLLL Natural Baby

Wash your locks in the PM, sans conditioner. One of the key attributes to this look is that the hair look “piecey” with the strands slightly “clumped” together. Give a quick blast of the hair dryer changing the direction frequently to create volume. Sleep with slightly damp hair, on a pure silk pillowcase (mine’s from www.slip.com.au in Caramel) to avoid any static. These are also great for eliminating those horrible crease marks on your face you wake up with. For those of you with really straight hair like moi, style it into a low, loose braid for extra texture. Use your fingers to comb through in morning and finish by flipping hair over and spritzing with a light-hold volumising hair spray. Hola Lara Bingle!

Me, freshly messed'

Customized Sea-Salt Spray

Sea salt causes the fibers of your hair to naturally separate and clump. Your hairdresser will never tell you this, but you don’t actually need to buy sea salt spray. You can make it at home, and even customize the recipe according to your hair type (oily, dry, etc.) making it more natural and cost effective oh la la!

Buy an empty 12-oz spray bottle from Chemist Warehouse, fill it with warm distilled water or actually sea water, and mix in these ingredients:

·         1 tsp of sea salt

·         2 tbsp of epsom salt (for more for extra texture and hold)

·         1 tsp of aloe vera gel

·         A few drops of coconut, almond or jojoba oil (for moisture)

·         A few drops of essential oils or a spritz of your favorite perfume (optional)

Shake it vigorously before spraying on shampooed hair. Scrunch up your hair as it dries. The spray can dry out your locks, so wash it off in the evening and apply conditioner to avoid hair damage.

If you’re a time-poor lass and can’t be assed with brewing your own, my favourite salon sea salt spray is Kevin Murphy Hair Resort Spray. 

KM Hair Resort Spray RRP: $34.95.

Thanks for reading beauties have a fab weekend!

T xx

Baring It All! What Your 20s Are For ...

*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

Light It Up Like Missoni S/S13 with Neon Lips

There’s little I like more than an unexpected pop of colour to really pull together an outfit or beauty look.

My love of a coral lip is well documented throughout this blog however even I was pleasantly surprised by the intensity of the super-hot neon pouts stomping down the runway at the Missoni S/S13 show.

Lips coloured hot pink and warmed up with orange/coral tones were handcrafted by make up genius Lucia Pieroni. But don’t get your hopes up beauties; this custom shade won’t be available for retail purchase.

"I wanted it to have a felt tip effect so I've mixed MAC pigment in orange, pink and white,” said Pieroni.

The moral of the story? Sometimes no matter how hard you might fall in makeup lust, the product(s) may be unavailable in your country (like my favourite lilac nail polish I bought in a pharmacy in France) or be a limited edition prod.  If you can no longer buy your favourite shade of gloss, polish or in this case with Missoni, the tangible product does not exist, simply mix it up! All you need is an old gloss pot, or even a jar lid, a cuticle stick (for stirring) and a lip brush. And your perfect pout is mere seconds away.

 

 

I will be attempting to re-create the above look using a mixture of Innoxa Couleurs D’ete in Tangerine (bright, matte orange), Revlon Colorburst in Magenta (fuchsia-pink) and Topshop Lipstick in Ooh La La (neon, pale coral).  

A dusting of bronzer is the perfect complement to a neon lip as it further enhances the brightness of the eyes, the whiteness of the teeth, and a healthy, youthful glow. Finish with a swipe of black mascara to define the eye and you’re ready for Spring!

Speaking of Springtime neon’s, here is a happy snap of my girlfriends and I at the races last week. I’m in love with this bright coral maxi from ZARA!

 

Tell me beauties, are feeling the neon hues for Spring/Summer?

Want more? follow me on Instagram: TESSSTOLLY

xxx

Bali Hai ... Where the sky meets the sea

I sincerely hope one of you lovely Parlour and Loot readers either A) studied music in high school or B) enjoys watching old musicals and are therefore catching on to the South Pacific musical reference going on above. If not, then sorry for boring you with such trivia however this is the tiny space on the net I can call my own so I can drop as many obscure 1940s show tune references as I want. Right?!

Random Fact: The song Bali Hai actually has nothing to do with Bali or in fact the country of Indonesia.

Any hoo, I actually am off to Bali on Tuesday for ten days so I decided to post some lush beach beauty images that will serve as inspo for my holiday looks while in Bali, plus my must-have beauty guide for any tropical holiday.

Skin

I work for a skincare company, so it has been absolutely drilled into my head day-in-day-out how damaging the sun is on the elusive fountain of youth. This means that if you don’t want to look like a total hag by the time your thirty five then you better slip, slop, slap like it’s going out of fashion when spending time in the sun. I love Le Tan’s Coconut 30+ Lotion because it’s light, non-greasy and moisturising with no white residue and it absorbs fast. It also has a lovely, subtle coconut fragrance. Winner!  

Hair

Sea Salt Spray – Going with the flow of your mane is the motto one must heed to while on a beach get away so I plan to embrace this fully by swapping my Kerastase shampoo for the ocean and adding some oomph with David Babaii Bohemian Beach Spray. Spray -> scrunch -> go!

Nails

This one is a no brainer! Shellac all the way babyyyyyy, I don’t want to be worrying about pesky things like a chipped manicure while busy lounging by the pool. I’m thinking Romantique (a lovely, creamy French pink) for my nails and something bright and fun like Tropix (a fiery, hot coral) for my toe nails.

Makeup

This is where most gals go wrong when on holidays. There’s absolutely no need to be taking your Diorskin Forever Foundation ok?! It will look heavy, overdone and end up melting off anyways so leave that one at home and find a good tinted moisturiser or BB Cream with SPF in it. I quite enjoy Garnier’s Miracle Skin Perfector. If you are a shiner lass like me with combination or oily skin then feel free to take a mineral pressed powder for touch ups. I go between Youngblood’s Pressed Mineral Foundation and GloMinerals Pressed Base Foundation. Now all you need is waterproof mascara (I still dig Maybelline’s Full and Soft waterproof mascara in Blackest Black) and a good lip stain/tint, may I suggest Benefit’s ChaChatint – a divine peachy coral that you can also use on your cheeks  and you are set.

So go on! Embrace your inner Brooke Shields circa Blue Lagoon and go for voluminous hair, flawless bronzed skin and a pouty mouth.

I plan on pairing all this beauty goodness with chunky gold jewellery and a whole lotta floral prints.

Terima kasih (thank you) for reading!

Have a fabulous weekend y’all xx

If you ever find yourself in France ...

Over the Christmas holidays of 2011/2012 I spent a week and a half in Paris indulging in far too much fromage, fresh baked croissants and divine French wine. Between trolling the back streets of the Marais and Latin Quarter for vintage fur stoles and taking the metro to the famous St-Ouen flea markets (take metro line 4 to Porte de Clignancourt) in search of bric-a-brac, I also managed to score some impressive beauty buys.

Typical tourista!

In France, the shop signage that sends ripples of excitement and anticipation through me is not the black interlocking double-C of Chanel, nor the beige-on-chestnut LV monogram of Louis Vuitton, but the simple, ubiquitous, green cross of the pharmacy.

French pharmacies are worlds away from their Australian counterparts. For starters they ALL seem to be staffed by elegant, quintessential French women who have an unmistakable air of knowledge when it comes to the serious business of skincare. I say serious because French women view skincare as much more of a necessity than makeup and their pharmacies reflect this.

French products are not marketed as indulgences, or fun things to cheer oneself up with after a hard week. Skincare products in France are like prescriptions, mandatory items that a woman must have to preserve a certain quality of life, a human right almost.

That said I am indeed Australian and therefore spent approximately 4.5 hours at Sephora on the Champs-Élysées elbow deep in the best cosmetics buffet Europe has to offer.

I’ll stop waffling on now and give you my five must-have products if you ever find yourself in a French pharmacy.

1.       Remove

Bioderma Sebium H2O, this is the sister product of Creolin H20 – a staple in any serious makeup artists kit, or so I’m told. I chose the Sebium H20 as this hybrid makeup remove/toner is formulated for oily/combination skin and is used to regulate sebum and purify the epidermis. The Bioderma company from Lyon, France was developed closely with dermatologists and was the first independent laboratory that catered to French dermatologists. 

This cleansing water is soap free, non-foaming and no rinsing is required. The solution is very soothing yet refreshing. I like the idea of a quick swipe with a cotton pad on those lazy nights in front of Made in Chelsea.

Unlike most skincare products for oily skin, the skin is left moist and supple with no pulling or tightness. The good news? It’s only like 13 Euro. The bad? You can only buy it in France. If anyone has found an online shop where it is available then please do share as I am almost out!

2.       Replenish

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, this beloved moisturiser is a staple in most French beauty addict’s closets. In 2007, over 10 Million tubes were sold and this milestone was commemorated with a limited edition vintage tube.

Truthfully, the luxe cream was a bit rich for my combination skin during the Australian Summer months but now that it’s turned quite brisk, my complexion and I are really enjoying it. The cream penetrates deeply and does not make the skin feel at all greasy. It provides serious hydration yet makes your skin feel light and soft. Some have compared this prod as a lighter version of the La Mer - oh la la! This is another France only non-export but you can find it online.

3.       Hydrate

Caudalie Grape Water. Yes I am all about aerated facial sprays and cleansing water whatnots. When travelling I always like to pick this one up: very calming and refreshing on the skin and I admit I love the phrase ‘grape water’ as much as anything else.

4.       Repair

Now for you ladies who are eternal suffers of cracked, dry lips (most of us probably are thanks to our obscene beauty blogger lipstick collections – we all know how drying they can be!) Dermophil Indien is truly the “bees knees” when it comes to fixing a chapped pout.

The tube is large, medicinal-looking and unbreakable. The smell is pleasant and the hydration is incomparable to other lip balms. This is not your pretty, “my lips feel dry and I need some subtle luminescence,” oh no, Dermophil Indien is serious! My only complaint is that it is so hydrating that if you use too much, you can get a white smear on the lips. One pass is enough.

5.       Nourish

Probably the most well known French beauty product in existence - Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (Multi-usage Dry Oil) I could take a bath in this stuff. Put it on your dry elbows, massage it into your cuticles, slather it on your décolletage and legs. This dry oil is easy to spread and fast absorbing, no greasy film is left as it softens and moisturisers the skin and hair – genius!  This one is available from a range of online shops.