Homegrown beauty for the perfect photo finish

I am VERY excited about the new Australis makeup range, Paparazzi Perfect, due to hit beauty counters nationwide on April 1st. As a just-graduated-on-a-first-year-PR-chic-salary, I am a huge fan of Australian made, affordable cosmetics and Australis have really turned it on in recent years. Now they've come up with a range promising to make you look like Erin Wasson in photos! Ok, maybe I added that last bit, but hey a girl can hope.

With the babelish Tahyna Tozzi coming on board as the first ever brand ambassador in 2009, there was a noticeable shift in emphasis to trend based, quality products (which is exactly what I’m after). The Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick was one of the first products that really got me hooked; with SPF 15 and essential jojoba, evening primrose and avocado oils starring on the ingredient list, this is an extremely comfortable wear lipstick that lasts for hours and boasts a gorgeous assortment of colours. My (and my friend Katie’s) personal favourite is an ultra flattering nude shade called Mambo. I’m also a sucker for 90s cranberry coloured lips, so Boogie Woogie – a deep plum shade is another winner in my big brown eyes.

Above: Brand Ambassador Tahyna Tozzi, Below: Australis Colour Inject Mineral Lipstick available from Target, Priceline, Big W and Kmart RRP: $12.95

But back to the new prods! I did a little research and stole borrowed these pics from Cherie's blog The Daily Gloss on Primped, from the Paparazzi Perfect launch held in Sydney last week for the beauty editors. The range consists of Paparazzi Perfect blush, eyeshadow, foundation and tinted moisturiser.

Images courtesy of PRIMPED. Above: Paparazzi Perfect Eyeshadow RRP: $15.95, Below: Paparazzi Perfect Tinted Moisturiser also RRP:$15.95

I can't wait to get my grubby little mitts on the eyeshadows which look simply delightful with their diamond pattern. Available in four palettes: Snap Attack, Totally Busted, Frock & Roll and A-Lister Sister. The tinted moisturiser also looks to be a real gem, promising to feature light-reflecting properties combined with sapphire and pearl powder to create a sheer complexion that corrects imperfections (we all need help in that department from time to time). This will be available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Dark.

So what's the verdict beauties? Will you be stocking up come April 1st?

Tangerine dreaming and a healthy dose of silver

There’s nothing I like more than an orangey/burnt-tangerine polish to bring out the leftover traces of a summer tan. Here is an example featuring my stumpy, undelicate childlike hand and my favourite lion-creature ring I picked up in Bali last July.

 Image courtesy of my iphone

When rockin’ the orange talons and golden skinned look ‘tis much better to stick with silver jewellery, so that one does not end up looking like a “working girl” from Atlantic City.

Sportsgirl is doing some amaze-a-balls silver boho pieces at the moment that work just divinely for dressing up an otherwise plain (and maybe boring) black dress. Starting at around a $30 price point I was thrilled w/ the selection on display and fell in love with this silver and turquoise necklace that reminds me of one of those Native American dream catchers you hang above the bed. 

Sportsgirl Aztec Turquoise Pendant RRP: $29.95, Rimmel polish in Tangerine Queen

RRP: $5.95 (Please excuse the face! I felt like an even bigger tool smiling).

On another note, even though it's still SUPER humid on the coast today, following on from New York Fashion Week's (Feb 10-17) Fall/Winter looks I got a bit excited and tried a berry coloured lipstick on the weekend. This was quite a big step for me as I usually favour a dark eye over a dark lip. Stay tuned in the next few days for a post on that experiment!

What about you beauties? Anyone been trying out any new looks lately? Please, share with the class.

New York City, where the girls are mean but oh so pretty.

Ain’t that the truth! Most of us got our first eyeful of New York thoroughbred, Ms Olivia Palermo (don’t think she’d be cool with me calling her Liv just yet) as the Hermes toting, LV wearing, eye rolling biatch on Hill’s spin-off, The City (2008). Despite her mean-girl persona, Palermo quickly became the darling of the fashion world for her impeccable style and flawless hair and makeup. These recent shots of her in Spanish magazine, Vanidad, clearly show why her look is coveted by thousands of fashionistas and bloggers alike worldwide.

Images courtesy of Hills Freak blog.

A key component to attaining (and maintaining) a flawless finish to your makeup like Palermo, is making sure it stays in place all day without sliding off or becoming oily and patchy looking – a huge no-no for any self-respecting socialite. This can be easily achieved with a translucent setting powder. I currently adore Inika Mineral Setting Powder, which really works to keep oily skin matte during the balmy Australian summer. With a loose powder texture containing mica and calcium, this powder can be applied prior to foundation to absorb excess oil and diminish the appearance of large pores, or applied after foundation for shine control that sets foundation to leave a matte finish.

Inika Mineral Setting Powder, buy online at 

http://www.inikacosmetics.com RRP: $39.95

Hot tip: When I’ve completed my makeup I also like to apply a very thin layer over my bronzer, blush, illuminator and all to set everything into place – Just don’t use too much as the fine consistency of the powder can build up in the tiny lines of your face making them look much more pronounced then usual.

“We are the weirdos Mr.”

A pale base coupled with heavy black eyeliner is the trademark of any self respecting goth-girl. Multiple piercings and an inclination for categorising blood as a food group won’t hurt the image either. Just joshin’! After all, it’s those kinds of negative assumptions that kept the idea of "goth" as a fashionable and inspirational concept out of the mainstream beauty/fashion world for so long. My first inkling that the goth look may not be so freaky but actually, dare I say, sexy-with-a-hint-of-mystery was watching the 1996 teen hit The Craft at a year seven sleepover. Those Craft gals sure did a favour for the hotness factor of witches everywhere.

Bonnie, Nancy, Sarah and Rochelle - The Craft

A more modern interpretation of this style has been revived and revamped (ha) in recent years thanks to our good friends from Forks and thousands of teenage girls all over the globe. As a result of having a Ukrainian father and Australian mother, I have the type of olive skin that when kept away from the sun’s ageing rays goes a weird yellowy colour instead of a creamy, delicate white. This said, the goth look has never really been my cup of tea (I prefer T2’s French Early Grey) however when embraced with a modern centre part, black colour palate broken up with rich blues , fiery reds and thick face-framing brows I am ALL for it. Would you just look at these bad-ass babettes below, what minxes!  

Images courtesy of Oracle Fox

If you are interested in giving this style a whirl and trying an eyeliner that will not only stay put all day, but have you looking all come-hithery, then you must try MAC’s Eye Kohl in ‘Smolder’. This soft kohl pencil is ideal for doing your waterline, and will really make your eyes pop no matter if you have baby blues or dark and stormy browns. Now, just to be clear, “waterlining” is when you apply liner to your inner lash line. This is achieved by gently pulling down the bottom eye lid and lining in that damp, fleshy bit between the lashes and the eyeball – sounds gross but has the effect of giving you sultry eyes like Mila Kunis.

MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder, available from Myer RRP: $32.00

Mila at this week’s SAG Awards, image courtesy of Primped

Note: Parlour and Loot was ecstatic to find out that Mila Kunis is Ukrainian! Totally going to claim this and try find out if we are distantly related. I kid, I kid. Well sort of …

Will the blondes in the back row please stand up

Before you go rushing into your hairdressers asking for a block colour semi to fight the effects of too much summertime saltwater, sun exposure, chlorine and being far too lazy social to maintain weekly treatments, check out these pink pouted/honey-hue tressed vixens.

Image courtesy of They All Hate Us

Now, hair like THIS doesn’t come easy, and YES they most definitely would have had a hair stylist on hand to help them look this delightful, but there is a way to cheat this, “my hair is oh-so-shiny even though I'm blonde, don’t you just want to run your fingers through it?” look at home.

Schwarzkopf Extra Care 10 Carat Shine Gloss Finish Spray. This stuff is genius! Just brilliant and sooo easy to use. If like me, you have straight annoyingly flat hair, spray this wonder gloss onto towel dried hair and comb through to ensure even distribution before styling as usual (applying onto dry hair is just plain silly for us flatheads as it will look all greasy like you didn’t just spend 45 minutes washing and drying to goddess like perfection).

For those of you with some enviable curl, tame that mane per your normal routine then spritz 10 Carat Spray sparingly from 20-30cm away and watch your hair sparkle as heads turn in your wake.

RRP: $8.99



Available at Priceline for just nine clams, this prod is a steal and extremely easy way to attain perfect-girl-hair for a night.

So tell me beauties, do you have any fail-proof remedies for making your hair shine?

LEAPIN' LEOPARDS

You’d have to be unconscious not to have noticed  the influx of leopard print clothes and accessories stomping the sidewalks, and taking up most of the rack space at Sportsgirl (selfish or what!) as we made our way through 2010.

Breezing on into the New Year, my leopard lustings are still alive and badgering me to feed them, even though they just had a vintage bangle and raw silk scarf. Here's some leopard inspo I’m seriously coveting today.

This last one is of me doing my best impression of 'daytime-leopard' at

 Sunset Sounds 2009. Images courtesy of We Heart It, Oracle Fox, Polyvore and Moi.

What's metallic green, French in origin and unavailable till February?

Whether it be J-Lo and her long term relationship with bronzer and a nude lip, Olivia Palermo’s perpetually perfect EVERYTHING or Taylor Momsen’s heavy-handed black eyeliner, most gals have a signature beauty look they’re famous for within their circle. My own title would probably be something along the lines of, oh I don’t know, the Nail Polish Queen. This is something I am a tad OCD about, sometimes changing the colour up to three times per week (I know).

Luckily for me, 2010 was a stand out year for nails; from dove greys, to the taupe/beige days to metallic gold, however no trend was so widely embraced as Chanel’s powder blue hue, Riva. Since the models were sent down the runway at the Cruise 2010/11 show with pale blue painted talons, there have been dozens of imitations available. At one point you couldn’t walk into a bar in Brisbane or Sydney without knocking over three balayage haired, YSL Arty Oval Ring wearing babettes donning blue nails. For this Mr Karl Lagerfeld, we thank you.

My brighter, turquoise-y take on the trend with Orly Gumdrop (from the Sweet Collection) RRP: $18.95

Chanel has undeniably stepped over the traditional nail brands (in its stacked clogs) to take the crown of Trendsetter For Polishes, with its latest “IT” colour being unveiled at the Spring/Summer 2011 show. With its almost inky black, gun metal/pearly green hue, I have no doubt Chanel’s Black Pearl and its counterfeit cousins will be massive in 2011.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour in Black Pearl RRP: $40.

For those of you who can’t wait till this gem hits stores on the 20^th of February, I’ve compiled a list of cheap affordable yet still adorable fakes.

Chi Chi  - Show Me The Money $4.95

OPI  - Here Today… Aragon Tomorrow $19.95

Sally Hansen – Gunmetal $6.95

Butter – British Racing Green $22.00

I busted out the Chi Chi option on New Year’s Eve to mixed reviews. What do you think beauties? Will you be rocking deep, inky green nails anytime soon?