I don't know about you guys, but more often than not, I want a lip product that applied smoothly, applies a subtle pop of colour that enhances natural lip colour and is easy to top up during the day. Low maintenance, cheap and cheerful and of course, super cute. I don't think I'm asking too much.

I'm a little late to the party on this one, but I'm sure many of you have noticed by now that glossy lip crayons are taking over the makeup sections in your nearby stores. So many brands, so many colours. So where does one start? You swatch them ALLLLLLLLL! All over your arm. And then forget about the line of colours up your arm and walk out of the store. Then about half an hour later you look down and realise your white top has turned into some kind of abstract coloured masterpiece. A smear of hot pink here, coral there, apple red a little bit further over. Yep, that happened. More than once. Just call me Becasso.

So, what did I find during my extensive research other than soaking said top in vinegar is the only way to get the colour (mostly) out? That my favourite ones were not the expensive high end pencils, rather the cheaper Glossy Lip Crayon by Face of Australia.

 They all have similar wear time, slightly different textures and some have higher levels of pigmentation, I guess it really depends on what you are after personally. It's much of a muchness with these products, so don't feel like you have to splurge on a Clinique Chubby Stick when you can get one that works the same for $5. Yep. $5.

Raspberry Coulis, Jam Fancy and Apple Crumble

 The FOA ones all have super cute names, which I love. And make me hungry. The ones I picked out - Apple Crumble, Raspberry Coulis and Jam Fancy (please excuse me while I take a sec to wipe the drool of my keyboard) are all totally wearable and appropriately pigmented to make them a must have handbag item. They apply smoothly, feel very moisturising and don't tend to highlight and lip nasties like dryness or chapped lips. One thing I will mention is that these do have a vanilla scent, so that is something to keep in mind if you react to things like that, or just plain don't like it.

L to R - Raspberry Coulis, Jam Fancy, Apple Crumble

I've been giving these a workout in my kit lately, giving them as a present to the flower girls of bridal parties I've been working on. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't agree with children wearing makeup beyond a bit of gloss, and I'll also lightly apply blush to flower girls so they don't feel left out. And can I just say how much the kids and their parents are appreciating the gift? It makes the kids feel grown up, and they then seen to mimic the lead of the grown ups behaviour wise. Pretty great deal for $5 I say. So if you are looking for a way to start introducing a teen to makeup, this definitely could be the way to go.  

These can be found at Priceline, Big W and Kmart for $4.99 each and the collection currently has 7 colours. 

So, who has tried these? Or a similar one? What are your thoughts? Love it or leave it?

You guys seem to like it when I show you products on a budget that work as well as their pricier counterparts, so I think you are going to like what I have in store for you today.

I've spoken before about a brand called Ulta3 and how much I love their nail polishes and how surprised I was by the quality of them. They have recently revamped their makeup line and the first thing that caught my eye when walking past the new stands were the new lipstick containers. Gone are the cheap-looking plastic tubes and they are replaced with a sophisticated tubes with colour panels on the bottom which is what draws they eye.

You know what else is great about these? The price. $2.99 for the standard colours and $3.99 for the mattes. Yep, that's right, they have a range of matte colours. In a budget line. Awesome, right?

So you want to know how they look right? For the most part - they are terrific. A couple of them need a little work, but overall I was really impressed with the quality, opacity and the wear of them.

L-R: Vixen, Harem Pink(m), Lilac Glow, Orange Crush(m), Pure Chic, Pink Pout(m), Coral Reef

015 - Vixen
Terrific work appropriate colour if you like a little shimmer. Smooth, opaque and easy to work with.

030 - Harem Pink (matte)
This is the first of the three mattes and my favourite of them. While not a true matte lipstick, this can be forgiven because it also does not have the drying qualities most matte lipsticks do. Opacity is fantastic and it's a smooth cream finish.

007 - Lilac Glow
A blue based pink/purple, this one surprised me with it's wear-ability. Definitely not a colour for everyone but still a keeper.

029 - Orange Crush (matte)
Not a fan of this one. I can't say I expected a matte orange to be terrific or flattering but I was intrigued to see what the formula was like. The answer is terrible. Clumpy, a little drying, not opaque at all and building up the colour makes it look worse. There is nothing redeeming about this, and like Harem Pink, it's not actually a matte at all.

051 - Pure Chic
Again, another great work colour to add to the collection. No faults with this one, great application, opacity and wear.

033 - Pink Pout (matte)
This one is just ok, it's a little drying, not actually matte, great colour though.

040 - Coral Reef
I was so disappointed with this one. I was so excited about the colour and was so disappointed with the lack of colour payoff, the texture and the overall finish of the lipstick. Avoid this one.

I want to try a few more of these, definitely some reds, but I highly recommend these as a luxe option for less.

That's it from me today, I was thinking about putting together a post on contouring - is that something you would be interested in getting some insider tips on?

Ok, so here we are with part two of my guide to the best brushes you can get for the best price.

Today we are talking about the face. So let's start with the base. The base is the most important part of a makeup. If you don't have amazing looking skin, then no matter how much colour you apply on top, it's not going to look as good as it could be - so it's important that you are using the right tools to ensure you are getting the best out of the products you use.

You'll need a great foundation brush. You'll use it to apply moisturiser, primer, foundation, blend concealer, pretty much anything you like.

I have lots of these, because my needs change depending on my client, but the one I love the most is the Angle Synthetic Foundation Brush from Crown ($14). I particularly love that the angle of the bristles allows you to get right into the all curves of the face like the nose and around the ears.

A great concealer brush is is also vital. I tend to favour my Sedona Lace Flat Synthetic Brush ($8.95). It's the perfect density to work around the nose, chin and forehead. Around the eyes, I actually use the fluffy blending brush from Gorgeous Cosmetics that I mentioned in the last post. I do love a multipurpose brush, and I find the fluffiness of this one is great for softly blending in cream concealers without highlighting any fine lines.

If you like contouring with creams like I do, you're going to need an amazing buffing brush, and trust me when I say I searched high and low to find this one - the Sedona Lace FB07 ($14.95). The soft, yet extremely dense brush makes buffing and blending a breeze.

A big fluffy brush is always important for powdering down a look, I have two which I love, the Gorgeous Cosmetics Powder Brush ($63) and the Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Powder Brush ($10). Both work just as well as each other, I prefer the Gorgeous one, because I just like the way it sits in my hand.

One of my favourite brushes is my blush brush which I use for blush, highlight, dusting powder - anything really. It's the Pro Blush 330 from Makeup and Glow ($25.90). It's so soft and fluffy and my my clients always comment on how gentle it feels on their face.

For brows, I always come back to my Royal and Langnickel Silk Brow Brush ($5.99). It's perfect for filling in brows with powder and blending out harsh pencil lines.

Lastly, lips. I use a combination of brushes depending on what I need, but what I'll show you is the one I use the most. The Royal and Langnickel Silk Lip C601-S ($4.99) is a medium sized bullet tipped synthetic brush that holds a great amount of product and provides solid even coverage.

So that's it. All the brushes you need to be a makeup superstar. You may not even need all of them - if you don't like to apply your lipstick with a brush, then don't. I do for hygiene reasons, but if it's just you using your tube of lipstick, then you don't need that one.

That's it for today. Next up I have the last few tools you should have for a flawless face. Once again, the links are below for the brushes discussed.

Angled Foundation Brush
Concealer Brush
Buffing Brush
Pro Blush
Powder Brush (Gorgeous Cosmetics)
Powder Brush (Real Techniques)
Brow Brush
Lip Brush

Continuing on with Swatch-a-palooza, here is a glimpse into my pro kit. I have 25 OCC Lip Tars. I had more but they inevitably get stolen on shoots by models and assistants once they realise how awesome they are, the most recent casualty - my black one - Tarred. Very annoying.

I'm not saying you need all these colours, hell you only really need primary colours, a black and white and you can mix any shade you like. I just like having premixed colours so that I don't have to spend as much time mixing, since I can grab something close to the shade I'm after and just add a little to change it depending on my needs.

So lets jump straight into the pictures.

L-R - Feathered, Butch, Chlorophyll, NSFW
As you can see, Feathered is not opaque in comparison to the others and is prone to the mixture separating. I use it only in mixing colours so it's not an issue for me, but if you are looking for a solid white lip colour, this is not the one you are looking for.

Heads up - these stain. Particularly the red NSFW which great for your lips, not so much your arm. I maybe had this one for 3 mins max to get this level of stain.

Tone, Hush, Trick, Uber, Pennyroyal

Devine, Grandma, Kava Kava

Memento, Narcissus, Pretty Boy, Anime

Digitalis, Pageant, Demure, Katricia, Belladonna

The purples also stain and quickly.

The new-ish metallic Lip Tars - Triptych, Electric Grandma, Super NSFW, Authentic. Love these!

One thing I find about OCC Lip Tars is that they can be incredibly drying on lips. I always prime with something really heavy duty like Paw Paw ointment and scrub the lips to remove any dead skin before applying these as they will emphasise dryness. I love that they dry to a matte finish and that once dry, they aren't going anywhere. The downside to this is that some of them stain pretty badly, namely the reds and purples.

A lip liner with these is an absolute must, as is being so careful that you don't use too much. I know some people think I'm exaggerating when I say that I use a pinhead sized drop of product for the whole lip area. I'm not. If you use anymore then that, the product will run and feather and will be a nasty mess. I've found that the people who dislike using Lip Tars and claim they can't see what the fuss is about are the ones who use a little too much.

This is a superb product but one you have to know how to use properly to achieve an amazing look. You need to have prepared your lips, exfoliated, primed and lined, before application.

These are phenomenal value for money at $18 each here and cheaper in the US. These will last a really long time and you can't fault the colour payoff, as you can see above.

My one gripe is that the packaging has a tendency to randomly explode leaving you will a sticky, highly pigmented mess to clean up. Luckily this has never happened to me (touch wood) but I have plenty of makeup artist friends who have lost a tube or two to a colour explosion in their kit. It's a devastating thing. I never leave mine in my main kit for that reason, only packing them when I know I need them. And always in a separate snap lock bag - just in case.

Do you have Lip Tars? Do you love them? Any tips you want to share?

So you guys seemed to like my first post on quality lipsticks for less so I thought I'd follow it up with a brand you probably haven't heard of because it's a Brisbane based makeup supply store who started their own line of products. And they are simply AMAZING.

The store and brand is called Makeup & Glow and is the brainchild of one of the best bridal makeup artists I have ever come across, Rachael Parnell. She noticed that there was a huge gap in the market for pro brands to be brought into Australia and made available to professional makeup artists.

So lets talk about the lipsticks. I have ten of them. 5 of the best sellers were provided for review and 5 I bought myself. I can honestly say that the quality of these blow my mind. I'm sure you guys want to know how much these are, and I would still pay for them if they were double or even triple the price. They are $5.95 each. Yes, really. If you don't believe me, go look for yourself.

You get a huge 37mm pan which is about the size of an actual lube of lipstick melted down. I know this because I do it all the time.

So first things first, lets start with the popular shades -

L-R - Bride to Be, Tango Pink, Salmon, Love Heart, Mother of the Bride, Red Brick

Bride to Be is an amazing dusty deep pink, which not surprisingly is a great bridal colour. I love using this colour for weddings because it's so easy to grab a backup pan and give it to the bride along with a disposable lip brush for touch ups during her big day. Opacity is amazing, it's super smooth, super creamy and really quite moisturising.

Salmon is exactly as it is named. A creamy, opaque salmon colour which is more flattering then you would think. I would call this almost a coral shade, but a lot more wearable for more people.

Tango Pink is a brighter version of Bride to Be. Still really wearable and work appropriate. Again, really creamy and opaque.

Love Heart is one of my favourites because I do love a hot pink lippie. It's a seriously fun colour and I love it.

Mother of the Bride is another really popular colour. It's a plum colour and it looks amazing on mature ladies as well as younger women.

Mulbury looks much deeper in the pan then it actually comes out in real life. This one has an almost glossy finish to it and I love using it to mix in to make a red lipstick a little more vampy without going for a solid purple lip. Also, I may have gotten a little excited and used this colour before I took a photo.

Brick Red is a really great colour. It's a deep, almost tomato red, but deeper. Think Campbell's Tomato Soup, that's what it reminds me of.

Now we are getting to the mixing colours.

L-R - White Orchid, Aztec Gold, Little Black Dress

White Orchid is creamy and a solid colour but it does require a little more product then the others to build up opacity, but that is to be expected and really, who wants to wear stark white lipstick? I use this to lighten custom mixed lipsticks all the time, making it one of the most used shades in my kit.

Same goes for Little Black Dress. Great mixing colour, needs a little more product for a solid lip coverage but when darkening a lip colour, a little goes a long way.

My absolute favourite of the collection is surprisingly Aztec Gold. I really didn't expect to love this the way I do. It applies like butter, BUTTER I say! A tiny bit for opacity, so creamy. LOVE!!!

Must haves? Well, I want the whole collection but from what I have here - Bride to be for the everyday look. Mulbery as a vampy colour and . Brick Red because everyone needs a red. Probably you don't NEED Aztec Gold, but you're going to want it really, really badly. And I think everyone should own a black and white lipstick for mixing purposes. It means that the lipsticks you already have can always be customised for your outfit or mood.

The colour longevity on all of these is amazing. I did a shoot this afternoon where I mixed about seven of the colours together to create the perfect shade and it lasted through 4 and a half hours of shooting and I didn't have to touch it up once. It applies evenly and well.

I really cannot say enough good things about these lipsticks other then I NEED ALL OF THEM!!!!

If you feel like you also need some (or all, hey I'm certainly not judging you for it!), the store is open to the public on Saturday mornings and 24/7 online at their website.

I've got pictures of these on the lips coming up shortly. Just as soon as I get some time and some sunlight to actually do it. More product reviews coming up soon as well!

Enjoy what's left of your weekend and be awesome to each other.

The reason you read a blog by a makeup artist is because you want the tips and tricks right? Well, here you go...

You want to know what the big secret to an amazing pout is? Lip prep and care. Do you really think that lips like, oh I don't know, Rosie Huntington Whiteley's, don't take constant work? Not hard work mind you, but constantly exfoliating and using a moisturising balm.

I love Lucas Pawpaw Ointment. Not only is it an amazing product that is used by makeup artists and consumers worldwide, it was created and continues to be made a few suburbs away from where I live here in Brisbane which makes it a true local success story. I use this on shoots and for weddings when I come across a client with extremely dry and flakey lips. You can also easily do this at home. I apply it liberally before I do anything else so it has time to work it's magic. It's thick, very thick. I also always carry soft disposable toothbrushes in my kit, however a clean mascara wand will also do in a pinch. Once I've let the lips soften (usually around half an hour), I will wipe the ointment off and gently scrub the flakey bits of skin away. Ta-da! Baby soft lips.

I also love Rosebud Perfume Co's Smith's Rosebud Salve. This is my holy grail lip product. I use it on myself, I am known for carrying around additional tubes and tins and giving them away to people to convert them. It's an amazing, magic product. It's also not that easy to get a hold of here in Australia unless you want to pay $30 a tin. Unless you have connections like I do. Want to know where I buy mine? Right here. Want the tube? Try this one instead. And for $10! Bargain.

 

So what comes after lip prep? Liner. Looks great under lipstick or just a gloss, it adds a touch of colour to your lip and adds to the longevity of your lip product. Another thing that I love about liners is that you have have one lipstick and 4 different coloured liners - layer those bad boys and it's like having 4 more shades which is super helpful where you find that elusive PERFECT lipstick shade! It means that it might be a medium plum colour but layered over a deeper red liner, you've added depth to the colour and created the perfect nighttime vampy colour. Want to make that same colour work appropriate? Pair it with a nude liner or a light pink. Want to make it bright? Try it over a hot pink. Experiment! That's the exciting part of makeup - it washes off, so you can go nuts!

Another liner tip I have is a method that I find works really well for me. When I first started to use liner I would painstakingly try to colour in the whole lip. Not anymore. I line the lips (fairly roughly unless it's a red or hot pink because then it's noticeable), colour in the middle section then use my ring finger to blend out the colour. You get even distribution, and the heat from your finger softens the wax in the liner and makes it easier to move around. You don't get strong, harsh lip lines either which I find can often really harden an overall makeup look. Have a cotton tip dipped in remover on standby for any times you get a little too enthusiastic and go outside the lip line, but accuracy will come with practice.

Then apply your lip colour of choice. You may like to apply it from the tube, you may like to use a brush. Sometimes I use my fingers to pat it on. Don't worry, I use HEAPS of hand sanitiser while I'm working! Always have that cotton tip dipped in remover nearby to remove any excess product. Don't stress if you lips look uneven. Every ones lips actually are uneven. You just need to play until you learn what corrective method works better for you.

So there you have it, my tips and tricks to the perfect pout. I'm sure there's more and I'll add them as I think of them. Do you guys have any to share?

That's it from me today. I'm so excited to share some new products with you from one of my favourite stores over the next few weeks. It took all my restraint to not stick my brushes straight into the eye shadows before I photographed them!

Be awesome to each other.

OH. MY. GOD.

I maybe a little behind on the times here but have you seen the pictures floating around on the net of the new Spring collection for MAC? WONDER FREAKING WOMAN!

I need them all. Like now.

Check it out!!!

MAC Wonder Woman Collection for Spring 2011





Penultimate Eye Liner - Rapidblack
$18.50 US

Valiant Eyeshadow Quad
L-R Manila Paper, Valiant, Diana Undercover, Spinning Transformation
$40.00 US

Defiance Eyeshadow Quad
L-R Defiance, Paradise Island, Star Studded, Real Drama
$40.00 US

Lady Justice Eyeshadow Quad
L-R Lady Justice, Insurmountable, Deep Truth, Bold Babe
$40.00 US

Lipstick  L-R
Marquise d' - Sandy cream peach (Lustre)
Russian Red - Intense bluish-red (Matte)
Spitfire - Bright creamy magenta (Satin
Heroine - Brown bronze (Frost)
$15.50 US

Opulash Mascara
L-R Victorious (purple), Army of Amazons (green), Themyscira (blue), Black
$15.00 US

Clockwise from upper left -
Utility Belt Eye Brush Set - inc 224SE, 213SE and 194SE
$49.50 US
Utility Face Brush Set - inc 129SE, 109SE and 190SE
$49.50 US
Invincible Mirror
$20.00 US
Wonder Woman Makeup Bag in Wonder Woman Red and Bulletproof Blue
$30.00

Mineralise Skinfinish L-R
Pink Power - Peachy rose with pink shimmer/ Soft rosy bronze/ Soft shell pink with fine shimmer
Golden Lariat - True coral with fine gold shimmer/ Soft suntanned bronze/ Soft gold with fine shimmer
$35.00 US



Blush Duo
Amazon Princess - Bright yellow-pink (Satin)/ Deep blue pink with gold pearl(Satin)
$24.00 US



Blush Duo
Mighty Aphrodite - Warm peach coral (Satin)/ Bright coral pink with gold pearl (Frost)
$24.00 US

Lipglass L-R
Emancipation - Pale neutral pink
Wonder Woman - Bright red with soft pearl
Athena's Kiss - Bright blue-fuchsia
Secret Identity - Mid-tone copper with soft pearl
$19.50 US

Nail Lacquer
L-R Obey Me, Spirit of Truth
$14.00 US



L-R
Reflects Glitter
Reflects Pearl - White glitter with pearl sheen (Glitter)
Reflects Bronze - Sparkling rich gold (Glitter)
$21.00 US
Pigment
Bright Fuchsia - Bright magenta
Marine Ultra - Vivid marine blue
$21.00 US



I love the packaging on these and am totally envious that the Disney VV collection didn't have branded pigment jars, or polish bottles! That would have been all kinds of awesome.

This is due to launch Feb 10, 2011 for Canada and the US and March for all of us who are international.

Don't forget to enter my giveaway which is open for entries until the end of the month.

That's it from me today.

Be awesome to each other.