When does one apply concealer? a) before foundation; or b) after foundation?
City Girl Shoot ~ Photographer: Lucko Prawito, Stylist: Sam Gan, HMUA: Mural Beauty, Model: Brooke Settle from Red11 Models
Imagine you’ve just concealed around your nose, chin, under your eyes, and your blemished areas and are about to go in with your foundation… By applying foundation on top, you’re going to move the concealer around and by the time you’ve finished applying your foundation, the concealer would have disappeared! You’ll end up having to go back in with your concealer after to ‘touch up.’
♥ Step 1: Your foundation is your foundation – It’s the base of your makeup, so it goes on first. Doing it this way means you’ve already taken away most of the uneven skin tone and will only be left with those larger blemishes or darker spots that foundation couldn’t hide for you. Then it’s time to go in for that extra coverage!
♥ Step 2: Conceal the last of those blemishes – To do a good job concealing you should really have two kinds of concealer in your makeup bag. The first one should match to your foundation shade in order to cover up those blemishes or spots around the nose and chin. The second concealer is what will step up your beauty regime. A concealer that is the opposite undertone to your foundation AND half a shade lighter than your foundation. For example, if you have a cool undertone foundation like MAC NC30, then you will need a warm concealer in the shade NW25. If you are like me and suffer from dark under eye circles, then this trick really makes all the difference.
◊ Pro application tip – When applying concealer, use a small stippling brush or a domed blending brush and work with a small amount of product to start with (you can always build it up as you go). Lightly press and pat over the blemish so the concealer blends effortlessly into the foundation ◊
Your honeymoon is all about relaxing and spending time with your new hubby or wifey, the last thing you want to be worrying about taking stacks of makeup with you!
Whether you’re traveling through Europe or enjoying the white sand beaches of the beautiful Pacific Islands, you’ll be set with these three beauty products:
#fijifeels Last thing I wanted was full coverage anything!
♥ Tinted Moisturiser (with SPF)
Skip the heavy coverage and go for a no-makeup makeup look, whilst still protecting your skin with one of these tinted moisturisers:
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum, $95 – If you’re looking for a dewy, glowing complexion, this anti-aging foundation with SPF 30 is easy to apply and will give you that barely-there makeup look. Yes I know technically a foundation – but it’s called no-foundation foundation, so we’re still good!
MAC Cosmetics Lightful C + Coral Grass Tinted Cream SPF30, $74 – This product has colour correcting properties as well as oil control for us shiny girls! Perfect for brighter skin as it has Vitamin C in it, so over time your skin should appear brighter and fresher.
Mecca Cosmetica In a Good Light SPF30+ Tinted Moisturiser, $44 – This is a goodie for the girls who love and need hydration! Leaving a dewy cream finish and natural radiance, it is the perfect little pick me up for those days lying on the beach!
♥ Waterproof Mascara
The last thing you want to be worrying about on your honeymoon is whether or not your mascara is running. That’s why these long wear, waterproof mascaras are essential to your packing list!
MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara, $40 – This lightweight waterproof formula creates beautiful defined lashes with a petite brush. Claiming to have 16 hours lasting power, this a perfect day to night product. Who has time for touch ups on their honeymoon anyways?
Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara, $36 – If you’re a fan of this cult fave mascara, you’ve got to get the waterproof version! It has all the same benefits of the original formula with the added bonus of not smudging.
CoverGirl LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara, $23 – This high volume, smear-proof formula will give you full lashes, plus it’s budget-friendly!
♥ Tinted Lip Balm
Depending on where you are going, you may be about to experience a sudden change in temperature. If you are anything like me, a sudden change in weather wrecks havoc on my lips, so why not have something super moisturising but still gives a little hint of colour.
YSL Volupte Tint-In-Balm, $66 – This product is a little more luxe, but once you feel the product on your lips and the see the beautiful packaging you will know why it’s one of my fav’s! With adorable little lips in the middle, you get an instant radiant colour with all the care of a nourishing balm!
Benefit Cosmetics Lollibalm Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm, $34 – The sweetest smooch! With a buildable colour and all the goodness for your lips, you can pop a layer on for the day and build up a colour for your night out – I’m all about that 2-in-1!
Maybelline Baby Lips, $4 – With an SPF 20 and shea butter, you can’t really go wrong! Plus with that price point, you can afford one for each handbag!
You open up your travel makeup bag, ready to pack for your next holiday and you find that lipstick you forgot in there from your trip last year. Do you (a) think “Yaasss! Makeup packing complete” or (b) *Eww* and chuck it straight in the bin?
One of the questions I get time and time again is does makeup expire? The short answer is yes! One thing to be aware of though is there are so many kinds of makeup products with different compositions (cream v powder), which varies the shelf life of each product.
It’s super important you keep track of how old your makeup is as you can have a reaction to expired makeup. Below are the guidelines we were taught through my training, along with some other tips I’ve picked up along the way:
💛 Primers & Foundation – General rule of thumb is 12 months for liquid and cream products. It doesn’t matter if your primer or foundation is water or oil-based, you shouldn’t keep using a foundation past the 12 month mark. Liquid and cream products are less hygienic than powdered products and build up bacteria and other nasties faster.
Pro tip: Always shake a foundation before using it to ensure the pigment and other minerals in the product are well mixed together to ensure a smoother application.
💛 Highlighter / Contour / Blusher – Just like with foundations, cream based products will only last 12 months. However, powder based products will last up to 2 years. Personally these products don’t last me 6 months as I use them so fast – who doesn’t want that glow!?
💛 Eyeshadows – We all have an eyeshadow palette lying around from 2015. Don’t bother denying it. The question is, can we still use it? Pressed eyeshadows last up to 4 years! So yes – we can still safely use our Original Urban Decay Naked palette, which we found again last week! Cream eyeshadows are a little different – they generally last up to 12 months assuming you take good care of them. Once they dry up they are a little hard to revive. Check out my previous post for the magic spray that assists with bringing dried cream products back to life again.
💛 Eyeliner – Cream or gel eyeliners face the same issues as cream eyeshadows so 12 months is their maximum life, assuming care has been taken. For eyeliner pencils, these can last up to 2 years. There is added protection with the coating on the actual product of pencil eyeliners. However, don’t forget to pop that lid on after you’ve finished!
💛 Mascara – Alas mascara’s are the things that expire the quickest and also the product you need to take the most care with. Discontinue use of a mascara after 3 months, regardless of whether it is finished or not. Mascara wands pick up all the bugs off your eyelashes and they fester in the mascara tube whilst awaiting your next application. I try not to think about it too much. Whenever you are getting makeup services provided, always insist on a disposable mascara wand being used. No exceptions.
💛 Lip sticks – 3 years! Thank goodness for that – cos we all know we have too many to get through!
💛 Lip liners – Much like eyeliner pencils, these can last up to 2 years. If you do leave the lid off the pencil and it dries up prior to the 2 year mark, try giving it a good sharpen to see if you can revive the product. If this doesn’t work then it’s RIP lip liner.
Another important tip I’ve found is to make sure you know why your products smell like and feel like. When I first purchase a new product I make sure to smell it and become familiar with that smell. That way if I smell it later on and it has a tinge of something off then I know it’s time has come. Also knowing how your products feel is also important. If you eye shadow is feeling a bit more chalky than it originally did then the pallet may be nearing the end of it’s useful life.
The guidelines above are just that, guidelines. You can’t expect your cream eyeshadows to last the full 12 months if you leave the lid off. You need to take care of your products and know how to treat ’em right ☺️
As a makeup artist, I go through a fair bit of product. However, I still have a spreadsheet where I keep track of all my makeup and other inventory. I have the expiry dates by the products so I know exactly when it’s time to ditch the product if I still have it hanging around.
Mural Beauty 