makeup

After years of testing and trialling every single bronze-boosting, glow-giving and radiance-ramping product that has come my way, I think I have finally settled on what makes the perfect formula. Sure, powder bronzers are great, but they lack a certain radiance. Highlighters deliver glow but tend to require a little more warmth. If you ask me, the ultimate glow boosters are cream or liquid formulas that carry some sort of bronzing pigment or glowing sheen but deliver maximum hydration at the same time.  Since adopting these sorts of formulas and incorporating them into my daily beauty routine, I have received so many “Have you been away?” comments. Well, I can now officially announce that I have cracked the faux-glow code. Worn either alone on...

Step 1: Mark the three points of the Golden Ratio. Using a brush, measure from the centre of your nostril straight up to determine where your brow should begin. Brows should end where the corner of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye. Last, the highest point of your arch should connect the middle of the tip of the nose with the middle of the iris.  Step 2: Brush the hairs upward with the spoolie. Using a flat brow pencil, outline the bottom of the eyebrow from arch to tail. Next, brush the hairs downward and outline the top of the eyebrow from arch to tail. Brush the hairs back in place and fill in the eyebrow from arch to tail.  Step 3: Next, detail the front of the eyebrow by creating hairlike strokes using the fine tip. Starting at the base of the front of th...

Out of all of the things we’ve had to forgo recently, the one beauty ritual I’ve missed the most is without a doubt applying makeup every morning. On any normal day, I’d say that I take no great joy out of applying my makeup. In fact, I’d say I used to regard it as more of a chore. Fast-forward to now, and I have never been more desperate to get creative with my face. Without actually having to leave the house for the last couple of months, I have had little reason to hook out my makeup bag.  My Instagram saved folders, on the other hand, are full to the brim with beautiful makeup looks that I am itching to re-create. From pretty pastel eye looks to glowing glass skin, I have never been more inspired to dig out my makeup bag and get playing. So now that the sun is...

Don’t get me wrong. I do love playing with makeup, and I know a great product when I see one, but when I compare my results to those of someone with a little more artistic flair, I find myself deflated and somewhat disappointed. And this is by no means news to me. I have been aware of my shoddy makeup skills since the early stages of my career. The minute I found myself surrounded by editors whose eye shadow looks could put even the greatest YouTubers to shame, I knew my place. So in a bid to find my niche in the often-crazy world of makeup, I started focussing my attention on makeup launches that most appealed to me on a personal level. Forget bright eye shadow palettes and complex contour kits. I started educating myself in makeup that anyone can use. You know, the kind of products ...

Usually, I have to undergo several weeks of preparation before I can muster up the mental courage to embark on a foundation shopping trip. The first step is furiously scrubbing off the residual makeup that’s caked on the empty bottle of my foundation to try and decipher the shade name. It’s usually something arbitrary and food-related like cocoa or mocha, but that’s a conversation for another day. Then I make a hit list and map out the brands that I know have more than 10 shades in their range (or at least one that they deem appropriate for darker skin tones). When I finally make it into the shop, I’m already weary by the time I decide which foundations to swatch. Then I find it: a seemingly good match. Well, it’s a good match until I take ...