Reparing Sun Damage: My Latest Skin Pics and Routine Update

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Dempeaux

It’s been a while since I did an update on my current skincare routine, so I thought I’d regale you all with a ramble and some photos of how my skin care quest is going.

For those of you who missed the backstory, in May of last year I was washing my face one morning, and when I finished I looked up into the mirror to find that my face was still looking down. Confronting times! The Australian sun had finally wrought its damage on my skin: sunspots, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, loss of facial volume, the lot. This is what you get when you go for years without wearing sunscreen.

Fed up with skincare products that were expensive and not particularly potent, I started to educate myself about proper skin maintenance and care, and it was at that point that I started to DIY my own serums and products.  To understand my journey in more detail, you can find my previous skin pics by clicking on the ‘skin pics’ tag at the bottom of this post.

So nine months on and in the height of an Australian summer, here are some photos to illustrate how I’m going so far.

Previously, I haven’t used full face shots like the ones below to describe my journey because I’ve found that they didn’t show enough detail. However, I’ve included some this time because I think they help to show the diffence in my facial volume. This photo was taken in May 2011:

This photo was taken yesterday:

Everything appears lifted. My brows are higher, I don’t have so much slackness around the jawline, my forehead looks firmer, and my whole face looks more sculpted.

Below is a photo of me smiling back in May 2011. Guess which side received all the sundamage whilst I was driving around for years without sunscreen. Yup, the left. Can you see how it scrunches up more that the right side when I smile? Not pretty:

The photo below was taken yesterday. You can see how my left side still scrunches up more than the right when I smile, but the effect is much less obvious than it was. I’m very happy about this.

Here we have a closeup of my eye (on the ‘sundamaged side’) in May 2011:

And below is a photo of the same area I took yesterday. Note the lessening of hyperpigmentation, the lift of the eyelid, the reduction of the nasolabial fold, and the refinement of the texture of my skin:

Below is a photo I took last October, a few months before I started incorporating facial exercises into my routine. You can see that the skin is in quite good condition, but the nasolabial folds are quite pronounced due to residual sun damage and genetics:

Here is a photo I took yesterday of my nasolabial folds. The are still present, but are significantly reduced. The facial exercise programme I’ve been doing has made a huge impact on this area. The nasolabial folds are still present, but much better:

The picture below was taken in May 2011, and I’ve included it because it helps to illustrate  what facial exercises and good skincare have been able to do for my hooded eyelids. Observe:

In contrast, the photo below was taken yesterday. Oh eyelids, how I missed you! There is so much more vibrancy and energy to my face! You can see here that the brow in the photo below is much higher than the photo above. Other facial exercises have also given me more fullness in the cheek, forehead, and mouth area. Love it:

Here we come to the more difficult stuff.

The photo below was taken last October. Again, note that my skin  is in reasonably good condition, but when I smile my lack of facial volume is immediately apparent. Rather than walk around looking like Posh for the rest of my life, I’ve been hoping that facial exercises will help to address this problem too:

And they have! Yay! there are still wrinkles present when I smile, but I’m a lot more comfortable with the way they look now:

Lastly, I wanted to smile and take a photo of the resulting wrinkles on each side of my face. This is my ‘driving side’ when I smile:

And this is my ‘non-driving side’. See the difference? I’d love for all the skin on my face to be like this. Learn from my mistakes people! Wear a zinc oxide sunscreen every day!

So what does all this mean in terms of makeup application?

Well, these days I don’t apply much. I used to apply full coverage foundations as a matter of course, but these days I skip the base. In the photo below I just have some concealer on under my eyes (I love you Ellis Faas concealer) but sometimes I don’t even bother with that. Eye makeup continues to be a must though (as you can see from the photos above) and I’ve been wearing eyeshadow, gel eyeliner, and lashings of mascara as usual.  Cheeks are usually just a little bronzer or blush, or perhaps both.

I’m really enjoying the extra size to my eyes, and my new-found eyelids! Makeup just looks so much better now, and my brows do a much better job of framing my whole face.

Here is my current routine:

********************

(morning)

-FlexEffect facial exercises (see the website here)

- Cleanser: ‘Easy Rinse’ Oil Cleansing Method using DIY cleanser with whatever oil I’m liking at the moment, Castor Oil, and Polysorbate 80. Applied with Tanaka Massage. (tutorial here)

- DIY MAP 10% Vitamin C serum

- DIY moisturiser with hyaluronic acid, macadamia nut oil, sea emollient, CoQ10, and Grape Seed Extract. Base recipe is here, but I changed a few things around for my version.

- DIY 20% Zinc Oxide Sunscreen (tutorial here)

********************

(evening)

- Cleanser: ‘Easy Rinse’ Oil Cleansing Method using DIY cleanser with whatever oil I’m liking at the moment, Castor Oil, and Polysorbate 80. Applied with Tanaka Massage. Removes makeup and whatever else I slapped on my face that day.

- Retin A 0.05% applied to face, neck, and chest.

- Kinetin/ NAG/ Niacinamide serum (tutorial here) OR Idebenone/ NAG/ Niacinamide serum (I haven’t done a tutorial on this, but visit Jen’s blog to see her excellent tutorial)

- DIY moisturiser

OR

- Cleanser: ‘Easy Rinse’ Oil Cleansing Method using DIY cleanser with whatever oil I’m liking at the moment, Castor Oil, and Polysorbate 80. Applied with Tanaka Massage. Removes makeup and whatever else I slapped on my face that day.

- Kinetin/ NAG/ Niacinamide serum OR Idebenone/ NAG/ Niacinamide

- DIY moisturiser

- Occasional exfoliation: Microfibre or Muslin cloth

- Lip Balm: Lanolips 101 Ointment

I also sleep on my back, rather than my side, every night (supported by a pillow under my knees) to avoid creasing on my face.

********************

Moreover, I’ve also been applying my serums and moisturisers (except Retin A) to my hands, which are notoriously difficult to keep pretty:

My hands also suffered from years of sundamage, and along with applying all my facial skincare to my hands, I wear gloves every time I drive to protect them. I wash my hands so much that sunscreen would be quite ineffectual, so gloves keep my hands sun free.

By the way, the polish is OPI Dulce de Leche, thanks to Angela. Isn’t it great? Thanks Angela!

My approach to skincare can be boiled down to three points:

1. DIY, potent actives, and a zinc oxide sunscreen every day;

2. Facial exercise to help address a loss of facial volume as I age;

3. Proper diet and exercise (details on that here)

The serums and skincare I make have gone a long way to promoting collagen production and improving the look of my skin, but years of sundamage had left my face looking a bit slack. I’ve only been doing the full FlexEffect programme for a week (a week!) and I’m already seeing amazing results: more fullness in the cheeks and forehead, the return of my eyelids, a brow lift, more neck firmness, sharper jawline, and significantly reduced nasolabial folds. Bear in mind that it does take about half an hour each day, but for me the results are worth it.

If you are interested in facial exercises but don’t want to pay for a full system, there are many on YouTube that you can try to see if it’s the right thing for you.

Oh yes, and do try out some DIY skincare. It’s easy to put together, very potent, and cheap as chips :)

 

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | 36 Comments

SEA Has A Blog! DIY Skincare Just Became Even Easier.

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Dempeaux

By now you probably know that SkinEssentialActives is the site from which I buy the majority of my DIY skincare ingredients because the service and quality of ingredients are excellent.

Well, Natasha, the owner of SEA, has started her own blog, and I’m thoroughly addicted. What can I say? She’s a genius.  There’s nothing she doesn’t know about putting together serums, peels, moisturisers and a host of other skincare.

The SEA blog contains tutorials and really useful information for DIY skincare makers, and everything is set out with clear photos and instructions.

I was fed up with my dry skin last night, so after I finished writing for the day I made an antioxidant moisturiser based on the base lotion/ creme recipe Natasha demonstrated on her blog. Instead of the B5 used in the recipe, I added CoQ10 and Grapeseed Extract, and my skin loves it!

If you’re into DIY Skincare, I strongly encourage you to have a look. I’ve found the batch size calculator super handy for converting percentages to grams quickly, and the information on acids and pH is really useful too.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Man Glaze Nail Polish

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Dempeaux

I was just reading the “Top 10 of 2011″ over at Olivia’s most excellent The Unknown Beauty Blog where she was extolling the virtues of Man Glaze Nail Polish.

A coffee’s worth of further googling has got me very interested in these polishes indeed. And let’s face it, if Olivia recommends it, it has to be good!

Launched in 2007 in Japan, but based in Chicago, Man Glaze is a nail polish designed for men.

The polishes come in a matte shimmer finish, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen in another nail polish. Matte nail polishes have never appealed to me, but I find the matte/ shimmer look quite appealing.

It’s designed to be very hard wearing, dead easy to apply, and opaque in two coats. At between $6 and $13, they’re not too expensive either.

 

The names of the polishes have a similar feel to the visuals, with names like “F*ck off and Dye” (Vivid Pink), “Fuggen Ugly” (Grey), and “Hot Mess” (glitter top coat). They even sell empty nail polish jars (Franken Jugg’s Franken-Steins) for mixing your own custom colours. A quick google image search will quickly give you an idea of the colour range and finish of the polishes, and check out Olivia’s review of “F*ck off and Dye”‘ here.

The only downside is that they don’t ship to Australia at this time, so you’ll have to prevail on a US friend or package forwarding to get your hands on them. People in the UK can buy from NailBiz.

 

 

Posted in Nail Polish | Tagged | 13 Comments

A Foodly Affair

Posted on January 10, 2012 by Dempeaux

These chocolates were included in the #POBM gift bags from A Foodly Affair in Perth.

I finally just caved in and scoffed all four of them, and they were stunning. As I said in my last post: who knew that raw food could taste this good? These chocolates are soy, dairy, gluten, and refined sugar free, but taste amazing. My favourite is the cherry chocolate.

Posted in Makeup | 16 Comments

Perth Online Beauty Media #POBM

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Dempeaux

So yesterday, thanks the phenomenal organisational powers of Annette from WellnessWA, Perth girls had their first online beauty media event! Hello bloggers! It was a very welcome break from the spectre of PhD editing.

The venue was generously provided by Djurra Salon and Spa in Fremantle, which I would love to come back to for a treatment. It was a lovely space.

When we arrived at Djura, each person was treated to a relaxing massage with essential oils. I loved this! After three hours driving to get to the event (the traffic was pretty bad) it was wonderful to relax and start enjoying the day. I’d love to have this done every day.

Here is Megan from BeautyInTheSky enjoying her massage:

And Haley from PeachyClean:

After the massages, it was time for some food. As much as I love eating well, I’ve never actually tried ‘raw food’ as such, and this was my first opportunity to do so.

As you can see, the food was stunning. Everything was fresh, beautifully prepared, and really filling. This type of catering leaves the old Subway platter for dead (which is what we would always get at my last workplace) and I will be recommending TheRawKitchen catering to everyone. Those Emma and Tom’s juices were stunning too. Must investigate further!

Below you can see Annette from WellnessWA getting the proverbial party started:

Then, of course, you can’t have a beauty event without a makeup swap! Everyone was to bring three new or barely used products for a swap at the end of the event. This is a great opportunity to try new products.

The goodie bags were absolutely phenomenal! We got two each, and they were filled with products from 30 different companies. I have no idea how Annette managed to co-ordinate (or even carry) all of these. They were seriously full!

We also got to take home some fantastic Aveda products courtesy of Aveda and Djura. I’ve never actually tried anything from Aveda, so I’m looking forward to trying these out.

Anita Sutton from Djurra spoke to us about what inspired her to move away from the traditional salons and spas to a more natural approach to beauty. I must say, I’ve never really thought much about ‘natural’ salons, but I like the concept. I’m so picky with what I put on my face these days, that it makes sense to find a salon that has the same mindset.

Then Naturopath Adele Plumridge spoke to us about ways to lead a healthier lifestyle. She talked about the importance of wearing a Zinc Oxide sunscreen every day, cutting back on coffee, getting enough protein in your diet, and so on.

Then it was time for more pedicures provided by the team at Djurra, and lots more chat. This is the point at which we started to investigate the goodie bags, hence the smiles in the photos below.

Here I am with Anissa from BeautifullyGlossy (left) and Suzanne from Don’tTheyKnowWhoIAm? (right).

More WA beauty bloggers: (from left) Megan from BeautyInTheSky, Suzanne from Don’tTheyKnowWhoIAm?, Hannah from BeautyDownUnder, and Anissa from BeautifullyGlossy.

(From left) Anissa, Megan, Me, Annette (WellnessWA), Hannah, and Suzanne.

(From left) Me, Anissa, Hayley, Megan, and Annette.

At the end of the day we did our makeup swap, and went home with even *more* products to try.

Even better, Anissa and Hannah won fantastic prizes from Endota spa (which Annette tells me is opening in the city soon) and I’m looking forward to posts from both of them on their prizes!

It was a great day, and I thank Annette and all the sponsors for their generosity!

The Raw Kitchen
Emma & Toms Juices
Serenade Organics Paula
Alison Jade 
Dr Bronner 
Ella Bache
Invisible Zinc
Palm Beach Collection
Dr Lewinns
Bio Oil
Revitanail
Peachy Clean $10 off online voucher
Purist
Bella Hart 
Echolife 
Lush 
Endota
Franc Essential
MOR
WotNot
EGPR
Dermalogica
Peter Thomas Roth
Becca
Bobbi Brown
A Foodly Affair
Eve Perez natural eyeliner or lipliner
mi:skn
Aveda
OPI
Wasp Lashes
Djurra Spa
Adele Plumridge
Posted in Makeup, Skin Care | 33 Comments

A General Announcement

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Dempeaux

I’m about to start the dreaded final edit of my PhD thesis, which means I won’t be posting here much for the next…well…however long it takes to get it done. You can follow me here on Twitter if you don’t already. Come and say hi!

In the meantime, wear sunscreen, try NARS Deep Throat Blush (which I’m finally liking), and be well. I’m about to develop a coffee habit that would shame the whole of Italy.

 

“I hugg my Quiet, and alone

Take thee for my Companion,

And deem in doing so, I’ve all

I can True Conversation call:

For so my Thoughts by this retreat

Grow stronger, like contracted heat.

 

Whether on Natures Book I muse,

Or else some other writes on’t, use

To spend the time in, every line,

Is not excentrick but Divine.”

- Mildmay Fane, “To Retiredness”, 1648.

Posted in Makeup | Tagged | 28 Comments

Top 11 of 2011

Posted on December 26, 2011 by Dempeaux

Many things that I’ve been using throughout 2011, such as my Covergirl Lashblast mascara, Chanel Joues Contraste blushes, Chanel Rouge Allure lipsticks, and so on, have not changed; so, rather than re-hash staples in my routine, I thought write a post on the top 11 discoveries I made in 2011.

Instead of writing exclusively about products, I thought I’d also regale you with makeup techniques, skincare approaches, lifestyle changes, and so on, that have made the biggest difference to how I look and feel in 2011.

1.  Gel liner, Models Prefer brushes, heated lash curler, Princess Lee false lashes: I used to use liquid liner every day, but somehow fell out of the habit when I found Lancome’s Le Stylo Waterproof in Cafe, which is the only pencil eyeliner which doesn’t end up halfway down my face by mid-morning.

However, when Suzanne kindly gifted me two Models Prefer brushes, I reached for my neglected pot of MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack and never looked back. I love the way winged liner gives a gorgeous almond shape to the eyes. Tightlining on my eyes is also must as my lashes are quite ‘high’, but it’s made so much simpler with the Models Prefer smudge brush which is much more comfortable to stamp onto my eye than a traditional push brush. With practice, winged liner is very quick to do and lasts all day with Blacktrack, which is great news if you have oily lids like me.

I have also rediscovered my heated lash curler thanks to Jen’s post. If you have one of these, get it out and use it. Once you get the technique sorted, you will discover that it curls your lashes like nothing else, and holds that curl all day.

Princess Lee false lashes are still the most natural looking strip lashes I’ve found. Easy to apply and so very flattering to the eye. As I have an allergy to latex I’ve stopped using Duo Lash Adhesive and have been using the Revlon variant instead with no problems. I love how big these false lashes make my eyes look, without crossing into drag queen territory.

For an idea of just how much winged liner and lashes can open up your eye, have a look at Lisa Eldridge’s Audrey Hepburn tutorial here and Valentine’s Day look here. So elegant.

2.  Lighter eyeshadow: Now that I actually have eyelids to display thanks to these exercises, I’ve been enjoying lighter eyeshadows and a return to creasework. MAC’s All That Glitters is such a beautiful shade, and works so well all over the eye or with MAC Bronze eyeshadow in the crease. Fantastic with the aforementioned winged liner.

It is not just for the colour that I love these two shadows (although the colours are lovely), but the formula is about as close to perfection as you can get in eyeshadow. We all know how hit and miss MAC shadows can be, but with these two I think MAC has got it right.

3.  Bronzer: This year I’ve actually discovered how to use bronzer. I apply it with a MAC 134 paddle brush to my cheeks and temples, as a sort of poor-man’s contouring, and I’ve been loving the result. Not only does it add warmth to my face, but it gives me instant cheekbones.

My current favourites are Korres Monoi Bronzer in 01 and Le Metier de Beaute’s bronzer in their Flawless Face kit. Both are excellent for fair skins.

4.  Ellis Faas base: As my skin has improved considerably in 2011 I like to skip base where I can, but when I do reach for something it is always Ellis Faas Skin Veil and concealer.

I only use a tiny amount of Ellis Faas Skin Veil and it evens out my skintone and gives me a healthy glow. It also lasts all day, never streaks, and is so comfortable on my skin. It works well over sunscreen too.

Ellis Faas concealer is just as stellar. The pen is easy to use, and I just twist and apply a tiny amount of concealer under my eyes, around my nose, and on any discolouration I might have. As with all concealers, I leave it for about five seconds on my skin to warm (so I don’t just wipe away the product) and then blend out with my fingers. This concealer blends with my skin seamlessly and never pools in creases or catches on dry skin. Love.

5.  DIY skincare: It probably comes as no surprise that I’m in love with DIY skincare. The difference it has made to my skin in just six months is phenomenal. I urge you to try it.

6.  Food: Finally learning how to eat well and take control over my binge eating has been a revelation for me. I no longer feel like food controls me, and I feel energetic and healthy. Here is an outline of the way I now eat.

7.  Hair: I’m very lucky to have found a wonderful hair salon in Toni & Guy Cottesloe. They get the colour and cut of my hair right every time, and I’m very grateful for their expertise and generosity.

Without doubt, this DIY hair tonic has made a huge difference to the quality of my hair too. Not only does it give me much more volume, but I have sprouted new little hair follicles, and my existing hair has grown more quickly. I actually spray it all over my hair when I get out of the shower, as well as applying it directly to the roots, and I still can’t believe how soft it makes my hair.

8.  Red Lipstick: This never really went away, but red lipstick has become even more of a joy of late. Many red lipsticks can be applied as a stain so that you don’t have to fear it migrating to your teeth or hair during dinner, and something like Dolce & Gabanna’s Sheer Shine #130 is the perfect glossy orange-red to throw on as you’re heading out the door in summer, and wears off so evenly. I love this lipstick paired with little to no base, winged liner, All That Glitters on the lid, and bronzer on cheeks and temples. Very modern. For a swatch of Dolce & Gabanna #130, my other reds, and other lipsticks, see this post.

So happy that I got my hands on the discontinued Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon too.

9.  Edward Bess cream products: I won these from the delightful LipstickLuvvies (a great blog – go and read it!), and I’ve been using them constantly ever since. The blush in Love Affair and highlighter in All Over Seduction blend with the skin so beautifully and look imperceptable on the skin. They also last much longer on the skin that most cream products. Needless to say, they are always with me. I really must do a post on them.

10.  Head and Shoulders as deodorant: Last summer I could not find a deodorant that kept me stink-free, until I discovered that there is an ingredient in Head and Shoulders that actually prevents the growth of stink-causing bacteria. Now I wash my armpits with Head and Shoulders in the shower, dry off as normal, and go about my day. I have never used such an effective deodorant, and am so happy that I don’t end up smelly by midday any more.

11.  Vintage clothing and Diane Von Furstenburg: Oh how I love vintage clothing. I love the cut, the fabric, and the feminine look of vintage clothes. My collection features dresses from the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and I love them all. My favouite seller is still Nena from JolieVintageShop on Etsy, but she’s away at Law School at present. However, she will be back mid-year on her break, and I’m looking forward to her shop re-opening!

I also adore Diane Von Furstenburg dresses. If you ever see one in a shop, I urge you to try it on. Damn that woman knows how to cut a dress.

 

Posted in Clothes, Hair Care, Makeup, Skin Care | Tagged | 35 Comments

Christmas Eve OOTD

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Dempeaux

I just got back from a lovely Christmas Eve dinner with the family and thought I’d post what I wore:

Dress: Table Eight (picked up in the Myer Mid-Year Sale for $20)

Shoes: Michael Kors (Ebay)

Bracelet: Tiffany & Co.

Ring: Gift from Chris a few years ago

Nails: Zoya Isla + China Glaze Ruby Pumps

Necklace: Smales

Foundation: Ellis Faas Skin Veil

Concealer: Ellis Faas

Bronzer: Le Metier de Beaute

Eyeshadow: MAC All That Glitters and MAC Bronze

Gel Liner: MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

Lashes: Princess Lee Cross 7

Lipstick: Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon

Higlight: Le Metier de Beaute in Whisper

Blush: Le Metier de Beaute in Echo

Now I’m off to bed :)

Posted in Accessories, Clothes, Makeup | 18 Comments

Christmas Nail Polish

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Dempeaux

No surprises for guessing what ended up on my fingernails this Christmas. That’s right! My favourite combination: Zoya Isla and China Glaze Ruby Pumps.

Here is Zoya Isla on it’s own. Pretty!

…and here it is with China Glaze Ruby Pumps over the top:

Gorgeous.

I also picked up Sally Hansen Complete Care to use as a base and top coat. I’ll have to report back on wear time, but so far, so good! Gives a nice shine to the nail, and nailpolish seems to bond to it as a base coat too.

On my toes, I chose China Glaze Touch of Glamour, which is a nude peachy colour with gold flecks through it. I’m not a huge fan of colour on the toes, but I think a nude colour makes feet look a bit more polished in summer:

Yup. The nailpolish is the best looking part of my feet. That means it’s doing it’s job!

Right, I’m off to get my winged liner on.

 

Posted in Nail Polish | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Hair Curling Tutorial With a GHD Flat Iron

Posted on December 17, 2011 by Dempeaux

So Angela from BeautyBlogged asked me to do a quick tutorial on hair curling, and here is is! I love curling my hair for nights out. It’s such a feminine look and easy to do.

Firstly, my hair is difficult to curl. It is straight in every picture you see of me because straight is all it does. I’ve tried setting sprays, velcro curlers, hot rollers, curling irons of various sorts, and none of them hold curl in my hair for more than an hour. The only thing I’ve tried that works is the GHD Flat Iron.

So, Exhibit A. Me with my usual, straight hair, and glasses off because that only complicates things. Hair is washed and ready to go.

Make sure your hair is completely dry before you use a flat iron on it or the heat will boil your hair.

I don’t bother with heat protecting sprays. With the amount of heat that’s coming out of the GHD, nothing’s really going to protect your hair effectively, so just use the GHD infrequently instead.

I’ve got quite a lot of hair, so the GHD has definitely got its work cut out.

Firstly, I part my hair from the top of both ears ’round to the back. I did have one of those grabby clip things, but I can’t find it so I’m just using hair ties here.

Brush through this section of hair. I’m using a Tangle Teezer, but just use whatever you have.

Grab a small section of hair. The thicker the section, the looser the curl will be.

Brush through the section.

Apply the GHD to the hair.

Clamp it.

Then rotate the GHD 180 degrees either towards or away from you, and drag it through the section in this position.

The speed at which you drag it has an impact on the curl: faster, and the curl is loose; slower, and the curl is tighter.

And this is more or less how it turns out.

Keep curling sections of hair until they are all done.

Spray and scrunch with hairspray. I use Elnett because it’s lightweight and can be brushed out easily, even when you’ve applied a lot.

Let out your hair and take a second parting from both temples ’round to the back.

Tie up you hair again and start curling the straight sections of hair that have fallen onto the curls below.

Take a small section, brush it, and then curl as before.

You may like to twist the section of hair around after you curl it. I know my hairdresser does this for every curl! It just helps to ‘set’ the curl. This is up to you though.

Keep curling sections until everything is curly! Spray with hairspray.

Then let out the final section and start curling. Be sure not to drag your hair down, but curl each piece up and away from the scalp to create a little volume.

Spray the whole lot with hair spray.

It should end up looking a bit like the photo above.

Now, because I like lots of bounce and volume, when my curls have cooled, I brush through them all.

It will go all floofy like this.

In order to achieve nice soft curls *and* volume, I spray and scrunch hairspray into my hair.

Keep doing this until you get the right amount of curl definiton and hold for you. Personally, I like to do this at least four times, and using Elnett means that you don’t get any product build-up in your hair.

Yay, volume and curls!

To make it last for a second day, jut pin your hair into a topknot before you go to bed. In the morning just brush it out, then spray and scrunch a few times, and you’re good to go!

 

 

 

 

Posted in Hair Care | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Full Strip False Lash Tutorial

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Dempeaux

I was asked by the delightful StyleOnTheCouch to put together a quick false lash tutorial in honour of the festive season, so here is it!

I enjoy wearing full strip lashes, but depending on the type that you buy they can be difficult to put on and rather obvious on the eye. The Princess Lee lashes (in Cross 7 Black, reviewed here and available here) in this tutorial are still the most natural full strip lashes I’ve found to date. I find MAC #7 too uniform and fake-looking, Ardell Wipsies too full on, Ardell #117 even more full on that that, Red Cherry the most fake-looking of them all, and so on. Of course, it depends what look you’re going for, but personally I’m not a fan of  Kim K lashes at all; I like false lashes to add drama without going over the top. For me that means looking for a full strip lash that has:

- a very flexible band to help it stay glued throughout the night, and add comfort;

- a criss-cross, ‘messy’ arrangement of lashes that more closely mimics real lashes;

- lashes that are smaller at the inner corner and longer at the outer, to give a ‘cat eye’ effect. I find that the ones that are longer in the middle look terribly fake, and are usually so big they almost reach my eyebrow!

-nothing too plastic or shiny looking.

False lashes are great for glasses wearers like me when you need a bit more definition around the eye, and look fantastic in photographs.

So, this is the way I apply them.

First, apply your eyeshadow and curl your lashes.

Apply one coat of mascara to hold the curl. This will give you a ‘guide’ for the rest of the look, and ensure that you are ready to curl your lashes with a heated curler later.

Choose your lashes.

I love Duo Lash Glue in either the clear or black formulations, but unfortunately I’m allergic to it; it makes my eyes go red in about five minutes.

Fortunately, it seems that pretty much every other lash glue on the market is latex-free, so I’m using Revlon Precision Lash Adhesive that I picked up from Priceline. Latex-free lash glues are not as comfortable as the Duo glue as they don’t have the extra cushioning provided by the latex. However, in terms of actually sticking the lash down, this latex-free version seems to work fine.

Paint on your liner. Here I’ve gone for winged liner with MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack (tutorial here).

Curl your lashes with your heated curler, concentrating on getting heat to the base of the lashes.

Apply your second coat of mascara to hold the curl.

Grab your strip lash. In this case I’m using my beloved Princess Lee Cross 7 Black.

Check that the lash isn’t too long for your eye. If it is too long, trim some of the longest lashes from the outer edge of the lash.

These fit with no problem on my eye.

Apply the lash glue, adding an extra glob to the inner and outer corners where the lash is most likely to lift. Wait about 20 seconds for the lash glue to begin to dry.

Apply your lash.

Start by applying the lash as close and you can to the base of your own lashes.

Adjust the lash so that it’s not too far to the right or left, and the whole strip lash is as close to the root of your lashes as possible.

Don’t panic! Take your time, and if it doesn’t work, just take it off, apply some more glue, wait 20 seconds, and try again.

Some like to adjust lashes with tweezers, but I prefer to use my fingers.

You can see that the glue is still visible because it is wet. When it dries, it will become clear.

Lashes on.

Quick comparison between eyes: lashed and non-lashed.

Apply lashes to your other eye.

Make sure both lash strips are on the same angle. You don’t want one facing skyward and the other facing dead ahead.

Both lashes applied.

Get your heated lash curler and ensure that your lashes have combined with the false lashes.

Apply one last layer of mascara to fuse your natural lashes with the false ones. I only apply mascara to the bottom third of the lashes as a I like to reuse my false lashes, and I find the heated curler helps everything fuse well anyway.

Apply the rest of your makeup.

Done!

Here’s a quick comaprison between a photograph WITH false lashes:

And one without:

In real life the difference would not be so pronounced, but if you’re being photographed false lashes give great definition to the eye area.

The Princess Lee lashes also don’t look too much when you look down, which is when over the top lashes start to look a bit drag queen-ish.

They also look great behind specs, and don’t touch the lenses at all.

And there you have it!

 

 

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How to Fix Hooded Eyelids for Free

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Dempeaux

As you all all know, I’ve been on a campaign to improve my sundamaged skin for some months now. DIY skincare has made an enormous difference to the state of my skin, there’s no denying that (see before and after pics from October, as well as my current regime here). If I had all the money in the world I would still make my own skincare because I know it’s so much better than anything I can buy off the shelf.

However, it’s the underlying slackening of muscle that I also want to target now. I’ve had hooded lids for about ten years now, partially through genetics, but also because of sundamage. You can see in the pictures below that the left eye on my ‘driving’ side is much more damaged than the other.

So I thought I’d try facial exercises. If I’m being honest, it took me a while to be convinced to try them – if anything looks like quackery in the skincare world, this is it. However, they actually work. I’m stunned. And very, very happy.

Below is a picture I took about three weeks ago before I started facial exercises. You can see that my skin is in pretty good condition, but my lids are clearly hooded. Note that the left eye is more damaged due to prolonged sun exposure whilst driving:

And I took the photo below this morning. Whilst you can see that there are still some issues of hooding (particularly on the left) doing these facial exercises has really lessened the hooding on both eyes.

The problem of hooding and sundamage is even more pronounced when I smile.

The photo below was taken about six months ago, but it’s the only photo I could find where I was smiling at the camera, and there’s a very good reason for that. As a result of all the sundamage I’ve collected on the ‘driving side’ of my face, when I smile, my left eye scrunches up much more than the other. In fact, the whole left side of my face srunches up more than the right when I smile, but I’ll spare you the photographic evidence of that.

Below is a photo I took this morning where I tried to replicate the pose and smile at the camera. You can see that even though I’m smiling in both photos, my left eye is much less ‘scrunched’ in the photo below because of the underlying muscle strength I’ve gained through facial exercises.

The photo below was taken about two months ago I think. Here is another closeup of my most damaged side, and the left eye with the most hooding…

…and here is a (rather blurry) picture I took this morning. You can see that the lid has been drawn upwards, even though there’s still some work to be done.

So what exercise did I do? This one from Cynthia Rowland’s Beauty Systems. It looks like the most outdated stuff in the world, but as you can see from the photographs above, this exericise actually works. I’ve been doing it morning and evening as part of my cleansing routine, but you could probably do it once a day and still see results.

I’ve also been doing this exercise to firm cheeks and my nasolabial fold, and I’ve noticed a huge difference there too! Tanaka massage has helped to smooth and lift my lower face, but I think strengthening the area has also helped with wrinkling when I smile, and has helped to banish those dreaded nasolabial folds. The only reason you’re not seeing before and after photos here is because I haven’t got time to arrange them all, but I might do a separate post on my battle with nasiolabial folds in a few weeks. Suffice it to say, the exercises in the video linked above look ridiculous, but they really work.

I’ve only started with a few facial exericses three weeks ago, but I’m keen to try more. I’ll keep you posted on how I get on.

 

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | 25 Comments

So I took a short break from the thesis and went out on Friday night…

Posted on December 12, 2011 by Dempeaux

I usually don’t get so excited about going out for a meal, but this is the first time I’ve had the opportunity to frock up in goodness knows how long. The guilt of leaving my thesis for a night is setting in right about now, as well as the work I have to do to catch up on the time I spent away.

So anyway, here was how the afternoon panned out…

Me, sans makeup, in my trusty knitted DVF dress. This thing is a dream to travel in:

Dresses and backup dresses:

The makeup battleground:

Putting the slap on:

Curls in:

Some pics of the fab DVF dress I wore out.  Love the Michael Kors shoes too:

Note to self – bring false lashes next time:

The restaurant. Gorgeous meal and service.

At about 10.30pm, on my way to the bar, I walked passed James May. Possibly the greatest moment of my life.

And the obligatory, blurry shot of a Christmas tree!

So now it’s *definitely* back to the books time, but nice to have a night out :)

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KiNiaNAG Serum: Anti-Aging and Anti-Acne. A Joy For the Skin.

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Dempeaux

I’ve been meaning to post a tutorial on this amazing serum for some time. This is the KiNiaNAG Serum; another thoroughbred from the SkinEssentialActives stable.

As I’ve said many times before, there are many, many skincare products on the market, but only a handful that have proven positive effects on the skin. Along with Vitamin C and Vitamin A, Kinetin, Niacinamide, and N-acetyl D- glucosamine are all proven actives. My skincare routine has been very effective thus far, so it takes a pretty good serum to warrant me adding something to my routine. To me, this serum is wonderfully effective and improves the look of my skin even further, so it has more than earned its place.

KiNiaNAG  is based on the effective combination of 5% niacinamide/ vitamin B3 and N-acetyl-D glucosamine 2% to prevent acne.  Whilst I’m not an acne sufferer, I do get cycstic hormonal breakouts, but this serum knocks it over in a night or two. Acne sufferers: if you use this serum you might not be dependent on your Retin A to keep acne at bay. With this KiNiaNAG serum and the Oil Cleansing Method (tutorial here), there’s a good chance you will be able to drop back to 2 – 3 times per week.

Kinetin is a potent antioxidant with anti aging benefits, and is similar to Vitamin C and Vitamin A in its anti-aging effects on the skin. It stimulates collagen, reduces hyperpigmentation, refines the texture of the skin, and so on.  It is the active ingredient in the Kinerase line. Please see SkinEssentialActives in general  and the antioxidant sections in particular for an in depth explanation and greater understanding of these actives. You can buy a Kinetin DIY Kit here. For a tutorial on the lecithin version of KiNiaNAG (which I also highly recommend) click here.

KiNiaNAG is to be used at night. I use it every night, and I even use it over the top of my Retin A, which it works brilliantly with. This serum leaves my skin soooo soft, refines the texture of my skin, gives me a glow, and knocks back any cycstic pimples. Love it!

So, to make this serum, you will need:

  1. Kinetin 0.04 grams
  2. NaOH + 10grams distilled water 0.39 grams
  3. Niacinamide 1.75 grams
  4. N-acetyl D- glucosamine/ NAG 0.70 grams
  5. Citric acid 0..04 grams
  6. Sea emollient 10.50 grams
  7. Glycerin 1.05 grams
  8. H20 [ distilled water] 8.75 grams
  9. Borage oil or [oil of choice] 10.5 grams
  10. Emulsifying wax NF/ or Polawax 2.20 grams
  11. Vitamin E oil 0.35 grams
  12. Phenoxyethanol 0.18 grams

I get all of these ingredients from SkinEssentialActives.com, except for the Vitamin E Oil which I buy from LotionCrafter.

As this recipe has lots of different ingredients, I like to measure out each ingredient before I start and place the bottle next to it so that I can identify them.

1.  Prepare the Kinetin solution first.

To do this, you need 0.39 grams of NaOH (sodium hydroxide) and 10 mls of distilled water. Place the NaOH in a glass or stainless steel container…

…then add the 10 mls of H20. This will cause the NaOH to give off noxious fumes. Don’t breathe it in. It will also generate heat.

Keep this off to the side until it cools down.

2.  Measure 0.04 grams of Kinetin into a small glass. Then from the 1 N NaOH solution you prepared before, you will need 0.5 mls (I just ‘tare’ or zero the scale with the Kinetin on it and add 0.5 grams of the NaOH solution) added to the Kinetin.

Stir until dissolved.

You can use the rest of the NaOH solution as drain cleaner.

3.  Combine Niacinamide , N-acetyl D- glucosamine, and water.

Stir until dissolved.

Initally, it will look cloudy…

Then it will become clearer.

4.  Add sea emollient, glycerin and citric acid to the niacinamide , N-acetyl D- glucosamine, and water solution you have in front of you.

Stir or blend until the citric acid crystals are dissolved.

Add your preservative and stir or blend.

5.  Put your oil or oils of choice into another container.

Warm your oil gently in warm water.

In order to combine the oil with the e-wax, heat the e-wax until it melts. You can use a double boiler for this, but I don’t have one, so I just heat the e-wax on a spoon over a candle.

Pour the melted e-wax into the warmed oil and stir.

It should become a lotion consistency. Let it cool a little, then add the Vitamin E. Stir.

6.  Pour the oil and e-wax solution (#5)  into the sea emollient solution (#4) and stir or blend well.

Then pour the Kinetin solution into the mixture.

You will now have white lotion. Scent with an essential oil of your preference.

7. Check the pH. It should be around 5.01.

8. Pour in to a sterilised container. Done!

Beautifully smooth and a joy for the skin :)

 

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Models Prefer Brushes, a Winged Eyeliner Tutorial, and a Red Lip Look

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Dempeaux

I love winged liner, but it doesn’t always love me.

Being able to execute a winged liner is the final frontier of makeup proficiency, and it makes a huge difference if you have the right tools. Experts like Jen make it look easy.

Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am? was kind enough to send me two Models Prefer brushes: the Smudge Brush and Angled Liner Brush. Both of these brushes make applying winged liner a whole lot easier, and I’m thrilled to have them in my collection!

The Models Prefer brush collection from Priceline is one of Suzanne’s great finds of 2011, and to read more of her reviews on these brushes click here and here.

I use the Angled Liner brush for creating a line and a wing. I use it in the ‘v’ postion rather than the ‘n’ position, and I find it gets really close to the lash line and creates a thin line. I like that the brush is not so thin that it becomes hard to keep the wobble out of your line . The angle also makes it super easy to create a wing.

I use the smudge brush for tightlining, even though it’s probably not meant for this purpose. I just dip it into the eyeliner, press it to the underside of my lash line and I’m done. I find with traditional tightlining brushes they can be quite uncomfortable to use (scratchy or prone to make you blink) but with this brush, the bristles are so soft that it doesn’t irritate the eye at all.

To demonstrate how I create a winged liner, and how I’ve been wearing my makeup lately, I’ve put together a tutorial below.

I’ve already applied a very thin layer of Ellis Faas Skin Veil and Ellis Faas Concealer in this photo (get both, they’re brilliant). On my cheeks is Edward Bess Compact Rouge in Love Affair and Edward Bess Highlighter in Sunlight (get these too).

First, I apply Too Faced Shadow Insurance to my lid. Make sure that you apply it under the area which will have the ‘wing’ on it too, to prevent it creasing.

Curl lashes. The Tweezerman lash curler is also courtesy of Suzanne. It does a good job!

Apply one thin coat of mascara to hold the curl while you do the rest of your eye makeup. I’m using ye olde Covergirl Lashblast Waterproof in Black here.

Apply your shadow. Here I’m using MAC Woodwinked all over the lid, and MAC Bronze over the outer half of the lid and in the crease. I always apply my shadows with my fingers, then blend out with a MAC 224 blending brush, as seen below:

With the larger of my Essence of Beauty Crease Brushes, I sweep both colours under the lower lash line.

Take the Models Prefer Angled Liner Brush and dip it into your gel liner. I’m using MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack here.

Smoosh the gel liner onto the back of your hand and use it as a palette. Make sure your brush is evenly coated with the gel liner.

Holding the Angled Liner Brush in the ‘v’ position and line from the middle to the outer top lash line.

With what is left on the brush, line from the inner to the outer corner of the top lash line. Try to create a thicker line towards the outside if you can.

Even though the brush gets very close to the lash line, the underside of my top lashline is clearly visible in the photograph above. This is why tightlining is important – to cover this gap.

To create a flick, tilt your head back and look down your nose at yourself in the mirror. Imagine your lower lash line continued upward: this is where your flick should go.

Mark your flick.

Join the flick back to the rest of your line in a curve. Wait for your flick to dry before your fully open your eyes. Practice your evil stare.

Take the Models Prefer Smudge brush and dip it in the gel liner.

Tap it off on the back of your hand again and make sure the brush is evenly coated.

Apply the brush to the underside of your top lash line and wiggle it around. Do this until there is no flesh showing.

Take your angled brush again and perfect the line at the top lash line. Make sure it is even and nice and dark. If you go over your flick, wait for it to dry before you fully open your eyes.

Check your work.


Take your heated eyelash curler and curl your lashes, concentrating on the root of the lashes. These heated curlers won’t work unless there is some mascara on the lashes.

The fact that you’ve already curled your lashes with a non heated curler means that you will not disrupt your liner at all and the mascara means that the curler will work immediately.

Once lashes are curled, apply another two coats of mascara to seal the curl.

To finish the rest of the face, apply bronzer. I’m using Korres Monoi Bronzer in 01. I apply it with a MAC 134 paddle brush. Just apply it below the cheekbones in a downward sweeping motion:

Then on the forehead and temple:

You can see that the bronzer gives me colour, but also creates some contouring without any harshness. It gives my face shape, and importantly, cheekbones!

I love red lipstick with this look. Here I’m applying the (discontinued) Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in Dragon (*sniff*).

The finished look!

If I could do my hair, I’d probably do something like this.

I love a sheer base with this look, as it keeps the whole thing from looking too ‘done’.

That’s it! Love this look for summer or winter. So feminine and pretty.

Well, back to the books!

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