Beauty advice for the beauty-challenged

Are you beauty-challenged? I am. I so am. I need all the help I can get. The one thing I have going for me is I have an awesome eyebrow lady, and good eyebrows can get a lady anywhere {well, almost anywhere}… but the rest, I’m pretty clueless.

I’ve teamed up with bellabox again, I think they feel sorry for me and want to help me {thank you bellabox} and this time they’ve sent their Beauty Director, Samantha, to my rescue and your rescue too. I recently asked over Instagram what you guys are struggling with, and you let me know. Oh boy did you let me know. I picked ten, and Samantha gave us some really useful advice. For this, I thank her. She really knows her stuff, I’m wondering if we might be able to steal her beauty brain for a while. WHO KNEW WE SHOULD BE DOING EYELINER THAT WAY {read below for more details!}.

ONE //

I love to play around with make-up, but I can never master a smoky eye. Please help!

The trick with smoky eyes if you are not so good at it is to start with lighter colours. Apply a light cream colour up to the brow bone, and use a soft grey on the eyelid up to the crease, blending well. Blend a darker grey into the outer corner of the eye and slightly up into the crease, use a dome brush and this will do the hard work for you. Use a soft eye pencil and starting at the lash line, make tiny strokes upward, working from the inner corner out. Make the strokes a tiny bit longer at the outer corner to create a winged eyeliner look. The beauty of this method is it is soft, doesn’t need to be perfect and you can smudge it with a cotton tip if you make a boo boo. Line the lower lash, starting from the outer corner, stopping about two thirds of the way along your eye. Run the pencil along the waterline of your eye and apply at least two coats of mascara. Smoky eye done.

TWO //

I can’t get my hair to commit to either straight or wavy, and instead it kinda has a ‘pulled through the hedge’ look. What’s the best way to wear everyday hair, but not have to be a hairdresser to achieve it?

I feel your pain; I have this exact same hair. While your hair is still wet after washing, spritz on a sea salt spray with moisturizing qualities, and either wrap your hair in a bun or plait your hair. Let is dry overnight and when you undo it the next morning, voila, sexy beach curls.

THREE //

What’s the trick with bronzer? Where do I wear it, and when?

Bronzer is a quick and easy way to look like you have had a mini break if you are feeling a bit blah. Good for everyday wear or to glam up with at night. You want to apply it where the sun hits your face. Think of a 3 shape, the top part of the 3 on the sides of your forehead, the middle part of the three hitting the bottom of cheekbones, and the bottom part of the 3 running along your jawline. Make sure it is blended properly and don’t be too heavy handed. It is easy to add more, not so easy to remove.

FOUR //

Can we talk about the bags under our eyes? Mine are currently big enough to hold carry on baggage? How do I get rid of them?

Um, sleep! It’s the only way to get rid of bags, but that is pretty hard to come by as a Mum! If you can find 10 minutes to yourself, lie down and place a cooled tea bag on each eye. A slice of cucumber or even a pair of cold spoons you have put in the fridge will work too. It’s the cooling action that will help reduce swelling by restricting the blood vessels. Take preventative steps such as removing your eye makeup before going to bed and managing your allergies. Check you are using the correct eye cream and it is not too heavy for the delicate eye area or heavily fragranced (I am looking at you Chantelle. Facial serums are way too heavy to use on the fine skin under the eye) Don’t layer on the concealer; it will just draw attention to the area. Dab your foundation under your eyes or use a highlighting concealer. Use a highlighter pencil on the inner corners of the eye to brighten and lift the eye area.

FIVE //

I thought pimples were meant to end once you left your teen years behind, but it isn’t so. What’s the best thing for taming adult pimples?

Hormonal changes or incorrect skincare are often the culprit when it comes to adult pimples, so look at your diet, your medication and switch up your skincare routine as necessary. Is your skincare too rich so that is it blocking your pores, are you using products that don’t provide enough moisture, thereby causing your skin to produce more sebum, or is your skincare PH balanced to 5.5 like your skin? I really like products with Alpha and Beta Hydroxy in them, they are great for keeping your skin clear and they are an anti-aging ingredient as well. Once you do have a pimple, for the love of god, don’t squeeze it! That will introduce bacteria into the skin, and make it look worse, like throbbing red worse. Use a pimple stick or treatment to spot treat the area. If you have the equivalent of the second head growing on your face and have an event coming up, then go see a professional. They can perform an extraction and use infrared light to reduce swelling and take away any redness.

SIX //

Someone has drawn lines on my face and they won’t come off. WRINKLES. Have I left it too late? How do I help the wrinkles and pause further aging?

Sorry to break it to you, but once you have deep lines on the face, barring surgery, laser or needles, you can’t get rid of them. The good news is you can improve their appearance with skincare. Make sure you are using a cleanser that is right for your skin, a good serum and moisturizer. Look for ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to keep the skin plump. HA is produced in our body naturally and keeps the skin moist, as we age our production decreases leading to sagging and dull skin. Prevention is better than cure so start using anti-aging products in your 20’s. Think of it as age prevention. What you do, or more rather what you don’t do to your skin in your 20’s will show up on your skin in your 30’s and 40’s and then it is too late, damage done. Trust me, your 40 year old self will thank you. Wear sunscreen. Every single day without fail. This is non negotiable as sun damage is the leading cause of aging.

SEVEN //

EYELINER! I just can’t. I do one eye, and the other doesn’t match, so I keep going until I look a right mess. What’s the trick with eyeliner, if there is one?

Easy. Most people make the mistake of trying to draw a perfect line on the lash line. Too hard if you are a beginner. Try doing tiny stokes upward, starting from the inner lash and working your way out. It gives a soft effect and doesn’t matter if it isn’t perfect.

EIGHT //

After a full-in day with the kids and work, I choose bed {sweet bed!} over cleansing my face. What routine should I be using if I make the time?

Thou shalt cleanse. It is part of the 10 commandments of skincare. I get that there is not enough hours in the day, but think of all that gunk sitting on your face that is going to hinder the skins natural healing process at night if you don’t clean it off. Use a cleansing water or facial wipe, it is quick and easy and can be done when watching the TV or brushing your teeth.

My beauty routine can be summed up by these words, “Oh, I didn’t expect to get out of the car!” What’s a 5 minute routine I can do before I leave the house?
Glowing skin, a coat of mascara and a slick of lip gloss can make you look pulled together in a matter of seconds. Skin care bare minimums are cleanser, eye cream and moisturizer to keep your skin looking its best. Add a serum if you are on the dark side of 30 to treat specific concerns such as dull skin or pigmentation. You don’t have to spend a fortune to get good skincare, the local pharmacy and supermarket has some great choices these days. For makeup, make friends with BB creams or tinted moisturisers with sunscreen as they moisturise, treat, cover and protect at the same time. Timesaver! If you don’t have time to apply mascara, consider having a lash tint. A slick of lip gloss and you are good to go.

TEN //

My hair is flat when I straighten it. How can I add a little volume with ease?

Two words. Styling powder. It is a gift from the hair gods if you have flat hair. Just sprinkle a small amount on the part and back of your head and massage in. If you don’t have a hair power, dry shampoo works just as well. Instant vavoom. Or sex hair as my stylist calls it.

If you’d like more tips, and beautiful beauty goodies delivered to your doorstep each month, you can join by clicking below. This month their is a super special offer, the beauty box is only $10, instead of $17.95. Every reader who subscribes will be getting a handwritten note from me inside their delivery. Enjoy!

Also, if you order before November 24th you can choose the colour of the Laqa and Co Cheeky Lip this month!

Did you learn something? I’m totally going to have sex hair and do my eyeliner differently from this point forward. You?

P.S. The winners of the bellabox subscriptions are @shakeit78 and @_lucy_1992! Please email me with your details so you can start getting goodies in the mail!