Transitioning from Sydney to London, Summer to Winter

Last Friday I flew back to London after my month long holiday in Sydney. These are the ways I transition my makeup from the highest high's of Summer to the deepest depths of Winter, so if you are Sydney based and planning a trip far north - i've got you covered!

It's amazing how everything changes as soon as you step off the plane. The first thing that is noticeably different is the light. The light in Sydney is just so damn bright. London in Winter has a certain, may I say bleakness to it. This means that colours read differently and even something as simple as the shade of foundation you wear may need a rethink as you travel between the hemispheres. After totally living in tinted moisturiser, I am now reaching for something with more coverage, and i'm switching for a more dewy finish to something a little more matt.

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser - £57.00 / $94

By Terry Terrybly Densiliss  Wrinkle Control Serum Foundation - £75.00 

After spending the past month using a nude lipstick shade, this suddenly looks way too insipid and I find myself reaching for berry shades to give my face some life. 

Paul and Joe Lipstick on Shade 207 - £19.50 (similar shades here)

Kiko Velvet Matt Lipstick in Cherry Red (609) - £6.90

I also tend to shelve the moral coral and neutral blush shades and go for something rosie.

Bourjois Cream Blush in 02 - £7.99

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose - £19.00 / $44.00

While you may feel like a goose wearing eyeliner and mascara on the beach, in London it is definitely the way to go so i'm going to go crazy. Lately I have switched it up and have been using a dark brown eyeliner rather than a black which still defines the eye nicely, but looks a little less severe. I am also upping the intensity, moving from a light wash of colour over the lid to something with a little more punch.

Clinique Chubby Stick for Shadown Tint for eyes in Lavish Lilac - £17.00 / $35.00

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Velvet Orchid - £28.00 / $62.00

There are a few things that stay the same no matter my location. I always use a broad spectrum sunscreen, even when it's 4 degrees and raining. My trusty black mascara is also a key product that I am never without. 

Products that didn't wow me - volume 2

Ole Henrickson African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser

This product was a total packaging fail for me. While the cleanser inside the bottle was lovely - self-foaming, felt nice on the skin, did the job perfectly well - the pump dispenser gave up on me while there was still a decent amount of the product left inside. As it is supposed to self-foam when you pump it out, I couldn't even remove the top and tip the remainder out. Very annoying!! 

See how much was still in the bottle?

Nanoblur by Indeed Labs

I wrote a lengthy review of the products from Indeed Labs which you can read here. Basically, while I love all their other offerings, the Nanoblur and I just didn't gel. The texture is strange and it does not sit well under or over makeup. Thankfully my love for Hydraluron makes up for my disappointment in this product. 

The Body Shop Coconut Shimmer Body Butter

I am an avid user of Body Shop Body Butters - I love them and use them up very quickly once the central heating turns on. This one however is destined to remain gathering dust in my bathroom cabinet. It is just way too shimmery for me. I put it on before I went out one night and I looked silly. I just think i'm a bit old to be all shimmery all over. I also find this one a bit too fragrant to use before bed which is when I always apply my body moisturiser. Now the Shea Butter one is a totally different ball game .....

Kiko Pearly Eye Base Primer

I was holding out high hopes for this one having read many rave reviews on Kiko. The price was amazing and it looked and felt nice when I tried it on my hand, but once I put it on my eye lids I jut couldn't get it to stop creasing. I just don't think it is a good sign when even the primer creases ... it doesn't hold out much hope for making your eye shadow stay crease free does it? 

Sadly it is a thumbs down on these products for me. What do you guys think? Are there any mentioned above that you find good? 

How to - Bright Lipstick

I've bought a new necklace! I've never had a piece of jewellery dictate what makeup I wear before now. This necklace by Delfina Delettrez is HOT pink - fluro pink. And it makes wearing any other lip colour with it impossible.  Thankfully I have a Tom Ford lipstick in Pure Pink* which is as close a match as I will ever be able to pull off. Here is how to apply bold colours with ease.

Lips must be hydrated and exfoliated, so I recommend using the Sara Happ Lip Scrub (more details here) first then popping on some Lucas Pawpaw ointment while you do the rest of your makeup.

Blot off the remaining Pawpaw ointment off with a tissue, then apply a lip primer such as the Kiko Lip Base (£5.90 here). The primer neutralises the colour of your lips so you can draw your lip line in where ever you want it to be. The neutral base also helps to make your lipstick colour pop.

I have fairly full lips so I draw my natural lip line in using the Kiko Invisible Lip Liner (also £5.90 here). This is a waterproof clear pencil that provides a barrier so that the lipstick doesn't bleed. 

Finally I apply the lipstick using a lip brush until I have a clean line, then I fill the lips in using the lipstick straight from the tube to make the colour intense. If you plan to go out all night, or you want the colour to last through your first coffee of the day, I would blot with a tissue and apply a second coat. 

*My tube of Pure Pink was a gift and sadly does not look available anymore, but there is this colour here, Flamingo, which looks pretty close! 

Raspberry Crush

As the weather cools down here in London, I find myself reaching increasingly for the one colour of makeup. Raspberry, claret, cranberry and oxblood. I can't seem to get enough.  

These are the products I am using on high-rotation until I get over this little obsession of mine. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - this is my second purchase of this product as I used it all summer long in the colour Honey. I love the texture, the staying power and the subtle amount of colour it gives. I also love the price, hello £7.99 ... You can buy this from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $17.95.

Kiko Velvet Matt Lipstick in Cherry Red (609) - this was an accidental purchase as I wandered past the Kiko store last week after vowing not to buy any makeup. It was £6.90 and a luscious colour. I was powerless. You can buy this online here if you are based in the UK. For a list of countries that they ship to go here. Unfortunately Australia is not currently on their list.

Pixi Beauty Sheer Cheek Gel in Rosy. This colour can look a little scary in the tube but it goes on in such a sheer way that it gives the look of a lovely natural flush. £12.25 from Beauty Bay with free international shipping.

For a full review of this product go here. 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate - rusty tones can be scary to apply around the eyes. You need to get the colour just right or the results can be pretty awful. This gel-cream eye shadow has a brownish undertone which is key in avoiding the 'i've been crying all night' look. It is a shade you need to try. £4.99 from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $11.95.

For a full review of this product go here.