2013 - In Review and an Ode to London

2013 was a big year for me. Looking back there are so many things I am proud of. I begrudgingly relocated to London and now 12 months on, i've embraced it wholeheartedly and feel immensely lucky to have the opportunity of living and working there. Yes, the weather is and always will be awful, but the opportunities it has opened up for me in the world of makeup and beauty are massive and quite simply I wouldn't be in the same place work wise if I was still based in Sydney.

In June I bit the bullet and started this blog which was something I had toyed with doing for about 12 months prior but never had the guts to go forth and do it. There is something about living in a new city and the anonymity that goes with it which gave me the courage to go for it.

Probably the achievement I am most proud of for 2013 is the expansion of my makeup portfolio. When I came to London I had 2 images which were fairly average at best so I am very excited that it has come leaps and bounds in terms of the quality of work. Every shoot was worked on with trembling nerves (my husband practically had to shove me out the door each time as I felt 'sick' and didn't want to go), and each time I returned home feeling like an annoying champion. I know I was annoying, my husband confirmed it!

I did some amazing solo travel to New York and Paris, and some lovely family travel to Italy, skiing and sunning. Once again, London made this possible. 

So 2014 is here and i'm excited about the new experiences it brings. I have made some resolutions as far as my blog goes, so stay tuned for more regular posting and more organisation. If there is anything you would like to see me cover, please feel free to let me know in the comments box!!

Summer Favourites Sydney Style

My latest favourites are a summer fun bag compiled for you direct from Sydney. I have been holidaying here for the past few weeks and it only took me about 2 seconds to get in the swing of being back in the world of heat and humidity.

So here are the products I have been reaching for, pretty much on a daily basis due to packing restrictions.

La Roche Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Sunscreen - I picked this up on my Paris trip last month. It is described as being 'extreme fluid for sensitive skin' and I have been wearing it on my face and chest, over my daily moisturiser every day since I arrived. It is a little creamier than the last sunscreen I was using, but it does what it states and is easy to rub in.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser - I normally use the Ultra Facial Moisturising Cream which is heavier and more suitable for the northern hemisphere but I swapped to this lighter version for my trip. It is a good basic, fragrance-free option and I had a teeny tiny bottle which is great for travelling. 

Bourjois Bronzing Primer - I love this for providing a little bronzed pick-me-up for under my normal makeup. The colour is fairly subtle, enough to give you a lovely glow without making you look like an orange fake-tan user.

L'Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash in 101 Lolita - Another Paris purchase, this is a gloss which acts like a stain. Unlike most stains, it is packed with moisture so you get the long lasting benefits without the side effect of dry lips. Lolita is a very natural shade which you can pull off even when wearing your swimmers.  I also love the packaging which is nicer than your average drug store product.

I have just notices that a lot of these products are not yet available in Australia (boo-hiss!). I have linked to the UK sites in my post and I guess we can only wait and hope for Australian releases in 2014.

Merry Christmas!

Duty Free Bits n Pieces ….

So I managed to pick up a few 'essentials' as I departed London for Sydney last week. Ok, there was actually nothing essential about what I bought, but I was about to embark on 24 hours of hellish torture so I needed a little something-something. 

Tom Ford Lipstick in 'Indian Rose'  - oh mother, this is good. It is as close to my beloved MAC Cosmo lipstick as I can find except the price is substantially steeper and the packaging is more luxe.  It is a gorgeous rose shade like my lips only better and I love it in all it's beautifully packaged glory. 

The duty-free price of this was £30.60. Tom Ford cosmetics are sold in David Jones in Australia. Unfortunately they don't list prices on their website so i'm unable to link it for you.

Clinique Chubby Stick for Eyes in Lavish Lilac - purple is definitely the new brown for me and I would encourage any green-eyed girls to try it if you haven't already. Purple tones really bring out the green in your eyes, and as weird as this sounds, many of the ones I have discovered have a brown undertone so they just work. It is very sheer so perfect on its own for daytime, and for a night look I ramp it up a little by adding some deeper purple powder shadow in the crease. 

The duty-free price of this was £14.15 and you can find this product here in Australia for $35.00.

I also repurchased the Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara which I tried earlier this year. What sets this mascara apart from the others for me is it's incredibly fine applicator which makes coating each and every lash ultra-easy. 

The duty-free price of this was £14.15 and you can find this product here in Australia for $38.00.

I've gone cold turkey on the makeup purchasing front while i'm in Sydney. Even an obsessive like me can't justify the crazy prices over here.

How to Pep-Up Tired Eyes

Isn’t December an exhausting month? Party after party, catching up with an endless sea of friends. Lots of late nights, lots of online Christmas shopping and lots of New Years Eve parties. I can always tell I am tired by the size of the bags and dark circles around my eyes. There are a few sneaky tricks you can do to minimize the damage.

• The flesh-toned eyeliner. Used correctly, this can be a little gem. Lining your lower water-line instantly gives your eyes a clear and awake look. I own a luxe version - the Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte and a budget version - the Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude. The Nars is slightly more yellow-toned but the difference is minimal. 

Top - Nars

Bottom - Rimmel

• The magical highlighter crayon. Pep yourself up by adding subtle touches of light to areas of your face you want to stand out, such as your cheek bones the inner corner of your eyes and the cupid’s bow. Pixi Beauty make a double ended version called the Wide Awake Crayon Combo which covers points 1 and 2 in the one product – genius. You can read more about this product here.

• Correct and conceal. I suffer from very dark areas in the inner corner of my eye socket. If I take the extra time to correct them with a peach corrector (Bobbi Brown Corector in Light to Medium Bisque) first, then my concealer goes on like magic.

•  Brightening powders. Laura Mercier makes a product called Secret Brightening Powder and I am yet to find a comparable cheaper powder on the market. Basically it is super fine powder which sets your concealer in place and helps to stop it settling into your fine lines. It is not cheap, but it is really good. You can read a more detailed review of this product here.

I am currently holidaying in my home-town of Sydney, Australia so communication may not be as reliable as normal. Should you have a comment or question, please submit it below and I will respond to you when I get back from my swim :-)

By Terry in Paris

As you know last week I was in Paris, the makeup addict's shangri-la. Aside from running riot in Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, I also made a special pilgrimage to the By Terry store in the oh so beautiful Galerie Véro-Dodat. It is located just off Rue St Honoré near the Palais Royale and if you going to Paris, it is worth a look. 

Makeup, makeup everywhere!

The original By Terry store is within the arcade and is now used as a laboratory. The makeup is now sold in a larger store within the same arcade. The eye shadows you see above are made in the laboratory you see below!

The original shop front, now a laboratory

I went in on a mission. I had been wanting to try the new Terrybly Densiliss foundation even since it was launched a few months back. I had myself colour matched, and while I was there, was given a beautiful mini-makeover by one of the fabulous By Terry makeup artists. I had been on the streets shopping since 8.30am so I was in need of this. 

The foundation is good. I really like the texture - it reminds me a little of the Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation, but it seems to give more coverage and less glow, which is what I need having combination skin. The packaging is great as it comes in a nicely sized glass bottle with a pump dispenser which is always good for travelling. I was matched to the colour 5 - Medium Peach.  

Once that was covered, I picked up a couple of extras such as the infamous Baume de Rose which is a heavenly rose-scented lip balm. Anyone who knows me will attest to my obsession with lip balms. I'm so in awe of it that I haven't even opened it yet. 

L-R: Terrybly Densiliss foundation, Touch-Expert Advanced Concealer, Ore de Rose Blush Prestidge and Baume de Rose lip balm.

I also found that one of my favourite ever products, the Rose de Rose liquid blush came in a 24 carat pink gold version - AND IT WAS HALF-PRICE! I'm not even making that up in case my husband is reading this. It is the truth. 

I was so very well looked after and once I told the lovely staff that I had made a special trip to see them, I was given lots of lovely samples and goodies to try ... and quite frankly, you know what that means. More By Terry will most certainly be making its way into my collection. I can't wait!

Lots and lots of lovely samples

By Terry is available in both the UK and Australia. In the UK you can see the range at Space NK, and in Australia it is available at Mecca Cosmetica. 

I will be travelling to Sydney this week so communication may not be as regular as I take a well-earned Christmas break for the next month.