The weather here in Melbourne has been diabolical of late. One day it is so hot and humid you’d think you were living on the beaches of Thailand (if only!), then the next a cool change comes in and we are pelted with hail, temperatures of 12 degrees celsius and flooding streets! If there is one thing the weather of the last month has taught me, it is always be prepared.  Prepare for an onslaught of air-conditioning, makeup melting off your face, then the drying heat of the Australian sun.

My secret for keeping both my makeup intact and my skin well hydrated is the constant use of a facial mist. Not simply a bit of a water spritz, but a multi vitamin spritz that smells amazing, wakes up my face, sets and re-sets my makeup as well as giving me a veil of delicate fragrance to sleep in.

Their are two products always on hand at home and in my handbag so I’m sharing them with you to help you keep the melting heat or drying winter conditions at bay.

Steal 

The Face Shop, Pure Water Facial Mist. RRP $9.99

This comes in a few different fragrance choices including a fresh ocean type scent. I’ve chosen Jeju Flower which is light and refreshing. It comes in a 70ml plastic spritz bottle, so it meets the standards for carry on luggage at under 100ml. The packaging is light and slender so it doesn’t add unnecessary weight to your handbag.

Ingredients list: (I’m including this as I know many readers have various allergies to products and I believe it is important to make informed choices)

water, butylene glycol, honeysuckle extract, rapeseed extract, glycerin, alcohol denat, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, octyldodecth-16, peg-60, hydrogenated castor oil, ppg-26-buteth-26, peg-40 hydrogenated castor oil, ethylparaben, butylparaben, propylparaben, isobutylparaben, disodium edta, fragrance.

Splurge

Vani-T Energizing Multi Vitamin Facial Spritz RRP $33.50

Housed in a brushed aluminium canister, this bottle comes in a bit bigger at 100ml, just making the cut for carry on liquids on flights. The canister helps to protect the contents from light which could cause quicker degeneration, and does stop it from heating up in your bag as quickly as its plastic counter part.

The mist itself is divine! Fragranced with Damascas Rose, it quickly become addictive for me and I find myself spraying morning noon and night.

Ingredients list:

Water, polysorbate 20, glycerin, aloe vera leaf extract, vitamin B, Vitamin C, rose damascena flower oil, lemon myrtyle leaf oil, lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, benzyl alcohol, citral, eugenol, geranoil, linalool.

Verdict

If I had to choose between the two the Vani-T Multivitamin mist is my favourite, but I save it for my face and décolletage. I find myself using The Face Shop alternative more on my body for a quick refresh as it doesn’t have the same nourishing ingredients as the Vani-T Mist.  If you are looking for that quick pick me up that has the added advantage of nourishing and hydrating your skin, I really recommend trying the Vani-T mist for a handbag must have.

The people at Nvey Eco recently sent me their new eye palette to test and review. Nvey Eco cosmetics are made with 100% certified organic ingredients, a blend of plant and mineral, to create a product that is pure and gentle. They are also a locally produced, Melbourne brand! For me as a makeup artist, it is a must to have alternatives that work for clients with sensitive skin or certain ingredient allergies.  These palettes come in three different colour combinations and the one I tried out for this tutorials was a mix of earthy neutrals in lighter to darker shades, as well as a mid tone purple.

Results and verdict:

The pallete is nicely presented with an easy to use mirror in a long ‘landscape’ format.

The colour range creates a good variety of looks and applies smoothly.

I found the pigment to be less intense than I like meaning I had to use much more shadow than I usually would to get the intensity I desired.

I found blending these colours took more time to achieve as they didn’t seem to have the same ‘spread’ that many of my non mineral options do.

Products Used:

Eyes-

Nvey Eco eye Pallette.

Maybelline Falsies mascara in black

Prestige brow mascara in clear

Lips-

Liner by David Jones in Cinnamon

Models Prefer lipstick in City Chic

Bourjois – Effect 3D lipgloss in shade 23

Lip brush by Missha

The colour wore very well, lasting all day without separating or settling into lines.

Overall a good option for complimentary colour combinations, wear and the benefit of knowing that I have a safe and eco friendly option available to my clients.

A full list of Nvey Eco stockist can be found here.

Before I begin, let me just say I really didn’t understand what all the fuss was about. I’d never played Angry Birds but my girls do, and like everyone else I spoken to who has; they are obsessed! Suddenly, this game that has not yet stolen away a portion of my life, is everywhere I look.  Hats, back packs, toys, t-shirts and now nail art. I’m not about to start carrying my possessions about in a large fluffy bird back pack, but these I think, may be too good to resist.

This tutorial from Cute Nails may or may not be your thing, but it is certain to make you smile.

Check out her channel for some of the most fantastic DIY nail art.

Here are the in depth tricks to creating Sophia Loren’s classic cats eye liquid liner look. I spent many hours studying photos of Ms. Loren and just how she achieved this look over the years. Now I’ve broken it down into simple steps for you!  I’ve started this look with my face already made up with a matt base, pink pouty lips and lightly smokey eye. There are new tutorials coming on how to achieve this basic look too, but for now we’re concentrating on the liner which is all you need to add to your current day time look for a sexy alternative.

 

Products Used

Essence – Liquid liner in black with brush tip

Flat angled brush

Maybelline ‘Falsies’ mascara in black

Dark brown shadow by Physicians Formula from the Baked Sweets Trio

Lash Grip clear lash glue

Flat Nose tweezers from Manicare

There are lots of new tutorials in editing at the moment. Hair, makeup, skin care; even cooking!  If you have any suggestions for things you’d like to see, please ask away. In the meantime, make sure to subscribe to my Super Kawaii Mama You Tube channel where all the new video content appears first!

If you’re as young as me (*ehemm*), you may be lucky enough to have a grandfather who introduced you to the secret world of men’s hairstyling.  Not giving away all the secrets mind you, but letting you sit and watch as he readied himself for a day at the shops, running a comb through his shiny hair before returning it to his top pocket.  There was no one hour hair dryer action and touch ups of spray tans, these daily mirror rituals were the stuff that my Hollywood heroes were made of.

What I saw as I watched my grandfather do his hair, was a moment fast disappearing in time. A time when men use that marvellous stuff, pomade, to give them the slick, shiny look that had once set a beaux’s heart racing.

The word “pomade” in English is derived from French, pommade, meaning “an ointment”.  The root word is the Italian “pom” meaning “apple” because the original ointment recipe contained mashed apples. So don’t get confused and rub this stuff into your apples, cause its not going to do them any good!

The first popular commercially made pomades were Royal Crown Hair Dressing and Murray’s Superior Pomade, and who can forget the fabulous Brylcream ( I swear by the stuff).  The problem though, is that these gems (and the skills of their proper application) have been all but lost by the wayside, only accessible to those committed souls who go searching them out.

Finding a good old fashioned pomade hasn’t been the easiest thing for chaps for quite some time. With the advent of all the wax-y, gel-y, stick ‘em up until they crack products out there, the romance of the old has been pushed the dusty back shelf. But some canny friends of mine, with killer hair, are bringing back old school pomade and making men swoon worthy again.

Images from left to right: Johnny Cash, Gene Kelly, High Life Pomade, Folding comb, High Life moustache wax, Scotty Baker, Atomic Life.

Atomic Life, operating out of Sydney, understand that the road to successfully bringing back the romance of the past is all about getting to the heart and soul of it. I spoke to co-founder, Paul “Squizzy” Taylor about how how he and co-founder Ben Livingstone made  Atomic Life  happen.

“We started just over a year ago when Ben met Adam Dorsett (Mr High Life) at the Tattoo Expo in 2010. We then met Adam again at Viva 2010, and got talking to him about pomade. We thought about making our own, but realised we like High Life so much that we should try and bring it into the country. So we had a chat to Adam (and of course our wives), and the fruits of Atomic Life was born.

We decided that our focus should remain old school and for the rockabilly bloke, seeing that ladies were catered for quite well. Our first market was at the Rock n Roll Markets in Tempe in October 2011. From there we’ve traveled across Sydney, up the north coast to events at Brisbane, Port Macquarie, and Taree, and are now making our first trip to Melbourne.We then decided to contact Prison Blue as we both wore their jeans, and they were happy for us to bring their stock in too.

 We have since expanded our pomade importation to include Cock Grease, and are also looking at some other favourites to bring in. We’re also looking at getting our own pomade made too which is very exciting. So our focus like I said is about old school rockabilly….think jeans, hanes tee’s, pomade, and a Pendleton and you’re pretty much there. Both Ben and I think it’s important though not to just go out and use the scene for our own profit, but to actually support to scene in terms of getting out to gigs, and supporting all of our friends that make the scene what it is… That’s what it’s all about.”

While we ladies have an arsenal of grooming products at our disposal, a gentleman’s shaving cabinet appears sparse in comparison. How very fortunate for them; and their hip pockets.  But if you’re man’s toilette is so sparse that it only contains a worn down disposable razor and a bottle of Brut; then I suggest you stage an intervention!

With Movember now in full swing, I’m pleased to finally have the opportunity to introduce Mr SKM to Atomic Life.  He has graciously (and astonishingly) offered to go the “Full Poiroit” for Movember, and I’m hoping to reward the end of the month with some High Life Stach Wax – moustache wax, in an attempt to see it remain.

So I’m hoping, that with an army of wily Christmas elves to fill stockings around the country with pomade and suggestive notes, that 2012 will be the year of the well groomed man.