Posts in "Beauty News"

The Lip Care Routine of a Lipstick Blogger

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Beauty, Beauty News, Featured | March 4, 2012

Source: Pin Interest / Getty Images

Being a lipstick blogger with access to a wardrobe of lip balms does not mean I am immune to flakes and chapped lips.   Keeping lips in top condition requires dedication, and I turn to my trusted list of products below to get my lips in swatch-worthy shape.   Healthy lips are just as important as a healthy complexion, and is much easier to achieve than flawless skin.   If you have a habit of forgetting to look after your lips, keep lip balms within reach in several places (eg. bedside table, makeup table, purse, work drawer etc) so you’ll never be caught without one.

 

Anti-Aging
Lips lose plumpness and increase lines with age, so it’s important to supplement your lip care with anti-aging products.   Who said eye products couldn’t be used?  Here are some eye products that I use on my lips as a night treatment underneath lip balm.
  • OLAY Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller - absorbs instantly & my lips looks like they just had a “lip facial”.
  • JURLIQUE Purely Age Defying Eye Cream – after prepping your eyes, prep your lips also with this silicone based cream which smoothes lip lines and creates an even canvas for even the trickiest lip textures.
  • Facial Oils – when pressing face oil onto your face with your palms, pat some also over the entire mouth area.
  • KIEHL’S Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler – this miracle product is marketed for lines on the face, but is actually a great lip base to prevent lipsticks from sinking into deep lip lines.
Night time
Just like the skin on your face, lips also need a night routine to recover and recharge for the next day.  Here are my favourite lip balms for night time that give speedy recovery of chapped lips, and you won’t need a lip scrub because the lip flakes will melt off by the morning.
  • DR LIPP Original Nipple Cream for Lips – my Holy Grail of all lip balms, it’s Lanolin based and not only recovers even the flakiest of lips, but also strengthens the lip surface making it more resilient,  smoothes lines and has a plumping effect by the morning.   The texture and taste is not for everyone – really thick & sticky, and the lanolin taste is not masked by any additives.
  • ELIZABETH ARDEN 8 Hour Cream – this petroleum-based multi-purpose balm achieves very similar results to Dr Lipp in terms of skin cell turnover, but slightly less effective at strengthening the lip surface.  Texture is more emollient with a more bearable taste.
Day time
Two words. SPF and hydration. As lip balms can only do so much, be sure to drink plenty of water also throughout the day.
In the shower
If you have been diligent with your lip routine overnight and throughout the day, your lip flakes should rub off easily by gently wiping the lip area with your fingers or with a wash cloth.  Remember – if your flakes don’t rub off easily, they are not completely healed and not ready to come off.  I don’t believe lip scrubs are a must-have for this reason.
Prepping for an occasion
There’s nothing more embarrassing than introducing yourself as a lipstick blogger at an event, only to show up with cracked dry lips.  If I have an event after work, I have an additional
  • In the morning, slather on a thick (almost excessive) layer of lip balm in the morning while you apply your skincare / makeup
  • Maintain lips during the day by applying lip balm hourly or whenever you feel it has completely absorbed into lips.
  • Soap & Glory Extreme Plump XL is the best at reviving tired lips at the end of the day & can also be worn over lipstick.
  • If lipstick just isn’t working for you that day, use a pigmented smoothing lipgloss instead.

Do you have a favourite lip balm?
What’s your routine for keeping lips in top condition? 

 

 

Win 1 of 10,000 Limited Edition Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balms

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Beauty, Beauty News, Featured | February 10, 2012

Maybelline is celebrating its association with New York Fashion Week with a limited edition NYFW Baby Lips Lip Balm for the month of February.  Baby Lips is one of my favourite stick lip balms, with its on-trend packaging, moisturising sheen, SPF20 and less than the cost of an extra tall latte.  The limited edition lip balm features a delicious berry scent.

There are 10,000 Baby Lips up for grabs! Here’s how to enter:

  • Visit facebook.com/MaybellineAU and register your details
  • Between 9-16th February, follow the clues on Facebook to find the treasures hidden within Maybelline’s exclusive Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week NY coverage.
  • If you’re fast enough, you’ll receive your free Limited Edition Baby Lips.
For more NYFW coverage, visit youtube.com/liverunway.

Christmas Gift Ideas: The Lip Edition

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Beauty, Beauty News, Featured | December 21, 2011

Treat yourself to a new lip shade this Christmas! Whether you’ve been meaning to try Chubby Sticks, the sheer tinted berry lip trend or simply want to instantly multiply your gloss collection, you’re spoilt for choice this year with a myriad of gift sets that are guaranteed to please.

1. MAC Dazzlesphere! Ornaments - $65 AUD
Available in Corals, Neutrals and Pinks.

2. CLINIQUE Chubby Stick Set -$59 AUD
Shades: Whole Lotta Honey, Mega Melon, Woppin Watermelon and Strawberry.  Shade Strawberry swatched here.

3. BOBBI BROWN Lip Gloss Trio – $75 AUD
Shades: Aubergine Lip Gloss, Bare Sparkle High Shine Lip Gloss and Pastel Pink High Shine Lip Gloss)

4. MOR Lip Sync Trio - $24.95 AUD
A trio of lip macarons individually fragranced with French Vanilla, Rosebud and Peach Nectar.

5. THE BODY SHOP Lip Balm in “Cranberry Joy” – $9.95 AUD
Cult favourite fruity balm with a delicate shimmer, made with Community Fair Trade beeswax and a fruity cranberry fragrance.

6. LANOLIPS Lip Ointment with Colour SPF 15 in “Mulberry”
Available as part of a gift set together with the cult favourite 101 Ointment and Rose Balm Intense for Very Dry Hands & Nails for only $24.95 AUD (valued at $43.85).  Available exclusively at Myer.  Previously swatched here.

7. DIOR Limited Edition Christmas Collection Bejewelled Lipsticks – $50 AUD
Available in eight shades all blended with a fine golden powder for a luminous glow.   Shade “Cinderella” swatched here.

Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend 2011 (ABBW2011)

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Beauty News, Featured | October 3, 2011

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a week since the epic ABBW2011 weekend!  I was amazed to meet so many amazing bloggers and it felt extra special to meet so many that recognised me & Beauty Swatch.  A huge thank you to Kimmie (The Plastic Diaries) and Jacie (You’ve Got Nail) for organising such an amazing event for us.

Being the minimalist that I am, I somehow managed to under pack & came back with only 18.7kg baggage (despite paying for 23kg) , and only hauled my “must have” Hakuhodo brushes and a few Inglot lippies to add to my Beauty Swatch collection.

I’m not sure about the other bloggers who attended, but this weekend was just as much about engaging bloggers, brands & PR as it was about self-reflection.  So this ABBW wrap is about what it meant for me & my take aways from the weekend.  To view more detailed ABBW coverage, check out the ABBW official website, in particular Ponikuta and Beautyholics Anonymous.

5 Things I Reflected from ABBW2011 

1. Differentiation is key 

The best decision I ever made was to stick to a niche topic.  It’s helped with everything from pitching, managing my blogging workload and PR’s expectations. But most importantly, it’s gives readers a reason to visit your blog over someone else’s.  Finding a point of differentiation is just as important for a “hobby blog” as it is for a “professional” blog.  Your point of differentiation could be anything from topic coverage, writing / visual styles or blogging voice.  Find a style that resonates with who you are & it’ll be easy to stick to in the long term.

2. The “blogging for love vs. money” debate 

Marusya (Crashing Red) wrote an excellent post on “Blogging for Love vs. Money“.   Whilst most people support that it’s a very personal decision, the judgement starts coming out of the closet depending on the business model.  Banner advertising, affiliate programs and e-books seem to attract less criticism than sponsored / paid posts.   As for me, I support diversity as it encourages creativity. For those that manage to make blogging profitable,  I take my hat off to them & watch with anticipation on how they adapt to changing times.

3. Keeping it professional doesn’t have to mean being a professional 

I am certainly not a professional blogger, nor do I intend on giving up my career to pursue blogging full time.  But these are not excuses for not taking a professional approach to your blog.   I was taken aback by how few hands went up when bloggers were asked if they have a media kit for their blog.   Here are the top 5 must-have’s to get started:

  • Media Kit  - if you don’t know where to start, read Tine’s how-to guide at Beautyholics Anonymous. Your media kit is your chance to shine.
  • Google Analytics – know your Unique Visitors, Page Views, Pages per Visit and Bounce Rate to name a few.  Use Google custom reporting to generate traffic reports, don’t ever make them up.
  • Stationery  – Start with blog business cards &  upgrade to custom stationery when you are ready to take your blog to the next level.
  • Editorial Calendar / Notebook – Keep records of what you receive so you don’t accidentally lose stuff or forget to review them.   Plan posts in advance to help manage your blogging workload.
  • Professionalism, Respect & Common Sense – Never lie, never steal, never act like a diva & mistreat others bloggers or PR.  It doesn’t take long for news of bad behaviour to be shared around the traps.  For detailed tips on how to handle PR relationships, Ponikuta has it covered.

4. Does size matter? 

At ABBW2011, the message to bloggers was that size does not matter.  But at a separate event I attended, an insider shared with me that it does.  The advice seems conflicting, but my take on this is that a blogger’s influence is demonstrated through their knowledge / authority on a topic, and being on the pulse of their social media influence.  This will help to justify why you should receive product from PR & invitations to events.   Numbers are just one part of the bigger picture.  Choosing to play only the numbers game only shows your limited knowledge of social media.    

5. Brand, PR & Blogger engagement still has a bit further to go 

Bloggers were told to think twice about how they pitch negative reviews on products, otherwise the relationship between the blogger and brand may be at stake.  Whilst I understand the intent behind this point, I think it could have been conveyed more effectively as the blunt statement offended some.  There is a fine line between “controlled” word of mouth and balanced/ objective product reviews. If I tell my readers that a brand new lipgloss ticks all other boxes but ultimately tastes foul, and this means compromising my relationship  with the brand/PR – so be it.  In my opinion, consumers always come first & it’s the role of bloggers to give a factual and honest account of our experience with products.

For those that I didn’t manage to meet at ABBW, I am wearing the cream jacket in the photo collage above! Tweet me @BeautySwatch~

Images courtesy of The Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend are not to be reproduced, republished or reused.  Images remain the property of The Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend.

I’m off to the Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend (ABBW) at IMATS!

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Beauty, Beauty News, Featured | September 21, 2011

This Friday I will be on a plane to Sydney to attend the Australian Beauty Bloggers Weekend (ABBW) at the International Makeup Artists Trade Show (IMATS)!  I made my airfare included 23kg luggage space, in case things my hauling gets out of hand.

The idea of a ABBW weekend started on Twitter but only came to life thanks to Kimmie (The Plastic Diaries) and Jacie (You’ve got Nail), who dedicated hours towards coordinating this event for the rest of us bloggers.

Before I start squealing with excitement on the event itself, I have to take my hat off to these two ladies, as this has been the most organised event I have ever attended – with press releases, branding, sponsorships & even a blog post advising us what to bring & wear!

I can’t wait to meet other Australian beauty bloggers & finally put faces to Twitter names and blog aliases.  And if for whatever reason you can’t find me, I might be hovering at one of these exhibitor stands:

Are you attending ABBW or IMATS this year?   

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