Beauty is Power

Make up is just one of the ways to express your personality. It gives you the chance to experiment with your look and define who you are. For a lot of people makeup also gives them the self-esteem and makes them feel put together, especially when you’re going out, going to school or university or even within a work environment. Whether its lipstick or mascara, there are several beauty products that can lift your confidence.

A bold lip colour can really make a big difference to your look. Anyone can rock a classic red lip or, as its autumn, you can try autumnal shades such as berry, reds and browns. The classic winged eyeliner look with mascara or a lash curler is also another idea. Filling in your eyebrows is definitely a way to feel put together with celebrities like Cara Delevingne, Audrey Hepburn and Lily Collins being noted as having the best brows. 

To end, I'll leave you with this quote:

"Beauty is power, makeup is something that enhances that"

- Charlotte Tilbury

Source: BeautyCamp NYC

Manisha

Expensive is overrated

Now before you start emptying out pockets and maxing out credit cards and start counting down the days left until Pay day, Let's think strategically. 

Graph for money spent on makeup
| Photo sourced from http://graphs.net

Although it's nice to have some Mac products and a Chanel box full of lipsticks; lets do some research. Over countless thoughts (and money being spent on extremely pricey products) I thought hey, let's experiment and try to find alternative products, because don't get me wrong I do love products on the high end of the market, but using them everyday; expensive became overrated. 

What I recommend is that if you try to experiment, throw in a little bit of research, you'd be surprised with the amount of good quality products (sometimes even better) in your local chemist or "drug store"! For example recently I have fallen absolutely in love with Australis brand, their translucent powder not only provides full face light coverage and protection from shiny skin, but it saves me a hefty amount of cash! You would've thought? 

Ladies we all love our matte finish lipsticks, so imagine my joy when I found out the new "Veloure" cream based lip gloss from the same brand, that provided matte finished just under $10. Testers play a huge role when I finally decide to take the product up to the cashier, try a little on the back of your hand, feel the texture and know what suits you best, after all nobody knows you better than yourself. 

I'll admit it is tempting to buy products from Mac, Sephora and Bobby brown, I'm not going to lie, its a vacuum you can easily get sucked into and your wallet can really feel the full effect of it when it's too late. It's expensive being a female, we need mascara, eyeliner, foundation, you name it. 

Now the second part of the experiment left me feeling excited  and ecstatic, because at the end of the day I had saved more money than I though WHILST enjoying good products. So what would you do when you have extra bit of cash? Save it? Perhaps buy something other than makeup and call it a wonderful investment. 

Australis Velour lips colour range | Photo sourced from https://ecs3.tokopedia.net/newimg

With that being said; ladies, you can get a great deal on a range of products without sacrificing or giving up on quality, it's just a matter of experimenting. 

Keep experimenting butterflies and until next time

-Mahak 

We all have a story to tell!

Yes, you go and break through that mirror
| Photo sourced from http://www.mymodernmet.com

We often like to compare ourselves to some person, that gorgeous celebrity or perhaps a person walking past us with flawless hair, and we wonder "gosh what i would do to look like that!", but heres the thing, if we all adopted ONE look, ONE set of hairstyle and ONE set of features *cough* plastic surgery *cough* i think we'd all look mundane!

A picture is worth a thousand words is a cliche saying that goes a long way, our face is an empty canvas on some days we like to paint a set of rugby red lips or feather eyelashes and on other days? We learn to embrace. Now if you think about your DNA is something sort of an accessory, if you please, something so different and unique and entirely you get to have.

Venturing onto the topic of confidence, i think a lot of the upcoming generation lacks in, and its considered a norm, both men and women, which is truthfully really sad. We need to embrace the way the shape of our eyes curve, the laugh lines around our face, what do those lines tell you? What story? Peeps i know i can't be the only one to say i appreciate an empty canvas, its intriguing to see the characters that shape your face, without makeup.

One thing i've learnt is the amount of time it takes to get ready, when in fact i could spend that time doing other things, and this includes an extra hour of sleep, YES we all love our sleep, and dont lie! how many times have you rocked up late to dinner parties because you weren't ready on time *raises hand*. We as a society went through the phase of #NOMAKEUPCHALLENGE which i applaud to the person who invented it, it not only provided a platform for women, especially younger generations to learn to embrace a empty face, let alone posting in on Instagram and social platform that engaged countless of women, ranging from celebrities to everyday friends. Inspiration is what I'm talking about!

Gwyneth Paltrow no makeup selfie | Photo sourced from http://media.salon.com

So what have we learnt lovely creatures? Yes Burno mars was right, you are beautiful Just the way you are, but most important life would be so much more productive if we were confident and learnt to tell stories through our face rather than a full canvas of makeup, and let yourself be genuinely free.

Until next time.
- Mahak

Foundation for your MakeUp

Finding the right foundation for your skin tone and type can be difficult. There are many brands offering different benefits so here is a breakdown of the different types of foundations and what skin type they are best for.

Source: Skin Care Vitals

Oil-based foundation is suitable for dry skin as it adds moisture. It can also plump up and minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Sheer foundation is best for those with normal to dry skin. It provides a light coverage giving the appearance of not having applied foundation and glides on smoothly.

Matte foundation is the saviour for people with oily skin. It is made with water and not oils like other foundations and therefore it is best for people with oily skin. If you’re finding that it dries quickly make sure you apply a foundation primer or moisturiser when you use it next.

Shimmer or Dewy foundation creates a fresh and glowing look. Make sure that you get a lighter shade than your skin tone and apply to the t-zone as a highlighter rather than all over your face to get the best results.

Cream or Liquid foundation is suitable for normal to dry skin and provides a heavier coverage. If you don’t prefer a powdery foundation than this should be perfect for you.  

Tinted Moisturiser is a foundation that is best used in the warmer months to provide your skin with moisture to avoid a dry complexion while providing cover.

Mousse foundation can be used on all skin complexions particularly dry skin. The aerated formulation is light and smooth and results in a beautiful matte finish.

Mineral foundation is suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies and is the answer for those who want natural and organic makeup products.

Waterproof foundation is not a daily wear foundation as it can clog pores but is perfect for humid and hot days. You may need a makeup remover to remove the product.

On-The-Go Foundations:

Stick foundation is for oily skin but those with a dry complexion can use it as long as you use a moisturiser. You can use this throughout the day on problem areas as it provides a heavy coverage.

Powder or Compact foundation is a powder and foundation in one and is suitable for oily skin. It comes in various formulations for you to pick from.

Final tips:

• A foundation primer ensures an even and smooth coverage so definitely consider trying it and seeing the difference it makes.
• Try to find a foundation that contains SPF so that can take care of your skin while having the perfect coverage.
• When testing the colour of the foundation apply a sample onto your face not hand. Many people make this mistake and discover after they use it that it doesn't suit their face.

On that note, happy shopping everyone!

Manisha

What order should I apply makeup in?

Here is something that I get asked on a lot! In what order does makeup go? 

It really depends on personal preference on which part to do first. Some like to do eyes first and then the face, and vice versa. So here I put it down in order of the categories- face, eyes & lips. So whether you want to do eyes first or your face...just follow the steps and move on to the next section. 

As a professional makeup artist, I follow the following order to ensure my clients' or my makeup lasts the longest possible. 

Face:
1. Moisturize
2. Prime
3. Apply foundation
4. Conceal (under eyes can be done after the eyes are finished)
5. Set face with setting powder
6. Contour/Highlight
7. Apply blush
8. Finish with a Setting Spray 

Eyes :
1. Prime
2. Do eyebrows
3. Eyeshadow
4. Eyeliner
5. Curl eyelashes
6. Mascara
7. False lashes (mascara the false lashes with real ones to blend if necessary) 

Lips:
1. Apply concealer/foundation (will allow the lipstick’s true colour to show)
2. Line lips with lip liner
3. Apply your lipstick/lipgloss
4. Conceal around the lips to clean edges (for dark/bold colours)

I hope this made sense and helped answer your question. Let us know how you do yours and also how these steps worked for you all !! 

Au revoir ladies!
Myura Kumar xoxo

Simplicity is the Key

Hey lovelies time to switch it to me. We all know that dreadful and impeccable timing, when we unfortunately forgot to set the alarm properly or perhaps slept right through the alarm. Whatever it is; its always hard for us girls, in particular, to get our hair, makeup and outfit ready within an hour, so what do you do? 

Photo content sourced from the Disney® movie Frozen. Collage sourced from weknowmemes.com

That's right! You guessed it, an early morning routine for the rush hour. Now most of you know how much considerable amount of time we spend in the bathroom trying to perfect: that strand of hair and smoothing out that eyeliner. Thankfully our prayers have been answered; we've learned to invent "a messy bun" or the classical braid. What better way to look classy and causal? Now for the face, after the whole routine of washing any dirt from last nights sleep and making sure the face is squeaky clean, you would assume to moisturize your face right? Correct! However the heavenly sent Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream provides moisturiser and SPF 15 protection all in one, and to make it even better, yes it does get better, it comes in a small carry-along tube you can pop into your bag for a touch up.

Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream | Photo sourced from katelynsaid.com

It not only provides full coverage but also hides those rebellious breakouts; yes we can run but never avoid them, and the best part? It only takes about 5 minutes to put it on and blend away! So what have we learnt today? Simple is beautiful! We can outsmart alarm calls and rush hours in the morning; the key to looking beautiful doesn't necessarily mean countless amounts of makeup or hours spent staring at the mirror and expecting a miracle.

Mahak

Bare Face, Not Bear Face

Greetings, lovelies!

I often get asked how to build the confidence to go out with no makeup. Cause let's be real, ain't nobody got time to put on a full face of makeup every day. First off, I don't like how it's got to the point where wearing no makeup is considered 'brave'. Yes, I am rocking the face I was born with and the pimples I've unfortunately been saddled with. And I'm not sure why that's viewed as outside of the norm.

Don't get me wrong, I love makeup (I wouldn't be posting here if I didn't!) but I don't feel like I need it every time I go out of the house. And if you think otherwise, that's okay too! But for those who want some tips on feeling more comfortable with a bare face, try it as a slow process such as this one:

1. If you're used to quite a full-on look, especially with your foundation, try reducing it to a BB Cream: I love the Garnier Oil-Free one. They're lighter coverage than a foundation, but still do a great job of covering redness and evening out skin tone.
2. If you're fine with skipping foundation, apply concealer to any blemishes and/or on under-eye circles.
3. One day, you may find that you're okay with skipping base altogether. On days like this I usually just go for mascara and brows, and maybe a touch of translucent powder such as the Rimmel Stay Matte on my T-zone.
4. And at some point, you may just wake up in the morning and think, SCREW IT, I'm fine without makeup today! And there you go.

I also find that the more I get used to seeing myself with no makeup, the more chill I am about going out bare-faced. And if you rock it with pride, people around you are gonna be none the wiser :)

Still unsure? Well, today, I'm going to give you a slight nudge into the deep end (if you want to, of course). You've probably seen these types of things in various social media campaigns - 'no makeup selfies'. And, that's right, I'm challenging YOU to send us your best one to the twitter @ISYSdreamteam with the hashtag #barefacenotbearface - cause I guarantee you guys will look a lot better than this guy!

Photo sourced from imgarcade.com

Amy