Month: November 2014

A Useful Guide: ‘Casual Friday’

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The concept of ‘Casual Friday’ is office jargon that is usually undefined, which leaves employees (especially new to the workforce employees) feeling uncertain on the actual appropriateness of what ‘casual’ means to their respective employer. Here’s my guide to Casual Friday to help you defog the ambiguity of the common workplace tradition. Firstly, if you know you have external meetings, or important internal meetings ABORT Casual Friday! At the end of the day, as great as it is to tone down your wardrobe and feel comfortable, you are at work and it’s important to remain professional. So if the day’s schedule calls for it, best to keep it corporate. As a rule of thumb, I generally make sure one piece of my outfit is still quite corporate. For example, I might wear casual black pants, a t-shirt and then a blazer. Or, a pencil skirt with a t-shirt. But a super easy option is a neat casual dress with tights and boots (winter) or sandals with a thick heel/wedge (summer) – no more than 10cm …

False Eyelashes: Making Them Work For You

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Many women shy away from false eyelashes because they’re delicate and tricky to apply. But if you can master the application of falsies (it’s actually not that hard) then you’ll soon learn that false eyelashes make the perfect, yet subtle, enhancement to your overall makeup look. Finding the right style of false lashes is the first trick – you don’t want to look like you’re dressing for the Mardi Gras (well generally that’s the case anyway!). You want to go for a set that are not too thick or long – we like the natural yet glamorous look. I have a few favourites that I use, depending on my look/the occasion. For the understated lash enhancement (and for beginners) always go for the ¾ or ½ false eyelash. Not only do they look inconspicuous – yet effective – but they are really easy to apply. My pick is Ardell’s Accent variety.For fuller, longer looking lashes, when you’re going for darker, more accentuated makeup I like to use Eyelure Naturalites Natural Texture. Remember, false lashes can …

Melbourne Brunch Spots – My Top 3 This Month

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Catching up with friends for lunch? Please. Everyone knows it’s all about ‘brunch’ these days; a perfect midway point between breakfast and lunch where it’s still acceptable to order eggs and bacon (let’s be honest when is it not acceptable to order eggs?) but it’s also cool if you head straight for the burger option. I’m obsessed with Melbourne’s world class café culture and I’ve nutted out my top three brunch spots (at least these are my faves right now), which you should check out immediately. Number ONE Merchant’s Guild, 380 Centre Road, Bentleigh East Okay, so I’m a little lot obsessed with this place. My sister (who is equally if not more obsessed than me) introduced me to Merchant’s Guild back in 2013 when it first opened. If you were to drive past, unknowingly to its existence, there’s no way you’d stop or even notice this spot. But don’t be fooled. This place is PACKED every single day – even on a Monday…and for good reason! The food: The menu changes seasonally, as do …

The Evolving Fake Tan Phenomenon: From Orange to Essential

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I love a good tan; it makes your teeth look whiter, your legs look longer and your outfit look better. I’m often mistaken for a naturally olive skinned individual. But that’s only because I have perfected the art of fake tanning. Circa 2006, fake tan was a contentious beauty product. Fake tanning was often frowned upon as a dirty and tacky thing to do, in a futile attempt to make ones skin darker. With many less than adequate products available, women often abused fake tan and ended up boarder line shades of ‘pumpkin’. The problem was that these products were not that good, and they did terrible things to the skin when they were wearing off – i.e. blotching, drying, even scaling the skin. If you could perfect the fine art of fake tanning a good 10 years ago, you were doing better than most. But today, fake tan has come a long way, and it’s actually a fundamental part of my personal beauty prep for any key social engagement. I don’t tan naturally. I …

My Evening Makeup Look

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When it comes to night time makeup, I usually stray from using blacks. I’m not a fan of thick eyeliner and prefer eyes to look sultry, yet not heavy or dark. My preference is in using brown and bronze tones. This works particularly well because I have auburn hair, but I believe using a neutral palette works on most skin tones and hair colours. Going for a more natural look is the way to go, and finding a good routine (with good products) that are long lasting, will make this very achievable and help you avoid the urge to use too much makeup. Prep and Prime I’ve spoken in depth around a good skin care routine; you can read about it here. So as I have previously mentioned, I always moisturise before applying makeup. It hydrates the skin and will also make for an easier application. After you have moisturised, apply a good primer. My go-to primer is a Laura Mercier that has a subtle shimmer in the formula which makes your skin glow. A Light Foundation If …

Why You Need To Go And Moisturise Your Face Right Now!

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I’m often told that I have clear skin and asked how I achieve this. Now, I won’t lie; I was blessed with good genes in the skin department – good skin runs in my family. However, there’s a lot more to having good skin than the absence of blemishes. Warding off pimples is a mere facet of maintaining healthy skin. A clean diet, straying far from processed sugars and drinking 3-4 litres of water a day will help you here. My skin always has minor breakouts (which are BREAKOUTS for me as I’ve never endured acne) when I have been indulging in sugary/fatty foods or drinking large amounts of alcohol – but getting back into a good routine clears it up pretty quickly. My real concern, when it comes to the delicate skin of the upper body, is looking after it to prevent early aging. I know that sounds somewhat narcissistic, but your face is the most exposed part of your body as a human being. Our face should be the part of us that …