THE BASE by LARA BINGLE

For so many Aussie girls there seems to be a long battle finding a makeup routine that encompasses all of their needs.. a skin product that is natural, easy & quick to apply and lasts all day.

Well, I myself have been searching for this kind of product too! Well.. maybe I have rolled this in with my obsession of buying lots of makeup and eagerly trying it as well!

And finally I have found it!

Long after having Ms Bingle in my inspo folder and watching her develop this brand of tanning & bronzing products, I jumped on her website where I was massively surprised to see the price point of her products! Nope, not an overly expensive product encased in fancy packaging- rather a super well priced product, packaged in simple yet an edgy dark matte bronze.

Upon arrival I was impressed with all of it! I have been regularly using her LB Cream (A$24) since, a super wearable tinted moisturiser. What I love about it is, unlike other BB creams or tinted moisturiser it blends easily, dries quickly and feels fantastic on the skin.

So it has quickly taken over my daily routine! I apply it with my duo fibre stippling brush,  then using the same brush to apply her liquid matte bronzer (A$24) to my contours- to bronze my face and add dimension; this is a great way to apply bronzer to the skin as it is easily blended and doesn't leave that muddy, heavy finish that most powder bronzers give. I again use the same brush to pop the liquid illuminating cream (A$24) on the tops of my cheek bones, down the bridge of my nose and on my cupids bow.

With so many of you asking for my recommendation for an easy, effective and well priced product- this range definitely gets my approval!

http://www.thebase.me/

X

THIS MOTHER'S DAY.. PAMPER YO MUMMA!

Mother's Day is just around the corner and I know you want to spoil your mum with a gift that's going to knock her socks off!

Remind her just how beautiful she really is and pamper her with a Mother's Day Makeup gift voucher. There are two amazing offers to choose from:

• Make Me Up Session: $100 - If your mum has an upcoming party, wedding or work event, why not shout her a glam look for the special occasion. Not only will she look a million bucks, but she'll feel relaxed and pampered too.

• One-on-One Lesson: $150 - She'll receive a full skin and makeup consultation with recommendations on beauty regimes and products to enhance her skin and highlight her best features. Plus I'll provide some handy tips and tricks on how to recreate the look at home herself.

Simply email info@hilaryholmes.com.au with your name, contact details, your mum's name and which gift voucher you would like to purchase and you're on your way to becoming her favourite daughter. You'll receive the gift voucher in electronic form to print out and slip in with your Mother's Day card.

Got a mother-in-law to pamper? Purchase two gift vouchers and receive 15% off the total price.

All gift vouchers are valid for 12 months. To redeem the voucher and make a booking, email me at info@hilaryholmes.com.au and I'll be in touch with further details!

X

THE UNDOING OF MAKEUP

With social media playing such a huge part of our visual world, we can access the work of so many creatives. Painters, poets, printers, makeup artists, hairstylists and so on.. And with this amazing accessibility we judge someone quickly on their skill and easily compare it to another.

I find this area interesting. Of course its natural for us to compare and judge based on our own opinions but we must understand more than just whats in front of us.

Ive been a makeup artist for close to 10 years and in that time my techniques have evolved, expanded and more importantly.. softened.

Learning makeup in London was interesting and fun! It was here, surrounded by different cultures that I learnt how to do very structured, dramatic makeup. Arabic women taught me bold eyeliners; the Jewish taught me how to prolong the wear of my makeups; the English taught me how to glam out makeup the "Kimmy K" way; the Indians & Bangladeshis taught me about bright colour combos and the Africans taught me about the use of texture and finishing on the skin.

When I came back to Melbourne, this type of work was still very much appreciated but I noticed quickly that aussie women love a natural makeup! So this then took me on the journey of learning to "undo" my makeups.

Have a look at any red carpet moments by celebs.. the makeup is pretty, soft and easy.

When I used to view the work of a famous makeup artist I would be surprised at the little makeup they put on, what seemed to be so untechnical and lacking skill. What I have come to know now though, is that a women is most beautiful when she is herself.. and if being herself means full coverage foundation, super contoured & highlighted with lots of lashes then Im all in, and I have the skills to take them there, but if a woman feels comfortable wearing minimal makeup- stepping back from the brush and making the quality of my makeup application spot on.. then sit down in my chair..

Im all yours.

xx H xx

The work shown here in by me :))

Second image: photo credit Ines Zele

IVORY TRIBE

With lots of exciting things happening with HILARY HOLMES MAKEUP at the moment, I'm excited to share my involvement with a new online wedding environment called the Ivory Tribe!

Between their website www.ivorytribe.com.au & their other social media platforms on instagram & pinterest (found as Ivory Tribe) the three lovely girls behind it all aim to inspire brides and also provide them with the best of all bridal services for Geelong & the Surfcoast.

You can find me via this link! www.ivorytribe.com.au/thetribe_page/hilary-holmes

Continue to check in with them to see any creative work I may do with them and find lots of inspo to make your wedding planning a whole lot easier xxxx

THE SKIN YOU'RE IN

The bathroom mirror, the dreaded foe to all. The one mirror we cant hide from. 

We may be able to turn off selfie mode, avoid the rear view mirror and walk with our head down as we pass big reflecting windows of shop fronts; but its the mirror we cant avoid- the one we have to look in as we brush our teeth or walk in front of, as we exit the shower. 

Sure it has its good moments- it has the best light for plucking those rugs we like to call our brows, two weeks past the time you should of had them threaded; it tells you the truth about how poorly you applied your tinted moisturiser for work (thankfully saved you from walking out with streaks all over your face!) but inevitably the truth can sometimes hurt.

Blackheads, uneven skin, pimples, lines, little bumps under the surface, wrinkles, big pores, redness, dry skin or the oil slick you cant avoid. Its all there, staring aggressively back.

I have so many clients who feel as though this is simply their skin, that it can't be changed. Oh but you can!

I work super hard at my skin, as in super hard. Sure, I may have times where that bathroom mirror tells me I've slacked, but in all honesty- when I'm on my A-game, so is my skin.

Im going to give you some tips, right here.. right now.

Some may be a cheaper alternative and some may be exy, but some solutions require a more expensive treatment; as it simply is the best one.

So over the course of the next few months Im going to give you the best tips on how to combat your fear of said mirror and arm you with the best defence.. amazing skin that will show it who's boss.

First up... we are dragging our sad booties into winter and with that our summer glow slips away and confronted with winter chills and dry skin. So let me give you the best options for you to turn and negative into a positive!

WATER.

Yep, that good ole thing that comes out of a tap or bottle for a super cheap price. It is the cheapest and a super affective tool to plump, hydrate and smooth the skin. If you have oily skin, it will have no impact on oil production!

Set yourself a goal to drink three litres a day for a month and you'd be lying if you didn't say it had a huge impact! This is one of the main things I tell my brides to focus on in the lead up to their big day.

From here I'm going to break down cheap to more expensive options for skin care into skin types:

Dry Skin

Water

Exfoliating skin care 

- natural option: Aesop tea tree leaf exfoliant $40

- super budget: Mix some bicarb soda into your cleanser! $2

- cheap option: St Ives exfoliator  $11

- middle option: MAC Volcanic Ash exfoliator $37

- splurge option: REN micro polish $40

Hydrate with a great moisturiser

- natural option: Origins Make A Difference + $70

- cheap option: Simple Rich moisturiser $12

- middle option: Clinique Moisture Surge Intense $65

- splurge option: La Mer Creme $410  

Clarisonic. I use this and it is amazing at resurfacing the skin!!! Only use it twice a week for the best results!! I LOVE IT!! And one of the biggest selling beauty products worldwide. An amazing investment. $285

I could chat about skin for ever, for so many reasons. Whether it was for the best skin for days off, sans makeup or for people like me telling you that good makeup starts with great skin! The better your skin is, the more amazing you'll look- regardless if you wear a BB cream or if you wear 18 layers of full coverage foundation!!

After all- makeup can only work with what you have! And great skin is the basis of great beauty.

X Hilary X