Zuii Organic Eye Makeup Fun

I have recently had some fun with the Zuii Organic Range.

My fav's were the Eye Brow Definer, Maxi Lash Mascara and funky Flora Eye Shadows. The eye makeup products are lovely and also great for editorial makeup use. This range is filled with colour and certified Organic. I have been using the mascara with great success on my sensitive eyes, and experiencend no watering or itching. It is not water proof, yet it holds up throughout my work day really well.

If you are in the market for a silicone free primer, this one is really worth trying. It absorbs quickly and is suitable for all skin types and creates a lovely smooth base for your foundation. As I am very yellow tones I didn't find a good colour match in their foundations, this primer however is a good find.

Zuii is powered by flowers and every product uses beautiful botanical oils and flower extracts. I find the range perfect for teens and young women who love colour, they even do vegan colourful mascara.

Strobing - A tutorial And Best Products

Strobing seems to be the latest craze. The reality is far from it: Pro Makeup Artists have been using this technique forever! Just without anyone knowing. With the abundance of beauty youtubers, bloggers & instagrammers everyone seems to be in the know, trying out and experimenting with professional makeup techniques.

What is Strobing? It is a highlighting technique that can be used together with contouring or on it's own. It's way more foolproof than contouring and the effect is also very suitable for day time makeup looks. Strobing can be done quickly and is an easy technique, which is probably another reason why it's so popular.

How does it work? You simply need to apply highlighting products to the highest points of your cheek bones and along the nose, as well as in the corner of the eyes and on the cupids bow of your lips. Highlight only what you really want to emphasize, because you will draw attention and light to the highlighted areas. Cream and liquid highlighters usually work best and are most popular. However if you want more longevity or have naturally oily skin you can also try to use powder highlight.

Mistakes To Avoid You need to find a highlighter that works with your skin tone. Avoid icy pink shades if your skin is medium or tan in colour or if you want to do for a bronzed look. The cool and frosted shades work best on fair and light complexions. Golden highlighters looks best on yellow toned skin with a light tan. You want the shimmer to look believable. Use a matte bronzer and blush to make sure you don't sparkle all over. The effect only works if there is a difference between the highlighted and not highlighted areas.

Which products work best?

The RMS Living Luminizer is a professional makeup artist favourite. This one is not too sparkly and leaves the skin slightly glossy, like all rms products, it comes as cream in a glass jar It has a very soft champagne tone it is subtle and sheer and adapts to most skin tones.

A great one that comes with a little bit of colour and is suited for medium to tan yellow tones is Jane Iredale In Touch Highlighter It has a warm peach colour that works best as blush highlight combo for the cheeks or warmer skin tones.

A gorgeous golden and strong highlight is the Au Naturale Organic Creme Highlighter which comes in a stick.

A powerful powder highlight is Adore Loose Illuminiser that comes as a loose powder. This one looks especially great on fair skins.

Gressa Skin has a wonderful liquid highlighter, the Minimalist Illuminating Face Serum which works great on all skin types, including oily skin or skin prone to breakouts, as it contains unique botanical oils and are balancing to the skin.

Photo by Stephanie Alcaino for White Magazine

Step By Step Guide: Find a well lit mirror. Duh! ;) Prep: 1.Exfoliate your skin, any bumps will stand out even more on highlighted skin, so make sure you prep your skin well. 2.Hydration is a must for any makeup look, especially for dewy and radiant looks. 3.You can also use a hydrating primer if you like. This will help to smooth open pores and make your skin look more flawless. I like Smooth Affair Primer by Jane Iredale. Conceal: Apply your base, be it just a light tinted moisturizer or a full cover foundation according to your needs. (Caution: If you use powder foundation a powder highlight might sit better on top than a liquid product.) Use concealer to hide any blemishes or redness.(you can also apply your blush and contour now if you wish) While in dewy editorial looks a radiant dewy base can be combined with strong highlighting, I recommend keeping the balance for everyday wear, wearing a more natural looking not too dewy base and a subtle highlight, to avoid looking too shiny,oily or sparkly like a discoball. For more mature skin you can achieve strobing with satin finish products that provide a sheen, rather then sparkles. Highlight: Apply your highlighter of choice: On top of the cheekbones using fingers or blending brush, along the bridge of the nose and on the cupids bow of your lip. A little highlight in the inner corners of the eye also looks lovely, and will open the eyes, making them appear to me wider set. Avoid highlighting areas with blemishes or areas that you don't want to draw too much attention to.

Ready For Spring: Jane Iredale 's Latest

The temperatures in Sydney have been rising and with so many sunny days over 20 degrees lately, I am beyond excited about Spring. The nights and mornings are still very crisp and I am sitting next to my heater, sipping on herbal tea as I type this.

There are more good news: Jane Iredale is launching some beautiful new products in August and I was lucky enough to have a little play and preview!

PoreAway Technology in Smooth Affair With the warmer weather around the corner, our skins will get often more oily and the humid weather will melt makeup off our skins much faster. You know I am a bit of a fan of the Smooth Affair Primer already, which is excellent for dehydrated, dry and mature skins. Now it has a little Sister: Smooth Affair For Oily Skin ! It's just as lightweight and hydrating as the original formular, yet it smooths out open pores and makes your makeup stay on longer even on oily skin. They have even named and registered the Pore Away Technology. I like how the formula absorbs quickly and feels like nothing is on the skin! Many primers that claim to do the same thing leave that typical silicone primer residue behind, yet this one is undetectable. The last thing you want on an already oily skin, is another heavy layer on top. It creates a soft focus effect due to minerals which colour adjust to your skin. The product looks milky translucent and goes on clear. The pretty golden tube is travel friendly and perfect for my kit. The finish is smooth and matte and keeps shine away.

PlayOn Lip Crayons! I am a bit of a fan of these already and have recently used them behind the scenes on some photo shoots, with amazing results. They glide on so easily, are very moisturizing, yet the finish is not too glossy, rather satin. And the colours? O M G . Just perfection. Really on trend and including the prettiest neutrals that look somewhat hip and fun and never boring or old fashioned. I have also been blending different lip colours together to customize them. I don't even have a favourite as all seven shades are all so pretty. That's why I gave you some swatches on paper... Yet on the lips they are way more vibrant and lucious. I liked them so much that I actually got worried they might be a limited edtion... I immediately asked the Jane Iredale team if the PlayOn Lip Crayons are here to stay. Thankfully they did confirm quickly that these amazing crayons will become part of their permanent range! Phew. I am relieved. And I can play on :) These beauties will launch real soon here, keep your eyes peeled! For absolute makeup minimalists: You would like the Lip Drinks in Buff (nude) and Crush (berry) they are lovely sheer tinted lip balms.

Pure Lash - Lashes Lashes Lashes Lashes (along with brows) are possibly the biggest ongoing beauty trend of the last few years, with women using growth serums, permanent eyelash extensions and falsies have become a staple for evening makeup. Personally I love my mascara and wear it daily. I like long, full lashes, yet I like them to look natural and I have used organic or natural mascaras for some time. It's important to keep in mind how important your eye sight is and sensitive eyes are not to be messed with in my opinion. Jane Iredale has released another great mascara, free of nasty preservatives or petroleum based ingredients. Pure Lash Lengthening Mascara, actually conditions and protects your lashes with Panthenol and Wheat Protein. I like the effect and texture it gives, not too gluggy, it manages to separate the lashes very well. As will all mascaras I always find the application is most important.

Pure Pressed Eye Shadows These are not new but rather a staple within the eye makeup range. I like them in my pro kit because they are so gentle and safe for sensitive eyes. They can also be used wet or dry and are super versatile. Due to the pure pigment they can be used on brows, cheeks or lips, depending on the shade. These are the shades being promoted for the new season: There is "Forest" which is the most wearable, richest shade of a deep matte green. I have recently used it to create a dramatic smokey eye on dark hazel eyes. "Iris" is a rich matte purple, great for stronger looks or to be used as eyeliner to make green eyes pop. "Steamy" is a warm peachy soft red, pretty on blue eyes and also on cheeks. "Mermaid" is a soft shimmery pearly green, good as a highlighter with very little colour pay off. They all come as individual compacts which is perfect for a personal beauty bag, however it is a little more tricky to use in my pro kit. As most artists would agree: We love palettes, as they are easier and quicker to set up. I hope Jane Iredale will eventually design a system to create custom palettes for these great quality shadows.

All these products will launch on the 10th of August 2015

All Jane Iredale products are certified cruelty free, free of Paraben and Phenoxyethanol preservatives and all minerals are purest quality and tested for purity and never contaminated with heavy metals, all products are suitable for sensitive skin and have been tested to be Hypo Allergenic.

Holistic Bridal Beauty Prep : Beauty Boosting Nutrition

Everyone that knows me how much I love healthy food and nutrition, I might sometimes annoy my friends with my words of wisdom and also always healthy food choices. So why would I take supplements?

Why Supplements? I believe that if you work in a demanding job or go through periods of stress or high workloads, sometimes your food intake just can't offer enough nutrients. There are so many different situations in life, where your body can do with a little help including for us women pregnancy, conceiving and menopause. Just to maintain a healthy regular cycle and balanced hormones it's important to look after your nutrition. Our skin, hair and nails also shows us pretty quickly if we are lacking something. Pay attention and listen to your body. Even though I am overall healthy and free of any serious illness, I take little warning signs of my body very seriously. If my digestion is not as usual, if I get breakouts and pimples, dry skin, mood swings or simply feel tired, I know it's time to change something. It's a great idea to give the body a little boost and help it out with some supplements and I have always seen great results. Sleep, good nutrition, enough fresh water and regular exercise are all important and supplements can only work as part of a healthy lifestyle. There is no shortcut to good health! I recommend seeing a Nutritionist or seeking advice in your local health food store, they can often be very knowledgeable.

My Beauty Boosters: Right now I am doing a detox with HUM Daily Cleanse & HUM Runway Ready. It is a four week course and I will make sure to continue until I run out. HUM actually offers an online consultation and a professional Nutritionist will contact you to recommend products. I thought the consultation was pretty fun and the Daily Cleanse sounded like something that could do me good. All their products are sustainably sourced, premium quality, non GMO, pure and also clinically proven to work!

Aisle Ready The Runway Ready is a fun beauty supplement for everyone, it will help with healthy nails, shiny hair and glowing skin and is also vegetarian and vegan. Which is great as many supplements contain animal products, and are not suitable for everyone. It comes in a pretty dispenser box with daily packs which contain 3 capsules. Super easy peasy! The whole box is a one month course. I just throw one sachet into my handbag in the morning and then take them with my lunch. Each sachet contains 2 "Red Carpet" Pills and 1 "Killer Nails" Pill. They contain Black Currant Seed Oil: Perfect Source of ALA & GLA Sunflower Seed Oil: Great Source of Vitamin E and Vegan Biotin which Strengthens the nails. I thought this could be an excellent idea to get ready for the wedding.

Skin Cleanse Within a week of the Daily Cleanse I saw my skin being more clear and I also felt I had great energy throughout the day. I take 2 capsules per day without food, it's super quick and easy even if my schedule is packed. These are meant to cleanse your skin, liver, bowel, kidneys and lungs with Organic Algae, Cleansing Minerals and a unique blend of 15 Detox Herbs. I will complete the course and possibly do a second one closer to the wedding.

Glow I have also been trying The Beauty Chef Inner Glow Powder, which is from a different brand. Inner Glow has really helped my skin and digestion. It's a delicious natural berry flavoured powder to be taken with water and it's basically made from fermented super foods. They help making your gut happy by providing pre- and probiotics, but it's also naturally packed with vitamins, minerals and vegetable proteins. Did I mention, it tastes delicious? I first thought it's a little pricey but it seems to last a while, as you only need to take a teaspoon per day. I am planning on keep on going with this one until the big day.

Before I started the Hum Daily Cleanse I just started taking a Magnesium Supplement for better sleep and less stress as well as a Super Green Powder, which is very powerful and was recommended to my by a independent Nutritionist. I loved both and will probably use it again if needed. As always do your research and ask a professional before buying supplements. It's important to make sure your supplements are free from cheap fillers or nasty ingredients, there are big differences in quality, many of the cheap vitamins from the supermarket won't cut it!

Have you tried supplements? What are your experiences? Feel free to share.

Thoughts On Wedding Planning for White Magazine

For the latest issue of White Magazine I got asked to share my thoughts on wedding planning, as an insider in the wedding world. It was really fun sitting down, pondering about it all and writing down my thoughts. You can read my final article below: And don't forget to buy the issue with many more amazing articles and beautiful imgages, as always completely honest and inspiring!

How did we handle the flood of over-inspiration that blogs, pinterest & co deliver?

Planning a wedding in the age of Pinterest & CO

Have you set a date yet? What is your dress going to look like? What sort of flowers were you thinking of getting? - Immediately after getting engaged well meaning friends and family bombarded us with questions, even before we had a chance to decide if we wanted a wedding or simply elope. We just wanted to be married and live happily ever after, we hadn't thought about a wedding.It seemed like everyone around us had pretty high expectations of what our wedding day would look like, maybe because we are both working in creative jobs and are surrounded by wonderful vendors all the time. We dived right into the abundance of inspiration, hoping to feel the same excitement about this event than everyone around us. Looking at beautiful blogs, magazines and of course Instagram and Pinterest, there was all this deliciousness from amazing fellow vendors, beautifully photographed.Lost in a picture perfect Pinterest wedding world filled with DIY projects, services and products we felt that most of it was meaningless and irrelevant to us personally. Were we over-inspired? Was all the goodness just too much to take and overwhelming? Ok, back to the drawing board...we took a deep breath, pen and paper and made notes about the things that really mattered to us. We focused on why we wanted a wedding in the first place and who we really wanted to share this special day with. We made a must-have and nice-to-have list to keep us on track and stick to our own ideas. The outcome was a clear feeling and a blurry vision of a small, intimate wedding, with our nearest and dearest including our puppy Dalston, a “on-holiday- feel” with lot's of fun, eating and dancing. We wanted it to be low key and high fun. We strongly felt less is more. No need for a theme or a colour scheme. What we DID need was a place that made us and our guests feel welcome, plenty of food, good music, drinks and some simple off-the-rack outfits. Easier said than done... Many of the “alternative” venues we contacted seemed to be colder than expected and replied with way too many rules, regulations and restrictions than my free spirited self could digest. Our must have list quickly ruled out pretty much any venue within NSW and it seemed like the only option left was camping- no wait, even the campsite did not allow dogs. (Besides that my lovely future mother in law would possibly be mad at me forever if I make her camp on our wedding.) While we really stuck to our guns with the venue and overall feel, we gave in at other points of planning. The “don't-care-ready-to-wear” dress idea turned into a custom design couture gown (whoops...). As my former fashion designer self took over and I rediscovered how much fun the process of creating it from scratch would be, there was no turning back from the quality fabrics and great craftsmanship. Turned out that overall trying to keeping it simple and real is sometimes harder than just going with a more traditional option. Letting the magic of wedding planning take over from time to time actually feels good. Now we can't wait.

... if you are planning a wedding too: Grab yourself an issue of White Magazine!