Posts Tagged ‘almay’

This week we go inside Vanessa Haywood’s Beauty Bag. She’s the gorgeous, 32 year old South African Actress which you’ll probably recognize from the SA Blockbuster movie, District 9.

We asked her about hair, makeup, beauty and she shares a few of her beauty secrets with us…

March marks the start of Autumn in (a still very) sunny, very hot South Africa. By now you’re probably thinking of your winter wardrobe, but have you considered your winter skincare regime? As the climate cools down and the sun fades away, your skincare needs to be adapted to ensure your skin continues to glow, all winter long.

My job as Beauty Editor at StyleScoop allows me to experiment with all sorts of beauty goodies, from skincare to makeup, to finishing touches for body and hair. I’ve used a lot and bought a lot too, and this is the first of my six-week Best Beauty Buys, which will feature my top products that I have used this year.

I thought I’d kick off my 2009 Best Beauty Buys with the first step in any good skin care regime – cleansers, makeup removers and exfoliators.

To mirror their pure and gentle skincare brand, Almay has selected South African Matapa Maila to embody their high-quality, fragrance free, dermatologist- and ophthalmologist-tested skincare products.

Check out my top picks for squeeky clean skin this winter;

Almay seems to be on a major natural and earth friendly drive with their latest ranges. First there was their skincare range and now they have introduced the Pure Blends range of make-up. The range is made up of 95% natural ingredients including Lotus, Orchid and Papaya extracts. The fact that they’re natural is good for you and your skin and the environment too, because they are all completely free of added parabens and talc. They come in packaging which is both recyclable and recycled. Their tubes are made from 28-35% post consumer recycled material.

The range includes foundations, powders, blushes, eye shadows and lip glosses which are all hypo-allergenic, dermatologist tested and long wearing. I tried out some of their lip glosses this week and I loved them. They come in 8 beautiful natural shades and are rich and creamy. They stay put without that sticky feeling that a lot of lipglosses have.

Their eye shadows come in 10 different shades and Almay says they last up to ten hours while moisturising and protecting the delicate eye area.

While I was in-store at Dis-Chem this week I picked up a Pure Blends pamphlet which also had the added benefit of a R20 discount off of R150 worth of purchases from the range, which makes it all the more worthwhile to check them out.

Natural beauty can be faked, you just need the right products to create the “no-makeup-makup”.  Below are some great products from Revlon, Loreal and Almay that you can try out to give your face a naturally flawless finish and add a dab of colour to your lips and eyes.

Revlon Colour Stay

If you’re not into creamy or liquid foundation, Revlon Colour Stay Mineral Foundation is the answer to perfectly polished skin.  This innovative product offers full coverage without the cake, and you don’t even need to finish the look with powder!  Its the ideal product if you suffer with a somewhat oily skin.  The product comes complete with a built in brush, and the best way I found to apply this product is by swirling the brush in small, round motions on your face. This effect not only gets the make up on perfectly, but also gives your skin a nice, polished look – literally!

Brighten your eyes with long lasting colour using Revlon Colour Stay eye shadow in “Priceless Metals”.  This product offers a great selection of tones for natural loooking eyes.  Try the second shade (gold) in the palette for sensational eyes during the day and mix the shades up for a more enhanced effect.

Finish off your lips with long lasting colour with Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Iced Mocha.

Revlon Beyond Natural

For makeup that looks fresh, natural and non-powdery try Revlon Beyond Natural Skin Matching Makeup as your foundation.  This liquid formula that transforms to match your skin tone, covers imperfections and gives you an even toned complexion.

Colour your lids using Revlon Beyond Natural Cream to Powder Eye Shadow in “Spice” for natural looking colour that adds instant glam.  I personally love the last colour in the quad for a natural tint of colour.

Finish off your lips with long lasting colour with Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Iced Mocha.

Loreal

Loreal True Match Mineral foundation covers your skin with a long lasting, silky texture that looks natural without making you look washed out.  Although I love the product, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  The lid/brush unscrews completely and one has to be very careful when removing the lid (to use the brush) as not to get covered in long lasting powder.

If you have a darker complexion define your lips with Loreal Infallible Never Fail lip colour in Merlot.  If you apply a small, thin layer you could get away with a natural lip tint even if you’re not dark skinned.  The conditioning top coat locks in colour without adding a gloss-like shine to your lips.  Perfect for natural, glowing lips.

Almay

Try Almay Pure Blends mineral make up powder in “Fair to Light”  if you’re somewhat pale.  The added, subtle sparkles will add a gorgeous shimmer to your skin without making you glow like a Christmas Tree.

Brighten you eyes with Almay Bright Eyes Cream-to-Powder shadow and define them with Almay Bright Eyes liner/highlighter duo.

Dewy skin is all about gorgeous, glowing skin that is flawless and natural. It is great for daytime and is perfect for a fresh, fuss free look. You can achieve the Dewy look by combining good skin care (your number one beauty secret) with a handful of useful products.  Remember, when going for the dewy look to keep you makeup minimal – use foundation or tinted moisturiser to even out your skin tone, add a bit of blush, a natural gloss and a slick of brown (or black mascara) to finish it off.

Here are some of my fresh-faced favourites:

With winter creeping up behind us, moisturiser should be your main concern.  Keep your skin’s health in check by feeding it with the correct nutrients it needs.  This weeks Star Beauty is all about rich moisturisers.

The number of mascaras is overwhelming and it can be quite difficult when it comes to choosing your perfect one.  You get mascaras that condition, extend, thicken, darken, volumise, curl and more.  But the one you choose, depends ultimately, on what effect you’re after.

I recently had the fabulous task of testing out 15 different mascaras, from various brands including Rimmel London, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, Almay and Elizabeth Arden.  I tried them all out to bring you the ultimate mascara review.  I tested them based on their claim and my verdict after trying each one out…

Here is what I found, be sure to scroll down to the end and click on my link for my top 5 choices from this review.

Your eyes are the windows to your soul and also the most prominent (and most noticed) feature.  Having dull, tired eyes shows up instantly on your face.  Thankfully though, there are a few makeup tricks you can follow, and I’ve got the perfect products to help you get bolder, brighter eyes that look el’ natural.

Light up those eyes with these fab finds….

Learn how to use these products for the boldest, brightest eyes in 5 simple steps …

It’s time to get down and get rid of the dirt on your face.  Check out these fabulous products I found to help you scrub, buff, exfoliate and clean up for silky smooth, sexy skin.

1.  Clinique Turnaround facial mask RP: R375.00

The Claim – Joining the renowned Clinique Turnaround franchise to help deliver brighter, more radiant skin is the new Clinique Turnaround instant facial. It works to improve the overall quality of skin by diminishing dullness and flaking, minimizing fine lines and improving skin tone.

My Verdict – I’m a huge fan of products that can multi task, that’s why I love the new formula Turnaround mask from Clinique.  It’s just like a mini, five-minute facial in a tube.  The pampering mask leaves my skin feeling smoother, while the exfoliating treatment helps remove dead skin cells for a more glowing complexion.

The Clinique Turnaround Facial Mask launched nationwide in January 2009.

2.  Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains for Face

The Claim – A true skincare innovation. These luxurious grains can be mixed with any Bobbi Brown cleanser or water to create a fully customized, gentle exfoliator for the face. Comes in a glass bottle with pour top for easy use.

My Verdict - What I like most about this product is that it can be used to exfoliate on its own or mixed in with your regular cleanser.  Which means you can cleanse and exfoliate in one go, without changing your cleanser.

The tiny buffing grains smell pleasant and don’t harm or scratch my skin.  I suffer with a somewhat sensitive skin, so this is huge plus for me.  I really like the pour top applicator, which is great because it prevents the grains from getting wet and the end result is a radiant, glowing complexion.

4.  Yardley Oatmeal Facial Scrub

The Claim – Water Lily Flower extracts for soothing and de-stressing. Aloe Gel and Shea Butter to aid in providing healing regenerating actions. Zea Mays, a gentle scrub agent cleanses the skin and leaves it perfectly soft.

My Review - A great product to help cleanse and exfoliate the skin in one.  The gentle grains don’t irritate the skin and leave my face feeling fresh and squeaky clean.