I’m a Marketing graduate and thanks to my studies, I now view all products with scepticism and try not to buy into a brand’s mirage. But I am still human, sometimes I fall for the pretty packaging – but it’s rare!
I have been a silent follower of the cosmetics world for the last 2 ½ years and out of all the blogs that I follow, surprisingly none are from Australia. It was quite disheartening to see so many products so readily available for the US and UK bloggers, while our selection here was rather dismal.
The only downside of following non-Aussie based blogs was that some brands and products were not readily available over here or we are a couple of seasons behind. But then that gives more time for more reviews to pop up in regards to quality and performance before I go in for the kill!
And then I did a bit of Googling and a lot of links following and I found a few Aussie bloggers. Yippee for us all! Now there were opinions from girls who lived “locally” using the (limited) product range available to us.
However, when I first started being interested in cosmetics, there wasn’t one CLEARLY marked for newbies and noobs. I didn’t know where to start in the slightest, such as what a primer was, how to choose a concealer, and what ingredients was a big NO-NO etc. So this blog is to help bring makeup 101 to everyone just starting in makeup as I am learning it myself. Heck, I believe in learning from mistakes, so I don’t try to be an expert, what I share is just the research I have done and experiments on myself. I am still learning the art of makeup, so this is my journey in blog form.
This blog is purely just my own opinions and the products I review are purchased with my own money and not sponsored. I always personally use/test out the products for a while before I form an opinion and blog about it. Also, as a disclaimer, what works for me, may not work for another person, as we are all unique in our own way.
A few of my friends and family (actually, quite a lot of them) were surprised that I was starting a makeup blog..cos it wasn’t that long ago that I was the biggest tomboy of the group and couldn’t tell the difference between eye shadow and blush (much akin to Sandra Bullock’s character in Miss Congeniality , though her character didn’t know what a lipstick looked like).
I am still learning about makeup and I created this blog to help others starting out in makeup, whether early or late like me to be well informed of the products they are applying on their face. We only have one face, so why not look after it well?
The Late Bloomer
Makeup. You either love it or hate it. Two years ago, I would have happily walked straight pass the cosmetics counters at any given department store (where my friends would beeline over to drool over the latest seasonal ranges and old favourites) without a second glance.
I just didn’t (and still don’t) like the feeling of having something heavy and/or drying on my face. I was not a fan of the artificial, cakey look and honestly, I looked like a clown whenever anyone dared to apply makeup on me.
So how did a tomboy like me end up being completely besotted with cosmetics? Well, my dad was always exasperated that his only two daughters were such big tomboys (to the point where we were mistaken for his sons instead..kidding, I think..) and how we were not interested in makeup or anything remotely feminine and... I had a major Christmas party to go to and I wanted to do something different and out of character. Makeup is all about expressing yourself after all.
However, the amount of brands and products marketed to us, I was overwhelmed to say the least. It’s just ridiculous. But I had my heart set on Mineral Makeup (MM) as the cosmetic product for me. From what I had read, it was natural and felt light on the skin. But which brand to choose? From initial research there were approximately 25 different brands to choose from.
I read about the pros and cons that mineral makeup possesses and in the end, even though it also poses health risks, it has lesser irritants than traditional makeup. In other words, it as the lesser of two evils in my opinion.
The Beginning of a Love Affair
I started to do research on what ingredients should and should not be used in MM and that greatly eliminate around 21 brands. Then I had to see of the remaining 4 brands, which were available in Australia. That left me with a grand total of 1. The winner? The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals Make-up range. And lucky for me it was just released in the Spring of 2009 (September to be exact).
That gave me already 4 months of reviews to sift through and other user’s opinions and thoughts.
Slightly sold to the product, I ventured out for a test trial, swearing up and down that I would give it a few hours wear before making a decision on purchasing it or not. That resolve lasted one hour and I was already back purchasing one of the first staples of my makeup collection.
Two and a Half Years On
The love is still going strong and to my delight, a few months back TBS released a 00 shade designed specifically for Asian skin tone (the yellow undertones) and my friend was a good sport and happy to be my guinea pig. The foundation was absolutely flawless on her skin and it blended incredibly well and boy did it look natural. Once I finish my 02 pot, I am definitely trialling the 00 colour.
I compared the 02 and the 00 at the store and there is a major difference in shade, I’d say about 3-4 shades darker. I also believe that my foundation has oxidised and gone darker and no longer is suited to my skin tone, which is a shame. Nonetheless, this is a staple in my (growing collection) and I absolutely adore it.
Over the past 2 years, friends and family have also added to my makeup collection and after a recent trip to Malaysia (a cosmetic mecca in my opinion – Malaysians are lucky enough not to pay duties, taxes or tariffs on the luxury cosmetic goods, which mean cheaper prices!), my eye shadow collection has grown considerably.
I am still on the hunt for a good blush and I have had mixed opinions on the 2 shades that I want. I want a natural flush so should I go pink or light peach coral? Only experimenting at the beauty counters will tell me!
And as for my dad? Well, he is happy people finally realise he has 2 daughters...
Keep happy and healthy!
- Mai
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