THE VERDICT ON J bronze BY JENNIFER HAWKINS

I am an avid user of faux tans and have tried so many different tanning products. I recently decided to give Jennifer Hawkins J bronze tanning solution a try...and I really love it!

          

Former Miss Universe, Jennifer Hawkins at her Jbronze Launch August 2013

I was a little skeptical prior to purchasing this as it sits in the mid to high end price bracket (around $35). Having trialled quite a few tanning products before I have settled on a few preferences.

PREFERENCES

(What I want from a fake-tan.)

COLOUR: A green base over a red base; for a more natural,   olive-rather-than-orange colour pay off.

TEXTURE/PRODUCT: Generally speaking mousses over creams/sprays as they tend to provide the most even, smooth coverage and are most easily applied.

SMELL: Subtle at worst. 

WEAR: Fades rather than washes off in patches.

I purchased: 

J Bronze DARK TANNING MOUSSE.

COLOUR: J bronze is not green based but certainly not a red either. The mousse comes out brown with a slight grey/purple tone. The colour pay off once fully developed is a perfect golden olive colour. I really loved the result.

TEXTURE/PRODUCT: I chose the mousse as this is a general preference of mine. It was perfectly foamy with no runny product through it (as I have found with some other products) which provided a smooth, even coverage. It was light enough to give an even coverage too, not too thick or greasy. 

SMELL: A subtle scent of coconuts. Once developed a subtle faketan "tandoori chicken" scent but certainly one of the more subtle I have used.

WEAR: This self-tanner wears really well and fades rather than washing off too patchily.

All in all a really great product. You are certainly getting what you pay for.

My only critique would be that the packaging looks a little cheap in comparison to other mid-high end self-tanners eg. St. Tropez which looks a little more luxe in the bathroom cabinet. This great  product formula deserves a prettier package!

Where does J bronze sit compared to other tanning products I love?

1. St Tropez dark tanning mousse

2. J bronze dark tanning mousse

3. Bondi Sands self tanning mousse

4. Garnier Ambre Solaire self tanning milk

5. Dove Summer Glow

BACK TO BASICS

Ladies, it's time to get Nude. 


On your nails that is. So put your clothes back on and polish your paws with some of these fab shades of Naked.

 Essie Topless and Barefoot as featured on Lily Pebbles blog http://www.lilypebbles.co.uk

My own Essie Sand Tropez

Essie Jazz

OPI Let Them Eat Rice Cake

Essie has a really great assortment of nude shades. The polish is one of the better lasting varnishes I have tried. I would recommend a top coat, but generally I'll find myself reapplying every 3-4 days.

They are (finally) available at priceline for $16.95 -a little steep compared to overseas price but definitely a better quality polish.

HOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT WINGED LINER

The winged liner has been a staple look of mine for a few years now. Even still with all that practice I have good liner days and questionable liner days. The following photo guidelines tend to be more on the shaky questionable side, but you'll get the gist!

When I first started trialling this look I was using a large crayon-like black eyeliner pencil, while today I swear by Rimmel's Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner (NOT to be confused by Rimmel's Exaggerate Eye Liner- there IS a difference ladies and the result is not pretty). This particular liner has a fine brush rather than a firmer sponge and I find the brush much easier to use and it creates a sharper finish. You could use a combination of the two; the pencil/crayon liner to get the bulk of your shape and a liquid to sharpen.

If you are trying out this look with not a lot of practice under your belt I am going to recommend starting out with a soft pencil. Try to find a softer crayon like consistency that will glide on. LOréal Paris Superliner Silissime Eyeliner in 006 Seductive Black might be a good one to start with.

There are plenty of tips and tutorials out there on the big wide web demonstrating techniques to achieve the perfect liner; some might work better for you than others.

I break up my application into 3 sections and finish off the liner 'flick' last.

1. I begin by lining the centre part of my eyelid. I apply it to the thickness I want the liner to go, keeping in mind that the centre of my eyelid will have the highest eyeliner line...if that makes sense? (I want the liner to taper out at the ends of my eye into a finer, sharp line, and the inner corner of my eyelids to be tapered into a narrow line also.)

2. I then take the liner to the inner corner of my eye, narrowing the line as I go. 

3. I continue by taking the liner to the outer corner (narrowing as I go again), stopping short of the very end before I create the flick.

4. I start my flick by drawing a line that follows my lower lash water line in the direction of the end of my brow.

5. I then join my liner to this line and finish by filling in the gap. 

The best example of what I personally do, I found on Pinterest:

Obviously practice makes perfect with this kind of makeup technique. A pencil will make it easier to smudge out the line if your not quite down with perfect precision yet. It creates a softer look but still deepens and defines your eye makeup a little more.

You can purchase Rimmel Glam'eyes liquid eyeliner at virtually any supermarket, chemist or pharmacy for around $10.

AN EVENING WITH VOGUE X MECCA AT THE LANGHAM

Last night I attended an event held at the Alto Rooftop at the Langham in Melbourne, An evening with Vogue, where Vogue Australia Beauty Editor Sigourney Cantelo and Mecca Cosmetica's Head of Artistry Tony Baumann presented some key makeup trends for Spring.

Four keys looks were presented and modelled over the evening including: 

* Polished, 3-D Skin: Radiant and Contoured 

* The Statement Lip: Bold Confident Colour 

* Contoured Eyes: Soft, Elongated & Elegant 

And finally 

* Foiled Eyes: Modern Metallics.

Over Champagne and canapés, Tony shared some tips and tricks on how to stay on trend this season.

He controversially suggested to use lip liner after applying lipstick especially to those unpracticed in applying a statement lip. Tony explained that it can be quite daunting to try and apply a clean line with a lip pencil to bare lips, that rather it can be used to 'clean up' a lipstick application from the bullet. The look was demonstrated with a bold orange/red lip. Tony suggested alternatives to this look. For the colour-shy he recommended applying a balm and then lip pencil over the top to create a more subtle stain. He also suggested for those with pale skin to try more of a coral than bright orange/red.

Sigourney was unsure of Tony's suggestion to skip moisturiser/face oils before applying makeup for an event (personally, I was in the same boat- I LOVE a good face oil), he defended this by theorising it would give your makeup more staying power. He also promoted the use of a hydrating facemask to use the night before an event to eliminate the need to moisturise before applying your makeup to help it 'grab'. 

Other great tips included embracing face powders, particularly very light-weight, fine powder for setting your makeup such as NARS loose powder. Tony also praised cream to powder highlighter, NARS Multiple, in South Beach or Copacabana.

If there was one standout feature to take away from the evening it was the use of the Stilla Magnificant Metals Foil Finish Eye Shadow in the Foiled eyes demonstration. It's a great product to update any eyeshadow look, easy to use and you only need the smallest amount to pull off 'chic and modern'. I can't wait to get my hands on the Metallic Merlot shade, it's to die for ♥

WHAT'S IN MY PURSE

What's.In.My.Bag

(Clockwise.from.top.left): Gucci.Flora.Fragrance, Marc.Jacobs.Watch, RUSSH.Sept.Oct.2007, Beyonce.The.Mrs.Carter.Show.2013, Miu.Miu.Sunglasses, Chanel.Creme.Rouge, Napoleon.Perdis.The.One.Concealer, YSL.Vouge.Volupte.#13, Chanel.Rouge.Allure.#90.Pimpante.

Chanel.Rouge.Allure.#90.Pimpante.

YSL.Rouge.Volupte.#13

(Clockwise.from.top.left): Jila.Sugarfree.Peppermints,Tiffany.&.Co.blue.box,Chanel.frames, Fujifilm.Polaroid.Camera,Bobbi.Brown.Eyeshadow.Palette, Napoleon.Perdis.Perfect.Poppy.Lip.Pencil,BYS.Lipstick.Start.Your.Engines, RUSSH.Sept.Oct.2009,Versace.Bright.Crystal.Fragrance, Ralph.Lauren.Fragrance.

BYS.LipStick.Start.Your.Engines.

Napoleon.Perdis.Perfect.Poppy.Lip.Pencil.

BYS.LipStick.Start.Your.Engines.

SAVE VS. SPLURGE (SERIES 2)

Let's talk Mascaras.

Generally speaking, I am not overly brand loyal when it comes to cosmetics. I love to trial a whole range of products; from what beauty gurus are raving about to what my friends are using. The exception to this rule, and the one product I'll always come back to, is my mascara.

While essentially this post is a comparison between two like-mascaras I have a clear favourite and it might surprise you to learn which one that is.

Everyone is different in terms of what they want from a mascara. Personally, I want an even coating of product on my lashes, that doesn't clump but makes my lashes look fuller and slightly longer. I don't necessarily want my lashes to look bare and natural but I certainly don't want spider eyes either. The following comparison is of my favourite mascaras to achieve my own version of the perfect lashes.

The Mascara:

Maybelline Full n Soft Vs. Dior Show.

*NB to make this review fair, the comparison products in the photos have been applied without pre curling my lashes with an eyelash curler. For the best result with any mascara I would always recommend curling your lashes!

Dior Show

This mascara is described as a "Runway mascara with extreme volume and a ""lash-extension"" effect. It does provide a great even coating of the formula that subtly plumps and lengthens my lashes.  What I also love about this mascara is that it is build-able without getting too clumpy. If I had to fault the product it would be that because the brush is quite large I find it can be a little difficult to work with at times when I am trying to be quite precise with my application. Overall I do love this mascara for the even application and perfect amount of volume, lengthening and lift.

My own lashes Before (top) and After (bottom) applying Dior Show

*See NB

Dior Show retails for $51 at David Jones.

Maybelline Full N Soft 

I have been itching for an opportunity to rave about this mascara! It is my Holy Grail of mascaras, and after trialling plenty of low to high end mascaras over the years I am yet to find one better than Maybelline's Full N Soft. The Dior Show was put in this review as the closest comparison I have found, but at more than double the price of the Maybelline mascara, why would you bother? It gives the perfect amount of volume and lengthening while the brush is big enough to give you an even application yet small enough to get precise with it (which is where the Dior Show falls short).

My own lashes Before (top) and After (bottom) applying Maybelline Full N Soft

*See NB

It retails for around $18 but is regularly on special at any supermarket, pharmacy, priceline or department store for any where between $10-$15. I have tried the waterproof version of 
this mascara and it is just as good.

                    Top lashes Full N Soft, Bottom Show