The 2016-17 awards show season has beyond wrapped up, but the makeup looks that rocked the red carpet continue to pop up. One of our favourite trends of the season was the unexpected upside down eyeliner trend.

Pulling focus to the bottom of the eye is a risky look that can end up looking clownish if you don’t have the right products and tools. Which is why we designed our new eye brush duo sets to help all of our #RTists create flawless eye looks with ease.

Here’s everything you need to know to perfect 3 upside down liner trends:

Blurred Effect

If you’re looking to update your blush game, skip a trip to the department store and take a look no further than your lipstick collection. Lipstick as blush has long been a beauty secret (years before it was called a #beautyhack) because it’s economical, it’s simple, and it works!

Whether you want an easy monochromatic lip and cheek look or a statement blush, follow our guide for using lipstick as a blush.


What You Need
+ Lip shades in the semi-matte to sheer range. Avoid shiny or metallic finishes.

+ A blending brush that suits the coverage and finish you desire (buffing brush, contour brush or stippling brush).


How to Apply
+ Always apply to dewy skin — whether it’s freshly applied primer, moisturiser, or foundation, the pigment will glide on evenly instead of sticking to dry skin.

+ Swipe a clean finger over the top of lipstick and rub between you fingers to warm up the product.

+ Apply using light taps first, then go back over the area with more pressure to work into skin. Finely blend over cheeks with your go-to cheek blending brush.

+ If the colour is too bold, grab your mini eraser sponge with a small amount of foundation on the flat edge and press over blush to subdue the colour.


Colour Tips
Muted Pink and Peach
+ Nude pinks and peach shades are perfect for adding a natural flush to fair complexions. Dab pigment over the apples of the cheeks and up along the cheekbones, grab your buffing brush and use circular stroke to blend over cheeks, then use your blush brush to blend out the edges for a lit-from-within glow.

Peach and Apricot
+ If your skin is looking a bit dull this winter a pop of peach blush is just the trick to enhance your skin’s golden undertones and brighten your complexion.

Bright Pinks, Plums, and Reds
+ Saturated lip shades are ideal for dark/deep skin tones. Use your fingers to dot lipstick along the tops of cheekbones, then use your contour brush in circular strokes to define your cheekbones and brighten your skin tone in one step.

+ Make a statement with 80’s inspired draped cheeks. Choose a light and deep shade in the same colour family (pink, red, plum). Apply the deep shade on and under the cheekbone and blend using your 301 flat contour brush, then apply the light shade directly above using your contour brush to blend out the edges.

The first months of a new year are all about fresh starts and clean slates, and that can mean a little housekeeping too. In this spirit of self-improvement, we have an easy resolution for your makeup: lose the dead-weight beauty products. Before you make the effort to organise your makeup or beautify your vanity, toss the stuff that’s weighing you down for a new simple and streamlined beauty vanity.

It’s as easy as sorting your cosmetics into the 3 categories below.


Time to Toss
+ The old stuff. Makeup degrades over time, so find out the lifespan for all of your cosmetics in our makeup maintenance post. Then, check expiration dates and toss what has expired.

+ The last dregs. When you’re down to the stump of a liner or using a cotton swab to dig out lip colour, toss it. That goes for the palette with one shade left in it, too – that colour has faded with time anyways. Buy replacements or upgrades and if you can’t find the exact colour, embrace something new. It could even be a blessing in disguise.

+ The products that have gone off. Toss anything with a noticeable change in texture (drying, thinning, thickening, or separating), pigment change or bad odour.

+ The tools that are falling apart. Torn sponges, broken or matted brushes aren’t doing their job properly and can even contain bacteria. Toss them.


Keep or Repurpose
+ The flattering tones. Keep cosmetics that complement your skin tone and work with your skin type.

+ The favourites. Keep products that suit your personal style.

+ Clean brushes and sponges. Try our gel brush cleanser, designed to extend the life of our brushes and miracle sponges, and the brush cleansing palette, which makes cleaning brushes a snap. Both can keep your tools clean and sanitary and extend their lives.

+ Duplicates. Keep if you use them often and they are in good condition. If you have triplicates, toss the third if it’s expired or give one away if unopened.

+ Bland or bright lipstick. Repurpose pigment by trying it as a blush.

+ Broken lipstick. Purchase an empty palette, melt broken lipstick and to create a custom palette and keep using that colour.

+ Beautiful containers. Clean pretty containers and repurpose them as art or storage.


Give Away
+ The bad matches. Foundation or concealer that doesn’t match your skin. If it’s too dark, you may be able to repurpose and use a drop or two to customise your foundation if you get a tan.

+ The meh. Makeup that doesn’t look good on you or feel “right” for you. This may sound obvious, but how many products do you never wear, but hold onto because it’s a good brand and you’ve already bought it? It probably isn’t a keeper if you’re not sure, but get a second opinion from your stylish friend. If the consensus is meh and the product is still in good condition, find it a new home. If it’s in bad shape, toss it.

+ New and never-used products. Give yourself a deadline to give away the cosmetics that just aren’t for you, don’t just throw what you never have and never will use back into your drawer.

If you’ve noticed a new, eye-opening makeup trend on your social media feed, you are not alone. It’s called the “halo eye” and it’s a great alternative to the popular smokey and cut crease styles. The halo eye technique pulls focus to the centre of the eye through the placement of a light or bright shadow surrounded by a dark shadow in the crease and corners. Together, the shadows give the illusion of a rounder eye. It can be created with a variety of colours and textures, so there’s a ton of room for personality to shine through, too!

As with most eye makeup looks, the halo eye does different things for different eyes.

+ Round or almond-shaped eyes look rounder.

+ Up-turned or down-turned eyes will look more level.

+ A halo eye opens up mono-lid eyes, but you can skip using deep shades in the inside corner.

+ Halo eye styles can make close-set eyes look closer together and you should avoid high contrast colours.

+ Generally, halo eyes are not recommended for hooded or protruding eyes – but you can always give it a shot and adapt for your eyes!

Soft or bright and bold, give halo eye styles a try with our new brush duo sets – designed for artistic eye trends like the halo that require blending in tight areas.


Soft Halo
The soft halo is a neutral look that opens the eye with an ethereal shimmer. Warm skin tones glow with a golden/brown combo (see below), while cool complexions shine with a grey/silver or mauve/rose gold palette.

+ Start with an opaque base layer to add depth and prevent eyeshadow from blending together. Sweep a medium brown cream shadow over the mobile lid with your base shadow brush and blend into the crease with your deluxe crease brush. 

+ Take a gold shimmer or metallic powder shadow and press onto the center third of your eyelid with your base shadow brush.

+ Use your shading brush to layer a medium brown powder shadow (or deep brown for more contrast) over the inner and out corner of eyelid. Then, blend out the edges and through the crease with your precision crease brush.

+ Apply a thin gel liner over the lash line with your definer brush.

+ Give your lashes a quick curl to further accentuate the round shape and finish with several coats of mascara.

+ Finally, duplicate colour placement on the lower lash line using your precision smudge brush and the brown and gold powder shadows.


Bold and Bright Halo
While probably not #SFW for most, the bold and bright halo eye is a perfect special occasion and evening look. Create a deep green, blue, or purple eyeshadow with the following steps.

+ Prep the lid with a long-lasting eye primer with your medium shadow brush to keep pigment in place.

+ Run a matte taupe or camel shadow through the crease and over the inner and outer corners of the eyes with your precision crease brush. The precision crease brush makes blending heaving pigmented shadows easier.

+ Select a bright matte shadow (green, blue, purple) and press into the very inside and outside corner with your precision smudge brush. Then, blend again with your precision crease brush.

+ Select a glitter eye shadow in gold, bronze or platinum and press into the centre of eyelid with your shading brush.

+ Duplicate the colour placement on the lower lash line using your precision smudge brush.

+ Finish with a black liquid liner – or skip eyeliner altogether!

2017 is officially here, what better time to mix it up with a new weather-ready lip look? We winterise our skin care and foundation to keep our skin healthy and hydrated, and it’s important to do the same thing for your lips. When shopping for a new lip shade, look for formulas with hydrating textures, indicated with words such as satin, creamy, velvet, luxe, or nourishing. Avoid long-wear, matte, frosty, high gloss, and metallic formulas, all of which can dry skin out.

With a multitude of lip textures and finishes to choose from, it’s super easy to find a shade with the texture, colour and finish you desire. But brace yourself: the matte lippie you adored last summer may look dry and flaky in the winter, while the creamy colour that slid off of your lips in the humidity may be just the ticket for wind-chapped winter lips.

Here are 2 lip trends that will keep your lips looking as good as they feel.


The Cashmere Lip
Just like a cashmere sweater, the look is understated yet luxurious—a lush lip in an elegant hue.

Get the Look: Line lips with a lip liner that matches your natural lip colour (or slightly deeper), and use your lip blur brush to blend into skin for a soft finish. Then, take a muted rose or mauve lipstick and apply directly from the tube onto the centre of your lips, using your lip brush to blend pigment along the lip line. Blot lips with a tissue and re-apply until lips are fully saturated with colour.


The Undone Lip 
This style is all about a natural flush of colour with soft edges, rather than a precise crisp line. Press lip colour into the lips for a worn-in effect that looks effortless.

Get the Look: Smooth lip shade over the lips directly from the tube and press lips together firmly several times, working the pigment and moisturising ingredients into the skin. Take a tissue or cloth and lightly wipe off the excess lipstick to reveal a stained lip. Reapply pigment to the centre of lips and use your lip blur brush to pull pigment out to the lip line so the colour fades gradually from the centre out. Roll lips inward (so lips can’t be seen) then run your setting brush with a touch of pressed powder over the lip area. The powder will prevent colour from bleeding and give the perimeter of lips that undone feel.

Glitter makeup has never been so chic or so mainstream! The once theatrical look has moved from the runway to the red carpet to ready-to-wear, thanks to the abundance of beauty brands and beauty influencers that support this trend.

But keep in mind, glitter isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s an eye-catching look that requires proper tools and techniques to correctly position the glitter and keep it there.

Here’s a breakdown of the tools and techniques you’ll need to perfect all the 2017 #glittertrends:


Glitter Strobing
Take strobing the next level with a sparkly accent.

+ Prep your skin and apply any coverage and cheek colour you prefer. Layer a luminiser over the tops of your cheekbones with your triangle foundation brush, then use the round side of your miracle complexion sponge to roll the cream into the skin for a gilded finish.

+ For a concentrated level of glitter, press a loose glitter onto the tops of cheekbones with your expert concealer brush. For a more diffused application, press on glitter using your setting brush.


Glitter Eye Shadow
Try a metallic glitter eye shadow for a sophisticated evening look.

+ First, give the glitter something to stick to by applying a cream shadow over the lid with your deluxe crease brush. This will also create a more 3D effect.

+ Use the flat side of your base shadow brush and to pick up a powder glitter and press onto the cream shadow. Reapply until desired sparkle is achieved.

+ Take a dark gel liner and sketch over the root of your lashes with your definer brush and end with a slight flick.


Glitter Under Brow/Eye
Like the editorial look of glitter brows and a splash of glitter under the eyes, but want a tamed-down version? Try this.

+ Draw a thin line along the bottom of your brows with a glitter paste and your smudge brush.

+Try a pencil-thin sliver of gel sparkle under the lower lash-line with your precision smudge brush.


Glitter Lips
It’s not the most comfortable glitter trend, but it can look spectacular.

+ Prep your lips with a hydrating lip balm 15 minutes before you start.

+ Apply your favourite lip colour shade (can be nude or bright) and blend into your lips with your lip blur brush for a base colour that won’t smudge. 

+ Squeeze a drop of clear onto your lip brush and apply a sheer layer over the lips.

+ Press the flat side of your shading brush into a loose glitter and press onto the lips.

+ #PROTIP: Remove any glitter around the lips with scotch tape.

Don’t forget to clean your brushes with your brush cleansing gel before your next use!

Keeping in the “New Year” spirit of renewal and refresh, we are thrilled to introduce you to our new brow set!

Over the last year, we’ve preached the importance of well-groomed brows (including how to avoid common brow mistakes). And so, we’ve updated our brow set to help you meet your #browgoals with ease!

We tweaked the brush design, added brow scissors for trimming, and put it in a sleek new case—everything you need to clean up, fill in, define, shape, and highlight your brows.

Brow set breakdown

Tweeze and Trim
+ Before you remove any hair, map out the shape of your brows first (measure twice, cut once).

+ Dab a bit of concealer on your detailer brush and cover hairs that need to be removed.

+ Pluck the obvious hairs first, carving out the shape, working from the outside in. If you have sparse or patchy brows, fill brows in before plucking–it will make it easier to see the hairs that don’t belong.

+ No matter how thick or thin your brows are, the length may be causing them to look unruly.  To properly trim hairs, brush brows upward and hold into place using your brow spoolie. Slide one blade of the brow scissors under the tips of the hairs that are sticking up above the rest, then carefully cut. CAUTION: Snip a fraction of an inch at a time (it’s much easier to make multiple tiny cuts than to cut once too much!). After each cut, brush brow hairs back to their normal brow position. Notice how the brows are lying (long hairs may fill a sparse area of your brow), then brush up again and trim where needed.


Shape and Define
+ Apply powder or cream through the brow hairs with your brow brush. Use the flat side of the brush to push pigment up through the head of the brow, then flip your brush and use the top edge to sweep with the direction of the hair, along the arch and tail of brow.

+ Use your brow spoolie, to blend colour through the hairs for a natural-looking brow.

+ Further define and “lift” the brow by applying a flesh-tone (or slightly lighter) concealer or powder along the perimeter of your brow with your brow highlighting brush.

Who doesn’t love a dynamic duo? There’s Lucy and Ethel, Burt and Ernie and our very own Sam and Nic! Each individual is great on their own, but when you put them together they are, well, dynamic.

This “duo” approach was what inspired our newest eye sets! So whether you prefer a smokey, cut crease, ombre, smouldering, winged out, or graphic eye, we have an eye brush duo that will work flawlessly together to help you achieve the perfect look.

Eye Brush Duo Breakdown

EYE SHADE + BLEND
+ The base shadow brush and deluxe crease brush work in unison to create a flawless foundation of colour.

+ Sweep powder or cream eye shadow over your mobile lid with your base shadow brush, then use your deluxe crease brush to blend out the edges for a pixel-perfect finish.

+ Add a second shadow in the crease with your deluxe crease brush for extra definition.


EYE SMUDGE + DIFFUSE
+ The smudge brush and precision smudge brush are designed for expert smudging and blurring of creams, powders and gels along the lash line.

+ Apply an eye shadow or eyeliner along the upper lash line, then use your precision smudge brush in short back and forth motions to diffuse the pigment. Bonus: Set comes with an eyeliner sharpener, so you never have to fret about your eye pencil not being on point.

+ Switch to the precision smudge brush for controlled blending along the lower lash line and inner corner, or run through the eye socket for an impeccable cut crease eye.


EYE DETAIL + DEFINE
+ The definer brush and square detailer brush have firm, slanted bristles that are ideal for precise eyeliner looks. Bonus: This set comes with an eyeliner pick to create precisely perfect lines.

+ Apply a gel liner across the roots of lashes with your definer brush, then use the square detailer brush to sketch on a dramatic cat eye using the eyeliner pick.

+ Use the square detailer brush to create the smallest and most precise lines—inner eye liner or highlight, layered liner, bright eyeliner or ultra thin shapes and designs.

For many of us, the warm summer weather will soon be a thing of the past. Sigh…

However, we still have some time to show off our summer colour (real or faux) before we don our turtlenecks!

Transition into your Autumn beauty look and get the most of your summer glow with these 3 simple steps:

Heavy Hydration

Natural and faux tans fade as your skin cells exfoliate. That’s why keeping skin hydrated is key toliterally holding on to your tan.

• Swap long soaks in the tub for quick showers–water loosens up the skin cells.
• Apply body lotion in the morning, before bed and any time after you bathe.
• Avoid or limit skin-stripping treatments like fruit acids, retinol, salicylic acid, waxing and hair-removal creams.

Sun-Washed Shades

Create the optical illusion of tawny skin with a monochromatic style of makeup.

• Use your stippling brush to sweep a bronzer over the cheekbones, forehead, bridge of nose, jawline and down the neck, allowing the duo-fibers to deliver a sheer veil of colour.
• Swap out your vibrant blush colour for a muted pink or peach powder. Swirl the tips of your 100 arched powder brush into the powder and sweep along the cheekbones for a sheer veil of colour and highlight.
• Choose a luminous pink or champagne lip colour to brighten your complexion and bounce light off of your lips for a glow-y look.

Get Glistening

You won’t catch a celebrity on a red carpet or television interview without a layer of sheen on her limbs, as light reflects away from skin giving the appearance of a smooth, even skin tone.

• Smooth a shimmery oil over exposed skin for a soft shine and lovely scent that will transport you back to the beach.

We’ve all seen the uber organised and immaculate makeup vanities on Pinterest and Insta, right? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a designated space to apply your makeup? And… no, your car doesn’t count!

Regardless of your space (or lack there of) all you need is a little surface area and a mirror. Then just follow our guide below to curate your own lovely, pristine vanity.

Clean is Beautiful
There’s no point in creating a beautiful vanity to showcase dirty brushes and makeup.

-Wash your brushes using a brush cleansing palette and brush cleansing gel to easily clean your brushes.

-Wipe down the outside and inside of all of your products with a rubbing alcohol or a glass cleaner. Don’t forget your mirror too!

-Sharpen those pencils, then immediately clean out your sharpener.

-Remove lids and wipe off the excess liquid or cream or powder around the opening.

-Keep a pretty paper guest towel over working area to catch makeup debris.

Function and Form
Find storage solutions that are practical and pretty!

-Group similar items together according to use and shape, it will instantly look better and speed up your routine.

-Store your brushes and pencil products in whimsical cups or mugs. (P.S. Our new sets will each come with a bonus brush cup to help with this.)

-Palettes, compacts and tubed products look clean and crisp in an acrylic organiser, which come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

-Don’t forget a docking station for your phone or tablet! It makes it super easy to watch all your favourite tutorials with your beauty tools nearby.

Personal Touch
The hard work is over and now you can add little flourishes that represent your style and make you smile.

+Place makeup-inspired artwork around or on your vanity table—framed pics of makeup inspo, quotes or even shopping bags, decor blocks or old school polaroids.

+Glass apothecary jars, decorative trays, glass vases either for decor or to hold flowers or makeup products.

+And a few beautiful perfume bottles, powder compacts, pretty soaps and lotions for a touch of chic, with a side of practicality (because we all want to look and smell our best, right?).