Australian makeup artists on their hardest-working beauty products
PHOTOGRAPHY BY NELLY SKOUFATOGLO
WORDS BY DAISY HENRY AND FASHION JOURNAL
Beauty product recommendations from those who know best.
With so many amazing beauty products on the Australian market, it can be difficult to separate the good from the bad. Very few of us have the financial means to try and test out a range of beauty products in order to figure out what’s the best value for money or to see which products will make it through a night out without smudging.
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In order to find out what rates highly among experts in the industry, we asked those who know best. Below, four Australian makeup artists share their hardest-working products – from creaseless concealer to flawless facial oils.
Carly Lim
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I always seem to reach for my Chanel Baume Essentiel in the shade ‘Golden Light’ to create a gorgeous healthy glow. It’s never too sticky and I like that it has a warm tone to it, even on pale skin – it’s only a gentle hint of colour.
The Ere Perez Moringa All-Beauty Crème seriously works perfectly under makeup. No lie. This is the Kraft Peanut Butter of moisturisers, dare I say – never oily, never dry. Every person I use it on remarks on how refreshing and hydrating it feels. If I want extra glow I add a couple of drops of oil, or if someone is supremely dry or chapped.
The Surratt Beauty Surreal Skin Concealer is so beautiful and so natural looking on the skin. Again, it’s magic because it’s oil-free but somehow works wonders on delicate areas of the face (like around the eyes and lips) without looking makeup-y. My only gripe is there needs to be a more extensive shade range available.
Megan Miloshis
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The Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer has been a staple in my kit for over seven years now! It’s a gel lotion that moisturises, hydrates and preps the skin for seamless foundation application. It’s suitable for all skin types and is by far my holy grail primer.
The Mac Cosmetics Studio Radiance Face and Body Foundation is an oldie but a goodie! It’s a sheer-but-buildable foundation that leaves the skin with a radiant, natural finish. It’s the queen of versatility – you can use this foundation on its own or mixed in with another foundation to give an effortless glow. Fun fact: it can be used anywhere on the body (not just the face) and is great for blending out any self-tan mishaps you may have encountered. With 29 shades available, finding your perfect match shouldn’t be too hard.
The L’Oreal Paris Infallible More Than Concealer is not only a kit fave but it’s held a spot in my personal makeup collection for the longest time. This buttery, full-coverage concealer gives a natural matte finish that works to cover dark circles and uneven skin tone and somehow brightens skin appearance at the same time. My favourite part about this concealer is the price point.
The Benefit Hoola Bronzer is an all-rounder that can be used as an eyeshadow, bronzer and contour! This is the perfect product to help add dimension or a glow back to the face. Whether you’re using it through the crease of your eye for some definition or to add a pop of colour to the cheeks, you can trust that it will glide on like a dream. This hard-working buildable formula offers a soft matte finish that won’t feel dry on the skin.
Since blush is all the rage at the moment, I couldn’t not include the Napoleon Perdis Cheek Switch Crème Blush. The lightweight, silky formula glides onto the skin before transforming into a long-wearing matte-velvet finish. I can confidently say I have applied this product to 90 per cent of my clients in the past year to dimension and a radiant glow. All the shades are amazing but my fave by far is ‘Save The Coral’.
Whether you’re looking to reduce shine throughout the day or just want to set makeup in place, the Makeup For Ever Ultra HD Loose Translucent Powder is a must-have. Undetectable on the skin, it works to set makeup in place, diffuse the appearance of pores and leave a satin finish to the skin, allowing for your natural glow and dimension to peek through.
The Lanolips 101 Ointment The Original Multipurpose Superbalm has quickly made its way into my everyday makeup routine and always leaves my lips looking super lush. In true multitasking style, you can use this on your lips, cuticles and even on sore/cracked nipples (for those of you out there that may be breastfeeding). Holding 200 per cent of its weight in water, this hydrating hero is a no-brainer.
Sophy Phillips
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The Maybelline Sky High Mascara is a recent discovery for me [and it’s] the best mascara I’ve ever used. It’s super black, smudge-proof, never clumpy, easy to build and has lots of lift. I’m on my third tube. Also, the Aleph Concealer and Foundation have been my go-to complexion products for about six months; I use them for almost everything. They’re super kit-friendly and can be sheered out with the Aleph Primer.
The Cheek/Lip Tint in the shade ‘Grounded’ is another Aleph product that has become my favourite earthy-nude tone. I use it for cheeks, lips and eyes. It’s quite a firm product so I’ve been experimenting with mixing different textures into it like a gloss and a balm. It works for everything.
Weleda’s Skin Food is a total kit staple for me. I prep everyone’s lips with a generous layer of Skin Food and let it absorb while I prep skin. It makes a great highlight through the cheekbones and is the best way to protect skin from harsh weather on outdoor shoots.
The Tom Ford Face Shade and Illuminate [a highlighting and shading cream duo] offers perfect cool contouring tones with an illuminating gloss that’s never sticky. It’s quick and easy to apply and blend. Lastly would be OPI nail polish in the shade ‘Samoan Sand’. It’s the perfect nude… nail polish is the heaviest thing to lug around so I try to choose a few shades that suit everyone. This is always a winner.
Kara, aka Kitsch Makeup World
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Coming from a background in art, I’ve spent my whole life painting (using mainly oils and acrylics). Makeup is just another medium I kind of fell into, so naturally one of my favourite products is Danessa Myrick’s Colorfix.
The formula reminds me of paint; it’s such a versatile product and is completely bulletproof once dried. They’re great for graphic liner, eyeshadow or even as blush. I actually just added four more colours [of Colorfix] to my kit! They’ve definitely become a staple.
Another favourite at moment has to be Depixym Colour Emulsions. It’s similar to Colorfix in terms of the finish but has a drier formula, so it’s great for brows and lashes. I use it in a beige shade to create the easiest faux-bleached brows. After colour correcting, just brush it through the brows with a spoolie and you’re done!
For more of the best Australian beauty products, head here.
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