Over the weekend I headed to Canberra Centre’s beauty precinct in the newly built Monaro Mall launched last Thursday. The new precinct brings to Canberra some of beauty lovers must-have brands such as Mecca Maxima, Inglot, Perfect Potion, SoulFlower just to name a few.
Its launch was a huge success attracting large crowds for a Q&A session with Australian Vogue Editor Remy Rippon, a meet and greet with YouTube star Shannon Harris (@shaaanxo), special offers and of course a series of beauty and wellness masterclasses.
I had the pleasure of attending a 'Minimalist Beauty' masterclass hosted by Gritty Pretty's Eleanor Pendleton’s and co-hosted by beauty expert Amy Erbarcher. Eleanor is a well-known beauty influencer and founder of online magazine Gritty Pretty. In person she is as flawless as any of her Instagram pics and her natural beauty really does shine through. Before Gritty Pretty, she was Beauty Editor of Famous magazine where she says ‘writing eight pages of beauty wasn’t enough’ she wanted more and couldn't find an online source which matched her obsession for beauty. So she set out to create an online magazine of her own which represented a balance of beauty and edge focusing on the latest beauty products, editorials and most recently launched an online shop where you can source all of of your (and Eleanor’s) favourite beauty products.
As part of her masterclass, Eleanor shared her beauty philosophy of ‘minimalist beauty’ and the importance of using cosmetics to enhance unique features instead of masking them. Not knowing much about Eleanor before the masterclass, her philosophy really resonated with me as I've always followed a fuss-free beauty routine and keep a minimalist makeup kit.
She talked through how to achieve a dewy day look and how to quickly turn it into a night time look with just a few steps whilst a Mecca makeup artist was on stage working her magic on a model.
Glowy makeup look complete! |
Eleanor’s passion (along with her natural beauty) really shone through and her masterclass was filled with expert tips and tricks of the trade and left us feeling inspired and reassured to embrace our own natural beauty and stick to products which work best for our skin and our lifestyles.
I had so many aha! moments and can't wait to try some of her key beauty products and tips. I managed to take down the top 10 tips to share with you and the key products used for the Glowy makeup look.
Eleanor's tips for glowing looking skin
- Avoid matte foundation as it can be ageing
- Apply highlighter to the highest points of your face before your foundation
- Ditch the old idea that oil or oil-based products will make your skin look oily.
- Add a few drops of oil into your foundation when your skin is feeling dehydrated
- Use your fingertips to apply foundation as the warmth of your fingers will help blend it into your skin and leave you with a more natural look
- Apply your foundation to the areas which need it most. You don’t need to cover your whole face
- Dab (not rub) concealer on after your foundation – this has always confused me so was so glad to hear Eleanor’s logic. If applied before it will be moved around when you blend in your foundation (light bulb moment!)
- Avoid black eyeshadow for a smokey eye. Opt for brown and a soft feathery eyeshadow brush to help with blending
- Use setting spray when you want your makeup to last from day to night
- Your features are unique to you! Enhance don’t mask.
- Nars sheer glow foundation – (adding to cart as we speak…)
- Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminiser
- Nars Laguna Bronzer – apply on cheekbones but also eyelids to even out skin tone before applying eyeshadow and don't forget to tap ladies (your brush that is!)
- Stila Mile High Lashes Mascara
- Hourglass No.28 Lip Treatment Oil – dying to try it! I am not a huge fan of lipstick, I like the look but not the feel of it so I usually opt for lip balm from my local chemist. So I am hoping this might be the product for me!
SP xo
@sofiapolak | sofiapolak.com.au
@janette_lenk @sofiapolak (me) |
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@janette_lenk @eleanorpendleton |
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