BLOG - Oradess Make-up Innovations

The mirror of truth

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -1100

Have you ever heard of the ‘mirror of truth'? Let me tell you all about it. The light is great, the focus is good and lie...it does not. Some of you may know it as the common little mirror that you find housed just above your head in the driver's seat of the car. If in doubt about what you ‘really' look like....trust this little gem to lay it bare. Aside from the magnification of your supposed wrinkles...they're not going anywhere fast, so bypass them. You can use this moment of truth to check your blending, precision lines, apply lipstick and of course the pieces de resistance...highlight unwanted hair.

I highly recommend keeping a pair of tweezers in the car to remove those strays to alleviate a great deal of frustration and/or embarrassment. Of course we are talking about your brows but dare I admit that we are also referring to those of us that are maturing now and battling the occasional testosterone fuelled hair on our chin - there...I have said it...it's out! It does happen and when you least expect it. You can avoid nasty blemishes on your chin caused by the constant picking of a hair that is just too short to grab with your fingernails. Bring on the tweezers...and the ‘mirror of truth'

I hope you enjoyed your weekend,
Julia

Lash Confidence - Top 5 Tips

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Lash Confidence.....Top 5 tips
Posted in makeup advice on July 14, 2008 by oradess

Top 5 tips for applying mascara:

1. Firstly, make sure your mascara is ‘fresh'. If you can't remember the last time you bought one - replace it!
2. Take some of the excess off the wand before applying. Wipe it off at the neck of the bottle. This will help to avoid too much product on the lashes. It is better to do two coats than one thick coat.
3. Wiggle the wand at the base of your lashes before you pull it through. This will ensure great coverage and help with last separation.
4. Curl your lashes to really open your eyes. If you use a traditional curler, do it before you apply. If you use one of the new heated lash curlers, do it immediately after you apply mascara
5. If you want to apply mascara to the bottom lashes - try doing it before you apply to the top. You avoid getting black marks on the top of your lid due to the mascara still being wet.

Try Lash Confidence by Oradess for beautiful looking lashes - www.oradess.com.au

7 Feel Good Solutions for Summer

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -1100

7 ‘Feel Good' solutions for Summer
Posted in Focus on you on October 1, 2008 by oradess

Here a just a few ways that you can have yourself feeling terrific in no time this Summer. The sunshine gives you a head start.

1. This has to be top of my list! 30+ SUNSCREEN.
You have to feel pretty good when you are not suffering from sunburn right? Not only do you not feel that dreadful pain (yes...we have all been there at some stage) think of yourself avoiding the long term damage. Wrinkles, sun spots, melanoma. Pretty good reason to feel good about using it.
2. Visit a beauty therapist
Shed your winter skin by visiting a well qualified beauty therapist. You can't have a radiant summer look without allowing your skin to rid itself of the drying effects of winter. (ask if you need a recommendation) There is also every chance your skin has done a 180 since winter and your needs have changed. Make-up looks 10 times better on a canvas that is in good condition. Have a chat about your current skin care routine.
3. Try tinted moisturisers or foundations that have some luminescence in them as an alternative to a full make-up look. If that skin is looking good it should be a piece of cake. Just becareful for us maturing ladies that we don't go overboard on the shimmer. Just a hint can lift the skin but you don't want to attract attention to make the little lines look any deeper than they are.
4. An old favourite - ‘paint your toenails'.
Red or hot pink are great feel good summer colours. Just as an aside they can make you feel better in winter too. Just remember to use a base coat so you protect the nail from discoloration. (Yes a base coat really does do something)
5. Visit someone who can help sort out your summer wardrobe.
Wear something new or reserect a favourite piece from last summer. There are websites such as bespokeimage.com.au (Melbourne) OR georgieandhector.com.au (Brisbane) that can offer lots of advice if you are too far away.
6. Get a new hairstyle.
This makes you feel a million dollars. I just had mine cut and colour a little lighter for summer and I can share that I am thinking to myself ‘What took you so long!"
7. Last but not least - Brighten up your make-up with a summer sheen of gold or copper colours on your eyes (Oradess ‘New Season' colour quad - antique white, gold satin, radiant copper, petal pink)

Take care,
Julia :-)

Overloaded?.feeling ready to short circuit?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -1100

We lead such enormously full lives these days....rarely stopping to smell the roses. We are told that we do it to ourselves with trying to "fit" it all in. However discussing with friends over the past few days, we are not entirely to blame (ain't that pleasant news!). One of the effects of living this modern life is very much out of our control to a certain extent, particularly if you happen to call home a major city. A friend who has studied psychology was sharing with me the findings of a study that was conducted just after WWII and then again in the late 70's early 80's. Now I don't know how accurate these stats are but they certainly seem to make a lot of sense and are very believable.

Apparently just after WWII the average person was exposed to approx 40 new stimulus per day. When repeated 30 years later they found that number had increased to approx. 400. I don't have an update from that but you wouldn't have to be Einstein to realise that this number would have increased to somewhere in the 1000's. Look at what we are exposed to on a daily basis now....email, mobile phones, tv, radio, billboards, ads on cars, ads in the sky, internet pop-ups, twitter, facebook.....the list goes on.

Is it any wonder that we are becoming overloaded, tired and stretched to capacity - feeling like we are about to short circuit. I am sure our brains were only meant to absorb and process so much. Is it any wonder that mental illness is on the increase and that our children don't seem to have an off button.

Now, this is not likely to change anytime soon, so how do we manage it? How do we ensure that we survive with quality of life? As a women we tend to just keep piling it on....I'd like to share 2 resources that might help you to take stock and move forward with a little more control.

* www.livingsavvy.com.au - this site is full of women sharing stories of how they make small changes with big impacts. There is also a great online TV Resource full of inspiration.
* www.pampered.com.au - not sure where to go or stuck for ideas on how to take some precisou ‘me' time, this site won't let you down. It's packed full of ideas to help you recharge.

Get selfish girls....'Timeout is not just disciplinary action for children :-)
Have a happy weekend.
Julia

Spring clean your make-up bag

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -1100

When Spring arrives our little inner voice shrieks... "It's time to clean!", so whilst you're at it - don't forget to include your make-up bag. Many of our clients reveal in our workshops that they have owned make-up longer than they care to admit with some announcing they own items longer than they have been mother's of teenage children. You do the maths but I can share with you...that's a bit longer than recommended. Okay, this is extreme, however there are many unused, unproductive, out-of-date items lurking around in the bottom of make-up bags Australia wide.

If you are scratching the top of eyeshadow or powder before you apply it or shaking the bottle furiously to try and get your product to mix again then it's probably time to say "good-bye". Make-up doesn't last forever so to keep it working well, looking good and your face free from unwanted bacteria check out the ‘throw out' guide below.

* Foundation Liquid - 12-18 mths
* Foundation Powder - 2 years
* Mascara - 3-6 months
* Eyeshadow - 2 years
* Eyeliner - 2 years
* Blush - 2 years
* Lipgloss/Lipstick - 2 years

* always check the manufacturers guide for specific information.

So go on girls - take care of yourself. If you don't use it, get rid of it!
Julia

Rules, rules, rules

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Are you tired of all of the make-up rules, must do's or proceed at your own peril? Is it any wonder that we everyday women are forced into a comfort zone of make-up looks that we are not game to break out of for fear of social exclusion. It's everywhere you look, read, hear.... what ever happened to beauty is in the eye of the beholder? When did we stop trusting ourselves and take on the so called experts opinions as gospel? At the end of the day make-up should be about fun, self expression and feeling good. Wouldn't it be nice if when you were getting ready for a big night out... that you were thinking about how great you are going to look not stressing out over whether you have broken rule #101 of the cool/warm colour code?

My advice is relax and have fun... pulling off a look is more to do with how you feel about yourself than the actual ‘look' itself.

Enjoy yourself,

Julia

Things to think about when creating SJP

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -1100

I have just been asked today by one of my clients - how do I achieve the SJP look?

Well after careful consideration I would like to being by saying....not everyone can confidently wear such a dark smoky look, especially as the skin around our eyes becomes more delicate and the colour of our skin changes. Don't forget you hair colour plays apart in which colours work best for you too.
Image Courtesy of www.fabsugar.com

Image Courtesy of www.fabsugar.com

In a nutshell, here are some tips that might help!

1. Try charcoal instead of black. Some mature goldy blondes can still carry black eye make-up well however if we tend to have darker hair or really blonde bright hair, it may look a little harsh.
2. Instead of black eye shadow, try using a charcoal colour around the eye and ensure that you blend the edges well.
3. Try not to blend the dark colour too far up the eye (toward the brow), you don't want to close your eye in. You also don't want to draw attention to any unnecessary loose or crepe like skin.
4. Try using a silver or white to add a little highlight around the eye to brighten it up a bit. Just under the brow bone works particularly well and on the centre of the eye lid (to make it pop)
5. Eyeliner on the rim of your eye doesn't necessarily close it in - it can provide definition that makes the white of your eyes stand out. Give it a try - this is the only way you will know.
6. Another thing to consider is taking the eye liner all the way around the eye - no gaps with confident lines.
7. If you do go dark on the eyes, just remember to balance it out with a lighter colour on the lips.
8. Oh yes, one more thing - should be up the top....don't forget your eyebrows. These should be coloured a similar colour to your hair.

Good luck and remember - we are only a click away if you need help! www.oradess.com

Cheers,
Julia

Clean Cosmetics

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Caring for your products is really important because by caring for them, you are caring for yourself. Although there are many different types of preservatives in our cosmetics to help prolong the product life and keep them free from harmful bacteria, there are things we can also do. Here are just some of them:

* Try to resist dipping your fingers into your products. However if you do, make sure you have washed your hands first.
* Occasionally wipe over the top of your cosmetics with a tissue.
* If they come with lids - keep them on.
* Never share your mascara!
* If you must share a pencil, make sure you sharpen it between users. (a tip us make-up artists use).
* Sharing lipsticks is a common practice among busy ladies. If you do share, make sure you wipe over the lipstick. Better still; use a lip brush and scrape a bit of product from the back of the lipstick.
* Clean your make-up brushes and sponges regularly
* Clean your hairbrush too..

Got any more questions? We would love to hear from you.

Ciao,
Julia

Beauty of Samurai

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Recently my husband graded and achieved his 2nd dan black belt in the art of Aikido which is a beautiful thing because of the feeling one gets from the sense of accomplishment when you fulfill a dream. Particularly after the anxious moments prior to the grading.

Now you might be wondering what on earth Aikido or the Samuri has to do with Beauty. Well I happened to be making myself a coffee this morning and Greg had left his Aikido newsletter on the bench and I began to read it and it took me by surprise. Sensei Michiharu Mori, an Aikido Master had written an article about Bushido (samurai spirit) and what that means to the Japanese culture. He said the first code of the Bushido is ‘live beautifully/gracefully'. A standard of beauty that is expected when you live your life this way - not in the ‘pretty' sense but he goes on to define beauty as:

‘Jin' - a mind of caring/feeling for others
‘Gi' - a mind of justice/righteousness in humanity that one lives for public without self interest
‘Rei' - a mind of respect for others
‘Renchi' - a mind of purity with a sense of shame.

Well I am not so sure about Renchi but it was interesting to see that caring and respect is at the top of their list for defining a beautiful person. Sensei Mori believes that Gi is at the heart of samuri culture. Contributing to other people and society.

Although we don't place the same importance on this in the Western culture, I think he is absolutely right. This points to ‘Emanating Beauty' - the beauty that radiates from our heart and ultimately affects our outside persona. The way we carry ourselves, the way we look. Stressed and unhappy people always seem to have more lines on their face......remember that.

Ciao,
Julia

Personal Branding

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -1100

Here I am... staying true to my word....at least for my first week. I was at a networking function today and the topic was on personal branding. I found it really interesting as essentially Oradess focuses on empowering women to confidently tell their story through beauty and make-up education. Giving it the tag of personal branding or ‘Brand Me' may seem a little airy fairy but you know it is so true. We all have a personal brand whether we work for ourselves or for a company. It is the picture that we portray to others about ourselves. This story is interpreted by others by the way we dress, look and feel. Have you ever known someone who has a very different opinion of themselves than you actually have of them? Sometimes the lines get blurred between what you want to say and what you actually do say. An interesting exercise we did today was to write down the way you think you are portrayed by others ie. Richard Branson is energetic, brash, eccentric, fun... which is also reflected in his massive Virgin brand. Do your list and then ask others how they perceive you.... see how close to the mark you are and think about the adjustments you might have to make to improve your personal branding.
Look...to be honest with you, I am as daggy as the next person on the weekends... I love my track pants but when I am representing Oradess, people expect me to wearing a professionally made up face, it's part of my story along with being approachable and helpful... at least I think so ;-)

Enjoy your weekend!
Julia