I spent a relaxing afternoon yesterday at a friend’s Christmas picnic. The weather was perfect and the outdoor location meant make-up took a back seat. The one make-up product that almost every girl wasn’t without (me included) was a shimmer. We were all after the luminous, light-reflecting (hide our Saturday night sins), sun-kissed look that only a shimmer can give.

Perfect shimmer application is all about balance. Given it’s such an easy product to apply; most people underestimate how easy a product it is to overdo.  

Here are some easy shimmer tips to follow:

• For beginners, choose one feature you want to concentrate the shimmer on. Be it your face, eyes, cheeks or lips. Shimmer everywhere IS excessive and yes your face will resemble a Christmas tree decoration if you do so!
• For more experienced shimmer users, you can make up more than one feature, but keep balance in mind. For example shimmer on the eyes and lips looks great with a natural base and cheeks.
• It pays (in time) to be light-handed with your application. While it’s easy to add more shimmer, it’s not so easy to remove it. Trying to reduce the shimmer you’ve already applied often means washing off all your make-up and starting again.
• Clean your brushes between each application. Or easier (but pricier), use a seperate set of shimmer brushes  and keep them in a different area from your other brushes. Once shimmer is on a brush, it will transfer to your face even if you didn’t intend it be there!

Before yesterday, I thought public toilet vending machines were strictly reserved for emergency products, hygiene or travel related. That was until I stumbled upon one that sold lip gloss. Clear (un-coloured) lip gloss to be exact. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

I was surprised for several reasons. Firstly the obvious toilet-hygiene-make-up issue. Secondly, that public toilets are for relieving nature’s call not solving basic beauty fixes (like buying lip gloss). And finally (and what I want to talk about here) why lip gloss?

Clear lip gloss isn’t one of my top 3 favourite beauty product items. So being without it isn’t a beauty disaster. To me, it’s not exactly a make-up product that really packs a punch (like for instance a great concealer). It’s also not the product to transform your make-up look - especially if it’s non-coloured. What it does do is soften a lipstick colour and add shine, but that’s about it.

I’m not sure how many people would classify being out of clear lip gloss an emergency situation. But I do know that lip products are easy sellers, quick pick-me-up products. And maybe that’s the point. Maybe this vending machine concept is more for the last-minute impulse buying customers, rather than conservatives like me (who’d rather keep their beauty buys out of the toilet).

So what would you do? Would you buy from the lip gloss vending machine? Does its public toilet location even matter?

Some of us like to wear make-up everyday, even if it’s only lip gloss and mascara. If this describes you, bearing all (as in no make-up!) when you’re hanging out at the beach becomes a challenge. To add to this, beach make-up is one of the trickiest to master.

Successful beach make-up is largely down to product choice. Avoiding products that encourage sand sticking to your skin is a given (lip gloss, cream blushes etc). Most importantly, and where things get tricky, is wearing make-up that is durable (will stay put) when sunscreen is applied on top of it. With sunscreen reapplication every two hours, most of our regular make-up would struggle. Yet this is where tints and gel based products are perfect.

Here are a few worth considering:

Face Gels: For colour without stickiness, try a face gel like Stila’s Sun Gel. While it doesn’t replace a foundation, it will provide some coverage and add warmth to your skin tone. This one is lightweight and water resistant.

Mascara: It goes without saying this must be waterproof. MAC’s Splashproof Lash is one worth trying. The formula will hold up at the beach but extra effort is required when removing it, so limit your usage accordingly.

Lip and Cheek tints: Multi-purpose tints like Benefit’s Benetint are waterproof, sheer and work best when you have little or no make-up on. Application does take a little getting used to as tints absorb quickly into your skin. However once it’s on you will literally forget you’re wearing it – again very beach-worthy.

Happy summer’s day - it’s the first day of summer - yay for weather, nay for hair - frizz!

It’s also the start of party season with some serious party dressing! So if you’re reluctant to wear your little strapless or backless dress because of uneven body skin, give yourself a helping hand with some body make-up.

Don’t be fooled by block coverage products like spray tans.  They are not made to even out uneven skin tones. You’ll be left with the same unevenness, just a shade darker. 

Here are some easy tips for tending to uneven body skin:

• For effective evening of skin tone, be prepared to layer a few products. 
• Start with a body tint like MAC Face and Body Foundation. Apply a sheer layer to the entire area.
• Next apply a concealer (the same texture for covering pimples) on darker areas. The concealer must be the exact same shade as your body (after your body tint). If the colour is too light, you will draw attention to your uneven skin. If the colour is too dark, you will be worsening the unevenness.
• To avoid make-up transferring to your clothes, powder generously after your body make-up application. Any powder will do. Maybelline (available in supermarkets or Priceline) offers a good range of compact powders at reasonable prices.
• For hard to reach uneven areas like your back, engage the help of a good friend and reciprocate the favour!