The Beauty Lab.

Hello all readers!

Today's blogpost is a particularly special one. 'Maquillage  Est Belle' is growing and I have high hopes, expectations and dreams for my blog and social media. So, with a lot of thought and organisation, I have decided to make some changes, and transform 'Maquillage Est Belle' into 'The Beauty Lab'!! It may not seem exciting to most of you, as its just a name change and transformation, but I however, have come to the conclusion that this title is better suited for what I want to achieve and pursue.

I am only 19 years old, however have a raging passion for beauty, makeup and cosmetic products. I love the artistry you can create, the transformation, and the way you feel when you apply products to your body. Ever since I was young in primary school, I would beg my mum to let me apply makeup to her, and do her hair! Ever since then, playing around with makeup developed into a necessity. I had terrible skin from puberty (as most of us experience), and I was determined to cover it, because yes, I WAS EMBARRASSED!! After I got through that stage of my life, I still had a passion for makeup and the way it makes you look how you envision in your head, plus all the new looks you can create, plus the packaging, duh!! From this love, I decided to study makeup and beauty in a college, and that brings us to now :) I am currently studying Psychology, however studying makeup part-time and I am loving where it is taking me!!

So, today readers, I welcome The Beauty Lab! Let me tell you a little bit about it:
☆ The Beauty Lab is a blog on 'Blogspot' that acts as a 'laboratory' in trying and reviewing products. I purchase products that I am particularly interested in, and then try them for a limited of time, then review the products by writing about them on here for all the readers who are also interested in that same product! 

☆ I personally think that doing your research before purchasing anything is EXTREMELY important, so therefore I feel that it is vital in today's 'internet world' to give people that opportunity to research products they intend to buy, then after reading the reviews for themselves, they can then make the decision to go ahead and purchase, or spend their money on something else. As I've said in many of my recent posts, purchasing anything, and also makeup in general is personal preference. EVERYONE has different opinions, skin types, thoughts and social economic status, so when reading my reviews, it is important to note that this is only MY thoughts and perception of the products, and it is only for you to consider. If you agree, then GREAT, and if not, thats fine too, as everyone is different, and if everyone was the same, life would be so boring!! 

☆ I will post on this blog once a week, giving advice, tips and also reviews. I want this blog to be a place where everyone comes and takes some time out of their day to relax, and read about products they're interested in and curious about. I also think its important for people to relax each day and wind down by doing something they enjoy, so I want to provide that for all my readers, plus potential new people too!

☆ And a quick disclaimer as well, I don't believe in 'shout outs' or posting pictures or blogs to simply gain followers. For me, it isn't about the numbers, I want people to genuinely enjoy my content and like my pictures, and then make the decision to follow me. I do love the beauty community on the internet, and they're all very close and love to support each other, however I think now that the beauty industry is skyrocketing more than ever, people just think they can simply make an Instagram account, do some shout outs, get an insane amount of followers then all of a sudden, earn some money. For me, its about passion, content and most of all, my hobby... I enjoy doing this and expect nothing out of it! Just sharing my opinion and receiving comments such as 'hey, I loved your post!' is more than enough for me. Anything else that could come in the future, is just a bonus :)

In conclusion, I just want to personally thank everyone who has took the time to like my pictures, comment and even follow me! I hope you enjoy my blog!

xoxo

HI GORGEOUS!

We all travel at some stage in our life, most of the time with minimal space provided, so we have to pack carefully and only pack the essentials... but what are the essentials to bring on a trip? Especially in terms of makeup!? We all have difficulty with this, SO, I thought it'd be wise to do a post on the ultimate makeup travel bags!!

Firstly, it's great to bring a soft material makeup bag, something that can be squished into your luggage easily. If you bring a hard metal makeup case, it will be more difficult to fit in with all your other belongings! It's also important to remember to bring products that you feel comfortable in, such as 'safe options'. Therefore, when you're away from home and you're using products that you're used to, its not going to cause any fuss! Whereas if you bring new products that you haven't tried, or hardly tried out, they may not meet your expectations, and then you're stuck with it the entire trip! Not a good idea guys!

1. Your holy grail foundation - I think this is the most obvious one! And its easy if you just have one foundation that you're using in the minute, but if you have a few that you're using on and off, it would be wise to bring a medium to full coverage foundation, so that on days you want to wear minimal makeup, you can just add a light layer, and on the days/nights you are doing something special, you can amp it up a little by building on coverage! Still Stay All Day foundation is a fantastic one to bring a long, as it has a concealer joined at the top of the lid, which is perfect to touch up any imperfections!

2. Mascara - Quite similar to the foundation, you can add mascara to your look with a light layer to look natural, or add more mascara if you're doing something special! Plus, a little tube of mascara doesn't tend to take up too much room in your beauty bag. Also something thats even handier, is bringing a mascara and liner that are compacted together, like the Model Co Lash + Line!

3. A universal brow pencil and/or a brow plumper - products such as Benefit Gimme Brow, Australis Pimp my Brow, or Loreal Brow Plumper mascara. The brow mascara can work both ways - just swiping it over  your brows to keep them in place all day, or using a brow pencil to define the shape of your brows, then adding a brow mascara to add fibres/hairs and set it in place so they aren't going anywhere! Lets face it, most of us can't go anywhere without our brows on! 😂😉

4. A neutral eye shadow palette or quad - Neutral shades are always fantastic to work with! Adding some brown to add definition and a highlight on the lid, or using the dark brown shadows and lighter shades to create a gorgeous smokey eye! The Balm Nude Tude and Nude Dude palette are fantastic to bring a long as its quite a compact palette, and has a great range of colours! Some of the Maybelline and Loreal quads are great as well. Bring anything with universal shades such as whites, mattes, shimmers. Also, the eyeshadow can be used as a liner on the lid, by pressing a black eyeshadow against the lash line to create a shadows!

5. Cool toned blush - Corals are always good to bring along on a trip. Most coral and pink shade blushes go well with many looks! Especially when you're just brushing it over the cheeks for a flush of colour. Its also good to think about bringing a highlight, bronzer and blush mini palette/trio to save space and also include maximum product. I know a lot of drugstore brands have trios like this, or even high end sometimes has eye and face palettes joined!

6. Two main lipsticks  - The reason I say two main lipsticks, is that you can be prepared for any type of outing when traveling. A neutral shade with a pink undertone (especially a glossy finish) can be great to just wear day to day. Or even something like Gerard Cosmetics Candy Kiss gloss which is a pigmented shiny gloss with a pinky nude undertone (created by Shaaanxo). And also a mauve or coral shade (depending on your personal preference). Really, just two main lipstick/gloss shades that will suit the day time in a natural setting, or the night time in an event or dinner setting.

7. Setting powder - We all sometimes need to set our face, especially if we are oily and combination. Bringing a blot powder, or a matte finish powder will keep your face looking fresh the entire time you're away! So pick your favourite, and chuck it in!

8. Not to prime is a crime! - remember to prime your face! This can make your foundation last longer and stay on all day. You can get sample primers from some stores such as Mecca or David Jones/Myer. Bringing a little primer bottle will take up minimal space, but also allow you to look beautiful 💁🏽

And there we have it! Just only 8 products that will take up minimal space, but give you a fantastic look, regardless of what you have planned for your trip!! Its also good to just bring one main foundation brush, a kabuki to set your face, a spooly for your brows, and two main eyeshadow brushes (one for the crease, and one for your lid).

Hope you enjoyed and learnt something new! Let me know what you think and remember to check out my Instagram - @maquillageestbelle.

xoxo

Hello everyone!!

Another review today on a mascara by Model Co. One word - WOW!! The brush, the packaging, the way it makes your eyelashes look, and how black the formula is, I really love it, so this is definitely a new favourite for me!

I've been using this Fat Lash mascara for approximately a week now, and it makes my eyelashes look super long and spidery, while giving them so much volume, without clumping or sticking my lashes together. 

The wand ♡
This is really great and easy to use, as it has a ball at the end (I'm really bad at explaining this haha, refer to pictures down below) that has the mascara spikes, which is brilliant to get into the end of your lashes towards the outside of your eye, and also the inner corner. The wand also separates each lash individually giving you 'bold lashes' that look like you have fake lashes, in the most natural way possible! 

The packaging ♡
There isn't anything fantastic to say about the packaging specifically. However if you are in a store, the holographic packaging and large writing is certainly eye catching. It sort of feels 'cheap', but you wouldn't expect much more for a drug store mascara.

This mascara is a winner for me, and I personally love drug store mascaras over high end mascaras. I think the drug store has more to offer, and if you find a great one that you love, its not stressful to repurchase because it tends to be a lot cheaper! 

So, if you haven't already, I suggest you try this mascara! You won't regret it. Can be purchased online from Model Co cosmetics for $22 (not sure about shipping) or from adorebeauty.com.au for $20 (free Australian shipping). 

Thanks guys, hope you enjoyed reading!

The wand is unique and easy to use

xoxo

Before and after coating the mascara