The Ultimate Cheat Sheet For Perfect Brows
Perfect brows can change your entire look and it’s worth going that extra beauty mile to get them right! Behold, our ultimate cheat sheet on how to get perfect brows. Work with your face shape Brows aren’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. The perfect brows have to work with your own face shape and we’ve got a few quick pointers on how to get it right! Round face - Create a high arch following a straight line to the peak of the brow as this will help open up your face. Avoid a rounded / curved eyebrow shape. Square face - Square faces can pull off a curved or more angled brow but steer clear of thin brows and elongate the line to avoid a ‘short’ brow. Heart shaped face - A lower arch works with heart shapes. Don’t go too high with the arch or you’ll really lengthen the face. For perfect brows keep the curves of the arch soft. Oval face - If you have this balanced face shape, lucky you! You can pull off the classic full, softly angled brow beautifully. Follow the 3 universal brow rules No matter the shape of your face, there are 3 golden rules to follow when defining your perfect eyebrows. Rule 1 - The arch of your brow - whether it be angular or more curved and soft - should be around two thirds of the way along your brow line, never in the centre. Rule 2 - Find the right place to start your brow. Lay an eyebrow pencil vertical along your nose - the point where it reaches the bridge of your nose is where the brow should begin. Rule 3 - Get the tail right. Place an eyebrow pencil in a line that runs from the outer side of your nostril to the corner of your eye. This is the ideal ending point for your brow. Brush your brows upwards Using a clean, dry spoolie your brows upward as it makes them look fuller and gives them more texture. You create a ‘feathered’ appearance - natural looking, fine hair strokes that you can’t achieve if you brush sideways. Eyebrows are also easier to fill in afterwards when they’re brushed upwards. Choose your eyebrow makeup Powder, creme or pencil? Or a mix ‘n’ match combination? The eyebrow makeup you choose is crucial for nailing a flawless arch. Eyebrow pencils are great for beginners and perfect for natural looking brows with softly defined arches that aren’t overly done or sharp-looking. Eyebrow pencil also makes a great base for brow powder to be applied over the top. Eyebrow powder does a brilliant job at filling in those sparse areas. If your brows are in pretty great shape naturally aside from a few thin spots, you might just need a little eyebrow powder to fill those areas in. Using powder also adds volume to your natural hair and works over the top of eyebrow pencil to add texture. Eyebrow creme is a quick way to fill in sparse brows for a natural look. If you’re already rocking a set of thick brows, creme will create a bolder, glam look. Use a brow brush for a precise creme application. Use a natural looking shade If you've chosen a brow creme or powder, go for a color that is the same shade as your brows or a little darker. If a brow pencil is your tool of choice, opt for one shade lighter than your hair for a softer look; unless you’re really fair. In that case, go a little deeper with the shade as slightly darker brows will frame your face enhance your eyes more than a really light brow. Still stressed about finding the shade for your perfect brows? Our Brow Magic is a universal brow pencil solves all your colour uncertainties - one colour suits all. Bingo. Start in the centre Perfect eyebrows aren’t one monotone block of colour, so when it comes to hue, aim for a gradient effect. Begin applying your brow product at the arch, and build the colour there. Move along to the front and then finish up at the end, where the colour should taper off. Our Brow Duo Powder will help you nail that natural looking gradient. Add a little highlighter If you love a clean, shapely brow use a little highlighter under the brow bone. A soft tone with a subtle shimmer will help define the brow line without looking over the top. Our PONi Unicorn Champagne Highlighter works beautifully when you apply with the angled end of our Pro Brow Brush. Set with a clear brow gel Finally, lock those perfect brows in place with a clear brow gel. Gently brush the brow gel spoolie over the hairs to set your arches and keep them looking perfection all day long! Stand back After you get up close and personal with the mirror to create your brow, take a big step back (at least a few feet) and survey your brow handiwork. This will give you some perspective on how your brows fit in with your entire face and the rest of your makeup look. Finally...thicken your brows naturally If you weren’t exactly blessed by the brow gods we’ve got good news. Our Lash And Brow Growth Serum boosts brow thickness and darkness naturally to fill in those sparse patches and barely there hairs that drive you crazy.
6 Facts & Myths About Lash Growth Serum
Full, fluttery lashes. They make your eyes pop - with or without makeup - but what if you weren’t blessed with envy-inducing fullness and length? Is the answer lash growth serum? Let’s find out! How lash growth serum works Eyelash growth serums are a lush lash-enhancing combination of ingredients, like vitamins and peptides that work together to improve the condition, strength, and shine of your natural lashes. Just like moisture is the key to healthy skin, moisture is also crucial for healthy lashes. Without moisture, they’re prone to break easily. The most common active ingredient in the best lash growth serums is Biotin. It’s a B vitamin said to improve the health of hair (including eyelashes) by strengthening keratin, the protein that makes up hair. Basically, lash growth serums help your natural lashes bring their A-game, keeping them strong against external aggressors to limit the number of breakages. Now, let’s dive into some of the myths and facts about lash growth serum! You’ll get great results with natural lash growth serum Fact. If you’re wondering “What products make your eyelashes grow?” you have a range of options available from natural to synthetic formulations. The problem is, some synthetic formulations contain chemical ingredients that are more likely to trigger an adverse reaction to the sensitive eye area. The good news? Your eyelash growth serum doesn’t need to be packed with toxic hard-to-read ingredients to deliver gorgeous lash results. Natural serums strengthen the integrity of the hair follicle making them thicker and more resistant to breakage. If you’re trying to decide between synthetic and natural serums, it’s important to know that many synthetic serums contain hormone-like ingredients. These ingredients trigger hair growth but it’s usually quite thin and there can be side effects. Serums made in Australia in TGA approved labs cannot contain any harmful ingredients- they’re generally much safer to use. PONi’s Lash & Brow Growth Serum is a cruelty-free, vegan formulation free of harmful ingredients. Instead, it’s packed with good-for-lash ingredients like peptides which stimulate thicker and longer lashes, vitamins to strengthen hair, and amino acids and plant oils to help prevent existing lashes from falling out. The results are permanent Myth. The best eyelash growth serums can help your lashes reach truly flutter-worthy lengths, but the results aren’t permanent. You do need to maintain the use of your lash growth serum application to continue to see the results. Once you stop, your eyelashes will gradually return to their previous appearance over several weeks. One of the big benefits of eyelash serum is the moisture it adds to your lashes to prevent brittleness and breakages. It’s like moisturiser for your skin, if you stop using it, your skin - and in this case, lashes - return to a dry state. You must remove contact lenses before lash serum application Fact. Do you wear contact lenses? Remove them before applying the serum to your lash line. Some formulations contain ingredients, particularly benzalkonium chloride which is used as a preservative, that can be absorbed by the contact lens. Wait 15 minutes before putting contact lenses back in. The more eyelash serum you apply, the better Myth. Dousing your eyelashes in serum won’t improve their condition any quicker or make them grow faster. Eyelash growth serums are highly concentrated and the best results come from consistent applications rather than the amount of product you use. Applying excess product is simply a waste! You need to be consistent to see results Fact. You don’t hit the gym once and expect to stroll out with killer abs, right? Same goes for eyelash growth serum. You need to be consistent to see the very best results - and it does take time. Your dedication and patience will be well worth it when you’re rocking the lushest lashes ever. Most eyelash formulations take anywhere between 3 - 6 weeks to see results. You can't use lash growth serum with eyelash extensions (Myth) Myth. Eyelash extensions are high maintenance and yes, they can cause damage to your natural lashes over long periods. Help counteract any possible damage by using eyelash growth serum. It will help you maintain the health of your natural lashes by providing some much needed conditioning and strengthening treatment. Don’t forget to check that the eyelash serum you’re using is safe to use with extensions and always wait 24-48 hours after lashes are applied to ensure the glue is completely set. Can you use lash serum on eyebrows? Fact. While most lash serums are for eyelashes only, the PONi serum is ideal for both nautral eyelash and eyebrow growth. With the PONi Lash and Brow Growth Serum, wave goodbye to sparse lashes and patchy brows with a two-in-one solution. Boost natural growth for thicker, darker and longer lashes and brows. PONi’s Lash & Brow Growth Serum If you’ve got your sights set on lush, long lashes (who hasn’t!?) we recommend PONi’s Lash & Brow Growth Serum - our much loved, natural, lash growth serum we mentioned earlier. You’ll get double the results from this little beauty. It boosts natural growth for thicker, darker and longer lashes and brows. To use PONi Lash & Brow Growth Serum, remove brush application, and carefully wipe away excess serum on the inside of the tube. Apply to clean, dry skin along the lash line. Repeat on the other eyelid without re-dipping. Allow 2-3 minutes for the serum to dry and begin by applying every second day for 2 weeks then follow with daily application.
5 Eyebrow Products We Can't Live Without & How To Use Them
Brow obsessed babes, listen up. We’re sharing the 5 eyebrow products we just can’t live without. No matter if you’re working with sparse, straggly hairs or naturally luscious brows (lucky you!) the right eyebrow products will step up your brow game. Keep this universal rule for all eyebrow productsin mind - the key is to go slow. Build your brows one layer at a time for the most natural look. Even if you’re aiming for drama, taking it slow will prevent you slipping up. It’s so much easier to add more eyebrow products to your look than to take them away! 💟 Brow Creme If the thought of brow creme freaks you out.. What if I end up with clown eyebrows? For real though. You might be afraid of getting the "painted look" but done right, brow cream creates a beautifully natural looking brow - not harsh clown lines. Your toolkit Brow Creme | Angled brush | Spoolie brush Very gently tap your angled brush into the pot to pick up enough product to create a light line. If you were to really dip the brush in, the amount of product you’d pick up would create a very heavy, harsh application. As we said, it’s best to start light and build up over a few applications - especially when it comes to brow creme. Take the angled brush and start just underneath your brow hair and use short, light strokes to build the outline along your brow. Then begin feathering the product upwards in the hair very lightly to fill out the rest of the brow shape. Use the spoolie end of your brushto lightly brush through the hairs - this helps create a more natural look. We love: Mane Stain Brow Creme A soft waterproof eyebrow cream to tint brows with a natural-looking colour and instant volume boost that lasts all day long. 💟 Eyebrow Pencil Super easy to use, an eyebrow pencil is the way to go if you want to keep your makeup routine fuss-free. Eyebrow pencils are perfect for beginners - the precise tip makes the control of the pencil and application easier. The lightest flick of the pencil can create beautiful, natural arches. Your toolkit Eyebrow pencil | Spoolie brush Best way to fill your brows with an eyebrow pencil? Starting at the bottom of a clean brow, use short, soft strokes that mimic the natural hair to fill in any gaps - focus on the sparse areas. When you’re done, grab the spoolie end of your brush to blend and brush hair up - this softens any harsh lines to give a more natural look. We love: Brow Magic Our award-winning brow pencil will help you quickly sculpt natural brows. The universal shade makes this the best eyebrow pencil to suit anyone. 💟 Eyebrow Powder Getting comfortable with eyebrow powder is one of the best things you can do for your brow routine for filling in sparse patches and boosting volume. With eyebrow powder, you can achieve a soft, natural look - just without the precision of a pencil. It’s also easier to tidy up any mistakes with powder vs other brow products. Eyebrow powder teams beautifully with brow pencil, too. Powder helps set the pencil - making it last longer - and adds fullness. Choose an eyebrow powder hue similar to your natural hair colour. It’s also one of the best brow products for oily skin - look for one with a low-oil formula. Your toolkit Eyebrow powder | Angled brow brush | Clear brow gel Lightly dip the brush into the eyebrow powder. Move the brush upward using light, feather-like strokes. Finish the look by swiping on clear brow gel for long-lasting hold. We love: Brow Duo Powder This two shade combo allows you to customise colour intensity and build dimension by blending shades to create an ombré brow, light natural brow or deeper glam brow. 💟 Clear Brow Gel Brow gel is paramount for staying power. The final step in perfecting your look, brow gel sets your brow makeup in place all day long. Plus keeps them glossy - in all the best ways. Your toolkit Clear brow gel After you’ve shaped and filled your arches with powder or pencil, simply sweep the brow gel across your brow in the natural direction of your hair. Even if you leave the rest of your face bare, an application of clear brow gel across your natural arches leaves you looking polished and bright eyed. Skip the brow gel if you’ve used a creme. We love: Zebra Clear Brow Gel This clear, water-resistant and long-wearing eyebrow gel and unique, ultra-precision spoolie to shape and set brows. A clear winner. 💟 Brow Highlighter What can make everything about great brows even greater? Brow highlighter. If this isn’t already one of the eyebrow products in your kit, you’re missing the quick trick that gives your eyes and brows an instant lift. Your toolkit Brow highlighter Take your brow highlighter and lightly trace a line under your brow line from the inner corner of the brow to the outer one. With your ring finger, gently blend the highlighter in beneath the brow to soften and blur any lines. Voila! A brighter, sparklier eye area. We love: Brow Pop! A blendable, long-wearing brow highlighter in a soft peachy hue that is ideal for all skin types. There you have them - the 5 best eyebrow products brow wizards can’t live without! Ready. Set. Brow.
How to Do Winged Eyeliner
No more wobbly lines - only cat eye flicks even Adele would envy. Grab our genius tips on perfecting winged eyeliner! What Is The Best Eyeliner For Wings? Felt-tip liquid eyeliner: If you’ve never attempted winged eyeliner before (or have... and failed hard) a felt-tip liquid eyeliner is your lifesaver. Because you grip it like a pen, it gives lots of control to draw lines smoothly instead of wobbling all over the place. You’ll still get the richly pigmented, smooth intensity of a traditional liquid eyeliner. Let us introduce you to the best liquid eyeliner in Australia: PONi Pegasus Smudge Proof Liquid Eyeliner Black, water-resistant liquid eyeliner for effortless, smudge-proof lines without the stress. Eyeliner pencil: Also a good choice for beginners! Less mess and more control than using a traditional liquid eyeliner that comes in a pot. The kinda downside? Eyeliner pencils don’t spread as thickly as gel or liquid liners and aren’t as deeply pigmented. Eyeliner brush: It takes a little more practice to create a winged eyeliner look with a pot of gel liner and an eyeliner brush. Not the easiest option for absolute beginners. It’s worth mastering though, gel creates beautifully solid colour instantly (no layering required) and super crisp, sharp lines. How to Do Winged Eyeliner for Beginners No doubt the hero of winged liner is definitely the flick but getting the perfect line along your lashes takes skill too. The shaky hand struggle is real. If precision isn’t *exactly* your best skill, let us help you out with these tips. Join the dots This tip for nailing the winged eyeliner brings back childhood memories of join-the-dots colouring books. This is the grown-up version for a cat eye. Here’s how you do it - Using your eyeliner, place tiny dots at small intervals along the top lash line and take them out to the point you want your cat-eye to end. Then use gentle strokes to connect them. With the dots already in place, it’s easier to keep a steady hand and know where you need to go! Sit down to apply your eyeliner How to apply liquid eyeliner is a line that’s actually straight? You need a steady surface to solve those rouge hand wobbles. Instead of applying your winged eyeliner standing up, sit down so you can rest your elbow on a flat surface. This simple hack makes a big difference. Start with a pencil If you love the pigment of liquid liner but find it super daunting to nail a straight line - use a combo of tools. Start with a pencil to outline your eye and wing shape. When you’re happy with the look, trace the shape with a thin liquid liner for more impact. Genius Winged Eyeliner Tips These tips work a treat at sharpening up the flick of your winged eyeliner. Eyeliner Tip 1: Card trick Take a clean piece of cardboard - the size of a credit card - and lay it against your eye on a diagonal angle for your wing. Draw your wing on the eyelid using the card as your guide. The idea is to actually take the line along the card, so when you remove it, you’re left with the perfect flick and crisp edge. Eyeliner Tip 2: Tape it to shape it Same idea as the card trick, but using tape. Cut a 3 cm piece of makeup or surgical tape and place the tape along your eye at a diagonal, depending on the type of wing you want. Now grab your eyeliner and apply it along the tape line. For a more dramatic eye, you’ll want to draw further along the tape. For a more subtle wing, keep the line shorter. Follow your lash line to finish the rest of the eye and then remove the tape. You’ll see a crisp, sharp winger every time with this tip. #foolproof You can use scotch tape for this technique too but stick the pieces of tape to the back of your hand first a few times. This takes off a little of the stickiness so it won’t pull so much around your delicate eye area. Eyeliner Tip 3: Folded makeup wipe Draw your wing before applying foundation and don’t worry if the wing is messy - you’re about to fix that. Fold a makeup wipe in half and then carefully wipe along the wing on an angle to create a tidy, sharp edge. Eyeliner Tip 4: Cotton bud clean up Create your wing - again, don’t stress if it’s a little wobbly. Take a (biodegradable!) cotton bud and dip it in a little micellar water. In short swipes, run it along a less-than-crisp edge to sharpen it up. How to Do Winged Eyeliner on Hooded Eyes When the skin around your eye folds over the crease of your eye it can make drawing on eyeliner a bit more challenging. All your beautiful eyeliner (and eyeshadow) efforts can ‘disappear’ into the hood. This nifty little trick will help you out. Instead of a drawing small flick - where most of the liner is on the lid - elongate the wing. Draw it out so the wing can be seen when the eye is open. The most dramatic part of the wing is actually away from the lid. Make sure the line of the wing is upward to give a ‘lifting’ illusion that counteracts a droopy lid. There you have it! Our easy tips for taking the guesswork out of perfecting your cat eye - no more winging it. Want to add the best liquid eyeliner in Australia to your makeup stash? Shop PONi Pegasus Smudge Proof Liquid Eyeliner here.
The Perfect Eyebrows for Your Face Shape
Wondering how to shape your eyebrows? Working with your face shape is key if you want to create the perfect eyebrow shapes for your face. Warning - this may have you rethinking everything about your brows. Read on! Eyebrow shape for a round face If you have a round face shape, the sides of your face curve slightly outward, rather than being straight. Cheekbones are the widest part of your face and your chin is also rounded. Celebs with a round face include Jennifer Lawrence, Chrissy Teigen, and Michelle Williams. Brow goal Your brows should work to elongate your face to make it appear less round. The perfect eyebrow shapes Well defined brows are a must for a round face shape. High arches with vertical lines that follow straight to the peak of the arch work best. Take the arch as high as possible - while still looking natural - to elongate the face. Steer clear of rounded brow shapes as this will only emphasise a round face more. Eyebrow shape for a heart face A wide forehead that strongly tapers toward a narrow chin is the key characteristic of a heart-shaped face. Celebs with a heart shape face include Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mary-Kate Olsen. Brow goal Your brow goal is to soften the lines of your face but work with your natural shape - emphasising the heart shape between your brows and chin. The perfect eyebrow shapes A gentle, rounded brow works beautifully with a heart shape. Stick with a low, rounded arch for a more natural look or add length to a shorter heart-shaped face by arching the brow high. Eyebrow shape for a square face In terms of length and width, your face is very equal. Your chin is square and the forehead and jawline and similar width. Basically, when you look at your face straight on, the curve of your jawline and sides of your forehead will form a square shape. Celebs with square face shapes include Olivia Wilde, Natalie Portman, and Salma Hayek. Brow goal You can either balance a strong, square jaw with a strong brow or soften it with curved eyebrows. The perfect eyebrow shapes The best eyebrow shape for a square face is a thick, angular and well defined shape. This will help balance a strong jaw and elongate the face. A softer curve also works well if you want to soften a heavier jawline. Eyebrow shape for a oval face Have an oval shaped face? Lucky you! Often considered the ideal face shape, the oval face is already in proportion. This means you can pull off practically any makeup look! Celebs with oval face-shapes include Bella Hadid, Jessica Biel, and Charlize Theron. Brow goal To follow the natural shape of your brow. The perfect eyebrow shapes Stick with naturally arched eyebrows and create a soft angled shape. The soft angled shape goes straight up to the peak and gently curves round at the top and down. For a more dramatic night time look, you might choose to slightly thicken and fill the lines but don’t go overboard. Eyebrow shape for a diamond face If you have a diamond face shape, your forehead and jawline are a similar width, cheekbones are high and angular with a pointed chin. Celebs with diamond face shapes include Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Vanessa Hudgens, and Selma Blair. Brow goal Diamond-shaped faces are wider and fuller so the goal is to minimise the widest areas, balance a narrow chin, and soften the lines of your face overall. The perfect eyebrow shapes A curved brow does amazing things for a diamond shape. This subtle brow shape creates a nice balance between wide cheeks and forehead. Focus on creating a rounded arc towards the middle of the brow. Or, you might take the other brow road and choose high, sharper arches. This will draw attention away from the bolder angles of your face. Follow the 3 universal brow rules No matter the shape of your face, there are 3 golden rules to follow when eyebrow shaping. Rule 1 The arch of your brow - whether it be angular or more curved and soft - should be around two thirds of the way along your brow line, never in the centre. Rule 2 Find the right place to start your brow. Lay an eyebrow pencil vertical along your nose - the point where it reaches the bridge of your nose is where the brow should begin. Rule 3 Get the tail right. Place an eyebrow pencil in a line that runs from the outer side of your nostril to the corner of your eye. This is the ideal ending point for your brow. Essential tools for all eyebrow shapes You’ve figured out the best shape for your eyebrows based on your face shape, now you need the right tools to make it easy! Get these in your beauty bag to keep your brows looking bangin’ all day long. Brow Pencil Don’t underestimate the power of a great brow pencil. The idea isn’t to draw your brows on, use the brow pencil to fill in gaps and bare spots. Opt for a colour two shades lighter than your hair or make shade selection even easier with Brow Magic. It’s a universal brow pencil - one colour suits all. Simple. Brow Powder Powder has a naturally soft, volumising effect. Fill in any sparse areas with brow powder - it helps set brow pencils to make the look last longer. Choose a colour close to your hair shade and use an angled brow brush to get the job done flawlessly. We love Brow Duo Powder. Brow Gel The answer to stay-all-day brows? Clear brow gel. Once you’ve finished your look, gently brush the brow gel spoolie over the hairs to set your arches. Perfect for all eyebrow shapes. Brow Highlighter Highlighting the brow will define your eye area - making eyes look bigger and brighter. Boost the effect by placing a little highlight in the corner of the eyes as well as beneath the brow bone. Brow Pop is our go-to highlighter for eyebrow shapes and skin tones. Brow perfection continues with our ultimate brow cheat sheet.
Makeup: Expectations vs Reality
Makeup is an art form. Whether you’re creating a bold or natural look, it takes practice to nail it. No matter how many YouTube tutorials or Pinterest boards you’ve stalked, sometimes the new look you try won’t exactly hit the mark. Here’s a few common makeup fails when it comes to expectations versus reality….. and their fixes! The bold lip Expectation: Bold, beautiful lips Reality: Bobo the clown TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Always prep your lips first. Buff away any dry flaky skin with a tissue and apply lip balm. Leave enough time for the balm to absorb and blot excess away. Never apply lipstick straight on top of balm. Don’t apply lip liner first. Apply lipstick with a brush, really working the colour in, then tidy the outer edges with liner. Do blot your lips with a tissue then reapply the lip colour for a bold lip that lasts. Don’t underestimate the power of blotting! Do use an angle brush to blend concealer around your lip line to ‘clean’ up any edges and colour bleeding. Choosing the right lip colour Knowing your skin’s undertone is key to choosing the right colours to meet your bold lip expectations. Orange based reds work well for warm coloured skin tones. For cool skin tones, opt for reds with a blue base for a truly flattering effect. Winged eyeliner Expectation: The purrfect cat eye with a polished flick Reality: Uneven, sloppy wings TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Avoid applying eyeliner to a bare, unprepped eye. The liner will mix with the natural oils of your skin and smudge into your upper lid. Use an eyeshadow primer first followed by a translucent powder to set the area. Shaky hands? The ‘tape’ technique is a foolproof way to create a wobble-free wing. Use a small piece of scotch tape as a stencil and place it on the skin around the eye the eye where you’d like the wing to go. Then draw along the tape. Even if it’s a little wobbly, it will end up as a straight line once the tape is removed. Note to self: Avoid sticking the tape down hard, your eye area is delicate! Don’t raise your eyebrow while applying winged eyeliner. You’ll only end up lining an area that will be hidden or creased once the eyebrow is relaxed. Result? An unflattering, droopy wing shape. Choosing the right eyeliner We LOVE eyeliner but choosing the right one isn’t always easy! For beginners, liquid eyeliners are a great option because the product is dispersed evenly across the eyes, easy to hold and they come in felt, sponge or brush tip. Brows Expectation: Beautifully defined, natural looking Reality: Harsh, fake looking TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Don’t draw on your brows in a hard straight line. This look is super harsh. It’s better to feather the brows, make smaller, shorter strokes in the natural shape of your brow. Avoid ‘squaring’ off your brows when filling them in. It doesn’t look natural. Instead, follow the shape of your brow. Don’t brush your eyebrows downward, this drags the eye down. Brush them upwards to lift up the eye and the brow. Try not to smother your brows in too much makeup. Allow your natural hairs to pop up, creating a more natural look. Using a tinted brow gel or a soft brow powder are great options to enhance your natural shape without flooding the brow with makeup. Choosing the right brow colour The colour of your brow makeup is so important. It can mean the difference between nailing a Cara Delevingne’esque look or a brows gone bad Pinterest board. For natural looking but defined brows, if you have dark brown or black hair, select a colour one or two shades lighter. On the flip side, if you have blonde or light brown hair, opt for a colour one or two shades darker. Or, try our universal Brow Magic; one colour suits all! When it’s hot outside Expectation: A beautiful bronzed glow. Reality: A face that’s more slick than shimmer. TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT Do choose a non-greasy sunscreen to apply under makeup because….sunscreen ALWAYS matters. Don’t skip the primer. When you’re a little sweaty, things can get creasy real quick! Primer takes just a moment to apply and will keep your look in place all day. Opt for a brow powder, rather than pencil, for maximum staying power in the heat. Don’t cover every inch of your face with bronzer. You’ll end up faked baked, not bronzed goddess. Instead, apply bronzer to the areas the sun hits naturally: cheekbones, forehead, chin, and nose. Choosing heat proof makeup shades The right makeup product matters in the heat. Switch to more sheer versions of your favourite lip and eye colours. A lighter look suits warmer weather more than those rich, dark colours. Contouring Expectation: Highlight your natural bone structure. Reality: You’ve drawn an actual skull line on your face. TIPS TO GET IT RIGHT The golden rule of contouring? Blending is your best friend. We’ll say it again, blend, blend, blend. Be selective. Choose just one area to contour; jaws, nose, cheekbones etc, rather than trying to do it all. Save it for a special event. Unless you’re part of the Kardashian clan, contouring isn’t necessarily a look you’d rock for on a grocery trip to the supermarket. Choosing the right contour shade Your choice of contour makeup product will make or break your look. Your contour shade is most believable when it’s a shade or two darker than your actual foundation.
How To Apply Eyeshadow for Beginners
Tired of eyeshadow fails? End the struggle with our foolproof guide on how to apply eyeshadow perfectly. We’re breaking it down easily so you can learn how to do eyeshadow like a pro - flawless eyes await! Guide on choosing the right eyeshadow shade Knowing the flattering shades that make your eyes pop is just as important as knowing how to apply eyeshadow. Here’s a quick ‘eyeshadow for beginners’ guide to shades best suited to different eye colours. Know the best shade for your eye colour: Brown eyes - Super flattering shades for brown eyes are bronze, copper, green, pink, or champagne. Green eyes - Cooler shades like green, blue, plum, look great with green eyes. You can also try more earthy tones such as khaki and taupe too. Blue eyes - Gray and slate-coloured eye shadow can make blue eyes look AH-mazing. Green, blue, purple and rose tones also work beautifully. Hazel eyes - For hazel-eyed gals, the right shades will depend on the prominent colour in your eyes. If you have green-hazel eyes, you’ll win with cooler eyeshadow shades, while warmer eye shadows are usually a better match for brown-hazel eyes. Now you’ve got your most flattering palette sorted, let's dive into the steps to apply eye makeup perfectly and what you need to avoid! Priming your lids for eyeshadow Want your look to last and not crease? Then priming your eyes first is a must, even if you’re just going for a simple eyeshadow look. Using a primer first will help the makeup glide on smoothly too and maximises the pigment. You can use a specific eyeshadow primer, regular concealer, or BB cream - just choose a product close to your own skin tone. Set the primer with a translucent powder so the area is smooth, not sticky, when applying eyeshadow. Find the right eyeshadow brushes for the job The right brushes are EVERYTHING if you want to apply eyeshadow perfectly. A tapered fluffy brush gives a soft, airbrushed look and is ideal for blending. The rounded, dense brushes pick up more powder / cream and should be used in the areas you want more definition and a concentrated colour pay off. Do: Use a fluffy brush when you want a soft, airbrushed result. Don’t: Use a dense brush when applying the base colour all over the lid - use a fluffy brush Start with a neutral shade Pick the most neutral shade (not the lightest) in your palette and take your tapered fluffy brush and lightly glide the tip of it in a back and forth across your whole upper eye area. This creates the base colour from which you’ll build the rest of your look. Do: Take the brush to the eyebrow line only when there is less product on the brush - to avoid harsh lines. Don’t: Hold your brush too close to the bristle end when applying the base coat. Grip it further back to allow for a less controlled application (yep, this is a good thing!) to achieve the effortless, airbrushed look. Focus on the crease with a darker colour Choose the darker colour in your palette to apply to the crease area. If your palette has 3 colours, opt for the darkest. If you’re using a 4 colour palette, go for the 3rd darkest. You might even like to use our view our PONi's Pro Brow Brush for extra eye makeup. Swap your fluffy brush for a harder brush and, starting from the inside of the eye, blend the darker colour into the crease. This step gives definition to your look and the key is to blend, blend, blend! Do: Start with a thinner line of eyeshadow closer to your eye and then make it thicker as you move toward the outer crease. Don’t: Forget to tap excess product off the brush before applying. Tip for hooded eyes - If you have hooded eyes, when they’re open, your upper lid covers most of your mobile lid. You’ll need to create the crease shadow in a slightly higher area than the actual crease (let’s call it faux crease!) so the definition can be seen. Highlight above the crease You’ve nailed the base coat and the crease, now it’s time to focus on highlighting. Choose the lightest shade in your colour palette, or a multi-tasking highlighter or PONi's Brow Pop and swap back to the fluffier makeup brush. Dip the brush in, tap off the excess and apply to the area above the crease in small, circular motions. Do: Choose a more shimmery highlighter for night time. Don’t: Take the highlighter all the way to the brow line - this will create a harsh line. Add a ‘wide awake’ touch to your inner eye A slighter lighter colour in the inner corners of your eye is a flattering look for everyone; brightening and opening the eye. You can skip the brush for this and just press your pinkie finger into the lightest colour of your palette. Then, gently dab the colour on the inner corner of your eye area and once again, blend, blend, blend. Are you getting that blending is key when it comes to how to do eyeshadow right?! Do: Go easy with the colour! You want this brightening effect to look as natural as possible. Don’t: Use darker shadow in the inner corner of your eye, you’ll make your eyes appear smaller. Finish your look with a lick - or lashings - of mascara to make your eyes pop and polish your look. Try our White Knight Tubular Mascara. Check out our before and after guide on applying this product here. Tips on how to apply eyeshadow Build your hue, don’t go straight in with a thick coat of colour: The idea for every step is to blend and build the shade up, over multiple applications. Don’t just dig into your eyeshadow palette and apply 1 thick shade of colour. You can create different tones and depth by building up thin layer by thin layer. Going for a dramatic look? Apply your eye makeup before the rest of your makeup: Planning to get a smoky, dramatic eye look going on? Apply your eye makeup before the rest of your look. If you’ve applied your entire base, concealer, foundation, powder and bronzer then you screw up your eye makeup, it’s going to be harder to do over. It's easier to take a makeup wipe and start over again just on the eye area. This is a great tip for eyeshadow beginners too! Experiment with bronzer and blush as eyeshadow: Don’t be afraid to mix it up a little and experiment by using your bronzer or blush as an eyeshadow. Using bronzer on the eyes is a super quick way to add warmth and works for a more natural, pared-back look. We hope you’ve picked up some helpful pointers from our quick tutorial on how to apply eyeshadow. Now go forth and apply! Get to know more Essential Makeup Hacks for Beginners A Guide to No-Makeup Makeup Eyebrow Trends: Brushed up Brows Best Mascrara for Length and Volume
6 Reasons We Love Cruelty-Free Makeup
Make the switch to cruelty free makeup and turn up the do good, feel good factor of your beauty routine. Check out 6 major benefits of using cosmetics that are kinder to animals. What is cruelty free makeup? A beauty product is cruelty free if it hasn’t been tested on animals at any stage during the production including supply chain – formulas, and finished products. 6 reasons we love cruelty free makeup The big benefits of choosing cruelty free beauty. It’s SO worth making the switch. #1 Choosing cruelty-free can help end the suffering of lab animals Doing our bit to help end the suffering of gentle animals in the name of beauty is unsurprisingly the #1 reason we love cruelty free makeup! Animal testing is an ugly, ugly thing. It’s still a big part of the beauty industry - a part that many brands don’t want you to know about. What goes on behind closed lab doors to animals including mice, dogs, cats, and rabbits during cosmetic testing is seriously torturous stuff. When you choose cruelty-free makeup, you know no animals have been hurt in the name of a plumper pout or gorgeous brows. There are a bunch of alternative methods to animal testing and guess what, they can actually be more effective. Cruelty free cosmetics are tested using options like in-vitro method, or on people who volunteer to trial ingredients. When coming up with their latest and greatest product formulations, brands also have their pick of literally thousands of ingredients already approved as safe for human use. So stick to the safe stuff! #2 You get to vote with your dollars You might be thinking... “What difference could choosing cruelty free makeup actually make?” The truth is a real difference. One by one those products add up to thousands, then millions, across the globe. Buying cruelty free makeup and avoiding products that have been tested on animals is like casting a vote for the lives of our lab bound animal friends. With enough votes, the beauty industry will have to listen and up its game when it comes to the ethical production of products. #3 Cruelty free makeup can lead to more mindful beauty practices Becoming more aware of how cruelty free makeup is made can have an impact on other areas of your beauty routine too. We bet you’ll begin to give more thought to other products. You might start learning about other unethical beauty practices and toxic ingredients, too. It’s like a domino effect of mindfulness! #4 You can share your choice to help spread the word Learning more about how products are made empowers you to share the reasons why you chose cruelty free makeup. Spreading awareness may help encourage friends to make different decisions about their makeup products too. #5 You wear your values Choosing cruelty free makeup means you’re literally wearing your ethical values. Your beauty routine is reflecting your compassion and care for creatures great and small. You boost your feel-good factor knowing you’ve made a choice to support a world that's safer for our animal friends. #6 You don’t have to sacrifice quality Cruelty free mascara, lip gloss, foundation, brow powder, lipstick, and pretty much every other cosmetic beauty product are now offered by cruelty free brands. Making a choice kinder to animals doesn’t mean your best looks are off-limits. Want to see cruelty free makeup results? Take a peek at PONi products in action. Glowy, gorgeous, and bold - cruelty free cosmetics don’t disappoint. Those are some big benefits right there. If you’re convinced it’s time to make the switch (hooray!) it isn’t as tricky as you think. Want to make the switch to cruelty free beauty? We suggest making the transition one product at a time. This cuts the overwhelm and expense of trying to update your beauty stash in one hit. First, check what cruelty free products you already own - chances are you already use and love some cruelty free products. (PONi fans - we’re looking at you!) Products that aren’t cruelty free? Each time you finish one choose a cruelty free option to replace it. That bold red lipstick you love? Search for its equal in a cruelty free range. Making small changes reduces overwhelm. It’s also really wasteful to bin half-used products because they’re made by an animal testing brand. Use it up then make the swap! We hope the benefits of cruelty free makeup inspire you to make choices that stack up to real change for our sweet animal friends.
What Brushes To Use For Different Makeup
The right makeup brushes make a HUGE difference. Figuring out which one to use and how to use it, though? No easy feat! We've decoded different types of makeup brushes, how to use them, and recommended some of our favourite cruelty free brushes for your kit. Foundation Brush Some foundation brushes are rounded or dome-shaped while others look more like a paintbrush - dense and flat. Brushes with firmly packed, duo-fibre bristles make it easy to buff liquid and cream foundations into your skin for a streak-free finish. Here's how to use it Dab a few drops of foundation over your forehead, cheeks, and chin with your finger. Use the brush, buff the foundation onto your face in circular motions starting in the centre of your face, working outward. Focus the circular buffing motion in the areas you’d like the most coverage. We recommend esmi Skin Minerals cruelty free brushes for liquid foundation. Stippling Brush A stippling brush is a brilliant all-rounder and one you definitely want in your makeup kit. Stippling means to work makeup into the skin with small dots of product - this is how you get that airbrushed look. The bristles of a stippling brush are very thick at the bottom but thin out at the top which gives you great control for sheer to heavy coverage. Use it to apply foundation, blush, bronzer, powder, and highlighter. Here's how to use it Dab a little of the product onto the back of your hand and dip the stippling brush in. Lightly pat the product into the areas you're focusing on - be it your whole face or only cheeks, etc. Then gently swirl the brush in small circles so that only the finer bristles are moving to blend and press the product in. Concealer Brush A concealer brush is basically the mini-me version of a foundation brush. It’s your tool of choice to neutralise any blemishes on the skin or cover dark circles under the eyes with precision. Concealer brushes with tight and compact bristles give you the most control when applying products. Use them to apply cream eye shadow, too. Here's how to use it Apply concealer to the area then grab your brush and use a dabbing movement to blend the product out. Aim for light tapping motions rather than strokes. Powder Brush The right powder brush = a pixel perfect finish. With soft, fluffy bristles, a powder brush is designed to sweep powder evenly across your face - without getting cakey. Use it with loose powder, pressed powder, or mineral powder foundation. Here's how to use it Swirl the brush in the top of your powder compact and tap off any extra product. Dust it over your T-zone and under your eyes, working outwards. We recommend esmi Skin Minerals’ cruelty free brushes for powder application. Blush and Bronzer Brush Dome-shaped with long, super-soft bristles, blush and bronzer brushes are similar to powder brushes but smaller. These brushes let you make a more concentrated application and some have a slight angle for real precision. The fluffier the brush, the less product it will pick up. Perfect for a gentle wash of colour. You could get yourself a separate brush for both blush and bronzer, but you really don’t need to. One good brush will have you covered for both. Here's how to use it Applying bronzer? Loosely sweep the brush from across your forehead, then your cheekbones, and lastly down to your jawline. For blush, swirl the product on the apples of your cheeks lightly and blend it up into your cheekbones. We recommend Crown Brush’s selection of cruelty free brushes for bronzer and blush application. Contour Brush Want gorgeously prominent cheekbones and a sculpted jawline? Get yourself a contour brush. Some contour brushes have dense, curved bristles to hug your cheekbones while others are cut on a slant. Brushes with a sharper cut and more dense bristles deliver a more sculpted look while a softer shape gives a gentler look. Team with either cream or powder products. Here's how to use it Swirl the brush into your contour powder and tap off excess. Gentle swirl the brush back and forth along the area below your cheekbone - following the natural contour. Load the brush with more powder and gently glide along your jawline for an even more defined look. We recommend Crown Brush’s selection of cruelty free brushes for contouring. Fan Brush Fan brushes are shaped just like their name. Their long, soft bristles are ideal for dusting on blush, highlighter, contour powder, bronzer, or loose powder. Here's how to use it Take your fan brush and hold it flat against your highlighter. Gently push down to coat the sides and tips of the bristles. The idea is to use the side of the brush head, not just the tip of the bristles during application. Sweep powder onto the facial features you want to highlight including cheekbones, nose, brow arch, and cupid’s bow. Eyeshadow Blending Brush Small, dense eyeshadow blending brushes are great to team with a powder, but they do an especially amazing job blending out cream products. You can use it to quickly blend shadow across the lid, define your crease, darken your outer corners, and emphasise your base shadow. Here's how to use it Dip your blending brush into the base colour and apply across your entire eyelid. Then, pick up a little of your mid-tone colour on the brush. Working in small backwards and forwards motions, apply the mid-tone to the outer area of the eye. Now, blend the mid-tone colour inwards with small swirling motions just above the crease. Finish by sweeping the colour from the inner to outer eye in longer motions to ensure both shades are beautifully blended. Brow Brush A small, angled, densely packed brow brush is perfect for creating realistic hairline strokes, detailing, and outlining gorgeous arches. Brow brushes allow you to apply both powder and cream-based products to the brow with precision. Here's how to use it First, use the clean brush to brush eyebrows upwards. Then dip the brush into your favourite brow product - load both sides. With small, hairlike strokes move along the natural direction of the brow and work from the inner area to the brow tail. Using a cream-based product? Gently run a clean spoolie through the brow when you’re finished for a more natural effect. PONi’s cruelty free Pro Brow Brush is the brow tool you can’t live without! Angled Eyeliner brush Our tip for flawless eyes? Embrace the angled eyeliner brush! With densely packed bristles, an eyeliner brush is super easy to hold and helps you apply eyeshadow in a thin, precise straight line on the upper and lower lash lines. Team with cream, gel or powder eye makeup products. Here’s how to use it For an easy daytime look coat both sides of an angled eyeliner brush in your product of choice. Mark the centre of your upper lash line then starting from the inner eye, use a long, precise stroke to draw the eyeliner to the centre point. Then, finish by taking the line to the outer corner. Lip Brush Small and flat, you use a lip brush to apply lipstick, lip stain, or gloss. You can use a lip brush to outline your lips instead of a lip liner or to seamlessly blend your liner and lipstick. Ideal if you’re applying several different shades or formulas. Here’s how to use it Load both sides of the brush with your lip product. With the brush flat, follow the natural edge of your lip line - paying close attention to the shape of the cupid’s bow. Then reload the brush if needed and fill in your entire lip. We recommend Crown Brush selection of cruelty free brushes for lips.
5 Beautiful Makeup Looks You Have To Try
Been relying on the same old makeup game for years? Break out of your rut with 5 easy-to-follow makeup looks and trends to experiment with at home. Flirty, flushed cheeks The flushed cheek is a little bolder than the ‘I’m barely blushing’ look. One of the best makeup looks to glow up a tired complexion with a pop of colour. STEP #1 - Choose your shade of blush If your skin has warm or olive undertones, berry and brick shades are a good pick. For cool or pink undertones, go for peach shades, baby pink, or a lighter plum. We love PONi Unicorn Candy Blush because it flatters all skin tones and types thanks to a palette that blends from a subtle peach glow to a cotton candy pink. STEP #2 - Apply and blend Using a tapered blush brush, start by applying blush to the apples of your cheeks. Find the ideal spot by smiling and then sweep blush on the roundest parts of your cheeks, working upwards. Blending is key. By blending upwards you lift and soften the colour for a more natural look without harsh lines. You want an intense-looking colour but not clownish makeup disasters. STEP #3 - Finish with a touch of highlighter To complete your flushed cheek look and create more definition, blend a little highlighter along your cheekbones. You can’t go wrong with PONi Champagne Highlighter. The black, smokey eye Out for a night of dancing, drinks, and a little mischief? One of the classic makeup looks, the sultry smokey eye is SO perfect. STEP #1: Get your shadow on Start with eye shadow for the perfect smoky base effect No matter your palette choice - be it classic greys and blacks or sultry bronzes - the method for nailing the perfect smoky eye is the same. Choose 3 shades from your palette and apply the lightest shade to the inner corners of your eyes. Follow this by choosing a deeper shade for the centre of your lids. Finally, choose the darkest shade of the palette and apply to the outer corner of the eye and deepen your crease by applying it to the outer ‘V’ of your lid. STEP #2: Grab your eyeliner Apply a dark liner - be it grey, black, deep blue - to the upper lash line. For maximum impact, choose a liquid eyeliner. PONi Pegasus Liquid Eyeliner is effortless to apply and waterproof for a locked-in-place look. STEP #3: Add lashings of mascara What’s a smokey eye without dramatic lashes? Sweep on a few coats of PONi White Knight Mascara for the ultimate volume and length. Glossy eyeshadow The dewy trend of glossy eye shadow is one of the makeup looks showing no sign of slowing down. It’s high impact and takes a little know-how to master but oh so worth it! STEP #1 - Prime your lids A primer will help you create a smooth canvas to make the rest of your eye makeup application a breeze. Don’t have a primer? Use a little concealer instead. STEP #2 - Choose Your base Any eyeshadow formula can work as a base. A cream iridescent shadow that has a shimmer finish or, if you prefer powder, go for a metallic shade. Keep in mind that the colour can look more intense once you’ve topped it with the gloss. STEP #3 - Get Your Gloss On There are eye glosses out there designed especially for this look but you can get away with using a clear tube of lip gloss too. Just check it’s safe to use on your eyes. Grab a clean, dense eyeshadow brush and dab it into the gloss. Then carefully apply the gloss over your eye shadow. A little goes a long way so go easy on the application - you don’t want it to end in a sticky mess. Finish your glossy eyeshadow look with a few coats of mascara. Slim, minimal brows Ok, ok. We’re not talking about intentionally going for the over plucked, barely-there brows of the 90s. This is one of the makeup looks about working with what you’ve got. If your natural brows are lighter or on the thinner side, you don’t have to go all out creating thick, super styled brows. Polishing your natural brows, but not going overboard, is about keeping your look simple and balanced. Love a low maintenance look? This is for you. Step #1 - Fill in your natural arch with a pencil We LOVE brow pencils for creating a natural look, quickly and easily. Starting at the bottom of a clean brow, use short, soft strokes that mimic the natural hair to fill in any gaps. Focus on the sparse areas but don’t get heavy handed or try and fill in too far outside of your natural brow. Try PONi Brow Magic, it’s super easy to use and the universal shade suits everyone. Step #2 - Add a little volume with powder Eyebrow powder and pencil are a winning combination for easy, minimal brows. The addition of powder after pencil helps add the illusion of volume while keeping brows natural looking. Plus, it sets the pencil. Lightly dip the brush into the eyebrow powder. Move the brush upward using light, feather-like strokes. Finish the look by swiping on clear brow gel for long-lasting hold. We love PONi Brow Duo Powder and PONI Zebra Clear Brow Gel. The blurred lip Stuck for new makeup ideas? Meet the blurred lip. The bold lip’s cousin but a little more wearable. You still get a punch of colour without the high maintenance. Step #1 - Choose your hue and apply lipstick Like the bold lip, choose lipstick in a bright or deep hue. Apply your shade of choice to the centre of your upper and lower lip, focusing most intensity in the centre. Step #2 - Blur those lines The idea of this look is that it isn’t too perfect. Use a lip brush and gently smudge the lipstick along the edge of your lips. The goal is to keep the intensity of colour in the centre while creating a blurred effect along the outline. We wanna know how your experiments with these makeup looks plays out! Tag us @ponicosmetics
