Warm up your look as the weather cools down with Natio!

With summer waning here in Australia, it's time to start thinking ahead to our winter looks and products that we can use to warm up our look over the cooler months to come.

Cue Natio Mineral Pressed Powder Bronzer, a gorgeous bronzer with a few health benefits for your skin to boot!

Bronzer is a great way to highlight your facial features and brighten your complexion, so it works really well to make you feel a bit better as the cold weather sets in, helps you to feel a little warmer, and puts a healthy glow in your cheeks.

With the trend of metallics on the runway this season, this bronzer is a fantastic addition to any collection, with its gold reflective pigment giving a metallic shimmer. (You can see it here, swatched on my (white and veiny) arm for maximum effect of the gold colour. I've swatched it very thickly, using my fingers, because I wanted to show the colour that can be achieved with it. Used in the traditional way, it's a very light coverage, and not muddy at all.) I'd also like to see it used as an eyeshadow, in a thicker concentration. The texture of the powder is so buttery soft, very similar to my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette.

The powder itself is formulated with vitamins C and E to smooth and rejuvenate the skin, and Jojoba to soften and moisturise.It really is a wonder product.

Last of all, the packaging, which is so great! It's a huge compact, really glamorous in its styling. The mirror inside the lid is a fantastic size, and doesn't distort the reflected image at all. The sleek black design of the outer compact is very classy.

Natio products are Australian made, and not tested on animals.,

Available from Myer and David Jones, as well as selected pharmacies for $19.95, this one's definitely a must-have for your makeup collection.

Full Disclosure: Natio sent me this product for my consideration and review. It was sent free of charge. My opinions, of course, as always, are my own.

Gloss Goss: Katy's spring picks

It's no secret that I lovelovelove pink lipgloss. It forms an important part of my signature look. Here are some of my fabulous favourites for spring:

Natio Rich colour cream gloss in Happy is a deep, rich pink with a shimmery sparkle to it that really makes my lips pop!

BYS diamond shine gloss in Precious is an all-year-round favourite of mine that blends exactly to the natural colour of my lips to just give them a slightly deeper colour.

Benefit Posietint is a poppy-coloured lip and cheek tint in an almost salmon hue that I use for my lips and to give my cheeks a little boost when I don't want a blushed-up look.

Australis Plumptastic is for the times when I want a little boost in the fullness of my lips. It tingles and plumps up my lips while giving me a light pink tint.

MAC Dazzleglass in Smile is a lovely nude-ish salmon colour with a slight lustre to it, it was my very favourite lipgloss for many years, and has now fallen into my regular lineup all year round.

So there you go, my favourite pink lipglosses for spring!

What's your favourite gloss?

Most of these products were purchased by me, however, the Natio gloss was provided to me for review by the lovely people at Natio. My opinions are always my own, and it has earned its way into my favourites completely on its own merit.

All about: BB cream

 Today's post comes courtesy of my very dear friend Elizabeth, who asked me on facebook "Katy, what on earth is BB cream?". It's becoming really, really popular, yet so many people have no idea what it is or how to use it. I admit that I did have to do a bit of research myself to get to the roots of BB cream, because it seemed to appear on the western market out of nowhere, but I got to the bottom of it, and here's what I now know:

BB cream was developed in Korea, where traditional western foundation formulas are often too heavy and pore-clogging for the women, whose ideal is to have clear, clean, porcelain-like skin. Many BB creams, particularly the ones made and market by asian compaies, contain whitening agents.

BB cream was originally marketed as an all-in-one product, replacing serum, moisturizer, foundation and sunblock. The tint is often mineral-based.

BB stands for Blemish Balm, Beauty Balm or Blemish Base. It actively helps to clear the skin of blemishes whilst providing SPF (check your brand for individual specs) and a light foundation base.

Here's how you use it:

Start exactly like a foundation. Use a clean sponge, or clean fingers to apply it, then either leave it (will give you a slightly dewy look), or finish with a powder (for a more matte finish with more coverage).

So, which local brands are offering BB creams?

Most of them, actually, but here are a couple that I found that I liked. The Garnier BB Cream comes in regular and oil free formula, and retails for around $14. The Natio BB Cream is really lovely at around $15. Last, but not least, the high end brand M.A.C. have a gorgeous BB Cream at around $50.

Most BB Creams are available in Light and medium tones, and some have dark tones, too, to suit every complexion.



I think the days of heavy foundation base for everyday wear are numbered. When you find a product that not only gives you a foundation base coverage, but actively treats your skin, you're onto a winner!