The Beauty Diary by Rebekah Scanlan: My spring racing beauty essentials
Sophie Monk caused chaos this week when she revealed the $20 trick to her signature pout was a Woolworths product in a sexy Insta-video.
The spring racing season is here and while everyone is busy fussing over their frocks, you’ll find me fixating on my make-up.
Going to the races can be the perfect excuse to try something different with your hair or to rock that sparkly eyeshadow you bought in Glossier when you were on holidays last year. You really can have a lot of fun.
But you can also just as easily channel a super chic look which is what I did this weekend at the Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes Day.
The below products are some of my absolute faves for creating a natural but glam look.
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BIOEFFECT EGF ESSENCE
Available at Available at adorebeauty.com.au, David Jones and bioeffect.com.au
Price: $135
Give your skin an extra boost of moisture with this lush moisture-boosting essence. I pop five or six drops into my palms and press the product gently onto my skin after toning but before applying serum. Essences are an extra skincare step for thirsty faces and this one is particularly amazing because it’s full of EGF (epidermal growth factor), which if you’re not familiar with, is a modern medicine breakthrough used to help heal wounds that has been slowly making its way into skincare products to prevent ageing. This lovely light essence leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated — the perfect prep for skin before a long day of drinking.
LANCOME ADVANCED GENIFIQUE SERUM
Available at Mecca, adorebeauty.com.au, David Jones and Myer
Price: $105
This super indulgent serum gives you gorgeous, glowing skin that will make you feel like a million bucks. The light gel formula absorbs quickly and isn’t oily, making it the perfect base for a day of make-up. One of my favourite things about this serum is its clever dispenser, which somehow gives you the right amount of serum each time just by pushing the lid down. While it is on the pricey side, you only need a few drops each time and the nifty bottle won’t let you over dispense so it really will last you a few months.
REVLON COLORSTAY LIFEPROOF FOUNDATION STICK
Available at Chemist Warehouse, Priceline, Myer, Big W, Amazon, David Jones and Target
Price: $24.95
I’m a huge fan of Revlon’s Colorstay foundation. It’s long-lasting, has a fantastic shade range and is budget friendly. Now Revlon has released it in a stick form and it’s just so great. The creamy formula glides on easily, builds up for the coverage you need — and thanks to the handy packaging, can slip easily into a bag for touch-ups when out and about.
NEUTROGENA HYDRO BOOST WATER GEL LOTION 50+
Available at Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse and Priceline
Price: $16.99
Making sure you have sunscreen on your face is one of the most important parts of your skincare on a day when you know you’re going to be outside most of the day. This is one of my favourites at the moment as it is light and sits so well under make-up.
I’ve bigged up this product before and having just returned from two weeks overseas where I used it every day, can confirm it’s not oily and doesn’t make me breakout in any way. Plus, the fact that it’s less than $20 makes it a bargain.
KAT VON D LOCK IT SETTING POWDER
Available at Sephora
Price: $53 for 19g
There’s nothing worse than your make-up sweating off, which is a scenario that could definitely happen at the races. Lock your foundation in place with this translucent powder that adds extra staying power to your make-up. I really love this one as it feels much lighter than other brands I’ve tried, isn’t chalky and gives a smooth, photoshop-like finish. No matter how long I leave this on, it doesn’t crack or cake, making it great for those days when you’re in extra need. Best of all, it works on all skin tones as it goes on completely transparent. There’s also a smaller pot you can buy to test it out before committing which is ideal.
TOO FACED SHAKE YOUR PALM PALMS EYESHADOW PALETTE
Available at Mecca
Price: $38
Pocket sized and jammed full of the perfect colours to make your eyes pop, you’ll nail spring racing with this palette. There are eight matte, shimmer and glitter shades that all scream “summer is coming” and no matter whether you’re after a softer look or something more moody, they all blend perfectly together. I’m obsessed with the peach pink and also love that every time you open the palette you’re hit with a waft of delicious coconuts. The formula is also super long lasting, which is exactly what you need for a long day out.
MCO BEAUTY POUT GLOSS BY SOPHIE MONK
Available at Woolworths at mcobeauty.com.au
Price: $14
Love Island host Sophie Monk has teamed up with MCoBeauty to create a lip gloss range, consisting of three nude shades all sold exclusively in Woolies. The first release sold out in just 24 hours while the second drop eclipsed that by getting snapped up in just TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES. That is pretty darn impressive.
As with all MCoBeauty products, the glosses smell delicious and are long-wearing. While gloss isn’t usually something I go for, I love these babies. The colours are cute and natural and almost smell good enough to eat. They’re also an effortless way to take your beauty look to the next level, say if you’re going from beach to bar. And with the reasonable price-tag to match, I can see why these glosses are flying off shelves. It seems Sophie reckons gloss is back in and I’m surprised to say, I’m totally here for it.
MCO BEAUTY UNIVERSAL LIP LINER BY SOPHIE MONK
Available at Woolworths at mcobeauty.com.au
Price: $20
Lip liners are a lipstick lover’s best friend as a good one will act as a primer that helps boost the colour and increase its longevity. It also keeps lipstick from bleeding — one of my biggest peevs when it comes to lippie. But Sophie Monk has another use for this product, creating an optical illusion of fuller and plumper lips by applying this nude liner just outside the natural shape off her lips to make them look fuller.
The TV host shared an Instagram tutorial showing how she created her juicy looking lips with this product and it caused a frenzy online. Of course, I had to try and recreate the look myself and while I initially felt a bit like a clown with my jumbo-looking lips — I quickly fell in love with the trick. Along with my lip-boosting night mask that I can’t live without, I’m pretty certain I’ll never find myself turning to filler in the quest of a more prominent pout. Thanks Soph.
FENTY LIQUID DIAMOND BOMB GLITTER HIGHLIGHTER
Available at Sephora
Price: $48
There’s no better way than to top off your look than with a bit of sparkle — and this new, limited edition liquid highlighter will have you twinkling like tinsel. This ball of glitter rolls onto your skin, delivering a sparkle that would make Real Housewives star Jackie Gillies jealous. The formula is super silky and glides on without any clumps, with the liquid almost melting into glitter that clings effortlessly to your skin. In true Fenty style, the packaging is next level too, presented in a snowglobe-style bottle that has a rollerball for quick and easy application. If you’re after a softer sparkle, I’d buff the product out with a brush. Fenty has even created a handbag-friendly version of its “Buki brush”.
SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL OSiS+ TEXTURE CRAFT DRY TEXTURE SPRAY
Available at schwarzkopf-professional.com.au
Price: $27.95
No hair would be race day ready without a bit of extra volume. This texture spray is super fine so doesn’t weigh your locks down and its dry formula gives an almost tousled, fresh from the beach, texture — without the icky salt. No matter whether you’re a hair up or hair down kind of person, you’ll love the lightweight zhuzh this bad boy gives hair. The only downside is you can only buy it in salons, but it’s sticky-free formula is worth the hassle, I promise.
YSL LIBRE EAU DE PARFUM
Available at yslbeauty.com.au
Price: $165 for 50ml
Give yourself the ultimate finishing touch with a good fragrance, my pick of which is the new Yves Saint Laurent EDP. Its blend of orange blossom and lavender is far from the sickly sweet you imagine and instead is seriously sexy. It’s also incredibly fragrant but not in an overpowering way. A little spritz on your wrists and neck will linger beautifully all day.
SPARKLING WHITE SMILE TEETH WHITENING
Available at sparklingwhitesmile.com.au
Price: $300.00
Nothing gives me more confidence than a bright smile and this whitening treatment, which is done in your own home, is my favourite. I had mine last done just over a year ago and I’m desperate to have it done again, but I have to wait to finish my Invisalign treatment (clear aligner teeth straightening) which is a whole other story. Honestly, I didn’t even realise how much of a change whiter teeth would have until I had it done — but it not only looked great, it really boosted my confidence. The treatment is painless and super effective and one of my fave parts about it is how convenient it is. You can get a group of your gal pals together and get it all done at the same time too.
Of course, it’s definitely an investment at $300 but it lasts months depending on how well you maintain your after care. I think this is a beauty treatment worth splashing out on.
This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.
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