Summer loving

Happy New year to all the beauty lovers who regularly visit my website!

I have spent most of January at Muriwai beach & have been gradually getting back to work…. So far the year has been busy for me with various TV commercials involving All Blacks & Black ferns, a swimwear catalogue featuring three super models, a beauty campaign for Thin Lizzy & a fashion Shoot with Paula Ryan.

The life of a makeup artist is nothing if not diverse! During my time sunning & swimming I have been trying out various beauty products, so with so much of summer still to come I thought I would share with you a few of my current favourites x

Coola Sunscreen

I’m lucky to have olive skin, but that doesn’t mean Im not 100% diligent when it comes to sun protection.

My go-to product for over a year now has been the brilliant Coola range of sun care. I have literally tried & tested this sunscreen in the most intense conditions & never experienced even the slightest sunburn.

My fave product in the rage is the brilliant spray on eco-lux sport SPF 50 sunscreen- not only does it smell like Guava & Mango (aka Heaven!) but it feels cool & refreshing on your skin as well as being water resistant. I also love the spf 30 BB cream which gives my face a light coverage & lovely glow.

You can buy the Coola range at a variety of Beauty therapy clinics as well as directly from the Coola Website where you can view the entire range.

Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm

I have always enjoyed using Bobbis range of moisture balms, especially the original tinted balm which comes in an old fashioned glass jar & smells lightly of lavender- its one of my all time favorite products.

Bobbis Extra Glow Collection which is on counter now contains all sorts of lovely makeup designed to make your complexion look fresh & luminous. The hero of the range for me is the Extra Illuminating Moisture balm which is packaged in a handy pump bottle, coming in several different shades.

This skin boosting balm imparts an instant glow & light shimmer to your face. I love to use it across my cheek bones for a subtle highlight, but find it works best mixed with my daily application of Clinique CC Cream SPF 30 - that way I get sun protection, light coverage, extra colour & an illuminating glow… perfection! (I use the shade ‘Golden Glow’ & ‘Pink Glow is shown in the picture)

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lift & Firm Sculpting Gel

Ceramide Capsules are a favorite treat… who could say no to a golden little pod which contains the most silky smooth serum to give your skin the ultimate moisture boost. I have been popping open Ceramide capsules regularly during the summer holidays & just love how smooth & nourished my skin feels afterwards.

Ceramides brand new addition to the team is their Lift & Firm Sculpting Gel - a light weight, invisible gel that contains all the goodness of a the capsules - but with a point of difference.

It comes in a sleek tube with an innovative rolling applicator that applies the gel to your face while lightly massaging it in… It feels cool & fresh as it goes on & is instantly absorbed.

I have taken to using it liberally on my neck as the cool gel has a firming effect on the skin (ideal as we are all paranoid about our necks these days!) On counter at Lizzy Arden this week.

Coconut oil (plain & simple)

If I could I would gladly bathe in Coconut oil. I love the smell, the texture & the way that such a simple product can do so much- to find out all its different uses read my blog Go Coconuts . 

While I was in Nuie shooting with Bride & Groom magazine last year, I bought a bottle of organic coconut oil that was produced by a local grower & I am preserving it like gold! My latest discovery is that it has the ability to completely tame my frizzy hair in the humidity.

Every evening during the holidays (after an ocean swim!) I would towel dry my hair & then generously apply some coconut oil… come the next day my hair would feel well moisturized & not frizzy at all! It super nourishing on the scalp too & only yesterday my hairdresser remarked how soft my usually dry hair felt- I had one answer… Coconut oil, you must try it.

Enjoy the rest of the summer, use your Coola sunscreen & stay well moisturised! Aloha, Nikki x