On a Friday morning, I got the train from out west into the city just to pick up tickets for a YSL Beauty event. I got to the YSL counter at 12:40pm when they were allowed to start giving out tickets at 1pm. Only the first 500 consumers can get tickets and they sold out in just half an hour. So after just literally picking up tickets, I took an hour train ride back home, which was super annoying.

I had to skip a class to go to this event, which seemed like an alright thing to do hahaha. The event was meant to start at 7pm but we ended up getting in about 7:40pm and we started to queue up around 6:50pm so almost an hour of just waiting around. The people who were invited by the PR agency, Sarah Humphries PR got to go straight in and obviously, they got the better treatment than the consumers who had to go out to get the tickets themselves in the first place. That's what annoyed me most about this event, there was a clear barrier between "VIP's" and consumers. There was even a rope and bouncer for the VIP section so no peasant can get in to say hello or take a photo with the celebrities. I went with my classmate because we have an assignment due next Thursday so we made our assignment kind of based on this event. We had to think of an issue and explore it, so we chose bloggers vs PR (I'm doing Masters in PR). We wanted to ask the bloggers questions about their posts and their relationship with PR, but with a clear wall between us, we couldn't even get close to them.


Warren from The Boy in The Black Bow Tie and Cissy from The Girl in the Bunny Ears were walking around our section (I don't know why, the VIP area seemed so much cooler) so we managed to talk to them. They're so so so lovely and I can't wait to meet them again at Fashion Week. If someone can give me like model lessons, that'll be great hahaha I have no idea how to pose. I met another beauty blogger (I won't name her) who I have met before when I was working PR at a Sephora event, but she's super weird and hyper... maybe she was tipsy and actually weird.


When the Facebook event said Makeup Stations, I thought of the full makeover like primer, foundation, mascara, blush, but it was only their Vernis À Lèvres Plump Up Glossy Stain and their new Rouge Volupté Shine lipstick, which they were promoting and what the whole event was about. So it was really hyped up, would have been better if they said Lipstick Station or something like that, because that is what it actually was. I ended up buying a lipstick and lip plumper with a free pink makeup bag. Also the lip plumper is great. When the makeup artist put it on, my lips were like va va voom baby.


We were also fed macarons, which were beautiful and amazing. I did see that the VIP's also got alcohol, which we had to pay for. A free drink at entry would have been really nice.


Flight Facilities performed as well which was pretty cool and at the end, Town Hall kind of turned into a party/night club/concert with everyone dancing. This was the only time the consumers could mingle with the VIP's as we were all in the same room. I unfortunately couldn't find any bloggers I was familiar with to interview and take photos with.




Thank you for a lovely night, YSL. Next time, try to include more goodies for the consumer. I wanted a beauty night out, not a marketing gimmick.
#YSLBeautyNightOut

Arched eyebrows are a lot more common in Western culture as it looks fierce and fabulous, but people in East Asia tend to go for straight brows so it gives off a doll look.

I've noticed a lot of famous and big models from western culture have straight brows, even though arched brows are seen as more "beautiful" in the west. So to be a successful, high class supermodel, you gotta have straight brows? Funnily enough, I don't think anyone has picked this beauty trend up yet. I wish dark inherited circles would be a trend.

Get the launch right, and you can make a new product a huge success, with coverage in everything from blogs to weekly magazines to monthlies and digital publications. But it takes more than a great venue to stand out from the crowd; here some of Australia’s most prominent beauty journalists share some tips on holding the perfect event.

Work hours versus out-of-hours
When it comes to holding events, it seems beauty editors are unanimous that during work hours is the best way to go. “Between 9am and 5pm. Early breakfasts and late events are intrusive to family and personal time. Unless it is a huge launch, there is no reason to have early morning or evening events,” says Rescu editor Bahar Etminan. beautyheaven editor Debbie Selikman agrees: “First thing in the morning at 9am or last thing in the afternoon for a 4pm start. I prefer not to have events that are held after hours.”

While they all agreed work hour events are better, media are aware that there sometimes needs to be an exception to the rule. “It's often better if after work hour events are saved for very important launches (or when a work hour event just doesn't work for whatever reason). Although I love seeing you and attending amazing events, I still have to wear my work face,” says Famous beauty editor Justine Dunton-Rose.InStyle beauty editor Eleanor Pendleton adds: “I'm not a night owl and hosting an evening event usually means our personal time spent at home with loved ones is compromised. A special fragrance launch is acceptable and enjoyable for an evening event.”

Cosmopolitan beauty editor Leigh Campbell finds morning events work best with her timetable. “Breakfast is always handy as it means minimal disruption once I’m in the office. My working day starts at 9am, not earlier, because our days often finish very late. For that reason, my mornings are sacred.”

Short versus long launches
The general consensus for the perfect length was for launches to be kept brief. Etminan suggests two hours at maximum and one hour or less for a briefing or one-on-one appointments as a guide. “I find that 90 minutes is usually a reasonable length of time,” agrees freelance journalist Michelle Bateman.

Pendleton believes one to two hours is the perfect length because “any more than two hours means we're away from our office for too long, unable to write and file copy and attend internal editorial meetings.”

Efficient events that get straight to the point appear to be the preference for beauty eds. “Short and to the point is always the most efficient for events. Keeping to the newsy tid-bits is what I like best,” says Dunton-Rose. Campbell and Kimberly Nissen of the The Plastic Diaries both agree that cutting down mingling time is important. “We don’t need mingle time – we see each other several times a day!” says Campbell, with Nissen adding: “Most of us see each other regularly and we don't need an hour to catch up at every event. Ten minutes while everyone arrives and grabs a drink is more then enough.”

Meals versus canapés
When it comes to feeding beauty editors, food is always well received when the event is held at a mealtime. “We eat! Whatever style you do plan on serving, make a note of it on the invitation. Give us a heads up and we will ensure our tummies are empty/full prior to the event,” says Campbell. 

“There is nothing worse than being at a lovely event and all you can think about is how hungry you are or wonder ‘where is that waiter with the canapés?’” adds Nissen.

When events aren’t held at mealtime, canapés are more than appropriate. “If your event falls over a mealtime - meals are greatly appreciated. Light canapés at in-between times are also nice for those of us who have missed breakfast or lunch - which happens quite often!” laughs Dunton-Rose. 

Another tip is to make sure alcoholic beverages aren’t the only drink on offer, as most media need to go back to work after the launch.

Expert versus brand representative
Most beauty launches include a presentation from either an expert or a representative from either the PR company or the brand. “Both are great if there is relevant product and specialist innovation. If the launch is mostly about product news, a brand rep is sufficient , but if there is a need for more information surrounding the products' needs, ingredients, technology or customer, then an expert can be the best way to communicate this,” reveals Dunton-Rose. 

Some beauty media prefer the speeches to just come straight from an expert. “Personally I prefer an expert who can give additional insights into products and/or trends,” says Bateman. Etminan agrees, and always likes to know ahead of time who will do the presentation. “It would be great to receive bio info on experts ahead of the event so we can prepare questions and or book in for one on one time with some pre-knowledge.”

At bd we are occasionally asked why journalist rarely ask questions at the end of a speech. While beauty media are friends with each other, they are working for competitive titles and wish to get exclusive quotes for their publications. To get the most leverage from having an expert at the event, it’s a good idea to have your guest available for comments or one-on-one interviews afterwards.

Full product presentation versus snapshot
Unfortunately there is no “perfect launch” rule when it comes to the content of a presentation as each case is different. “If it is a new brand launch then it should be rather detailed, but if it is a new product, a snapshot is all we need,” says Nissen. Dunton-Rose agrees that smaller brands will benefit from giving media a brief brand history, but not to allow it to overshadow the actual products, “Often the full details are in the press materials and so they only need to be touched on at the event itself,” she says.

If you are launching a multitude of products, it’s best not to go into too much detail with each one. “I think that six or fewer key products is ideal for a more comprehensive presentation. Any more than this and a snapshot is better as it can be difficult to digest all the information at once. This is better left to hard/soft copy press releases,” explains Bateman. 

While it may seem like there is a lot to take in when it comes to planning the perfect event, a launch can be quite simple to be effective and well received. With beauty editors attending up to 11 events in the one week, not every event needs to be a fancy affair. Ingenuity can make just as much an impression as being swept off their feet. Whatever your budget, the above tips will help see both you and the media walk away with a smile on your face.  “I LOVE events, they make my day go quicker and my week interesting,” concludes Dunton-Rose.

by yelena 

Today I tried on Becca Cosmetics Ultimate Matte Lip Colour. It glided on so well and the colours are so vivid. I usually like the natural nude colour, but for testing I tried on all 8.

BECCA is a brand where they believe natural is key. By creating a flawless canvas, it makes the skin seem healthy and happy, and that's what they want to achieve. Perfection is yours to define. Polished or undone. Soft or sultry. Whatever you want to achieve, perfected skin is the essential starting point. Through premium formulas and expert tips, BECCA can help you attain a natural, effortless complexion that elevates your every look.

BECCA presents a highly curated selection of cosmetics that further reveal your natural beauty rather than covering it up. By matching your skin tone, you can create perfect looking skin while highlighting your favorite features and amplifying the look with a dramatic eye or bright lip when the mood strikes. Lightweight, luxurious and advanced, BECCA makes your entire beauty routine a more enjoyable experience while still performing all day.

"The whole philosophy of BECCA is about creating a natural, flawless look. It's really about skin looking amazing - everything else is secondary."

- Rebecca Morrice Williams, Founder

This high-impact lipstick imparts rich, intense colour with a creamy, ultra-matte finish. Hydrating formula glides on comfortably and stays in place.

Key attributes
- Pure pigments provide full coverage with rich, deep colour
- Hydrating formula is wax-free and enriched with Vitamin E and emollients for a creamy matte finish that will not dry lips
- Long-wearing formula stays in place

So yesterday, i tried out Montagne Jeunesse Creamy Coconut mask and omg its amazing.
It's hydrating goodness of fresh Coconut Water is to moisturise and hydrate, and includes super smoothing Shea Butter. I love Shea Butter so much, it smells amazing, the smell isn't as harsh and strong as coconut and to me its more moisturising than coconut butter.

It was like £1 from Asda and all I did was wash my face with my Body Shop's Vitamin C cleanser (which also exfoliates a bit) then put on the mask for about 15 minutes.

As soon as I took it off, my flatmate told me my skin looked brighter and it felt smoother and amazing.

Then I put on my Body Shop's Vitamin E night cream.

But in the morning, my skin wasn't that smooth as it was the night before. It was kind of still bright but not as glowing, ya know?

So I went back on the Montagne Jeunesse website and bought some whitening masks, dry skin masks and a breaking out mask and they should hopefully be here soon yay!!

I'm starting to fall in love with this company. They use natural ingredients, like the Body Shop and I think most, if not all of their products are vegan and dairy free :) :)

4. Blush - Nars Blush, £21.50
5. Eye Shadow - Body Shop Smokey Eye, £15
6. Eyeliner - L'Oréal Paris Super Liner Blackbuster, £7
7. Mascara - Rimmel London Scandal Eyes Showoff Mascara, £7
8. Lip Balm - Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch £4

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