Photos & Words: Xiaohan Shen

It’s pretty amazing when 2 great brands jump across their specialised fields to come together, collaborate and bring out a great range of products. It’s not easy to get right, but in this case, Kit and Gorman couldn’t have been a better fit. The collaboration range include a mini nail polish kit, 3 full size nail polish, 4 nail strips in super fun prints, makeup bag and leopard print socks.

I love the shade “Almost Mauve”, which I’m wearing in the photo, it’s an off white that’s not too harsh but still really fresh, so good for the remaining summer days. The Kit Gorman nail wraps are also fantastic, the designs are from current and forthcoming Gorman garments, so you could go crazy and be matchy matchy! If that sounds a little hectic, try using the nail wrap on 1 nail only for a pop of print. I’m happy to report the nail strips are very easy to use, the stickers come with a clear plastic upper which makes it so easy to help position them, these are definitely the easiest nail wraps I’ve ever used.

The Kit Gorman range is already in stores, so be sure to grab a few fun items before they are gone. They are also running an amazing comp with a $2000 prize over on their facebook page, I’m gonna go enter this one right now, hehe.

Photos: Xiaohan Shen for Vogue.com.au | Words: Anni Hall

Tanners take note, this summer it’s all about one special new product.

Forget St. Tropez (the place and the product), the next big thing in self-tanning has arrived on this beauty editor’s desk. A luxe cream that smells of bungalows and bikinis, it’s with great excitement that I introduce the must-have Summer Natural Gradual Tan from Beauty Department by Nadine Monley.

A beautiful consistency with the uplifting scents of Ylang Ylang and coconut oil, simply slather over limbs and expect a light, golden hue 2-3 hours later. Packed with organic ingredients and essential oils, Summer uses naturally-derived tanning agents – so no PEGs, parabens and propylene glycol (just trust us, they’re not good). Summer not only gives you a glowing tan, but thanks to the inclusion of Vitamin E and certified organic shea butter, it gives you great skin too.

The creator of Summer and the woman responsible for the unbelievably bodacious, bronzed bodies at Bec & Bridge’s show this year, Nadine Monley shares her top skin tips.

We all know exfoliation is the key to a great fake tan, how do you exfoliate?
I think the best time to exfoliate is in the shower when the skin is warm and I do this once a week. I love using a mitt in the shower and I also use a beautiful product from Chanel. I then use a product called Goe Oil after as it absorbs quickly into my skin.

What’s the best way to apply your product Summer?
Summer can be applied at anytime, that is the beauty of the product because absorbs very quickly into the skin. For me, I love to apply it just after a shower when the skin is warm. After you use it you can get dressed a few minutes later and just wait for the colour to develop.

Can you use Summer on your face?
Summer is gentle enough to use on the face to give you that extra glow. You only have to use a little product and I would apply it after your daily moisturiser.

Why is it important to you to not include any nasties in your products?
When I first set out to do a product I wanted to keep it as natural as possible. Remember what goes on you skin is usually absorbed by your skin into the bloodstream, so using ingredients that are more natural are a better alternative.

For more on Nadine’s work as a hair & makeup artist and her products check out her site Beauty Department.

Photos: Xiaohan Shen | Words, makeup & hair: Anni Hall

It’s no secret that good brows not only give you an instant facelift but they can take your whole look to the next level. Think Dries Van Noten Fall 2010 or those sporty-cool Wang creations from Spring that year. Heck, even Peter Philips’ crystal encrusted brow strips at Chanel last season showed us that nowadays great brows beat a bold lip or smoky eye. So what’s your weapon of choice? Most people are either one or the other, a pencil or powder, but after five years as a makeup artist and plenty of brows to boot, I encourage you to have both in your beauty kit.

The product should be chosen based on the rest of your look. Alice is sporting a rockin’ smoky eye and it’d be a tad too eighties (and not in a good way!) if we gave her a bold brow. So I’ve opted for a slightly darker powder than her natural brows (from Clarins Pro Palette Eyebrow Kit to be exact) to give her some depth but not to over power the eye area. Using a brow powder is the best way to subtly add to shape and oomph to brows.

Nadia’s look on the other hand is all about a fresh face and her gorgeous 50s brows. Her brows are essentially a block of colour (but done naturally of course) and the easiest way to create such a strong, striking shape is by using a pencil. Makeup legend Kevyn Aucoin’s The Precision Brow Pencil really is the only one you’ll ever need as it is fine enough so you can draw on individual hairs or colour until your heart’s content.

Now, get practicing with your pencils and powders and make them like Bambi Northwood Blyth and be saluted for your brows.

See our last beauty post: The red lipstick