Kate Morris, one of Australia’s leading beauty experts and CEO and founder of Adore Beauty, Australia’s leading shopping destination for beauty products and cosmetics, has compiled her seven deadly sins of beauty, following research to find out what beauty mistakes Australian women are making every day!
Here is her advice to keep you on the right track, with the right routines.
1.Relying on SPF in makeup
Many women rely on the SPF in their foundation, but aren’t applying enough foundation for proper protection, particularly for the harsh Australian sun. Eighty per cent of skin ageing is caused by the sun – not to mention the risk of skin cancer. It’s important to use at least half a teaspoonful of SPF 50+ sunscreen on your face every day to block UVA and B rays and protect your skin – even when it’s cloudy!
2. Moisturising before you fake tan
One of the biggest mistakes people make when applying fake tan is forgetting to exfoliate prior to application, and applying moisturiser all over just before they apply tan.
Moisturising right before you apply your tan doesn’t allow your tan to penetrate your skin and your results will be patchy at best. To get the best results, exfoliate and moisturise all over 24 hours before; and right before application, just moisturise your ankles, knees and elbows to stop these drier areas from going too dark.
3. Using cleansing wipes everyday
Step away from the cleansing wipes. Sure they’re simple and convenient but they can also be rough on your skin and don’t cleanse or remove makeup thoroughly. They should ideally just be used as a short-term convenience, like staying over at a friend’s house.
4. Making your own hair greasy
Greasy hair is a common complaint of many women, but it can be avoided by using conditioning products correctly by only distributing them through the mid-lengths and ends of the hair. Putting them near your scalp is fast track to oily hair and a waste of good product.
5. Not hydrating your skin properly
The vast majority of people who work in air-conditioned environments have dehydrated skin, which can make the skin’s surface look like wrinkled crepe paper. But you don’t have to go straight for the Botox! Every skin type at any age will see benefits from using a hydrating serum with hyaluronic acid; this ingredient binds water to the skin, which can have a dramatic plumping effect. Also drinking lots of water can help reduce dehydration and the appearance of fine lines.
6. Dirty makeup brushes
It is absolutely essential to keep your makeup brushes clean. Dust, dirt, oil, bacteria and dead skin cells collect on your brushes. Brushes are designed to help bind your makeup to your skin, and if you’re not washing your brushes everyday, you’re allowing layer after layer of skin and bacteria to glue to your bristles and then you’re putting it all over your face every day. Wash your brushes once a week with gentle shampoo or a specific makeup brush cleanser. And never share brushes without cleaning them before and after!
7. Using old makeup
Nothing horrifies me more than seeing someone apply mascara that looks like it’s been around since the time of Cleopatra. Even if you’re not a regular wearer of makeup, you still need to ditch the old stuff: once it’s been opened, bacteria can breed. Liquid or cream formulations in particular need to be replaced regularly; powders last longer as they don’t contain water (which breeds bacteria). Liquid foundation should be thrown out after 12 months; mascara needs to be replaced every 6 months.
The Carousel would like to thank Kate Morris from Adore Beauty for her article.
Beauty advocate Kate Morris, CEO and founder of Adorebeauty.com.au, started Australia’s first beauty e-commerce site in 1999 from a garage in Melbourne at the age of 21. Kate was inspired to create a disruptive beauty shopping experience that empowered consumers.
Starting with just $12,000 and two little known cosmetic companies on board, Adore Beauty has since grown to more than 160 brands, 12,000 products, and hundreds of thousands of customers. Kate Morris has grown the company to become Australia’s leading online shopping destination for beauty products and cosmetics.
