Ultimate beauty report

Related Articles

• News

  Expiration Dates of Beauty products

  When is it time to give your beauty products the boot? Expiration dates aren't just for milk, ladies and gents! We have now Marie Kondo'd our top #shelfies with products that don’t bring us joy, but, did you remember to check those pesky expiry dates at the back? These bad boys don’t last forever.  Yes, beauty products also have expiry dates, and just like the food in your pantry, they too have ideal storage temperatures. Lets start off with expiry dates. It's normally listed on the product itself, but sometimes is written only on the outer packaging also - so beware!  You're looking for a tiny little open jar with a number, normally 12, listed as "12M". I'm sure your eyes have skimmed passed it a few times and dismissed it (like me!). This means, the product from opening is A- Okay to use for the next 12 months, and after that timeframe- well, who knows what might be growing in there (sorry!). As soon as you've opened a product, it begins to oxidise, hence, is less effective. Unfortunately, just a part of life. Picture this, you've cut into an apple, and after a while it starts turning brown. Your beauty products are the same - just a very, very expensive apple. Storage of beauty products is another thing we don’t look out for all that closely, it gets thrown in the draw and that’s about it. But just like how butter needs to live in the fridge, or your daily probiotic needs to be stored in a cool, dark place - so do some of your beauty products.   These labels will be written generally on the outermost packaging, and, have straightforward instructions like "store under 30 degrees" and so forth. You can expect to see this with Retinols or Vitamin C creams. As for your chemical exfoliants, they would want to stay out of direct sunlight, otherwise the formulation is broken down at a rapid rate, and is less effective. These would say something like "keep out of direct sunlight" - you get the gist. But my beauty babes, don’t stress. Now you know!  If you don’t remember how long you've had it for, it's safer to throw it out. Say goodbye to that Naked palette you’ve had since you were eighteen.  Have fun reading your labels, beauties! Published on 17/05/19 by Leonie Henzell CEO beauty's got soul

  Read more
• News

  What is a BB Cream and a CC Cream? Please Explain...

  What is a BB Cream and a CC Cream? Please Explain... Say goodbye to the quintessential tinted moisturiser that we all know and love, the dynasty of facial coverages has been passed on to our alphabetical allies’ BB and CC Creams. The question is, what is the difference? Foundations in 2018 despite a number of new releases are on the dramatic decline, with beauty consumers sticking to lightweight formulations and sheer finishing’s, the rise of the barely there look is here to stay. Your face, but better. This is where foundation meets skincare, CC and BB, our graded friends are here to stay along with sunshine drops, glow solutions and D Bonzi peptide creams. This is, however, what these little beauties will do to you, our big beauty-full gang. BB Creams No more playing chemist at home, these potions of skincare goodness come readily packaged. Heavier than a moisturiser, but lighter than a foundation, this is where skincare and makeup are affixed. It may be called a Beauty Balm, but there is absolutely nothing balm like about it. Think moisturiser but with a bonus touch – like mixing a peptide in with your sunscreen, this is the exact same – just with a bit of pigment. The main selling point is that there is an additional SPF inserted in the formulations to prevent ageing, along with some skin -perfecting booster ingredients. It works similarly to stand alone serums – but with pigmentation.                                                                                                                                                                                               Similarly, to a quality moisturiser, it’s a primer, foundation and moisturiser in one – the ultimate triple threat. Smoothing your completion out, evening out the tone and boosting your level of hydration whilst being breathable unlike classical foundations – you can definitely see why these are on the rapid rise. That being said, in Asia they tend to be thicker, with higher levels of zinc oxide for your sun protecting needs, with a foundation like feel in terms of texture. Whereas Western BB Creams are more lightweight, luminous with a sheer appearance for a light layered look for those days you want to quickly throw something on. CC Creams Our Colour Correcting offspring from our BB beautiful SPF meets a new foundation solution. With all of the same benefits as a BB Cream, this guy is a little more concentrated with addressing issues like redness. It is absolutely fantastic for acne due to its light finish, but also conceals dark spots, hides acne, and adds radiance to sallow skin. Further, its boosted with Vitamin C and E goodies! An insider tip: You can use your CC Cream as a colour correcting primer for a flawless finish. Despite the formulation being more pigmented and higher coverage, fixing all tonal mishaps that might be going on your pretty little face – it is a lot lighter than a BB Cream. CC’s have a ‘whipped’ finish – feeling light, breathable, fluffy and easier to work into the skin, unlike BB creams which act have a similar consistency to a moisturiser (sometimes thicker depending on your formulation of choice). It’s light-deflecting components will give a dewy, luminous finish. Lighter coverage than BB but has more hidden goodies, it is incredible for a faux summer glow. Published on 21/04/19 by Leonie Henzell CEO of beauty's got soul

  Read more
• News

  From Adversity to Opportunity

  From adversity to opportunity - how two local business have joined forces to meet a crucial need in today’s market… The story of the Puzzle Desk. What happens when you pair the owner of a design savvy construction and shop fitting company, with a couple of design obsessed retailers whose businesses have both been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis? A tonne of ideas and innovation born out of the necessity to survive!  When Sarah Ryding, owner of i4 Design & Construction approached Nat Wheeler and Kristy Sadlier from norsu Interiors to share a prototype of a product she had just designed with her clever team, the girls literally squealed with excitement at the knowledge that this was the item every home needs right now. The announcement of Term 2 remote learning in Victoria had just delivered a big reality check for these three families with young children. “Running a business from home while simultaneously home schooling my son was somehow manageable when I believed it would only be for a matter of weeks” says single-Mum and norsu co-founder Kristy Sadlier. “However, when the news hit that remote learning was going to be extended for an entire other term, it completely tipped me over the edge! I was doing ok until this point - despite the general iso challenges and wearing a few more hats than normal, I held the belief that it was only temporary and once my son was back at school (initially scheduled for 20 April), life would return to ‘normal’.” With the news also came the panic that dedicated at-home work stations were suddenly a necessity. “I couldn’t handle the takeover of my dining room table any longer. Fighting for space to eat meals between my computer and paper work and my son’s half completed puzzles, drawings and board games, it became very apparent that a desk was needed for both of us to keep some of our sanity in check” claims Sadlier. After jumping on line to find several major retailers were virtually sold out of desks, with lengthy restock delays, the panic set in even more… This story seemed to be all too familiar amongst other households. Enter Ryding and her brilliant idea for the Puzzle Desk! After Coronavirus shut down her booming shopfitting business i4 Design & Construction, leaving her 100 shop fitting and factory employees out of work, she was at a true loss. After a period of grieving, she turned to the one thing she does best - designing fit for purpose and practical furniture! "The creativity still flows. We've got a full manufacturing facility here in Melbourne and we've got skilled staff that were eager to continue working," Ryding says.  She saw the need for affordable desks that can be used at home along with the spike in popularity of puzzles. She then rallied together with her talented team, harnessing their combined skills to design a desk that slots together like a puzzle. "Kids can use the desks for home schooling or adults if they are working from home. It slides together with no need for tools or screws. And when you are done, it pulls apart and can be stored under a bed." Enter to WIN your very own Puzzle Desk. This gorgeous desk is valued at $299. You will also win 2 Soul Baby Suitcases valued at $95 and a beauty's got soul gift valued at $100. Total prize pool is $514. Sign up to our newsletter for your chance to win. The winner will be drawn randomly on Friday 8th May at 5pm AEST and the winner will be notified by email & posted on Instagram. After a meeting through the Business Chicks, Ryding approached the ladies at norsu believing they would be a good fit to sell the product. norsu, who have also been hit by COVID-19 after closing the doors to their Malvern East concept store several weeks ago, instantly jumped at the opportunity. "I've partnered with norsu to exclusively sell our desks. I'm harnessing their skills to complement my own. It's no longer about end-to-end production, it's about working together," she says. Within 24 hours, the team had tested, styled and photographed the desks, and pushed the product to market on social media and www.norsu.com.au - all while still remaining isolated in their own homes. “This is the beauty of small business in a crisis. We have the ability to think and act fast! We were in overdrive, spending every moment of that 24 hour period brainstorming and strategising over What’s app and late night calls once the kiddies were in bed” states norsu co-founder Nat Wheeler. The trio had a strong belief in the product, but nothing could have prepared them for the response they received. “We launched on Friday evening with an affordable price tag of $299, and had sold out of our first production run by Saturday morning! The manner in which our community has embraced this product has been truly overwhelming. There’s such a strong desire to support local business right now, which has certainly helped, along with our ability to supply stock quickly thanks to local manufacturing” claims Wheeler.  After smashing their initial target in only 12 hours, the team kicked into gear to secure more materials over the Easter weekend to manufacture at scale. They are now poised to deliver hundreds of units by Friday this week. “We are so proud to partner with our friend to meet an immediate need in the market, but the sweetest thing of all is knowing we are helping provide an opportunity to keep her factory staff employed during this challenging time” Wheeler and Sadlier both admit. About the product:Cut from sheet MDF using CNC machinery in the Thomastown factory of i4 Design & Construction, the Puzzle Desk consists of seven individual pieces that fit together like a puzzle in just two minutes without the use of tools. It can be easily assembled and packed away as required for effortless storage under a bed. Its sturdy, yet lightweight design means it can be moved around the house as needed, and enjoyed by all members of the home. It’s available in two finishes, white laminate MDF and raw MDF (to customise with your own DIY painting project), and above all, it looks great! Visit www.norsu.com.au for more information on the Puzzle Desk.   Published by Leonie Henzell CEO of Soul Baby Gifts on 25/04/2020.

  Read more
• News

  beauty's got soul X Cacao - Interview with Tim Clark

  Tim Clark represented Australia in the World Chocolate Masters in Paris in 2005, was the youngest ever Executive Pastry Chef at Crown Melbourne, and in his twenties travelled the world on a luxury European cruise liner creating decadent desserts for international travellers. Now, his energy is focussed on Cacao – bringing a slice of traditional French pastry to Melbourne with a modernistic twist. Currently working alongside premium brands such as Mercedes Benz, Viktoria and Woods and Jackalope Hotel; Clark understands that you can achieve your goals by consistently refining your skills and not skipping on quality ingredients… Before your journey with Cacao, what were you doing with yourself?  I was Executive Pastry Chef at Crown in Melbourne for six years. I was looking after a lot of major events such as the Brownlow, the Logies and the Formula One launch party. I was in charge of a team of twenty-six pastry chefs and was overseeing the creation of desserts across all events and catering venues. Prior to Crown, I worked abroad for a number of years. First in Germany in a one Michelin star restaurant and then travelling the world on a six-star European cruise liner, Silversea Cruises. This was a fantastic experience not only from a professional perspective but also on a personal level. I not only had the opportunity to meet some great chefs and mentors but also had the chance to see the world and experience different culinary cultures. How does a critical eye and attention to detail feed into the creative side of the business?  Attention to detail is very important in elevating the Cacao brand to a premium status. Producing continuously high-quality products comes from hard work and determination. It’s a combination of a lot of things from the ingredients that go into making our products, to the level of experience of our team, and the uniqueness of what we make. We’re not creating products that can be replicated at home. We’re creating special experiences for our customers that are not readily available around town. We want to bring European quality and tradition to local audiences with our unique take and understanding of the Australian palate. This is what our creative process is based on with every product that we develop. First, we decide what we want to create and for what purpose, then we work out how we are actually going to make it. We then pick the right ingredients which is a key part of the process. Consumers today are very engaged and interested in what goes into the food they eat. They want to know the origin of the ingredients and this pushes us to be very selective with our choices.   It’s not enough that our macarons and chocolates look nice and taste good, they also have to be made using consciously selected ingredients. Knowing the origin and supply chain of what goes into our products matters to our customers. What era in art do you feel influences your work for most – not just in terms of the making of the food but the brand’s vision?  That’s a tough question to answer. Personally, I’ve always taken a real liking to surrealism as what you see is not always what you get. This mystery in some way also applies to great food. There’s always excitement about beautifully presented food which really heightens the customer experience. I don’t think Cacao represents or is aligned with any one particular era of art. As creative people we get influenced by many things: ingredients, nature, colours, design, fashion, the seasons; and the list goes on. A lot of what we do depends on our customers and food trends as well. In terms of our packaging, our aim was to create a sense of elegance and simplicity. We wanted the design and the finishes to provide a sensory experience to our customers even before they see what’s inside. Our brand colours – inspired by the transformation of the cocoa pod – reveal themselves in the inside of our chocolate boxes and used as a splash of colour on our macaron packaging. Ultimately, we want our products to take the centre stage, but it is also important for us that they are beautifully presented. We wanted the excitement to start from the moment you come across our packaging. The whole experience should be a sensory journey. “The new look and feel of Cacao represents our desire to create a timeless brand that is based on craftsmanship, skill and quality. I am very proud of our journey and the hard work that got us where we are today." How does the constant changing of trends, whether that be in popular culture, art, or fashion, affect your process in creative duration of a certain product and future flavour combinations?  I think you’ve always got to stay relevant and aware of trends inside and outside food. There is always something that can tie in really well with what you’re doing without compromising who you are. All outside influences play an important role in how our brand and range evolves. Some of it may come through in the presentation of our packaging, style of photography or storytelling. We may incorporate some new flavours in our products based on trends. Gin for example is very popular at the moment so our team may think about how we could incorporate this into a new chocolate product. In terms of trends and direction, it’s also key for us to work with customers who make us want to challenge ourselves. Customers such as Mercedes Benz, Viktoria and Woods and the Jackalope Hotel help us keep evolving and moving forward. Is there any related trend within the culinary field that you wish would disappear?  Probably the raw chocolate trend. I don’t want it to disappear; I just would like better understanding and transparency around what ‘raw’ chocolate really is. There’s this thought that eating raw chocolate has all these health benefits. There is no denial that ‘raw’ chocolate for example has higher level of antioxidants than ‘normal’ chocolate, but the truth is that nobody can categorically claim that their chocolate is raw. For chocolate to be raw, the cocoa bean should not be roasted. The moment it is treated over 45 degrees it is no longer raw; the same applies to nuts. In case of the cocoa bean, generally there is a fermentation process during which the membrane around the bean - a lychee type, fleshy texture - breaks down leaving you with the bean. The bean is then roasted under normal circumstances. What raw chocolate producers are saying is that ‘we don’t roast the bean, we just ferment it, then we smash the bean and make a paste out of it’. Because it hasn’t been roasted, they claim that it has greater properties, but there’s a lot of risk in doing that as not all bacteria is killed. Unless you’re controlling the whole process from the sourcing of the beans to fermentation and the creation of the paste without roasting, you don’t know for fact that the chocolate you are eating is indeed raw. As I said, I don’t have a problem with the trend. In fact, we ourselves have recently introduced a product that we believe to be raw based on what we know. But until there is proper regulation in Australia around what ‘raw’ actually is, it will remain a grey area. Do creative constraints concern you? Or, do you enjoy the limitations in both of the patisserie processes of both recipe building as well as building it structurally in terms of the more visual elements?  I don’t think there’s too many creative constraints on us. We work with products and ingredients that are very diverse and flexible. It’s up to one’s imagination, experience and skill to be able to create what they want. As individuals we learn and experience new things every day. These in turn help us become better pastry chefs. I’m certainly keeping an eye on what other chefs are making, in particular with chocolate. But in terms of inspiration, I also get a lot of stimulus from outside of our industry. I am always interested in seeing what people are doing in fashion and architecture. For all those at home that are wanting to improve on their culinary skills, what advice would you have for them?  There’s always a lot of satisfaction in creating something. When I say satisfaction, I mean achieving something that you are proud of. My advice is to cook within your means and make sure that you enjoy the process. It is just as important as the result. Also, use good ingredients and follow the recipe. Published on 26/07/2019 by Leonie Henzell CEO beauty's got soul.

  Read more