From Adversity to Opportunity - The Story of the Puzzle Desk

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  Ultimate beauty report

  This is the Ultimate Beauty Report. Predicted by the beauty queen herself, Kylie Jenner, we've realised, we've educated ourselves, and we have grown. Ironically, you can read how crazy contouring is dead, and why it's ok to embrace those rebellious skin days. This, is the ultimate 2018 Beauty report... We've all been there, the beauty-hole, the Pandora's box - but for beauty trends. First you're just reading a simple article on how to dry body brush, then you're reading all about lymphatic drainage, and a few minutes later,  you're on i-herb attempting to buy a kilogram of pure aztec clay shipped from some place I have never heard about. Been there, done that, got the credit card statement. The key message here: Education. We all do our research. We know how to read the back of our skincare products, and know every acid under the sun from hyaluronic to niacinamide. No quick marketing scheme can buy us out that fast. Our average Mecca shopper is a beauty guru in their own right, with an abundance of resources at our polished fingertips. So first, lets talk beauty news.  Not that this should be in any way, shape or form a "trend", I must highlight the continuation and expansion of inclusivity within the beauty industry. In my opinion, it is far more superior than any superficial trend. What's the point of a trend if  everyone is not included? The average beauty consumer as mentioned primarily is becoming infinitely more aware of the ethos behind brands (big or small) and their marketing - companies are often coming under intense, multi-faceted scrutiny for launching anything other than the best in terms of shade ranges and formulations. Our standards, and desires, are higher than ever - and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. One of the biggest wrong doings of 2018 was the launch of Tarte Shape Tape Foundation, which was set to be one of the biggest drops ever, however it is safe to say everyone was bitterly disappointed, albeit enraged at the dismal shade range. 50 shades of white, anyone? This can be juxtaposed with one of the most successful brands of 2018 - the launch of Rihanna's own Fenty Beauty- released September 2017. It made it's mark in 2018 with an absolute bang. The music mogul turned her eye to the world of make-up and no one was disappointed! With an astonishing 50 shades of foundation, an equally stunning array of cream matchsticks (all in varying undertones, naturally) and the infamous universal Fenty Gloss, Rihanna paved the way for minimal powder, ultra glow and the return of the GLOSS - all whilst being one of the most dynamic and inclusive brands of the year. This too was made manifest in her Savage X Fenty lingerie line - but that’s a whole other story.  Inclusivity continued with the Make -Up Forever launching an impressive 60 shades of foundation and there were many other collaborations with youtubers Alissa Ashley for NYX and Jackie Aina with Too Faced. Congratulations. Now we have our morale, lets talk face.  Blush is for more than just the apples of your cheeks. Galliano has made a come back with using blush as a bronzer, not just in your conventual coral to bronze hues, but with sunflower yellows to cobalt blues, the graphic eye has transitioned to the sunset cheek. Although it is an avant-garde look for the runway, it has been re-incarnated to bright blush in orange-tones for the day - think statement eye but for your cheeks. Cute.   That being said, less is more. It's no longer about that dreaded contour, mascara, false eyelashes, pencilled in brows plus eyegel. Plus white creamy sticks 'highlighting' the outside of your eyebrow. Big no. So, I'll ask you once, step away from the powder -the baking is to be kept strictly in the kitchen.  I must admit, I never liked these trends as you can probably tell, but I'm glad we are no longer painting ourselves brand new faces. We have Facetune for that now-  if that’s your vibe. Anyhow, there has been a divergence from the "insta-brow" and liquid lipstick combination. Additionally, the copious amount of setting powders and matte formulations that flooded the market a season or two ago are being replaced with more sheer, lightweight, luminous and glowy products - bye bye baking, say hello to cream blush, highlighter, eyeshadow and so much more! Glossier and Milk make-up are endemic of this "your face but better" mantra, and continue to reign supreme when it comes to some of the most beautiful cream products on the market in addition to Hourglass, Chantecaille and Becca. A noteworthy improvement to Glossier's Wowder, Skin Tint and Stretch Concealer, their previous, minimal shade range has now be improved to twelve shades - it is an improvement, but I am eager to see an expansion in the future. If Rihanna can do it, you can do it. With this everpresent trend of 'glow', sometimes its hard not to still feel oily. Sometimes, even an extra layer of coverage (me). These two new products have gotten everyone talking. Rae Morris' 'Invisible Powder' - literally, an invisible powder blurs pores and keeps you sweat free for yonks. No. Baking. Required. Then, the Kosa's new facial tint has the coverage of a foundation, goes on in an oil-based blend, and looks like your skin. But better. This dynamic duo is the ultimate buildable coverage with a natural finish to achieve the above trend: Looking like yourself.   Thanks to Rihanna, there is a huge return of the glossy lip made. There's no better illustration than consumers veering away from Kylie Cosmetics infamous liquid lipsticks, that skyrocketed to her 900M worth. The gloss creates a more refined, clean finish. Lets not draw ourselves false lips, shall we.  But, gloss isn't just for lips, it's been used on the eyelids to create a chic look - want to level up? Pair it with slicked back hair and a fresh face for a wet look. This leading-edge come editorial aesthetic is best left for the photo shoots and catwalks - its creases like crazy! If you know how to wear it, please notify us immediately.   The power of negative space is not just on a photograph, but on your face also. Yes, freshness is extremely in, minimal make-up indeed, but, do you dare to go bare? It's swept its way from 2018 into 2019, recently with Paloma Elsesser for Unconditional Magazine. Here, its paired with a black, thick wing, but feel free to add into a graphic eye or a blue lid of any hue - 2018's greatest and boldest eye moves. This brings us onto our next trend of monochromatic make-up looks. It’s turned into a classic staple, as you would match a black bag with black shoes - it's impossible to get wrong.  Products that work for more than one facial region - even better! Use your lipstick as your blush! As always, everyone's favourite warm-toned eyes are omnipresent, with the launch of several successful palettes: such as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam palette and the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette - pair this with feathered brows, and it’s a match made in heaven.   Let us know here what you think 2019's biggest beauty trends will be!  Published on 31/03/2019 by Leonie Henzell CEO beauty's got soul.

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  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

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  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

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  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.

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