BAM IT'S JOANNE: 2019

5 SPRING/ SUMMER PIECES WORTH INVESTING IN

These five pieces that I'm about to introduce to you are items that are on high rotation in my current spring/summer wardrobe. I'd wear them everyday if I could! They can also be styled back with your existing wardrobe basics to create more interesting looks.

ONE - THE FLORAL DRESS

Violet Auguste The Label Eloise Penn Midi Dress 1

Whether it's a mini, midi or maxi dress, Auguste the Label continues to impress me with their unique designs and European take on feminine, floral pieces. They've done such an amazing job creating figure-hugging dresses that flatter your boobs, especially if you have smaller boobs like me.

TWO - THE LINEN SUIT SET

All throughout winter I have been loving the blazer and pants combo with sneakers look, so the natural progression into spring/summer is the linen blazer + shorts combination. Even better if it's a natural colour like this one from Vestire, an Australian label.

THREE - THE NUDE SANDAL

Hazelton Tkees Jo Suede And Leather Sandals 2

TKEE is a sandal brand that's made in Brazil and they've recently come into Australia! I love how soft their leather is, and the minimal designs make it very easy to seamlessly be a new addition to your wardrobe. I love wearing it with denim.

FOUR - THE SINGLE EARRING

Gold By Charlotte Love Letter S Single Earring 3

Helloooo piercings. Tattoos were all the rage last season but it looks like ear piercings are the new body trend. Single earrings are slowly also becoming a thing, especially when there's a trend towards collecting multiple piercings on one ear only. These dainty letter ones by By Charlotte are a super cute way to wear a stud without it being boring.

FIVE - THE SPRING JEAN

Light Denim Madewell The Perfect Summer High Rise Straight Leg Jeans 2

What's a summer essential list without a good pair of denim? Denim are all-year-round essentials for me, so I would not leave it out! This season is all about the straight leg, light wash, lifted-bum look so this one from Madewell is just perfection to say the least. Bonus points if it cuts off at just the right length (ankle or slight above ankle), and if there are no rips in the jeans.

Hope you enjoyed this little guide and that it helped you identify gaps in your summer wardrobe and make your shopping experience more fun! One of the tools I used to help me put together this list for you guys was using The Urge. They are a fresh, new startup that is set to revolutionise the online shopping experience. I spoke to the founder Cayley on the phone today and I'm so excited for what they have in store and can't wait to see what else they come up with!

Think of The Urge as a search engine, but for FASHION! They have really cool features such as Sale & Payment Method (eg. PayPal, Afterpay etc), so you can filter retailers directly from The Urge's site before even clicking into the products to be brought to the retailers page. I've found that it's also a great way for me to discover smaller and more unique brands and retailers, which I might not have been exposed to if I use Google directly, as Google would generally favour retailers that either place Ads or brands that already have a larger team and have good SEO practice down pat.

Have a go at playing around with their website and let me know what you think! Would love to hear your thoughts and don't be afraid to DM so we can chat about this further!!!

Happy Shopping!! xx

No thoughts

, by Joanne

MY 5-MINUTE SPRING BEAUTY LOOK

My biggest weakness was (who am I kidding - it still is, especially when I snooze far too many times than socially acceptable) being tardy. To work, to school, to events, to friends catch ups, you name it. Naturally, this meant that I barely have anytime to put on makeup before I have to rush out the door. I find myself doing my makeup on the go a lot - either in the car or on the bus into the city. The upside is, I think I've nailed the 5-minute makeup look, where I trick people into thinking I actually made an effort to see them.

When it comes to which products to pack with you for on-the-go makeup application, the key is to prioritise according to your own skin needs. Grab products with maximum impact on you, and also multi-purpose products. For example, if you have heavy dark circles or eye-bags, a good under-eye concealer should be your priority, because it create the most impact once applied. Another example is if you already have quite clear skin, then you may even be able to skip foundation and focus on mascara instead, if eye-lashes gives you that va-va-voom look.

Here's what works best for me, and I hope it helps you too!

SKINCARE

To prep my skin for makeup (vital for dry skin gals!), I use the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I do this at home before I rush out of the door, because the jar is quite large and not travel friendly. This is perfect as a pre-makeup moisturiser (I don't use it as my skincare moisturiser because it can get too heavy if used everyday. I only wear makeup on average 3-4 times a week so this is perfect for me.)

I also always apply SPF before I head out of the door. I'm currently using the Skinstitut Age Defense SPF 50+. It doesn't leave a white cast and doesn't feel oily on my skin, which is key, because sometimes that interferes with makeup application.

MAKEUP

Personally, I have blemished skin, so a good primer + foundation combination is a must have. I love the Beauty Blender Opal Essence Serum Face Primer, because it's moisturising but also give you that dewy look. My skin dislikes silicone primers, and prefer more hydrating primers, so this is one of my favourites as it feels like a serum, as the name suggests.

Another hydrating primer that I really enjoy is the Becca First Light Priming Filter. It's super hydrating and gives you that glow, while keeping your makeup lasting all day. I am down to my last drops in this one! The only downside to this is that the packaging is made of glass and therefore quite heavy, so I tend to use the Becca one at home if I have time, and my Beauty Blender one on the go.

Foundation wise, I can't go past the Benefit Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation. I have tried other foundations since, but I still go back to this little guy! I have found this to be the perfect amount of coverage, without being cakey for my dry skin. I wouldn't recommend this to oily-skin users, unless you're ready to set it with powder and setting sprays. The only downside of this product for me is the limited shade range. They are only 12 shades available, and I was a Shade 04 during autumn when I first got my hands on this. But towards the end of winter, 04 was too dark for me, but 03 was still way too light. I sit between 03 and 04, but I can't be bothered mixing it everyday, especially when doing your makeup on the go means bring two bottles with me. So I just resort to using 04, and blend it downwards towards my neck. It's a bit too dark but I am hoping by the time summer is in full swing, I'll be a true 04 again. This proves how much I love the formulation! It's the wrong shade but I'm still continually using it, even with the amount of foundation I have at my disposal!

I love applying this with my It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush #6 that Kylie's makeup artist, Mario uses and raves about. I have maybe three of these and I swear by them! The bristles are very dense which makes the application non-streaky. It also gives you that airbrush finish, without absorbing too much product like the Beauty Blenders tend to do. Also, when you're on the go, you normally don't have the luxury of dampening your Beauty Blender before use!

Then my next steps are brows. I am a loyal consumer of the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Medium Brown. This is my OG brow product since first year of Uni and am still on it! I'm on my second tub, because the first tub dried out so quickly. The key is to close off the tub as soon as you get some product on your brush. I haven't have any drying out issue with my second tub, which I have own for maybe two years now! Winning!

I would then choose a lip product, using it as lips, eyeshadow and blush. In order to achieve this multi-purpose look, the lip product has to be pigmented and easily blend-able. Ideally a lipstick, and not a gloss or lip stain. I would swipe it across my lips, then dab my lips with my third and fourth fingers, and apply it to my eyelids and my cheekbones. I love this technique because it not only saves time and space in my makeup bag, it also gives me a monochromatic look and ties my whole face cohesively together.

My favourite pigmented nude lip that lives in my handbag is the YSL Rouge Pur Couture in #5. It's both hydrating and pigmented at the same time - I don't know how they do it! I do find myself having to re-apply throughout the day, especially after coffee or food, but I don't mind it. I'd much rather re-apply a hydrating lipstick than having dry, cracked lips that lasts all day. Plus, stay all day liquid lips are soo last season!

Once my eyes perfectly blended with lipstick, I'll put on my favourite mascara - the CliniqueFit Work Out 24 hour Mascara. I love this because it perfectly separates my lashes and doesn't clump them together. It also lasts all day and doesn't smudge on my bottom lids like other mascaras do.

As my final step, I seal in my makeup with my favourite setting spray - the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray - this product needs no introduction! And viola! My five minute makeup look is done! :)