4 School Formal Makeup Ideas
The end of high school is so close you can almost taste it. Congratulations, you’ve almost done it! All that hard work and those late nights were worth it for one thing: your school formal! A night to celebrate with your friends and more importantly, go full glam! Whether you’re looking to make a statement, or going for a ball makeup look that lets your dress do the talking, here at PONi, we’ve got you covered. We’re serving 4 go-to looks, plus a few sneaky formal makeup tips we wish we knew at your age. School Formal Glam Look When it comes to formals, go hard or go home. You’re only young once, for goodness sake! Take the look up a notch by matching your shadow to the colour of your dress - add some glitter on your lids and it’ll be all eyes on you. With a strong eye look, you’re going to want to keep things even with the rest of your look so everything is cohesive. That means a sweep of Unicorn Candy Blush on your cheeks, contour with the Unicorn Chocolate Bronzer and a touch of the Unicorn Champagne Highlighter on the highpoints. Fill in your brows with the Brow Love Soft Brow Pencil and a couple of coats of the White Knight Mascara. All that’s left to do is get the perfect Insta pic! Bronzed Beauty Ball Makeup Look Embrace your inner bronzed goddess with a glow that Zendaya herself would be jealous of. Stick with bronzed, golden shades of shadow, with smudged brown eyeliner. Tie it all in nicely with the Unicorn Chocolate Bronzer as a contour (the trick is to draw a ‘3’ from your temples, under your cheekbones and under your jaw). Keep things glowy with the Unicorn Champagne Highlighter on the top of your cheekbones, your nose, and under your brow bone to really lift the face. Voila! The perfect lit-from-within formal makeup look. Natural School Formal Makeup Look If you’re after something a little more subtle (but still stunning) that lets your natural beauty and that dress do the talking, you’re in the right place. Keep your base mid-weight, just enough to cover any imperfections but still have your skin looking like real skin. A light wash of our cheek products will give you a gorgeous healthy glow. The real heroes of this look are the lashes and brows. One coat of the White Knight Mascara will give you a natural lift. Fill in any sparse areas of your brows with the Brow Magic and then brush your brows up with the Zebra Clear Brow Gel for a cute-as fluffy look! Finish it all off with the Natural Lip Heroes duo. Bold Formal Makeup Look Here’s some life advice from PONi HQ, a bold makeup look (especially a bold lip) is the ultimate confidence booster. Your year 12 formal can be a little overwhelming and if you’re on the shy side, a little scary. Give yourself a pep talk and dial up the glam. Do your favourite base and brows, then use the Pegasus Smudge Proof Liquid Liner to do a cat eye flick (practice makes perfect with this one). As far as your lip colour goes, now’s your chance to go extra. Our sister Lip Heroes have some incredible colours and long-lasting formulas. Our picks? The punchy red and the sweet berry pink. Top Formal Makeup Tips Never Skip Primer If you’re doing your formal right, you’re in for a long night of dancing! That means you’ll need to prime to make sure your makeup doesn’t end up at your knees when the clock strikes 12. Keep your gorgeous eyeshadow locked in with our Brow Pop! which doubles as the perfect eye primer. As a bonus tip, always finish with powder to keep everything locked in! Don’t Be Scared of Blush Spoiler alert: there’s going to be a lot of photos taken throughout the night, so to master your ball makeup look, go ever so slightly heavier on the blush so you look fresh and healthy in your photos (may we recommend the Unicorn Candy Blush). It can be easy to look very two dimensional in images, especially if you have a full-coverage base. But please, don’t wander into clown territory - it’s a fine line! Find the Perfect Mascara Water-proof, lengthening, volumising and smudge-proof all in one mascara. No, you’re not asking too much! Enter: the White Knight Mascara. The tubing formula gives the lift of your dreams, and when you’re ready to take it off at the end of the night (because you wouldn’t leave your makeup on while you sleep, right?), the tubes slide right off - no rubbing or harsh removers necessary! Shop everything you need for a stunning formal makeup look at PONi right here. Now go out there, grab your date (or even better, your friends) and dance into the night!
Liquid Eyeliner vs Pencil Eyeliner
Liquid eyeliner vs pencil eyeliner. Is one better than the other? Our thoughts on what to consider when choosing which to use. Plus, the best liquid eyeliner in Australia revealed. Spoiler alert - it’s ours! Liquid eyeliner More experienced beauty lovers 💗 If you’re an experienced beauty lover, the smooth application of traditional liquid eyeliner (with a pot and brush) won’t be the challenge beginners find it to be. Liquid eyeliner is less forgiving when you make a mistake, so a steady, practiced hand called for. With practice comes perfection and you can’t beat the slick intensity liquid eyeliner helps you achieve. Especially for a winged look! It’s worth the practice. We love liquid eyeliner for Adele-approved cat eyes Liquid formulas are the go-to for the real deal cat eyes thanks to the intense color payoff they deliver. The pro tip we love is to place a piece of tape at the outer corner of your eyes before applying your liquid liner. Using the tape as a stencil, you can create two even flicks. Precision Under the guidance of an experienced, steady hand, liquid eyeliner can create super crisp lines. Even the sharpest pencil can’t quite create the precision of liquid. Waterproof liquid eyeliner also has a budge-proof staying power pencil can’t beat. For precision perfection when applying liquid eyeliner, rest your elbows on a flat and steady surface. This gives you a good amount of control over your hand movements for wobble free lines. Upping the drama In pretty much all cases, liquid eyeliner is darker and more richly pigmented than pencil. Because of this, a stroke of eyeliner delivers bold, look-at-me lines. Perfect for dramatic looks. Team liquid with a pencil eyeliner to build intensity for a smokey eye. To start, line with your pencil eyeliner and layer over it with your eye shadow. Keep it darkest at the lash line and blend out. Next, to really boost the intensity of the smoky eye, apply liquid liner very close to the lash line. Pencil eyeliner Easiest for beginners! 💗 We love a pencil eyeliner for Eyeliner beginners If you’re a newbie to the world of eyeliner or just want a fuss free application, pencil eyeliner is a winner. Way less intimidating to handle than swiping a thick, inky line along your eyelids. Perfectly. Easy, natural eyes We love pencil eyeliner for a natural look you can apply in zero minutes on a busy morning. Pencils aren’t messy, they don't smear easily, and they deliver a softer look if a more natural look for every day is your thing. Take your eyeliner pencil and using little dots, create a dotted line as close to your upper lashes as you can. Start at the inner corner and work your way out. Then, gently connect the dots into a full line. Swipe on a few coats of mascara and you’re looking everyday prettier in no time. Lining the inside of your eyes Known as tight-lining, lining your waterline can take your eyes from natural to bombshell in no time. It’s best to do with a waterproof pencil. Here’s how. Gently pull your upper lid up. Line your inside rim from the inside corner of your eye to the outer corner. Repeat along the bottom rim. Teaming with liquid eyeliner for the ultimate wing Pencil and liquid eyeliner are an unbeatable duo for creating the ultimate cat eye. If you love the pigment of liquid liner but find it super daunting to nail a straight line - use a combo of tools. Start with a pencil to outline your eye and wing shape. When you’re happy with the look, trace the shape with a thin liquid liner for more impact. Wrinkle worries Worried about wrinkles? Pencil eyeliner is your BFF. The softer, thicker line of a pencil is more flattering for the eye area if you have a few more folds and wrinkles than you’d like! The sharper application of a liquid eyeliner can be a little harsh. You’ll Liquid intensity + pencil control Love the intensity of a liquid liner but your skill level is more shaky handed beginner than seasoned pro? Problem solved. Meet the best liquid eyeliner in Australia - PONi Pegasus Smudge Proof Liquid Eyeliner We’re humble bragging about this liquid gem for good reason. It gives you the dramatic colour of a traditional pot liquid liner but with the steady control of a pencil. Effortless, smudge-proof lines without the stress! Water-resistant and easy to use, the quick-drying formula doesn’t run and is ideal for both the beginner and expert to create to-die-for wings or a subtle everyday look.
The Perfect Eyebrows for Your Face Shape
Wondering how to shape your eyebrows? Working with your face shape is key if you want to create the perfect eyebrow shapes for your face. Warning - this may have you rethinking everything about your brows. Read on! Eyebrow shape for a round face If you have a round face shape, the sides of your face curve slightly outward, rather than being straight. Cheekbones are the widest part of your face and your chin is also rounded. Celebs with a round face include Jennifer Lawrence, Chrissy Teigen, and Michelle Williams. Brow goal Your brows should work to elongate your face to make it appear less round. The perfect eyebrow shapes Well defined brows are a must for a round face shape. High arches with vertical lines that follow straight to the peak of the arch work best. Take the arch as high as possible - while still looking natural - to elongate the face. Steer clear of rounded brow shapes as this will only emphasise a round face more. Eyebrow shape for a heart face A wide forehead that strongly tapers toward a narrow chin is the key characteristic of a heart-shaped face. Celebs with a heart shape face include Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mary-Kate Olsen. Brow goal Your brow goal is to soften the lines of your face but work with your natural shape - emphasising the heart shape between your brows and chin. The perfect eyebrow shapes A gentle, rounded brow works beautifully with a heart shape. Stick with a low, rounded arch for a more natural look or add length to a shorter heart-shaped face by arching the brow high. Eyebrow shape for a square face In terms of length and width, your face is very equal. Your chin is square and the forehead and jawline and similar width. Basically, when you look at your face straight on, the curve of your jawline and sides of your forehead will form a square shape. Celebs with square face shapes include Olivia Wilde, Natalie Portman, and Salma Hayek. Brow goal You can either balance a strong, square jaw with a strong brow or soften it with curved eyebrows. The perfect eyebrow shapes The best eyebrow shape for a square face is a thick, angular and well defined shape. This will help balance a strong jaw and elongate the face. A softer curve also works well if you want to soften a heavier jawline. Eyebrow shape for a oval face Have an oval shaped face? Lucky you! Often considered the ideal face shape, the oval face is already in proportion. This means you can pull off practically any makeup look! Celebs with oval face-shapes include Bella Hadid, Jessica Biel, and Charlize Theron. Brow goal To follow the natural shape of your brow. The perfect eyebrow shapes Stick with naturally arched eyebrows and create a soft angled shape. The soft angled shape goes straight up to the peak and gently curves round at the top and down. For a more dramatic night time look, you might choose to slightly thicken and fill the lines but don’t go overboard. Eyebrow shape for a diamond face If you have a diamond face shape, your forehead and jawline are a similar width, cheekbones are high and angular with a pointed chin. Celebs with diamond face shapes include Jennifer Lopez, Anna Kendrick, Vanessa Hudgens, and Selma Blair. Brow goal Diamond-shaped faces are wider and fuller so the goal is to minimise the widest areas, balance a narrow chin, and soften the lines of your face overall. The perfect eyebrow shapes A curved brow does amazing things for a diamond shape. This subtle brow shape creates a nice balance between wide cheeks and forehead. Focus on creating a rounded arc towards the middle of the brow. Or, you might take the other brow road and choose high, sharper arches. This will draw attention away from the bolder angles of your face. Follow the 3 universal brow rules No matter the shape of your face, there are 3 golden rules to follow when eyebrow shaping. Rule 1 The arch of your brow - whether it be angular or more curved and soft - should be around two thirds of the way along your brow line, never in the centre. Rule 2 Find the right place to start your brow. Lay an eyebrow pencil vertical along your nose - the point where it reaches the bridge of your nose is where the brow should begin. Rule 3 Get the tail right. Place an eyebrow pencil in a line that runs from the outer side of your nostril to the corner of your eye. This is the ideal ending point for your brow. Essential tools for all eyebrow shapes You’ve figured out the best shape for your eyebrows based on your face shape, now you need the right tools to make it easy! Get these in your beauty bag to keep your brows looking bangin’ all day long. Brow Pencil Don’t underestimate the power of a great brow pencil. The idea isn’t to draw your brows on, use the brow pencil to fill in gaps and bare spots. Opt for a colour two shades lighter than your hair or make shade selection even easier with Brow Magic. It’s a universal brow pencil - one colour suits all. Simple. Brow Powder Powder has a naturally soft, volumising effect. Fill in any sparse areas with brow powder - it helps set brow pencils to make the look last longer. Choose a colour close to your hair shade and use an angled brow brush to get the job done flawlessly. We love Brow Duo Powder. Brow Gel The answer to stay-all-day brows? Clear brow gel. Once you’ve finished your look, gently brush the brow gel spoolie over the hairs to set your arches. Perfect for all eyebrow shapes. Brow Highlighter Highlighting the brow will define your eye area - making eyes look bigger and brighter. Boost the effect by placing a little highlight in the corner of the eyes as well as beneath the brow bone. Brow Pop is our go-to highlighter for eyebrow shapes and skin tones. Brow perfection continues with our ultimate brow cheat sheet.
How To Make Your Lips Look Bigger
You don’t have to go the filler path to get yourself a pillowy Kylie Jenner pout. Our lip makeup tips and a little prep work can deliver a subtly accentuated mouth or your most ambitious pout ever! Prep your lips Before we get to the lip makeup tips, you need to get your lip prep on. Exfoliate It’s not just your skin that benefits from a fresh exfoliation sesh. Gently buffing your lips before adding lip makeup removes any dry skin clinging to your lips (never a good look) and also boosts blood circulation. Coconut sugar makes a great exfoliant. Massage a tiny amount of coconut sugar in circular motions onto damp lips with your fingertips or a toothbrush with soft bristles. Behold, the smoothest base ever for your lip makeup. Hydrate and moisturise Sipping H20 on the regular is a natural way to nourish your lips for your best pout ever. Fine lines begin to appear around your mouth when you’re dehydrated - this can make your lips look a little on the shrivelled side. Along with chugging your daily water quota, keep your lips supple with a moisturising balm like our Lip Magic Balm. Lip makeup tips for a fuller pout Start with concealer This tip will change your lip game forever. For the perfect lip makeup application, start by blotting the lip with concealer or foundation. This will blur the line between your lips and your skin meaning you can slightly over line your lip shape easily - more on overlining in a moment. We love that it acts as a primer too, filling in any lines and giving your lip makeup serious staying power. By blotting out your natural lip colour, this technique also helps the lipstick stay true to its colour - the red and pink tones of your lips can alter how the colour appears. Overlining your lips….the right way Overlining is the classic fake-a-pouty-lip makeup tip. Here’s how you do it: Choose a lip liner that matches or is just a shade darker than your natural lip colour. First, line the lip along your natural lip line. This will help in the next step to let you move little by little when you overline. Now, use the liner to draw slightly (and we mean slightly) outside your natural lip line then fill the rest of the lip in. This will give the illusion of larger lips and provide a base for the next lip product you apply. Pro tip - Focus your over lining around the Cupid’s bow. The closer you get to the corners of your mouth, the more you should follow your natural lip line. You don’t want it to look really obvious you’ve drawn your lips on! The two-tone trick This lip makeup trick is the EASIEST way to add dimension to your pout - and dimension is the secret to making it pop! First, apply a single shade across your entire mouth. Next, take a shade lighter than the base colour and add a little of the lighter colour just to the centre of your lips to create the illusion of fullness. This tip is seriously foolproof. We recommend trying it with Brow Pop as the lighter shade - it’s a multipurpose creamy highlighter in a soft peachy hue ideal for perfect for lips and brows. Gloss up By dabbing just a little gloss right in the centre of your bottom and top lip, you instantly up your pout game. Highlight your cupid’s bow You can also dab just a touch of highlighter along your Cupid’s bow - either with your finger or a soft highlighter brush. We love a champagne-toned highlighter for this lip makeup trick. Try our Unicorn Champagne Highlighter for an irresistible burst of radiance. Try a plumping balm Lip plumping balms are formulated with ingredients like cinnamon or menthol which encourages a plumping action. When applied, these ingredients stimulate blood to rush to the surface of your lips. The result? A subtle and temporary plumping of the lips. Double down on the concealer How can you really make your lip makeup pop? By lining the outside of your mouth - after you’ve applied lipstick - with concealer and a lip brush. This simple tip brings amazing sharpness and vibrancy to your lip colour. Contour underneath your bottom lip Grab a small fluffy makeup brush for contouring and dip it in a little bronzer and very lightly brush it back and forth below the bottom lip. Contouring below the lip helps to bring it ‘forward’ and creates the illusion of fullness. Your puffiest, poutiest lips ever await.
6 Reasons We Love Cruelty-Free Makeup
Make the switch to cruelty free makeup and turn up the do good, feel good factor of your beauty routine. Check out 6 major benefits of using cosmetics that are kinder to animals. What is cruelty free makeup? A beauty product is cruelty free if it hasn’t been tested on animals at any stage during the production including supply chain – formulas, and finished products. 6 reasons we love cruelty free makeup The big benefits of choosing cruelty free beauty. It’s SO worth making the switch. #1 Choosing cruelty-free can help end the suffering of lab animals Doing our bit to help end the suffering of gentle animals in the name of beauty is unsurprisingly the #1 reason we love cruelty free makeup! Animal testing is an ugly, ugly thing. It’s still a big part of the beauty industry - a part that many brands don’t want you to know about. What goes on behind closed lab doors to animals including mice, dogs, cats, and rabbits during cosmetic testing is seriously torturous stuff. When you choose cruelty-free makeup, you know no animals have been hurt in the name of a plumper pout or gorgeous brows. There are a bunch of alternative methods to animal testing and guess what, they can actually be more effective. Cruelty free cosmetics are tested using options like in-vitro method, or on people who volunteer to trial ingredients. When coming up with their latest and greatest product formulations, brands also have their pick of literally thousands of ingredients already approved as safe for human use. So stick to the safe stuff! #2 You get to vote with your dollars You might be thinking... “What difference could choosing cruelty free makeup actually make?” The truth is a real difference. One by one those products add up to thousands, then millions, across the globe. Buying cruelty free makeup and avoiding products that have been tested on animals is like casting a vote for the lives of our lab bound animal friends. With enough votes, the beauty industry will have to listen and up its game when it comes to the ethical production of products. #3 Cruelty free makeup can lead to more mindful beauty practices Becoming more aware of how cruelty free makeup is made can have an impact on other areas of your beauty routine too. We bet you’ll begin to give more thought to other products. You might start learning about other unethical beauty practices and toxic ingredients, too. It’s like a domino effect of mindfulness! #4 You can share your choice to help spread the word Learning more about how products are made empowers you to share the reasons why you chose cruelty free makeup. Spreading awareness may help encourage friends to make different decisions about their makeup products too. #5 You wear your values Choosing cruelty free makeup means you’re literally wearing your ethical values. Your beauty routine is reflecting your compassion and care for creatures great and small. You boost your feel-good factor knowing you’ve made a choice to support a world that's safer for our animal friends. #6 You don’t have to sacrifice quality Cruelty free mascara, lip gloss, foundation, brow powder, lipstick, and pretty much every other cosmetic beauty product are now offered by cruelty free brands. Making a choice kinder to animals doesn’t mean your best looks are off-limits. Want to see cruelty free makeup results? Take a peek at PONi products in action. Glowy, gorgeous, and bold - cruelty free cosmetics don’t disappoint. Those are some big benefits right there. If you’re convinced it’s time to make the switch (hooray!) it isn’t as tricky as you think. Want to make the switch to cruelty free beauty? We suggest making the transition one product at a time. This cuts the overwhelm and expense of trying to update your beauty stash in one hit. First, check what cruelty free products you already own - chances are you already use and love some cruelty free products. (PONi fans - we’re looking at you!) Products that aren’t cruelty free? Each time you finish one choose a cruelty free option to replace it. That bold red lipstick you love? Search for its equal in a cruelty free range. Making small changes reduces overwhelm. It’s also really wasteful to bin half-used products because they’re made by an animal testing brand. Use it up then make the swap! We hope the benefits of cruelty free makeup inspire you to make choices that stack up to real change for our sweet animal friends.
