How to get the Look - Luminous Beauty for White Magazine

Photo by Scarlet & Sage, Hair&Makeup by Liv Lundelius

I just received the latest issue of White Magazine and as usual it's packed with beautiful inspiration, and honest articles on love, relationships and marriage. For this issue I was asked to create a series of bridal beauty looks and hair trends for brides. Here on the blog I share with you a little How-to on how I actually achieved these looks, together with the products used and recommended products.

Luminous Blushing Bride This look focuses on soft, radiant blush balanced with a subtle eye and lip.The only colour I used here is a radiant soft pink on the lips and cheeks. Skin: Apply Inika Truly Organic Liquid Foundation with a soft kabuki brush. It's a great product but a very limited colour range. It won't mask the skin or lovely freckles while still evening out the skin. Use a high coverage concealer only to cover redness or blemishes for an invisible flawless finish. I applied Inika Light Reflect on top of the cheekbones, bridge of the nose and cupid's bow. Use ILIA translucent powder only through the t-zone to keep excess shine at bay at the very end. Eyes: Start with evening out the eyelid with a hint of a tinted eye-primer or foundation. Apply a dab of Inika Creme Eyeshadow in Pink Cloud to highlight in the inner corners and apply a Jane Iredale Peach Sherbet Eyeshadow. Draw a thin line with Jane Iredale Jelly Gel Eyeliner in Brown along the upper lash line. Enhance your eyelashes by curling them and coating them with Longest Lash Mascara. Apply the mascara right on the roots of the lashes to give that framing effect and a luscious thick lash line. Brows: Fill in eyebrows softly with Jane Iredale Bitty Brow Kit and hold in place with Pure Brow Fix gel. Cheeks: ILIA Multistick in "All Of Me" to the apple of the cheek and warm into the skin using fingers Lips: Ilia Karma Chameleon Lip Crayon adds the perfect pop of colour leaving the lips looking moisturized.

Wild Braids Prep the hair with a heat protecting texturizing product and blow dry your hair to get a great shine and voloume. I used Yarok Feed Your Roots Mousse and my H2D Hair dryer. Part your hair in the center and just behind the ear. Start braiding one large section from the front and secure the ends with an elastic. Wrap the section across your forehead where you wish to place it and secure with Bobbi Bins. Repeat on the other side and place just above your first braid. Braid the last 2 sections and pin in place so the head is evenly covered. Now start messing the braids up! Gently pull sections in the braids to create more texture and an uneven modern look. Spray with hair spray to enhance shine and hold style in place. A great natural spray is Yarok Feed Your Hold Spray

All looks are created with 100% luxurious, toxin free and/or organic beauty products that create professional results, while being good for you. I feel these looks are so versatile that they easily go beyond bridal and could of course be worn by anyone. I hope you enjoyed and I stay tuned for the next looks!

Create a Beauty Ritual

photo taken inside my bathroom cabinet by Liv

Do you have a beauty ritual? Do you look forward to your daily skincare routine? Do you absolutely love how your products smell and feel on your skin? If you do you are much more likely to keep up and you get to relax and have fun in the process. I believe that the pleasure of using products and to create a little self-care ritual around your routine is actually very beneficial to your skin and most importantly to the way you feel. I am so grateful I have recently connected with a fellow skincare lover and expert, the lovely Misty who is the inspiring woman behind the skincare line BLOOM. We send long long emails back and and forth chatting away about skin & health, I feel we connected in such a great way that I just made a new friend on the other side of the world. Created by a holistic nutritionist with a deep understanding of whole body health, this line truly felt different to all other natural skincare lines I have ever used. You can tell that it's not just another skincare line but rather one carefully researched and crafted with a holistic approach. Can you tell, that I am a bit of a fan? Within one week of using the products exclusively morning and night and having so much fun with the ritual in the meantime, my skin has transformed. The few blemishes I had healed quickly without leaving scarring or redness, my skin is smooth and even toned and very well hydrated. It glows, so that I even completely skipped wearing any foundation for a few days. I received my products after one really long and exhausting day a few weeks ago and I fell in love immediately, from the moment I received the products which came in the prettiest colourful wrapping.

I am of course a little picky when it comes to skincare, as I receive so many samples and constantly get to work with new and different products in my job, and I have to say: These products are different to anything I had ever tried before.

I took the skin type test on the website as all three steps in this skincare routine are uniquely created for a specific skin type. The test decided that I would fit best into the Combination Skin Type. I think the combination skin choice was spot on, as my skin is taking really well to the new routine. The smell of my Nourish Serum is very relaxing and grounding and I can feel all the muscles in my face relax immediately. Step 1: GLOW and POLISH Glow is a wonderful botanical oil blend, that you can use as eye-makeup remover. Within the beauty ritual you then mix it with Polish to create a wonderful deeply purifying facial cleanser. Polish is a powdery consistency, it buffes away impurities but isn't not harsh like other scrubs. It also contains natural lactic acid to brighten and soften, from organic whole milk powder. You can use turn your cleanse into a weekly face mask by leaving it on for 10 minutes before rinsing. And it feels incredibly nice! Step 2: HYDRATE and NOURISH Spritz your face liberally with HYDRATE and you will want to use it all day long! It's a lovely hydrating spritz packed with essential nutrients that will allow your next step to really lock in that extra moisture. Then you follow with a few drops of Nourish. I really love massaging the Nourish serum into my skin and personally love the smell so much that I inhale a few times to get the most out of the aromatherapy effects. If you are feeling dry, apply NOURISH directly to your skin after using POLISH. Step 3: RESTORE Apply a small amount of RESTORE to the area around the eyes and elsewhere on the face, as needed. The area between the eye brows and the "laugh lines" next to the mouth are especially nice. It's a very concentrated potent little balm that my skin loves.

All products are 100% Natural, Crueltyfree, All BLOOM formulas are vegetarian or vegan, gluten free and preservative + toxin free and only contain with the freshest, safest, most luxurious ingredients for your skin type. The line does not use any fillers (including water) and as such a little goes a very long way.

I am hooked on my luxurious beauty ritual! Please check out the BLOOM website which now offers a generous $20.00 shipping flat rate to Australia.

The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep: Get your Beauty Sleep

Photo by Simon Everiss, Makeup & Hair by Liv Lundelius Model: Annalise Mclachlan Styling: Rosemarie Pantling Interior: The Society Inc

I am thrilled to have beauty sleep expert and designer Natalija over at the blog today! She is the creative mind behind the stunning sleepwear label NATALIJA the label. The latest collection is awesome and I was lucky to see the designs prior to the launch, when I was working closely with founder Natalija to create the hair & makeup looks for the latest campaign. She is sharing some tips and info about Beauty Sleep with us and we also had a little chat about her collection.

Why is sleep so important for our skin and overall wellbeing?

Sleeping Beauty was onto something! I recently read a study that showed for the first time that poor quality sleep can accelerate signs of skin ageing

like wrinkles, age spots and inflammation. Lack of sleep can also weaken the skin’s ability to

repair itself at night from a variety of environmental stresses such as sun exposure. And it

may prevent adequate secretion of melatonin levels, which is a natural antioxidant that is

important in helping regulate the internal body clock’s cycle of sleep.

What can women do to improve their sleep? Are any rituals that you would like to share?

It is important to continue a well-balanced routine into the night to ensure you have a great

sleep and wake up feeling revitalised for the day ahead. Here are 3 simple solutions that

take minimal effort but will help prepare your body and mind for a restful night’s sleep (and

stay asleep!).

1. Stick to routine – set a reasonable bedtime for yourself and make sleep a priority.

Try to be in bed at the same time every night, this will reinforce your body’s sleep-

wake cycle and can help you fall asleep better.

2. Wind down before bed – spend about an hour unwinding with some relaxing

activities at the end of your day. This could include reading a book, listening to

soothing music, soaking in a warm bath or taking a shower.

3. Sip a cup of Sleep Tea - Chamomile is a small white petal flower, reminiscent of a

daisy. Commonly known as the sleep tea, it is usually dried and steeped into tea to

help soothe and relax the body, and help to promote a healthy sleep cycle and

overall wellbeing.

Your sleepwear labels designs are truly inspiring, I saw they are all made from natural fibre

like pure silk or cotton, can you tell us more about this? Choosing what to wear to bed can directly affect the quality of your sleep. My focus when

designing is on luxury and comfort, so I carefully selected fabrics that make women feel

beautiful, ensuring they have a great sleep and wake up feeling revitalised for the day

ahead!

Silk is considered to be one of best fabrics to sleep in. It is comfortable, soft to touch,

naturally hypoallergenic, breathable, and makes you feel AMAZING. Silk is also capable of

keeping you warm during winter, and cool in the hot summer months.

What inspired you to create a sleepwear line?

I first found inspiration in 2012. Newly engaged, I went in search for feminine and affordable

nightwear options to purchase for my bridesmaids and myself, to wear while getting ready

on the wedding morning. I felt my choices were limited as the options were either femme

fatale, dowdy or slightly immature. It was during this time I noticed a gap in the sleep and

loungewear market for elegant and affordable options; so it was out of frustration and my

love of health and wellness, that my entrepreneurial spirit launched NATALIJA.

The brand celebrates and embraces women's femininity. It is an invitation for women to be

inspired, choose colours and prints that speak to them, and combine pieces to form their

own unique individual style.

Do you have a personal favourite that you wear to bed?

My favourite piece from my new collection ‘Azulejos’ is the Thira silk pant for its fantastic

paisley print and beautiful blues (but again, it changes every week!).

Tell us about the idea and trend of Pj's All Day.

I have detached all furry animals, hearts and grey marl to recreate the traditional sleep and

loungewear; carefully creating garments so beautiful and comfortable that women will feel

inspired to wear them all the time.

Channeling the ‘pyjamas all day’ look, the silky garments have the power to transcend from

the home to the outdoors, fusing together comfort and style. The luxe designs would look as

at home relaxed on a Sunday afternoon with a book and tea, as they would at night paired

with heels ordering your favourite drink. My most recent campaign Sleep to Street brings

to life this idea, inspiring women to have fun, be playful and feel beautiful!

As entrepreneur and business women, how do you make sure you get enough sleep?

The evening time is my time and I have a ritual to ensure I am relaxed, rested and ready to

have the best sleep so that I can wake up lively. My favourite is to use an oil burner and fill

my home with a soothing fragrance like lavender. I find it’s a great way to balance my inner

self before bed! I also get so excited when its bedtime as I get to slide into one my garments.

They feel amazing, and I feel beautiful wearing them. That’s the only way women should be

feeling when they go to sleep at night.

What is your biggest dream for the future?

To inspire women to have fun with fashion, be confident to express themselves and feel

beautiful. Create loungewear pieces that empower women to take their garments from

sleep to street, day to night. Evolving NATALIJA into a lifestyle brand, introducing more

versatile pieces, and then also linen, cushions and candles, all with the same sophisticated

and fashion forward approach.

How to hydrate and replenish sensitive dry Winter Skin

Different Season - Different Skin CareAs the seasons change our skin has develops different needs as well and most of us have to adjust our skin care. My own skin has become dry in areas as the temperatures dropped recently and I also had some redness and sensitivity. I have just received an email from one of my lovely clients asking me about a good skin care routine, product tips and facial recommendations for her dry/sensitive and dehydrated skin that also shows redness on the cheeks. She works in an air conditioned office and prefers natural skincare. In the lead up to her wedding day she wants her skin to be best. Don't we all? I got a little carried away with my response, spending about one hour to write recommendations and tips for her, so I thought I might as well share this with all of you, as we can all do with a little TLC for our Winter skins.

The Gentle Cleanse If you are still using a foaming cleanser now is the time to ditch it, it most likely will strip the skin of it's moisture and natural oils that it needs to stay healthy and hydrated. Go for a super gentle cream-, balm-, or milk cleanser and use it to double cleanse. You can use these with your Clearisonic as well. The Calming Cream Cleanser by Z'kin is excellent for sensitive Skin. La Mav Hydra Calm Cleansing Crème formulated with Bio-Flavonoids, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter to moisturize and cleanse the skin which will reveal a clear, bright, smooth feeling skin. I also love the SMOOTH Cleanser from Miskinorganics and another current favourite is Bloom Glow&Polish a unique cleansing paste that you freshly mix prior to application all these are replenishing the skin while removing makeup and cleansing away impurities.

The Key: Moisturize! Find a nourishing moisturizer that protects the skin from further moisture loss. Use 2x a day or use a different day and night cream if you prefer. If my skin is red, reactive and very sensitive it's in need for instant calming action my go to products are Zk'in Relief Moisturizer and Triology Very Gentle Calming Serum, the names say it all! For dry skin I recommend a very rich balmy moisturizer at night, and even apply it as mask in a thick layer when watching a movie or reading at home. Air conditioning and dry air from heaters is really bad for already dry skin, so please make sure you apply a lovely rich moisturizer and/or foundation as barrier to protect the skin. Trilogy Rosapene™ Night Cream works a treat as replenishing mask. Loaded with Antioxidants in a unique oil blend, manuka honey and Goji this will restore your skin quickly. You can also try incooperate pure organic Oils like Rosehip oil into your routine: Try nutrient rich oils like Rosehip. The trick to using oils effectively is to mix them with water. They absorb so much better this way. Mix equal parts oil and water in your hands, and rub together vigorously before massaging the mixture onto your face. I like to spritz my face with a hydtrating spray before applying oils. Use alone, or layered under your usual moisturizer. Everyone is talking about Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil, believe the hype! It's pure skincare at it's best.

Hydration: The Spritz! Hydrating sprays can be very beneficial to have handy on your desk, together with some handcream & lipbalm, especially if you are working in an air conditioned office. Jane Iredale makes my favourite ones, certified organic filled with lovely armomatherapy oils they are the ultimate luxury and the bottles are super pretty too.

Keep Young! To target and prevent fine lines it's a good idea to have a powerful anti ageing eyecream as part of your regime. My favourites are; Tata Harper Restorative Eye Cream, Z'kin Line Smoothing Serum, La Mav Bio A7 Firming Eye Lotion

Shake it off! Keep exfoliating. You can find my guide on exfoliation here. Incoporate healthy fats in your diet like avocado and flaxseed oil, coconut oil and nuts and of course make sure you drink enough water. If you are feeling less thirsty in the colder season try herbal teas and spicy chais (without black tea) which will warm you up, increase circulation and help you to stay hydrated. I hope this helps! Feel free to post any questions or your personal tips and experience in the comments below. :)

The Six Week Bridal Beauty Prep PART TWO Cleansing & Exfoliating

You have still six weeks to go and I hope you enjoyed part one, on how to get your Body glowing. Let's focus on the delicate skin of your face next. Without question, everyone can benefit from regular exfoliation by using products with AHA (alpha hydroxy acid such as glycolic and lactic acids) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid, also known as salicylic acid). Each provides multiple benefits, including fighting signs of aging and breakouts! Stick to products free of unneccessary synthetic fragrance and always ready the label!

GET THAT GLOW! Yay for AHA & BHA

Exfoliate once a week with a gentle AHA and/or BHA peel. This is my personal routine, some people prefer to use a mild exfoliation daily or every other day, everyone is different. My skin looks best when I exfoliate 1-2 times a week. There are pads, gels, masks and cremes containing fruit enzymes, glycolic, lactic or mandelic acids, some products use a combination of different AHA' s. AHAs are preferred for sun-damaged and dry skin because they exfoliate on the surface of skin and have the added benefit of also improving moisture content. If you are prone to break outs use a BHA product that contains Salicylic Acid. BHA is preferred for oily, acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads and white bumps because BHA can get through the oil that's clogging your pores, normalizing the lining of the misshapen pore that contributes to acne.BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. Those are two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin. Both AHA and BHA work to reduce fine lines, stimulate collagen, and firm the skin. There is no need to to physically rub and scrub and your skin when using these products, they work by gently loosing up the "glue" in between the dead skin cells, so that the old skin can come off without any damage to your skin. You will be left with a radiant glow. One of my favourite ever exfoliating masks is by Tata Harper, it gives instant radiance and is very gentle. It smells heavenly and the jelly texture is so fun. I had the chance to meet the wonderful Tata in person in London and have been a fan of her products since. The resurfacing mask is available in Australia via Lulu&Lipstick, an awesome selection of beauty products from around the world that are hard to get in Australia.

NAY to scrubs Many scrubs have a rough and uneven texture that can cause skin damage by tearing into the skin, causing tiny tears that damage the skin's barrier. Scrubs often cause more problems than they could possibly solve. If you do want to use a manual scrub, you can simply use a gentle washcloth with your daily cleanser, which works just as well to exfoliate the surface of skin as any cosmetic scrub you can buy. As a bonus, washcloths are softer (thus gentler) and of course they don't contain pore-clogging ingredients that oily, acne-prone skin doesn't need. With all types of exfoliation comes sun sensitivity, mainly because there are fewer layers of cells as protection so be mindful of using your sunscreen and staying out of the sun while it’s at its strongest. For daily cleansing I recommend a very gentle cleansing milk, oil or balm that doesn't strip the skin. If you are a fan of natural cosmetics or got very sensitive skin, try using pure organic coconut oil as makeup remover. Another gentle and fabulous option to clean your skin is the Clearisonic. Use the sensitive skin brush heads, they are the best choice from my experience. I have the "Mia" which is a travel friendly version and I looooove it. If you prefer a foaming wash for your face make sure you will buy one without any harsh detergents like SLS or synthetic fragrances. For makeup junkies and daily foundation wearers I recommend a double cleanse: Step 1: Removing Makeup with an oil based cleanser. Step 2: Cleanser appropriate for your skin type

Do you need professional help? Trust your own judgement. Does your skin respond well to your home treatments and is clear and soft most of the time? Well then keep doing whatever you are doing and invest in good products for your home routine. Once you turn 30, it is wise to get a professional peel or microdermabrasion (if your skin is not sensitive and thick) treatment every other month to encourage cell turnover and keep your complexion clean, bright and youthful. With all acids, my recommendation is to make sure you stay under a 25% concentration. Over the counter products will always be 10% or lower, however if you get a professional facial, request a percentage that is no higher than 25%. This way you are ensuring a good result without too much irritation. Stay away from strong, medical peels that reach the dermis, which is the living part of your skin underneath the epidermis. In my opinion, those types of treatments are too invasive and do more bad than good by causing intense edema [inflammation] of the dermis, which ultimately ages your skin.

Other things to do 6 weeks out: If you haven't already done it, this is a good time frame for your hair & makeup trial with your makeup artist and hairstylist for the wedding day. Schedule in other beauty appointments like your regular cut & color, eyebrow appointments etc. Get your beauty sleep, eat well, worry less, move more. Be Happy :)