Source: Instagram
Bonnie Gillies, aka Oz Beauty Expert, is the kind of gal you really want to sit down with and get beauty advice from. Firstly, she’s one of the biggest Aussie beauty influencers right now, with her website and Instagram offering up more tricks, hacks and beauty inspo than you’ll know what to do with. And secondly, she legitimately has a personal beauty look you’ll want to replicate for yourself – it’s that perfect medium between #flawless and less is more. Oh – AND she’s a professional hair and makeup artist, so she knows her s**t, guys. We got Bonnie to spill on her beauty routines, and her all her best beauty advice.
(@ozbeautyexpert)Primped: What is your beauty philosophy?
Bonnie: Wear as much makeup as you can with it still looking like your skin, and not a mask – something that can only be achieved with a combination of good skin, products that are the correct colours for your skin tone, and good application techniques.
P: What’s your skincare routine?
B: For the morning, it’s sunscreen and moisturiser – pretty simple. I’m currently using Ultraceuticals Matte 50+. For night, I cleanse in the shower and use a makeup eraser – it removes EVERYTHING! Makeup, oil, dirt… all without any soap, it’s amazing! 
Makeup Eraser @ Sephora The Original Makeup Eraser in Pink, $32
P: What are your hero skincare products?
B: Lytera Retinol treatment, it’s great at resurfacing the skin and keeping it fresh and firm, Cosmedix Enzyme Mask, this is an absolute must-have for me, I use it for deep exfoliation about every two weeks or when my skin just feels a bit ‘blah’. It instantly brightens it up! And my Ultraceuticals Cream Cleanser and 50+ Matte Moisturiser, I’m a big Ultraceuticals fan, it’s an Australian owned company with Aussie made products, and no ridiculous fragrances or additives. It’s just a no-BS brand that works. 
Ultraceuticals Ultra Hydrating Milk Cleanser, $62
P: What’s your off-duty makeup style?
B: I’m pretty addicted to eyelash extensions at the moment, it dramatically cuts down the amount of eye makeup I wear. So off duty, I only wear Estee Lauder BB cream, Shu Uemura Cushion Blush, Shu Uemura brow pencil and that’s it!
P: What are your hero makeup products?
B: I cannot live without ModelCo Airbrush Illuminiser! It’s this little wonder product I discovered by accident, it’s like spray on illuminate shimmer for the body. I use it for shoots all the time, it’s the secret to all the glowing skin you see in my work. I’ve been known to use an entire can at a time! Other products I love are – DiorShow Overcurl mascara, The Balm ‘Mary-Lou’ Minizer Illuminate Powder, Kylie Cosmetics Candy K Lip Kit, and Kat Von D Light and Shade Eye Palette. I also love a brow pencil, my top three are Eye of Horus Brow Definer, Benefit Brow, and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Arch Definer. 
ModelCo Shimmer Airbrush Illuminiser, $24
P: How do you look after your hair?
B: My hair has been in rehab ever since my stint with pastel pink colour last year. I’m naturally very dark brown, and all the bleaching involved REALLY damaged my hair. It basically snapped off a few inches from the roots, and still hasn’t completely recovered – although I’m nearly there! I just want my long hair back! All I can say is, thank god for my friend and hairdresser Iggy (and all of his hair extensions!) – he has kept me looking respectable despite having the worst hair for the last 12 months.
If my hair feels a bit dry, I’ll use Olaplex as a treatment. I haven’t found any others that don’t weigh my hair down to a degree. I find that simply shampooing and conditioning works best for me, although I do have some styling products that work wonders. Kerastase Paris Nectar Thermique has been an absolute essential in my routine, I put it in after every wash and it leaves my hair feeling super soft and smooth when I blow dry it. I also use Wella Enrich, it’s a leave-in moisturiser and I just put a blob on my hand, rub it through and style as usual.
Because my hair is stuck at this bob/lob length, I use hair extensions a lot. I have a drawer full of clip-ins, tape-ins and fake ponytails! I love that I can switch up my look with them, giving me an alternative to short hair every now and then. The only trick with them is you have to have your hairdresser colour match them and cut them, so they look completely natural. 
Kerastase Paris Nectar Thermique, $48
P: What’s the best piece of beauty advice you’ve ever received?
B: Foundation is best blended with the fingers. People are so brainwashed by YouTube, they think that you HAVE to use a sponge or brush to apply foundation. The actual fact is that yes, it’s fine to use a brush or sponge to get the product on. But I always finish by softly running my fingertips across the foundation, because the natural warmth of your fingers blends it in and presses it into the skin better than anything else.
P: And what’s the one piece of beauty advice you’d want to give to people reading this interview?
B: I have four! Exfoliation is key to fresh, radiant skin. I swear by exfoliating as the foundation for great looking skin, and great looking makeup. Not scratch scrub-like exfoliants, I mean enzyme exfoliants without granules. They give a much deeper exfoliation.
Also – fix your skin. If you have an uneven skin tone, sun-damaged, or problematic skin, invest in an IPL or Fraxel treatment. Fraxel honestly changed my skin a great deal. I had lots of pigmentation, and now it’s perfectly clear. It’s amazing.
Colour match your foundation – My pet hate is when people wear a foundation colour that is three shades too dark, because they want to look tanned. The result looks unnatural, and your best bet instead is to use self tan to bronze your skin first, or using a foundation that matches your actual skin tone, and then add bronzer for colour. Foundation shouldn’t be more than one shade darker than the colour of your skin at the time.
And finally – don’t mess with your hair. I’ve always had dark hair, and it got so boring that I bleached it and coloured it and made it pastel pink. It ruined my hair, and the road to recovery has been long and slow. Don’t take for granted what you have! If you feel like a colour change, wear a good quality pastel wig like the Kardashians do! All I want is my great hair back.