Inside The Beauty Cupboards of Our Fave Aussie Designers, Part One

“My beauty cupboard is ridiculous…

…I pulled out this other box that was in my laundry and I found honestly like 100 products that I forgot I’d put in there. I’m actually obsessed with this one mascara – ModelCo Fat Lash. For my face I change foundations a lot, from Armani to Chanel to Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder a lot. I use Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector, the pearl one, on my cheek up to my temple, but then I use a smaller brush to just use the same Nars bronzer in my eye socket. For lips I love Tom Ford lipstick or Paw Paw ointment.”

I’ve been avoiding sun.

No matter what, especially through winter, I use the Ella Baché Great Facetan Without Sun on my face, you can put it on in the morning before you put on your make up and it acts as a little bit of a foundation. Or you can apply some the night before and you wake up looking like you’ve been to Bali. It’s a very natural glow, and doesn’t go orange. Sometimes I use tan on my body, but rarely, I’d like to be more tanned, but the reality is I don’t have time.

I like using Aesop Resurrection Hand Soap on my legs, just with a loofah, the smell is really beautiful. And Egyptian Magic is my favourite. My boyfriend puts it on his face.

“Rose is good for the heart…

…so I love anything with rose essential oil. I use an Aveda rose oil on my face and for everything else I go to Mecca. That’s where I stock up. I get the Diptyque perfume, I wear Rose or Fig and I love the Diptyque candles. I’ve also got a wonderful new moisturiser I’ve started to use from Mecca with rose essence. I love Aesop as well, they use rose quite a bit. It’s divine, and Aesop do great oils. I like all natural products. I use a Clarins toner and cleanser, as I’m all about hydrating products.”

I think cheek stains are really good.

Benefit does good ones. A trick I leant was from a place in Soho in London that was a theatrical makeup place, they did a product very similar to Benefit’s. Because obviously for the ballerinas, they need those rosy cheeks that are quite long lasting because they’re dancing. So that was a little trick I learnt, going to the theatrical makeup place in Soho and getting their cheek stain. I love using colourful makeup and I love Nars for their eye shadow colour combinations. MAC is good too, it’s just the best shop. I can do my own makeup – I never spend too long on it but I’ll do grey [eyeshadow], turquoises, petrol blues and cobalts.”

I keep my skin care super basic.

I use a little La Prairie Foam Cleanser to remove the little makeup I have on throughout the day. For a moisture hit, I’ll use Resultime by Collin Harris Lipid Replenishing Cream. It’s quite indulgent and great in colder months. Eva Karpati put me onto it, I often visit her for a facial. She has some amazing machines that help to tighten everything and get rid of pigmentation, amazing! I also recently tried a moisturiser from an olive oil estate, it’s called Petra. They have a line of creams full of extra virgin olive oil – perfect for super dry skin.”

When my hair frizzes up on a humid day I love my Cloud Nine straightener to settle it down.

And then I might tong it if I’m going out, just for some messy texture. For shampoo and conditioner, I love the French brand Klorane. It’s great for blondes. I also use Aveda products, their shampoo and conditioner is really beautiful – I’m obsessed with the Daily Hair Repair. Original and Mineral is another brand that’s high on shower rotation.”

I do the same beauty thing
every day.

It’s just Paw Paw, a light cream foundation, strong brows and loads of mascara. But in terms of skin, I just moisturise. I’ve only just started getting into the regime. I go to The Clinic – I LOVE The Clinic, they’ve helped maintain my skin. I get IPL, Blueberry Peels and then all their products.

My hair is grey – I was very grey early.

I dye my roots once a week – that gives it the fullness. And then peroxide the rest. I do the tinting of my roots at home, and then every five to six weeks Brad Ngata does the full thing – he has been my hair guy for 12 years – he’s also my counsellor!

I go to bed with wet hair.

And that’s why it has that volume. So when I go to sleep, I lift it up backwards. Then I just use dry shampoo. I use Batiste, Moroccan Oil, all the dry shampoos – I change them, that’s why I have a lot of products! I like to mix it up.

For makeup I wear YSL Le Teint Encre De Peau.

It’s light and makes your skin feel like silk. I combine this with its little friend, the Touche Eclat. I do a little cheekbone contour, but I use the same colour on my eyes as well so it’s really simple. I’m currently using Diorshow mascara, and Great Lash is still a ’70s cult classic favourite.

I play by the rule of either a lip or an eye but never both.

I’ll use Nars Kohliner and colour in between the lashes and smudge it with a brush and then do a nude lip. I do love a red lip but always with a natural eye.

I like to combine fragrances…

…which would make most noses on perfumers turn. On my wedding day I combined Jo Malone fragrances, the Red Roses and the Fig. I do a figure of eight – one in front, one in the back – so when you walk in you get a different scent to when you leave. I wear the Aesop Marrakesh; I’m drawn to its raw androgynous blend of oriental woody and floral fragrances. The Herve Domar we found in Paris and now stock in our own stores. I love the unusual blends of mandarin, almond, rose heart and sandalwood.