One of the country’s best-loved personalities, Kate Ritchie, is just as lovely in person as you’d hope her to be. And she hasn’t changed. I remember interviewing her when I was a cadet journalist on TV Week and she was Sally Fletcher on Home and Away – she was very kind and patient with me as I nervously put her through what I’m sure was a pretty pedestrian line of questioning! Over fifteen years later and she’s now at the top of her game in another industry – warming up our afternoon drive on Nova with Kate, Tim and Marty. Since we shot Kate for Beauticate last year, she’s been named as the face of QV Skincare so I was keen to catch up with her again and hear how her beauty routine has evolved, the tips and tricks she lives by and find out about the game-changing beauty treatment she swears by.
“On a perfect day I will wake and creep downstairs before the rest of the house does.
I plan my part of our drive time radio show and will try to get to the gym. I am live on air with Nova’s Kate, Tim & Marty each weekday between 4-6pm so I’m most productive before my daughter wakes and I try to exercise and work then. In fact, I’m often planning the show and emailing from the treadmill most mornings!
I use QV Face Gentle Foaming Cleanser followed by the Intensive Moisturising Cleanser. Using soap free products that are high in glycerin really do my skin wonders. If I have time to wash and blowdry/dripdry I will use either a Goldwell shampoo or a great product I’ve discovered for my much blonder hair these days which is Oribe. Then it’s a lathering of QV Skin Lotion, which is an absolute must every time I leave the house. If I have a bit of a lazy day at work I’ll try to pop in a leave in hair treatment.
After Mae was born I became much more aware of the products I was using…
And made a conscious decision to be more kind to my skin. I had always heard good things about QV, I knew the company had a long history here in Australia helping people with sensitive and problematic skin and then I stumbled upon a 2 for 1 deal on QV Gentle Wash in the pharmacy one day, so when QV approached me about a possible ambassador role I felt a lovely sense of confidence in already knowing and loving the product.
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Almost two years ago now someone talked me into having by brows feathered.
The process may not be pleasant on the day but it really is one of the best choices I have made beauty wise. I prefer to wear as little makeup as possible on most days and I find a defined brow allows me to do just that. A coat of mascara, a hint of cream blush and concealer if needed and I can pass.
Two pieces of sound skin advice that have served me well over the years…
1) Don’t pick your spots and 2) Always, always, always remove makeup (especially mascara) thoroughly before falling into bed – no matter how many glasses of champagne you may have had! QV Face Cleansing Wipes are great for removing makeup, I love using them because they’re very gentle and don’t irritate my skin.
I have never been a follower of exercise fads – they rarely work long term.
My body (and mind) tells me what it needs so my job is to listen to it and go from there. Cardio has always been best for my mind as it always leaves me feeling invigorated and Pilates has been the best for my body. When it comes to diet discoveries… Long ago it became apparent that salt, bread and butter weren’t doing me or my waistline any favours. But for the most part I try to ignore that fact and consume them all in moderation for the purposes of my soul!
My favourite place to beautify is in my bed at home!
A solid, restful sleep that doesn’t involve checking Instagram at 2am is surely the best beauty treatment around. If, I am venturing out of the house my stops are Geegee Brows for the upkeep of my brows, Perry at Pretty Bird for necessary waxing and Skin Clinic Blyss for the odd bit of pampering that isn’t DIY.
The air conditioning at work means I have to be more aware of hydration all year round.
QV Shower Milk is a busy mum’s lifesaver! This product is for use in the shower and acts like an in-shower moisturiser. If I’m in a rush and don’t have time to put lotion all over my body and wait for it dry, I use this while showering and it keeps my skin feeling soft and smooth. I also take the QV lip balm and a tube of QV Face Revitalising Eye Cream to work which I apply at intervals throughout my radio shift and really the notice the difference when I don’t. The studio aircon is far less damaging to my skin than standing on Palm Beach in the sun or wind and rain for 12 hours though – so I am counting my lucky stars for now.”
