Natalia Kindler On Leaving Corporate Life For The World of Wellness

“My hair has a natural curl, which I get from my mamma and our Spanish and Chilean heritage.

These days I usually just let my hair dry naturally, and perhaps once a week I will blow dry it myself. Styling it is one of those things where the effort just feels too much, so I try to wear it naturally as much as possible.

I have found a fabulous ‘clean’ brand, Végétalement Provence, which is from the south of France and is both chic and great for my hair. I like to visit their salon in Redfern.

I am currently transitioning my skincare to mostly natural products.

I recently had a facial at Onda Beauty in Paddington, and the therapists helped me develop my new regime. What they have taught me combined with what I am learning through my studies towards my Diploma of Holistic Wellness has made me extraordinarily mindful of what I put on my skin.

I get very overwhelmed with beauty advice, whether it be from magazines, websites, or social media – there is just so much out there. Having oily skin and also having a keen interest in using natural products has made me eager to seek out more tailored skincare advice.

During the day I use the Odacité Clogged Pores Serum Concentrate.

I double cleanse at night with La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel. This is one of the products I still want to replace with something natural, but that’s been a slow process. My skin is sensitive, so I need to ensure each change I make to my routine works before going onto the next. After cleansing I spritz with organic rose water – my skin loves this step. It’s calming, hydrating, and reduces inflammation. I use eye cream religiously and have done since I was 19. This is also a step that I want to transition to a natural product, but for now I am using Jan Marini Transformation Eye Cream.

Every second night I use one of my current favourite products, Kristina Holey + Marie Veronique Intensive Repair Serum. I have challenges with uneven skin texture, and this serum has helped with that. On the nights when I don’t use that serum, I alternate between KM Bespoke Skincare Power C Active Oil and the same Odacité serum I use in the mornings. I particularly like this one as it contains a special blend of pure essential oils to help manage oil production and blemishes.

If it’s a special occasion I will wear makeup, but only a little bit. I’ve not yet found the right natural makeup products for me; I’m sure I will in time, but it’s a journey!

Currently I love Chanel Les Beiges Eau de Teint Water Fresh Tint – it’s super lightweight and gives a nice dewy, translucent skin finish. After using that as my base, I’ll pop on a little bit of cream blush from Chanel Palette Essentielle and add some Chanel Baume Essentiel Multi-Use Glow Stick in Golden Light as my bronzer. I like to use my fingers to warm up and blend makeup that has these sorts of finishes, as I think that helps to give a very natural effect. Then I add Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara and my usual eyebrow and lip products: Benefit 24-Hour Brow Setter Invisible Brow Gel and Lanolips 101 Ointment.

I meditate every morning as soon as I wake up, then I do some yoga, Pilates, a spin class, or go for a walk by the ocean. I am actually going to move to the beach soon so that I can do that walk every day!

After my exercise I make my morning smoothie, and while I’m doing that I like to cleanse my home with essential oils and incense.

I’m very simple with day to day makeup, in that I don’t wear any! I might put some on once a month for a special occasion, but otherwise all I do for an average day is groom my eyebrows with Benefit 24-Hour Brow Setter Invisible Brow Gel, and nourish my lips with Lanolips 101 Ointment.

When it comes to fashion, my mantra is effortlessly chic. I like neutral tones and go for timeless, classic pieces.

I basically do all of my shopping online at Matches Fashion and love tonal outfits, especially from my favourite designers like Chanel and Balenciaga. There are some Australian designers that I love, though my favourites change seasonally.

My husband was always an inspiration to me, having turned his passion for photography into a career, and it is a joy for both of us that we were able to come together and co-found dualism and dualism studio.

I started working in finance when I was 19, and had a hard few years discovering what it was that I really wanted to do. I then fell into communications in my early twenties and stayed there for a decade before I found myself needing more.

Being a business owner gives you freedom, it’s a creative outlet, and the sky is the limit. What no one told me is that when you transition from being an employee, there is a lot of fear and self-doubt. I had to work through this a lot in my first year of running a business, and still do sometimes, but I now know that real success is never without some fear.

I make sure to move every day, whether it’s with yoga, Pilates, spin, or walking.

Yoga is my primary exercise, which I do at Body Mind Life with Noelle Connolly. I also do Fluidform Pilates with Kirsten King, Soho Inspired Body with Dee Mellas, and spin at Shelter with Tirrell Cherry. I practice yoga about four times per week, Pilates twice, do one session of spin and walk as much as I can.

I believe there is a lot we can learn from Eastern (particularly Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine) and Western herbal medicine, and try to incorporate elements of these traditions into my daily routine. Every day I dry body brush and then slather my body with cold pressed jojoba, lavender and coconut oil, which is an Ayurvedic Tridoshic product from Yogibeings in Paddington.

I get facials every six to eight weeks to support my skin, and every month I get a full body massage from a great masseur that comes to my place.

I recently had an Onda Beauty Pure Renewal Facial and it was just heaven. It felt so supportive and nourishing; it was a wonderful experience and will definitely be going back. I have an upcoming facial at Luna Beauty and Apothecary which I am very excited about. It will be with Fay Halkitis, who focuses on combining naturopathic skin health with traditional beauty therapy, which suits my philosophy to a tee.

I eat a nutritionally balanced diet and include organic food as much as possible.

I actually get a lot of my recipes from the JSHealth app, or I just make things up myself. I cook most of the meals that I eat to ensure they are healthy, nutritious, and use good quality (preferably organic) ingredients.

Each day, I am looking for five cups of vegetables, one to two pieces of fruit, and plenty of complex carbohydrates and protein. I don’t always rely on meat for protein, and like to include vegan sources like legumes or grains. I also ensure I eat good fats, particularly omega-3s which are anti-inflammatory, and like to get those from flax and chia seeds.

I am a supplement queen! I take many different ones, but each has been recommended to me by my naturopath, as suggested by blood and other tests I’ve had done (such as saliva tests for cortisol levels).

Daily I take EPA/DHA (fish oil), iron, magnesium, zinc, and calcium. I also take herbs, and use ashwaganda and licorice for adrenal support, and sometimes passionflower and lemon balm for my nervous system.

I’m constantly trying new beauty supplements on the market to see what I like, and what works.

In life, we always want to be progressing forward, building upon what we have laid before, and over time I have come to see that it’s not as easy or as smooth as that.

I am currently (and for the first time in my life) experiencing grief. I haven’t really talked about it too much yet, but what I can say is, wow. The experience of grief is one of the most challenging aspects of life to deal with. It’s a major reset: I’ve found that you reassess everything and hopefully learn through the process. What I hear from others is that when you come out the other side of feeling the initial loss, you are a more compassionate person, with a completely new perspective on life and what is truly important.”

Story by Zoe Briggs. Photography by Tim Kindler for dualism.