Kirsten Carriol, Lanolips

“With beauty I try to look like myself, but better.

My approach is multi purpose and multi task. I pick one thing to focus on – for me its the eyes, and pare back everything else. Every morning I wash my face in the shower with Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser. Once out of the shower I will give my face and lips a firm rub over with a towel while my skin is still damp, to exfoliate any dead skin. If my body is dry I use Lanolips Buttermilk to give my skin a protective layer or I’ll use a light layer of Clarins Hydraquench. For work I use a mix of Clarins BB Cream and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, which together gives a fine, matte coverage with SPF protection. If I want more coverage I’ll use Laura Mercier Foundation Oil-Free and Moisturising Foundation with a drop of St Tropez Wash Off Bronzer for the Face to give my skin a glow.

I cover blemishes with my own concealer,

which I make by drying down my Laura Mercier Oil Free foundation to a pastey consistency, and applying with a concealer brush (this technique creates the perfect match for your skin). Next, winged eyeliner. At the moment I love the Clarins Three Dot liner, which I can also use to blend the edges into the lash line very finely.  I then use a mascara, cream cheek colour or bronzer to contour the cheeks. The last thing I will do is a really basic lip (at the moment I’m using my Banana Balm) but if I go into a meeting I’ll add more drama and colour with a Laura lipstick.

I use a lot of Laura Mercier as I worked with her years ago when she toured here, and she gave me so many personal tips. I have never stopped using her products, they are incredible.

When my boys were babies I discovered…

the joys of unscented nappy wipes – they are the best night time makeup removers. They are a little textured, so exfoliate a little and the lack of moisture and fragrances means they don’t irritate my eyes and leave my face squeaky clean. Once a week I’ll also swipe over with Noxema Wipes for a deeper clean. I don’t like to over wash or over scrub as I think it can strip skin of healthy natural oils. Then I’ll either use a mix of a few drops of my Herbal Body Oil and a ROC Retinol Correxion Serum, or a few drops of a Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster to give my skin a touch of colour the next day. Most of the signs of aging is about skin hydration, so I really focus on getting that right the most, with a touch of vitamin A.

Every night Ill do my three step 101 Ointment – thick layer on lips, layer on cuticles and nails and then I’ll pat the remainder under the eyes.

My hair is really fine…

So I can’t do much with it, except keep it healthy and shiny. After I get my colour done at Belinda Jeffrey’ssalon I always do a VO5 Hot Oil in the morning to recover all the lost oils and get the condition back into my hair.  I still haven’t found anything that works as well as good old VO5!

After a shower I wrap my hair in a microfibre hair towel to dry away most of the moisture, so by the time I get to the office its pretty much always dry. I use a Batiste dry shampoo or Fudge Volumiser Hair Powder to give it some volume and fluff it up if I’m going out, and use a curling cone to give it body for special nights. I also use O&M Atonic Thickening Spritz before blowdrying.

My nails are naturally thin and brittle like my hair. I fight the case for the naked nail! Toe nails are a different matter, I get monthly gel manicures, so they are always ready for open-toed shoes. I go to Jocelyn Petronionce in a while for a facial – her magic fingers do help me relax and give my skin some TLC.

People tell me my look is polished…

I don’t feel this way, but I guess I have become pretty good and quick at doing my makeup well, fast. I like simple glamour. My clothes end up being quite graphic, stripes, spots, colour blocking, because it’s a simple easy way to make an impact with one or two pieces, when I don’t have time for accessories much any more.

I’m lucky I inherited a good figure from my mother, so I make the most of that while I have it. I keep active daily, running around with the kids is my best exercise.  I can skate board (a bit) now! I always have breakfast – high fibre cereal and Nudie juice, and coffee. I really need the kickstart in the morning. For lunch it’s a simple sandwich or soup and then for dinner lots of pasta, homemade bolognese and fresh Mediterranean-inspired foods. I take Iron and Vitamin C because I’m prone to anaemia. It makes me feel amazing when my iron levels are at the right level.

I was always a major beauty junkie.

I studied marketing at university and then I went to work in advertising and PR for cosmetics brands. It was like a whole new world, I was a kid in a candy shop!
After 10 years I kind of overdosed on too much beauty and realised that nothing had really worked as well for me in terms of moisturisation as the lanolin I used growing up, so I decided to develop my own sentimental-luxury lanolin brand.

My father, who is a Professor of Genetics and my maternal grandparents, who are farmers, were a big inspiration. The marriage of the no-nonsense farm-style upbringing with the basic science of the human body and DNA was (and still is) the heart and soul of my brand. My in-laws are also in cosmetic distribution which gave me the ultimate base to be able to realise the dream… But even with those advantages, it still took six years of research and development and a heap of hard work to get it there. I love getting emails from happy customers when our products have helped, especially when they have specific skin or health conditions.  I love hearing about people enjoying their lanolin again, it really is nature’s most perfect moisturising ingredient.”

Interview by Sigourney Cantelo; Photography by Jake Terrey; Makeup by Desiree Wise; Hair by Paloma Rose Garcia.