7 Australian creatives tell us what’s in their beauty cabinets
WORDS BY ISABELLA WIGHT
Your local beauty hit list.
I’ll admit it, I can be a pretty nosy person. This is both a good and bad quality, depending on the day. The bad parts are my finding out too much, constantly having to know everything and my incessant need to consume celebrity gossip.
The good part? I get the best recommendations. If I like an item someone’s wearing, using or consuming, I will ask for the explicit details. None of that “Oh, this old thing? I can’t even remember!” or “I just got it online”. We’re talking specifics, baby.
We like nosy people. Don’t be shy, head to our Beauty section for more.
I’ve had everything from club bathroom lipstick notes (drunk people are usually pretty obliging, to be fair) to yoga class recommendations from a barista who just seemed particularly zen. Today, my nosiness is being used for the benefit of the greater good.
My cabinet was looking a little bare, so I asked seven Aussie creatives for their best local beauty finds. No wasteful hauls here – these products are considered, sustainable and totally cruelty-free.
Sophia Chowdhury, @everday.like.this
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I’m Sophia, a Bangladeshi-Australian digital marketer, stylist and content creator based in Naarm/Melbourne. For creatives like me, last year’s lockdowns forced us to look after ourselves and finally create a routine.
Having been diagnosed with vitiligo at 17, I’ve always been extra careful with how I look after my skin. Cairns-based Tropica Store put me on to an incredible face scrub that’s vegan, cruelty-free and sustainable. The Acure Brightening Facial Scrub is a dream!
Another amazing brand I discovered last year was Tasneem Cosmetics. There has been more talk about beauty being diverse recently, and having dipped into the beauty world myself, I discovered we still have a long way to go in Australia. But for every brand that leaves us out, there’s a badass who wakes up and decides to do it themselves.
Tasneem is a South Asian-owned multi-purpose nude brand made especially for people of colour. I love quick, durable products I can use in multiple ways, like the two-in-one lipsticks. I always keep one in my bag for quick touch-ups.
Maggie Zhou, @cultureclubpod
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Simple, effective and no-fuss skincare products are what I’m into at the moment. This Koéna cream is everything. Seriously.
Every single person in my immediate family has a tube of their own – we all swear by it. It’s perfect for sensitive skin and people who have eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. I use it as a face moisturiser, hand cream and occasional cleanser and mask. Oh, and Koéna is a social enterprise that donates 100 per cent of profits to community-based initiatives.
Emma Lewisham is a game-changing New Zealand beauty brand focusing on transparency, sustainability and high-performing, nature-driven ingredients. Its Skin Reset serum is the most effective product in treating the appearance of hyperpigmentation I’ve ever used. It will be an instant repurchase for sure.
Gelaene Moreland, @sheissimplywell
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One of my absolute favourite beauty products has to be Medik8’s White Balance Brightening Serum from the Victorian Dermal Group. I have only recently started using it and have already seen positive changes in my skin texture and complexion. Vitamin C is incredible for your skin!
My second recommendation would be my Rose Quartz Crystal Facial Roller from the Aussie brand Cleo Stones. I pop mine in the fridge and use it every morning – it wakes me up, stimulates my facial muscles and de-puffs.
My self-care time is sacred, so beautiful and beneficial products really make a difference in my routine.
Carli Alman, @thatbeautypodcast
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I’ve been trying a few of the Flavedo and Albedo products since receiving the press kit, and one of my favourites from the range is the High Glow – a creamy highlighter that gives a dewy, radiant finish and looks like a natural skin glow.
Even more than the formula and finish, I’m really into what the brand stands for (love makeup, hate plastic) and its colourful, fun and vibrant aesthetic. It goes to show eco-friendly beauty doesn’t have to be muted and neutral.
Emma Håkansson, @hakamme
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Most of the time, I want the skincare and any makeup I’m wearing to be simple. There are some days I love to get fancy, but it’s not so often anymore (I’m currently wearing no makeup and a flannie). Fluff is a Melbourne-based brand that I love. I chatted to one of the founders Erika Geraerts about the sheep industry and afterward, she reformulated the lip oil, prior to its launch, to be without lanolin, which comes from sheep glands.
Animal testing-free and vegan ingredients are two essential elements to anything beauty-related for me, so I love the lip oil and the bronzer. It’s so light, buildable, natural and warm.
Jasmine Wallis, @cultureclubpod
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My favourite product at the moment is Face Oil #1 from Fluff. I first found this Australian brand on Instagram about two years ago and finally bought some for myself a few months back. I use it around three times a week to brighten and soothe my skin.
It’s 100 per cent vegan jojoba oil and is non-comedogenic so it won’t clog my acne-prone skin. I’ll use it with a gua sha massage when my skin needs more attention and TLC.
Once a week, I also use the Go-To Skincare Removalist Kaolin Clay Mask. It calms down any redness and makes my skin feel cleared out and rejuvenated on a Sunday night. Plus, it smells like the throwback grape Lip Smacker – so delicious!
Amy Clark, @theamyclark
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I’m pretty loyal with my fragrances. When I find one I love, I stick with it until the bottle is empty (before adding it to my shrine of past perfumes).
My latest find is His/Her from Who is Elijah, a boutique Aussie fragrance brand that makes small batches of unisex scents using ethically conscious ingredients. You can watch videos on the brand’s Instagram of how they hand-fill the bottles in Sydney, which is why it can take a little longer for each fragrance to come back in stock when it sells out.
The scent is hard to describe, but let’s go with sultry and sensual, but still very clean, fresh and woodsy. The price is fairly affordable for a boutique fragrance, too at $145 for 100ml eau de parfum.
But here’s the kicker. Every time I’ve worn this scent, someone has come up to me and asked if I’m wearing a cult luxury fragrance with a $440 price tag (*cough* Le Labo *cough*).
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