Top Three: Author and content creator Flex Mami shares her holy grail beauty products
WORDS BY CAIT EMMA BURKE
“I don’t often do brand loyalty, but I always have dry lips.”
I’m a notoriously nosy person when it comes to products. I want to know whether you double cleanse at night and if so, which cleansers you use. I want to know if there’s some special hair contraption or pair of tweezers that have (hyperbole warranted) changed your life. I want to know what curl definer you use and which lip balm you swear by.
But my interest in products doesn’t just pertain to the world of beauty – I’m always eager to hear about an air fryer that someone loves so much they’ve convinced their entire extended family to get one, or a laptop stand that’s corrected their posture and improved their quality of life by at least 25 per cent.
Want to snoop inside the beauty regimes of other creatives? Head here.
In short, I adore products. This is why I’ve asked some of our favourite Australian creatives for their top three beauty products, AKA the products they simply cannot live without. Joining us this week is author, content creator, podcaster, TV host (what doesn’t she do??), Flex Mami. When I told her that the premise of this series is finding out what creatives’ holy grail/desert island beauty products are, ever the pragmatist, she had some thoughts.
“I’m a firm believer that if I ever wound up on a desert island, I’d quickly renounce the need for any beauty or wellness product. The key to survival is not being in denial of your environment. Clinging on to the luxuries of a lifetime’s past will keep you in a perpetual state of anxiety. No! One! Is! Coming! To! Save! You! Or drop off your favourite moisturiser. The sooner you start exfoliating your heels with sand and searching for an aloe vera plant, the better.”
But seeing as we’re not actually on a desert island, she’s shared her most loved (and exceptionally moisturising) beauty products for us below.
Aquaphor Lip Repair
View this post on Instagram
How did you first discover this product?
Thankfully all of my nearest and dearest are certified Product Recommenders. I don’t often do brand loyalty, but I always have dry lips. More than five years ago, one of my best friends roasted me for using a rotation of popular lip balms that, by her standard, “Don’t work”. She said her holy grail was this Aquaphor Lip Repair and the only way I was going to get it was on our trips to LA for Coachella, or paying an obscene amount for shipping. I’ve dabbled in both since.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
It actually helps my lips feel juicy and hydrated. I’ve used far too many lip balms that just leave a film of moisture and residue on your lips for 23 minutes, then leave you more dry and cracked than when you started. I love it, but I also swap out my handbags daily, lose it and have to sub it out with whatever I can find on my kitchen island.
Where would you find it and who would you recommend it to?
I buy mine in bulk on iHerb. I recommend it to anyone who’s serious about moisturised lips and is willing to sacrifice aesthetics for efficacy.
Dermal Therapy Heel Balm Platinum
View this post on Instagram
How did you first discover this product?
Real ones know that heel care is the Expert Tier of a refined beauty routine. When you start taking good care of the oft-forgotten places, that means you’ve truly tapped into the essence of what it means to look after yourself. I found Dermal Therapy Heel Balm Platinum after realising that fortnightly pedicures just for a heel scrubbing aren’t economical or sustainable. Google saved me.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
It actually tackles extreme heel dryness and keeps the moisture in. No one tells you that a consequence of wearing mules daily is that your heels are exposed to the elements which equals dry, cracked skin. I use it straight after the shower every day, and I swear it prolongs the positive impacts of getting a pedicure.
Where would you find it and who would you recommend it to?
Chemist Warehouse. Anyone who wears any kind of open-toed shoe and wants to supplement their pedicure with more greatness.
Ever Sheen Cocoa Butter Cream
View this post on Instagram
How did you first discover this product?
Anyone born and raised in a Ghanaian household knows this product. I’ve had a skincare routine since childhood because my mum demanded that I moisturise to counteract dryness. It was a chore, but she was on to something because ashiness is so much more than a skin issue.
What is it, what does it do and why do you love it?
It’s an extremely moisturising, hydrating, thick and somewhat oily cream made to be used daily, if not multiple times a day. I didn’t know that full-body moisturising wasn’t a thing that everybody did, because I’m three decades into it. It does what it says it’s gonna do!! And I like the container.
Where would you find it and who would you recommend it to?
Welp, good luck. You can get it online for an extortionate price. Or for coins when you’re in Ghana.
You can keep up with Flex Mami here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
