If anyone knows the importance of an uplifting self-care ritual, it's Estée Lalonde.
As a bona fide multi-hyphenate – digital innovator, presenter and founder of much lauded bodycare brand Mirror Water are just a handful of her bow's strings – her time is precious.
Carving out a moment to decompress is imperative, hence reflection and relaxation forming the key pillars of her brand, but when it comes to everyday makeup, Estée is surprisingly speedy.
The Beauty Breakdown with… Estée Lalonde
Her Beauty Philosophy
Estée's daily makeup routine is streamlined, "quick and simple" in her own words.
"Firstly, I’m always in a rush and secondly, I love a fresh and clean makeup look," she explains. "Most days I go for a glowy base, a groomed brow and a 'my-lips-but-better' nude."
A self-confessed "skincare addict", she is very diligent with her routine. Aside from topical creams, Estée also rates cryotherapy tools, in particular Rose Inc's Cooling Spheres. "I don’t use them every day but I notice such a difference when I do. They depuff and really contour my face."
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"I do love to be a bit more experimental with my lip choice if my outfit is quite simple."
Glow is one of Estée's primary beauty goals, hence why she incorporates vitamin C and hyaluronic acid into her regime every day, without fail.
"I'm very strict with my skincare routine," she admits. "I never skip my morning and evening skincare routines and that makes a huge difference to how makeup looks."
Her must-have morning skincare steps are as follows:
- Cleanser
- Essence
- Vitamin C
- Serum
- Eye Cream
- Moisturiser
- SPF 50
- Lip Balm
Eschewing foundation in the daytime allows Estée to focus on dewiness and radiance. Her go-to base comprises of Lisa Eldridge's Elevated Glow Highlighter in the shade 'Crystal Nebula' with Glossier's Stretch Concealer, "super lightweight and perfect for days when you want a barely-there look", layered over the top to balance out any redness.
"I'm not a huge foundation lover. I like to let my natural skin show through and spot conceal. If I want more coverage, I'll go for something like Armani Beauty's Neo Nude Glow Foundation – glowy, not too heavy, more like a tinted moisturiser which I love. If I'm trying to cover a blemish I use something a bit more opaque like Kosas' Revealer Concealer."
"I get my brows threaded and tinted which completely changed the way I felt about my brows. I really recommend visiting Blink Brow Bar and listening to the advice they give for your best brows yet. I have blonde hair, so tinting them a bit darker helps with definition. It always amazes me that eyebrows make such a difference to your overall face. I love Refy's Brow Sculpt and I genuinely can't remember what I used to use before it came into my life. It has great hold and I am just such a fan of the brand."
"I love Merit Beauty's Solo Shadows because they are super lightweight and I adore their cream-to-powder finish. I also love that it doesn't crease which is a common downfall with many cream shadows. I also use my bronzer or blush as eyeshadow sometimes, really convenient and quick and means that your makeup looks seamless."
"I never miss blush and I find it gives life to the face. My current favourite is the RMS ReDimension Hydra Powder Blush in the shade 'Crystal Slipper'.
"My favourite nude gloss at the moment is Saie's Glossybounce in the shade 'Dip'. It is honestly one of the best nude glosses I've ever tried – the colour is just perfect."
"I love a dewy look, meaning I don't tend to go hard with setting powders, but that's not super helpful when hoping for a long-lasting look. I do love a setting spray such as Charlotte Tilbury's Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray. It gives staying powder without making your skin look dull or dry."
"I try to remove my makeup as soon as possible. As much as I love applying it in the morning, there is nothing better than taking it off at night."
"I love using a cleansing balm and a warm flannel to remove the majority of my makeup. After that I'll go in with a micellar water and cleanse one more time. I want to make sure my skin is super clean before I go in with my serums."
"I love Retinol at night, but I think my biggest tip to prep your skin for makeup is to make sure your skin is exfoliated and hydrated. Once a week I like to use an AHA mask followed by a deep hydration mask. I'm a bit of a skincare addict!"
"I love trying new things so if something strikes my fancy, I will definitely give it a go!"
"I'm pretty low maintenance most of the time, so when I do have an event I do try to switch it up a bit. I tend to keep my base the same, but either amp up the lips or eyes."
"I tend to choose pinky-nudes a lot of the time because I feel they complement my skin tone the best."
"However, I do love to be a bit more experimental with my lip choice if my outfit is quite simple. I love the red collection by Refy and my favourite way to wear a bold lip is to blot it on like a lip balm and keep the rest of my makeup very clean."
"For creating a smokey eye, I'm a lover of cream shadows because everyone can use them. My go-to at the moment is from Merit. It's also handy to keep these things in your bag in case your day turns to night by surprise!"
Quick-Fire Beauty Questions…
Which makeup trends or techniques are you currently obsessed with?
"I'm not one for trends, but I do really love the fake tan freckles. I have natural freckles, so I don't need to do it, but I love that freckles are getting their moment in the spotlight."
Which is the most common makeup mistake that you see and how can it be avoided?
"This is controversial, and I believe that everyone should do their makeup how they want to, but I think it's a mistake to wear heavy foundation. I know it's a trend these days, but natural skin is so beautiful, and I wish younger girls would believe that!"
Are there any beauty hacks or time-saving tips you can share for busy mornings?
"If you’re running late, keep it simple. Use concealer to cover any blemishes or redness, add blush, do your brows and curl your lashes. Lip balm on the way out!"
Which multitasking makeup products do you find particularly useful?
"I love using cream blushes everywhere. Cheeks, lips, eyes, nose etc. I think they are so versatile and when used in multiple areas on the face and they can really create harmony in a makeup look."
How do you adjust your makeup routine for different seasons or weather conditions?
"I love to adapt eyes and lips to suit different seasons. I suppose my base also changes too simply because I'm not the hugest fan of wearing heavy makeup in the summer. I think wearing deeper berry tones in the winter is so stunning, classic and chic and in the summer, I tend to strip it back completely and go a bit heavier on the bronzer and highlighter."
Which upcoming beauty products or trends are you excited to try in your routine?
"As you can probably tell I love Refy and swear by pretty much everything they bring out, so I am excited to see what's next from them. I also love Saie and Tower 28 products, so I am excited to add some more of their products to my routine. I love trying new things so if something strikes my fancy, I will definitely give it a go!"