Innholdsfortegnelse for June/July 2019 i ELLE Australia

THIS MONTH SEES the Australian women’s national soccer team kick off at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France. Whether you’re an avid football fan or not, you won’t want to miss cheering Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! (what else?) as the Matildas take on Italy, Brazil and Jamaica. In fact, your support is paramount. The games will inevitably play out against a conversation around sexism in sport in the wake of 28 members of the US women’s national team — the reigning World Cup champions — suing their governing body, US Soccer Federation, for “institutionalised gender discrimination”. We caught up with Matildas captain Samantha Kerr just days after the news broke at the launch of the Nike World Cup kit. Wise beyond her 25 years, she tells us (p60) that the key for women…

Sometimes you can’t go past a classic. Or in this case – a future classic. Fads come and go but black leather handbags by Saint Laurent are forever. The “YSL” detailing on the new Le 61 is a nod to the logomania trend without going to the hilt – it’ll still look good in six months, a year, two years… Let the bag work overtime by keeping the rest of the look simple – soft neutrals, breezy fabrics, all pulled together with a bold coral lip. Fresh.…

THERE IS SOMETHING REMARKABLY un-exciting about boots. They tend to feel more practical than stylish; a necessity rather than a joy-sparker; simple, neat and functional. This only serves to make the emergence of the un-boring slouchy boot all the more, well, exciting. A runway mainstay of Isabel Marant and Saint Laurent, the slouchy boot manages to possess the cool nonchalance of a Parisian magazine editor and the statement-making power of an Instagram It-girl. No surprise, then, that they are beloved by both. Linda Tol pops a bright white pair on with a denim boilersuit, Pernille Teisbaek goes for monochromatic grey from neck to pointed toe and Camille Charriere wears them in knee-skimming neutral leather, paired with a mini skirt. Slouchy boots are surprisingly versatile: under mid-length skirts, over coloured suiting,…

Elizabeth Gilbert’s new book, City Of Girls, may be out in June, but 2019’s true answer to Eat, Pray, Love comes from somewhere else entirely – Lydia Kiesling’s poignant debut novel, The Golden State. Daphne, an untethered young mother whose husband has been stuck in Turkey for eight months, decides to abandon her unfulfilling job, pack up her life and drive with her daughter, Honey, across California in their 1997 Buick LeSabre. When they reach the fictional Californian town of Altavista, Daphne makes friends with an array of locals, including the 92-year-old Alice, who is in the middle of a voyage of her own, and the women set off together, all in search of something different. Out July 2 ($29.99, Bloomsbury)…

IF YOU’RE LOOKING at Esther Perel to offer a quick fix for your relationship woes, you won’t get it. In a world where the answer to any question entering our minds (Which moment from childhood sparked my intimacy issues? Does crying to The National mean I should leave my partner?) is expected to be at our fingertips instantly, and we leave uncomfortable conversations on “read”, the beloved couples therapist offers no hard-and-fast rules, instead forcing us to hold up a  mirror and do the work ourselves. As Perel will tell you, “I don’t have answers, as in, ‘This is what you do.’ I do say, ‘This is how I think it works.’” Yet her pull is powerful. Between Perel’s 2013 TED Talk — on the all-too-familiar topic of waning desire…

CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP HUSTLE CULTURE’S GLORIFICATION OF THE GRIND IS A LIE WING SZE TANG NAOMI MDUDU KNEW THAT SOMETHING was wrong when no amount of sleep could take the edge off. As the boss of The Lifestyle Edit, a career-focused website for creatives, the former fashion editor had built a business coaching women founders and producing content for her platform and podcast all while splitting her time between London and New York — and her schedule felt as unrelenting as trying to keep pace on a treadmill. By late last year, Mdudu — newly pregnant, house hunting and wedding planning while still putting in long hours on her site — did something she feared would wipe away all her hard work: she handed the reins to her team…

BIANCA HARTGE-HAZELMAN has a personal reason for her work in fighting for women’s rights to equal pay and equal opportunity. “I grew up watching my mother struggle: she had one dress to her name; charities would deliver food hampers to us. It was horrible and I don’t want that for my children. I knew I wanted to give back.” She’s now in a position to do just that. Hartge-Hazelman is a former journalist for the Australian Financial Review and founder and editor of Financy, a women’s financial education platform she started after having the second of her now three daughters. She also created Financy’s Women’s Index, which tracks Australian women’s economic progress quarterly. “If you don’t track things, you can’t fix problems,” she says. “That’s why the Women’s Index came about.”…

FOR HIS SS19 LOUIS VUITTON SHOW, Nicolas Ghesquière commissioned set designer Es Devlin to construct a luminous, space-age tubular structure that made the cobblestone Cour Carrée feel like the inside of a spaceship. The effect was futuristic, but also strangely unmoored from time. It was like watching a show through a dream, or a void. The clothes shared the same fluidity: of the present and the past at once, with ’80s throwbacks alongside high-tech fabrics, space-suit sleeves and Memphis prints. Take the first look that Ghesquière sent out: Dominican model Ambar Cristal Zarzuela wearing a billowing blouson jacket in turquoise and tan with a pair of prim patent leather lace-up booties. It was part Mad Max heroine, part Victorian schoolgirl crossed with a Star Wars fighter pilot. It was 1900,…

“I take a full pouch of products on board for flights, but I’m never without my Slip silk eye mask, my Apple AirPods and Mecca Cosmetica lip balm.” 1. Eye Mask, $50, SLIP, sephora.com.au 5. AirPods, $229, APPLE, apple.com.au 11. Lip De Luscious, $28, MECCA COSMETICA, mecca.com.au “My kit always gets a great reaction as it looks super chic. Everything is organised into black-and-gold personalised pieces from The Daily Edited.” 2. Travel Case, $130, THE DAILY EDITED, thedailyedited.com “To achieve the appearance of skin that still looks natural, I  dampen a  Beautyblender and stipple foundation on.” 3. Beautyblenders, $30 each, BEAUTYBLENDER, sephora.com.au “My go-to cream contour and highlighter is by Tom Ford.” 4. Shade and Illuminate Intensity 01, $85, TOM FORD, sephora.com.au “I travel everywhere with my portable ring light.…

LASH IN A FLASH Magnetic lashes sound tricky, but the won’t-budge hold is worth the effort. Start by drawing the Magnetising Eyeliner along the lash line. Wait one minute before placing the Magnetic Lashes over the liner, wiggling them into place. Now go forth and flutter. Magnetising Eyeliner, $39.99, Magnetic Lashes in Willow, $15.99, both GLAM BY MANICARE, priceline.com.au H2GLOW A moisturiser is as essential to winter as cashmere and cocoa, and Chanel’s latest addition to the Hydra Beauty range does more than just pacify parched skin. The lightweight, fluid formula deeply replenishes the skin’s moisture levels, while also imparting an instant luminous veil on thirsty complexions. Apply after your morning serum and stash your foundation till spring. Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream, $94, CHANEL, 1300 242 635 STRAND SOOTHER Consider this new leave-in…

IT USED TO BE THAT people could get on with their daily cleanse, tone and moisturise without anyone batting an eyelid. But with improvements in research, the growth of social media and – let’s be honest – savvy marketing, skincare has become big business. Research by Cosmetics Europe shows that 74 per cent of makeup users now consider skincare their main aesthetic focus, and 37 per cent of women are shopping for dermatologist-recommended skincare. “Visits to the skincare section of our website are 60 per cent higher than last year,” says Kate Morris, CEO and founder of Australian e-tailer Adore Beauty. Data shows that customers are researching ingredients according to their individual skin type, with “retinol” and “vitamin C” now among Mecca’s top customer search terms. The hashtag #skincareaddiction – usually tagged…

ALTHOUGH MANY WOMEN consider feminine hygiene products to be a bathroom essential, they’re rarely displayed proudly on a vanity or styled for social media. Instead, a few choice items are stowed away at the back of a cupboard with the labels facing inward and concealed by several bottles of strategically-placed self-tanner. But intimate-care products are breaking ground and moving beyond the pharmacy aisles, claiming a larger – and prouder – place in the increasingly crowded wellness space. V-CARE 2.0 It’s 2019: wellness has truly infiltrated almost every aspect of our existence. We’re stirring powdered mushrooms into our matcha lattes, using jade rollers to apply plant-powered face serums and now we’re extending self-care to our nether regions. Once strictly the domain of mass supermarket brands, personal care and grooming is experiencing…

1. NUFACE X MECCA Trinity Facial Trainer Kit ($497, mecca.com.au) I got a NuFace toning device for Christmas. It’s meant to firm, tone and contour your face muscles using microcurrent technology. I  don’t know if it actually works, but I love announcing, “It’s time to do my facelift,” every night. 2. PASQUINI Hobby Coffee Machine (approx $1,073, pasquini.com) I love this machine as it’s sleek,  compact and makes a  super yummy espresso. 3. SQUATTY POTTY Squatty Slim Teak ($129.95, squattypottyaustralia.com) I believe we’re designed to squat when we poop. Sitting a conventional toilet can block our natural flow and cause strain. Resting your feet up is said to help you release quickly and completely to aid detox. Game changer. 4. OMEGA NC900HDC Premium Juicer and Nutrition System (approx $534, omegajuicers.com) I love…

CLEAR SKINCARE CLINICS Give your complexion a boost with the new Dermapen Skin Resurfacing treatment at Clear Skincare Clinics. The unique skin-needling technology stimulates collagen, resulting in firmer, plumper, rejuvenated skin. From $219, clearskincareclinics.com.au COINTREAU Cointreau has collaborated with the prestigious Design Laboratory at Central Saint Martins College in London for a limited edition bottle. It’s available from BWS and some independent retailers nationwide. $50, cointreau/com/au/en LASER CLINICS With experienced doctors and registered nurses, the cosmetic injectables team at Laser Clinics Australia provide a range of non-invasive treatments – from lip filler to anti-wrinkle injections – to suit your aesthetic objectives. laserclinics.com.au JOHN FRIEDA Strengthen lightened hair and protect it from future damage with John Frieda’s Go Blonder Lemon Miracle Masque. The BlondeMend technology restores hair fibres for a brilliant blonde without…

ALIA WILHELM @aliiiiia From working as a director’s assistant on the latest film adaption of the Jane Austen classic Emma, to creating a custom collage to illustrate “Press Play Like A Girl” on p64, no day is ever the same for this visual artist. On my playlist: The Normal People audiobook by Sally Rooney is a masterpiece. It captures the sorrow of everyday life so beautifully. On my reading list: I want to re-read all of Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novels and give Carl Jung’s stuff a whirl. On my to-do list: Starting my own line of duvets, pillows and bed sheets covered in my illustrations. On my wish list: I usually borrow books from the library, but one day I’d like to go to a bookshop and buy all of my favourites to keep…

“It ONLY TAKES a COUPLE OF INVESTMENT PIECES to MAKE this TREND YOUR OWN” SOME TRENDS ARE PREDICTABLE, given their connection to pop culture and world events. When Kim Kardashian and Yeezy made bike shorts a thing, they suddenly infiltrated the highly-respected runways of Fendi, Dior and Prada. Hillary Clinton spent the better part of a year lighting up our screens in pantsuits of various hues, then female suiting became all the rage. After the Blade Runner remake, futuristic fashion via tiny sunglasses and iridescent accessories appeared. It was a surprise, then, that the dominant trend of AW19 referenced a style worn by middle-to-upper-class Europeans in the 18th century known as the bourgeoisie. Rebellion to our reality-TV era? Response to our Netflix obsession with period dramas? Whatever the catalyst, we’re…

“I DIDN’T SAY I DISLIKED THE PHRASE ‘STREETWEAR’,” clarifies Yoon Ahn. “I said it has a different meaning now – it’s overused and thrown around to define anything casual.” Ahn is uniquely qualified to wax lyrical on the topic. Part of a  clique of fashion creatives that includes designers Virgil Abloh and Kanye West, she’s watched the explosion of streetwear firsthand, contributing with her highly-coveted fashion brand Ambush, which Ahn runs out of Tokyo with her husband, Young-Kee Yu (aka rapper Verbal). The label launched in 2008, selling punk-inspired jewellery that quickly attracted a cult following, with Jay-Z, Rihanna and Lady Gaga among them. Safety-pin bracelets, metallic crushed soda cans and alloy metal “peg” earrings are hallmarks of the brand. “I got into jewellery by looking at punk and club culture…

“FOR THIS SEASON… I pulled the directors and producers aside to come up with a really great game plan for Eleven. I’ve been working on her for nearly three years, so we’ve been evolving together. She’s like my baby! The thing I like about Eleven is how there’s no definition to her, it’s like she doesn’t have a personality yet. She’s constantly trying to figure herself out, and this season lets her do that — in a good way. She really tries to find herself.” “I’M 15 AND I ALREADY… have this work vision where I know exactly what I want. As soon as I read an email where somebody’s like, ‘There’s this movie about this young girl who has mental…’ I’m like, ‘Oh yep, that’s me, I need to…

Kate Atkinson’s photo of Ruth Baig, who lives in an aged home in Victoria, won the 2019 National Photographic Portrait Prize people’s choice award. “I admire her so much,” Atkinson says of her subject. It’s easy to see why: Baig was one of just two women studying science at Manchester University, and travelled solo around India in her thirties. Here, Atkinson shares three life lessons. RESPECT “[My nanna] was so smart, but as she got older, the way people talked to her changed … she was being spoken to like she was a fool. I’ve spent time in Aboriginal communities, and I see how the families all live together. Our elders are not as respected as they should be.” TIME “We just have one life, so we have to make…

“I GAME FOR THE FUN, THE STORIES AND THE SENSE OF COMPLETION.” “I got into video games through a friend, and they instantly held my interest.” “Games give me a euphoric joy and a sense of achievement.” When you lob the question “Why game?” to the 70,000-plus female gamers residing in the heart of the internet, aka Reddit (more specifically, r/GirlGamers), these types of tremendously positive responses are hit right back. On this forum, tips, tricks and hot takes are bookended with game techniques and innocent discussions about everything, from “Are you a better player with your bra on or off?” to “How many earrings have you lost from taking them out to put your headset on?” But this is just a relatively small pocket of women who love an…

SET BOUNDARIES Set expectations about out-of-hours emails when you start a job. Too late for that? Sarah Vermunt, author of Career Rookie, says to respond with “‘I’ll get right on this in the morning.’ That way your boss won’t expect an immediate response.” GET THEM ON YOUR SIDE Vermunt’s “help me help you” strategy is perfect for when “you don’t want to seem like a  slacker but you don’t want to work all weekend”. Say: “I  have a lot of projects, what would you like me to prioritise?” FOLLOW THROUGH If you say you’re going to do — or not do — something, stick by it, says Vermunt. “You can’t just set boundaries — you have to maintain them, which means staying strong when you get a little pushback.”…

1. “Take a bit of time out to familiarise yourself with your financial situation,” says Hartge-Hazelman. “In the past, I’ve ripped up statements before looking at them, but you’ve got to face up to it.” 2. “Set yourself a financial goal – you might want to start small by investing $500.” 3. “Use the Women’s Index to assess yourself against its key areas, particularly education (this doesn’t just need to be formal; it could be having a mentor), work (what’s your career progression? If you’re happy there, will that job be there for you in five years? If not, where do you want to go?), leadership (if you want to be a leader, how will you get there?) and wealth (check your super, learn about investing). Your money gives you power…

IN HER NATURE Enter cosy new territory in flippy skirts, lived-in sweaters and preppy details worn with no restraint. FANCY FOOTWORK ‘Cos layering shouldn’t stop at your clothing. ACTION FIGURE Hike-ready lycra, feather-light dresses and retro-inspired spray jackets mean you’re always ready for adventure. BOOT CAMP Go big, black and flat or go home.…

LANA DEL REY has an impressive following within the ASMR community. Thanks to the singer’s signature breathy speaking voice, her recorded interviews have been spliced together to make sensory compilations that are admittedly difficult to turn off. So should you ever find yourself on the phone with her, prepare to enter a state of total, uninterrupted Zen. “I was going to create my own fragrance just for fun,” says Del Rey in her characteristically captivating tone when we reach her in LA. “Literally the next week, Gucci asked me to be the face of theirs, so I took it as a sign.” The new iteration of Gucci Guilty, called Pour Femme, is more complex than the original while still maintaining the sense of playfulness the Italian brand is known for.…

WASHING YOUR HAIR can often feel like one of life’s biggest burdens. Just like wrestling with autocorrect or organising your tax return, it requires time, energy and a whole lot of mental stamina. But in the end, you always do what’s best for your hair, right? Well, maybe not. It turns out your locks may be dreading the wet, wash and dry process as much as you are. That’s because your strands are made up of keratin, which is protected by a natural biome layer to defend the hair’s inner cortex against water, heat damage and other environmental stressors. With each wash, that protective layer is stripped away, which means the keratin absorbs water and the hair becomes weak and susceptible to damage. “When hair is wet, strands stretch and…

THE ONE FROM WHICH YOU’LL RETURN A BETTER PERSON: SIX SENSES One of the latest openings in Fiji is also its most eco-conscious: the new solar-powered outpost from the luxe Six Senses group, situated on Malolo Island. With a rainwater tank, reverse osmosis plant and composting system, plus a huge on-site herb, fruit and veggie garden, the property is hyper-sustainable by resort standards, resulting in a guilt-free stay. Embrace the ethos and be your best self, with some morning yoga, a hike to the island’s highest point, surfing lessons or even an excursion spent planting coral. As always with a Six Senses property, the spa is a highlight, and its holistic approach to “integrated wellness” will mean your post-holiday glow lasts a  little longer than a few hours into the…

CARDI BE No longer reserved exclusively for trackie time, the cardigan has graduated to fully-fledged fashion piece in a medley of colour, print and texture. Button up. THE SWING OF IT We’re embracing a blast from the past and looking forward through spidery lashes. Option: team them with a Twiggy-esque line in the crease. Blame Lucy Boynton. POTATOES 2.0 Our favourite foodie Instas are heralding the return of the humble baked potato, and we want in. Brush up on the lingo (the best variations are “Dutch creams” and “hasselbacks”), and perfect your own version with guidance from chef Dan Hong (@hongsta_gram) who cooks his in clarified butter and Sydney restaurant Ester (@ester_au) who woodfire theirs. Then read Laura Goodman’s ode via her cookbook Carbs for permission to proceed. AUNTY ELAINE Former magazine editor and…

Play with scale and unexpected layers. A dress over pants is the new-season pairing. Risqué backless cut-outs put a feminine twist on traditional tartan. A burst of colour – think a cherry-red shopper or turtleneck – adds new dimension to head-to-toe pattern. Triple-plaid is the new double-denim – go for varying print sizes in a single colour scheme. Texture is key. Faux croc on nubby tweed gives new life to neutrals.…

TWO FOR ONE Street-style star Yasmin Sewell has us fully reconsidering the dress-with-pants pairing. Best served via loose silhouettes. AS WE SETTLE INTO THE WINTER MONTHS, it’s  tempting to forgo style and focus solely on practical matters like staying warm and avoiding rained-on hair.  But to do so would be a  mistake. This season, the bountiful offering of personality-laden and practical fashion is so strong it will banish bad weather blues and inspire your best-dressed self. WEAR IT WITH… Weave in pieces with bowerbird pulling power such as glittery earrings and socks with velvet heels.> COLD-SNAP MUSES LESSONS IN NON-BORING STYLE, COURTESY OF THE SEASON’S BEST DRESSED JEANETTE MADSEN The Copenhagen-based Rotate Birger Christensen designer offers a masterclass in Scandi-cool. Think bold colours, layered textures and playful accessories. LISA AIKEN Moda Operandi’s fashion director makes…

ABOUT HALF AN HOUR INTO OUR CONVERSATION, Sally Rooney and I begin talking about the end of the world as we know it. But maybe it’s best to rewind a bit. When I arrive at the Library Bar, in Rooney’s adopted hometown of Dublin, the 28-year-old author is waiting for me in a low-slung reading chair, politely having chosen a spot next to a window and facing the entryway to avoid any possibility of us missing each other. The bar is unassuming, the kind of place Dubliners know about and tourists miss entirely. It feels appropriate to offer congratulations, since just two days prior, Rooney became the youngest recipient ever of the Costa Novel Award (formerly the Whitbread) for Best Novel for her second book, Normal People. The coming-of-age story…

I’VE BEEN FANTASISING about my soulmate for as long as I can remember. He‘s taken many forms in my imagination over the years: a sworn enemy who’s suddenly drawn to me or someone who has been trying to track me down ever since we met more than a decade ago. And, sure, he’s totally unreal, but he must also sound pretty familiar, right? Because, like me, you were probably raised on a steady diet of Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks meet-cutes and the prospect of impossible yet impossibly charming cinematic love. Romcoms have been a Hollywood mainstay since the early days. Simply put, they are the best, even though, sometimes, they are actually the worst for setting up unrealistic expectations about relationships, reinforcing stereotypes — the list goes on. They’re…

“I ALWAYS KNEW I WANTED A FAMILY. I was adopted and desperate to have my own children. When I fell pregnant, quite quickly after we started trying, I was so excited. I was so happy I was going to have a baby very soon. I never had any reason to think anything would go wrong. I was at a family dinner when I realised I hadn’t felt the baby move for a while. I was 38 weeks at that stage, two weeks before my due date, and I had a strange feeling that I couldn’t explain. I kept waiting and waiting for the baby to move. When I didn’t feel anything after a while, I decided to go to the hospital. After many attempts to find a heartbeat, the nurse…

LARA CROFT TOMB RAIDER The iconic and rare female protagonist of the 1990s who could do everything a man could do. She was one of the first video game characters to make the move into film. CAMMY STREET FIGHTER The assassin came from one of the highest grossing video game franchises of all time. She was also played by Kylie Minogue in the 1994 movie of the game. LIGHTNING FINAL FANTASY XIII The former soldier who fights against the government to save her sister was also the face of Louis Vuitton’s SS16 “Series 4” collection. ELLIE THE LAST OF US The resourceful yet damaged teenage girl travelling across a post-apocalyptic US was largely a non-playable character. She proved so popular that she will be the main character in the sequel. CLEMENTINE THE…

When a label that specialises in gentle, natural and organic baby care products expands to include a range of sanitary items for women, you know you’re in loving hands. Lovekins’ baby products are based on pure and natural ingredients sourced from local eco-farms and manufacturers with a heavy emphasis on quality control. The same care has gone into Lovekins Women, with pads that are certified vegan, non-toxic and free from chlorine, fragrances and dyes. They’re made from Australian cotton for the ultimate in comfort, protection and environmental sustainability. The label’s founder, Amanda Essery, believes that all women — no matter what stage of life, career path or lifestyle — deserve the same kind of care mothers offer their babies. The Lovekins sisterhood is on a journey of holistic wellness, and…

THE LITERARY AGENT Jacinta di Mase is a literary agent who set up her eponymous management company in 2004. She spends most of her days negotiating publishing offers and contracts on behalf of her authors, and after 20 years’ experience, knows negotiating is all about “staying focused on the issue at hand”. “My advice is to keep an open mind – don’t go in with too many preconceptions. Be willing to learn and try new things. Try to listen to what the other person is actually saying, rather than thinking about what you’re going to say next. Keep meticulous records and file them properly – my style is to start a negotiation in writing so there’s a  point of reference there. I learnt all this on the job through listening,…

THESE DAYS, apparently, we all need a  personal brand – even those of us who get squirmy at the idea. In fact, as Kaitlyn Ham, who created her style blog Modern Legacy way back in 2011, has discovered, the squirm can even become your signature. “I’ve never been that comfortable photographing my face,” says Ham. “It’s not like I had some grave insecurity about how I  look, but I used to find it distracting trying to get a good shot of my face along with everything else. So I moved towards flipping my hair around so I didn’t have to worry, shooting from the neck down, or doing zoomed-in detail shots. And now people say they can recognise one of my photos just from that element. I  found that so interesting…

IT’S NOT THAT SHE LOOKS DOWN ON IT – after all, her best mate, actor Busy Philipps, is such an expert at doing off-the-cuff Instagram Stories that she parlayed her 1.6 million followers into a  book deal and a late-night talk show on E! – it’s that Williams just isn’t very good at it. “I haven’t figured out how to use [social media] as a source for my own good,” she says. “I haven’t figured out how to use it to find something inspiring or beautiful.” Instead, she relies on Philipps to text her the news of the day so she stays in the loop. We’re sitting together early on a crisp autumn morning in New York City, sandwiched into a corner banquette inside the low-lit back room of the…

WHILE WE RELISH a summer well spent, there’s no denying the toll UV takes on our skin: uneven tone and texture are reminders of long, glorious days at the beach. But even SPF’s most diligent devotees aren’t protected from the nano-particles of pollution floating among us, inflammation from stress and diet, or natural collagen loss. In other words, in our fast-paced world, dull and damaged skin can happen to anyone. If you want to get serious about protecting your skin, prevention is the key. The latest from the experts at La Prairie provides a promising plan of attack. Scientists at the Swiss brand spent 15 years doing analysis on nearly 50,000 molecules until they found one worthy of heroing their luxury product White Caviar Crème Extraordinaire. What finally caught their…

WHAT IT IS: The Q-Switch Treatment offers complexion rejuvenation with compounding results. After a few sessions of this collagen-coaxing laser, watch pigment and acne scars diminish. It’s even safe for notoriously laser-averse melasma. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE: Laying under the afternoon sun (with proper sun protection, of course). After a good cleanse, goggles shield the eyes and the laser is powered on. For the next 20 minutes, there’s no discomfort: just a flickering sensation and a calming warmth — you might even doze off. While the Q-Switch is a versatile laser (different — and more intense — settings can even remove tattoos or unwanted hair), when it’s in “rejuvenation mode”, it encourages natural collagen production for a  glow from the inside out. VERDICT: With absolutely zero downtime, it’s a no-brainer lunchtime…

“I always take off my makeup before bed. This Cosmedix cleanser kicks off my routine morning and night, without fail.” 1. Purity Clean Exfoliating Cleanser, $72, COSMEDIX, 1800 648 851 “After I apply the Cosmedix retinol at night, I feel like I wake up to a new layer of skin. I use a lot of Cosmedix – I do whatever facialist Melanie Grant says.” 2. Serum 16, $136, COSMEDIX, 1800 648 851 “This lotion is highly concentrated to  reduce redness and pigmentation.” 3. Lotion P50 PIGM 400, $82, BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE, biologiquerecherche.com.au “I swear by this nourishing body oil made from certified organic, essential oils.” 4. Geranium and Frankincense Body Oil, $32.95, MEOW MEOW TWEET, cleanbeautymarket.com.au “I prefer foundations that let my skin look like skin. This one gives great coverage…

SHARON PATSIOTIS WAS LOUNGING BY A POOL IN FIJI when she discovered her dream house had come on the market. “I knew the building well – it ticked all the boxes and then some,” she explains. “I couldn’t wait to get back to Australia to see the interior. The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew it was perfect.” For Patsiotis, founder of luxury linen label Hale Mercantile Co, and her husband, the property’s South West Victoria location fulfilled their wish for a country bolthole to escape the busy city. “We met in the country, so it was inevitable we would buy a home there,” she explains. “We were warned about the long commute, but our drive through the western district always brings a feeling of belonging.” “I LOVE…

ON THIN ICE I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be in love. I’m a 27-year-old woman who’s been single for years. I’ve tried online dating and met some nice guys, but since my last serious relationship ended, I’ve felt absolutely nothing — not even a twinge of romance. One gentleman in particular was fantastic. However, no matter what we tried, nothing. This dreadful feeling has been made worse with the loss of my grandmother and my cat in the same month, which really sent me into a tailspin. I feel like I have an icy, black heart. It seems like such a ridiculous question, but what can I do to make myself feel again? – FROZEN Frozen, my goose bump: Who said you must be in love with a man right…