Hannah Henderson
On her personal style:
“I would describe my style as simple with a bit of irreverence.”
On her perfect Sunday:
“Hit the flea market before the sun rises, or sleep as long as possible.”
Her thoughts on beauty:
“Beauty is something i’ve begun to put more care into as i’ve gotten older. I take care of myself by thinking about what i put in and on my body, and doing things that make me happy. I try not to focus on physical beauty, real beauty if felt, not seen.”
“I’m reading The Beauty Myth by Namoi Wolf, and it has left me trying to reconcile my own desire to feel good and confident about my appearance, with my natural feminist understanding of how much more we, as women could accomplish if we weren’t hung up on being beautiful.”
On her morning routine:
“In the morning i drink a big glass of water, offset by a strong cup of coffee and hop in the shower. I use Avene Extremely Gentle Cleansing Lotion with an Eve Lom Muslin Cloth to clean my face. I love the Sappo Oatmeal bar soap from the health food store, I’ve used it since i was a kid and it’s such a nostalgic smell for me.”
“I use Avene Tolerance Extreme Moisturiser. I love their products because i have very sensitive skin that is prone to break out and they are the most gentle and effective things i’ve ever used.”
On her beauty routine:
“I’ll do really simple make-up. I use Bobbi Brown Stick Concealer to cover any spots and even out redness. I like my skin to breath so i never wear foundation or powder. I curl my eyelashes and put on Maybelline Great Lash Mascara that i have used since junior high (I have never used a better mascara – It is perfect.) Then i use a little bit of Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Stone.”
On her evening routine:
“At night i cleanse with Avene Thermal Spring Water, rather than tap water and Avene Gentle Cleansing Lotion. I use Pai Rosehip Oil before bed a few times a week rather than moisturizer. You can’t use it too much, but when you do it works wonders.”
“I wash my hair every other day, i try to go longer if it’s not greasy. The only shampoo i am loyal to is Neutrogena Clarifying Shampoo, but i don’t use it every time. It’s good for removing layers of product build-up off your hair and makes you feel like you have a clean slate with your hair’s natural texture.”
“I’ll use any drugstore conditioner, i just alternate them to keep my hair from getting blah from the same product everyday. I’ve used fancy hair products and i either don’t notice a different, or don’t care enough about my hair to notice.”
“I like my hair to be non fussy. I never blow dry it, i don’t like how it looks, it’s too perfect. I don’t really know how to do anything to my hair, I just like it long. I use Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine, it’s my favourite hair product, it makes the hair have a little texture… not too clean.”
“I’ve cut my own hair for the last 10 years, which is funny because i don’t really know what i’m doing. I get it coloured about once a year by an old friend in Venice, Terri at Trim on Abbot Kinney.”
“Sleep is my favourite (beauty) treatment, it’s luxurious and works the best.”
“I can’t live without mascara.”
On her signature scent:
“I like to play around with the perfume oils at health food stores. My kids and I go straight to them and try them all out – my favourites are sandalwood, amber and musk.”
Her thoughts on health:
“I try to eat clean fresh food. After seeing a handful of dermatologists who only prescribe drugs to treat symptoms, it became important to me to take my health into my own hands and nutrition has made the biggest difference in my skin.”
“You can have all of the fancy creams in the world, but if you don’t take of your body on the inside, it will show by the time you’re 36.”
“My only exercise is lugging vintage all over Los Angeles, but it’s legitimate… sometimes i’m sore.”
“The best thing your can do is start the day eating something really healthy. If you don’t it’s like you’re in a whole the rest of the day.”
On the important things in life:
“My kids, music and sunny days.”
On her best career advice:
“That old saying – work hard and be nice to people… it’s tried and true.”
On her favourite designers:
“Electric feathers, Celine and do old Levi’s count?”
On her earliest beauty memory:
“It’s hard to say… I grew up around brothers and my mum never wore make-up. In a way, I was free from the notion of beauty. I never heard it spoken about as a kid. I wasn’t allowed to play with barbie, my mum wanted to protect me from that ‘ideal’. Society’s notions worked their way in as I got older, but i could always balance it with a deeper understanding that someones else’s idea of ‘beauty’ doesn’t really fucking matter.”
By now, Venice Beach’s place as a breeding ground for well-dressed young creatives, artists, designers, models and stylists is well cemented. After all, when it’s sunshine all year round, you live a block away from Nick Fouquet (in your Californian bungalow), and every second person is rocking a pair of vintage 505s, your style game better be strong. So what exactly do you do when you find yourself amongst this hyper creative, relaxed, effortlessly cool crowd of VB? Shop, duh. And who do we consult? None other than the queen of effortless cool and laid back Californian style, Hannah Henderson, co-owner of General Store, Venice Beach.
A total babe with a penchant for vintage denim and bohemian blouses and dresses, one look at Hannah’s instagram account and you can’t help but feel a bit of wanderlust. It’s all palm trees, cool breeze and vintage tees, making us think it might be time to sell everything we own and move to the West Coast. But then we remember we’ve spent most of our money on shoes.
Located on Lincoln, General store is a natural extension of Hannah’s aesthetic and style. A beautifully hand picked and curated mix of art, design and interiors from some of the most magical and talented creators in the community. It’s like getting the chance to stroll through Henderson’s home and instead of just admiring all the cool shit, this time you get to buy it.
“I remember driving down the main street in my neighbourhood, and just knowing that it belonged here. I knew our community would love and support it, and I would love doing it.” And you can feel that from the moment you walk in. Not only do you fall in love with everything you see, you just know every single piece from the ceramics to the handmade Espadrilles have been chosen with love. There’s beauty in that very idea.
The entire store, just like Hannah Henderson herself, has that deliciously laid back Californian vibe. Simple and effortless, as is her beauty motto; “messy hair, clean skin.”
In many ways her approach to beauty is constantly evolving, yet always considered, “I’m reading The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf and it has left me trying to reconcile my own desire to feel good and confident about my appearance, with my natural feminist understanding of how much more we, as women could accomplish if we weren’t hung up on being beautiful”.
“I take care of myself by thinking about what I put in and on my body, and doing things that make me happy. I try not to focus on physical beauty, real beauty is felt, not seen.”
And there we were thinking we couldn’t love her anymore.
Words, Carlie Fowler. Pictures, Adam Amengual. Production, Jade Skelly and Phoebe Youl.
