Here at THE FILE, we’re nothing if not nosy. Personally, I’m surprised I haven’t sustained whiplash injuries given the frequency at which I snap my head back to check out cool girls passing me by on the street. If it were socially acceptable, I’d invite myself into each and every one of their bathrooms, where I’d grill them on their morning and evening routines, their desert-island products, and what makeup looks they recommend I try out next. Unfortunately, such behaviour would most likely result in arrest.

Luckily for me, I don’t need to resort to stalking to go #BTS of covetable bathrooms everywhere. At TF, we’ve been inside the bathrooms of every dream girl on our industry bucket list, and today we’ve ticked off the final frontier: Finding out what Hayley Bonham of the lush Bonel PR and La Porte Space puts on that ethereal face of hers. Turns out it’s a whole lot of Rationale, which she uses to supplement a mostly plant-based diet, meditation, and flecks of RMS makeup.

We’ve been bumping into Hayley for years at events and social gatherings, and have thus spent years hypothesising what super expensive creams must work to create that glow. It’s super exciting to know that her routine is super simple, and achievable (thank you, skincare gods). Thanks for letting us poke around your bathroom, Hayley!

Tell us about your ~angel~ skin.
I have normal skin, but tends become quite dry in the winter months. As I’ve entered my thirties, pigmentation and fine lines are becoming more of a concern, so I’ve been taking care to select targeted products that are going to do what they say they will. I’m also really diligent about sun protection. My work means I’m constantly busy, so I try to stick to a simple skincare routine. I’m also more and more conscious of what I’m putting into my body and on my skin, so I’m careful with ingredients.

What products have you been using?
I’ve been using Rationale’s skincare for a while now. My mum and my aunt first introduced it to me, and now I use it religiously. It makes an immediate difference to my skin. My philosophy is all about keeping my skin healthy from the inside out, so I eat a mostly plant-based diet, and l like to choose clean skincare products that work. I love that Rationale mimics similar ingredients and properties that our skin cells naturally produce, and I’ve noticed a huge difference in my skin’s luminosity since I started using it. Pigmentation is an issue that I really try to avoid by limiting my sun exposure, so I follow the Essential Six routine to treat and prevent sun damage, which can be pretty severe in Australia.

Tell us a bit about your morning routine. How does it differ from your evening routine?
My morning routine is quite simple. I try to meditate for 15-20 minutes, and always start the day with a mix of warm water, fresh lemon, and apple cider vinegar. You definitely have to get used to the taste, but it’s highly alkalising for your body. I’ll usually have granola or a smoothie for breakfast. I don’t like to waste time on a lengthy skin routine in the morning, so I’ll spend around five minutes following the Rationale 1,2, and 3 system that consists of their Immunologist Serum, Super Antioxidant serum, and PhotoDynamic Day Cream. The products work together as a system, so I don’t need to worry about whether my skin is getting the right amount of antioxidants or moisture. I finish with the B3-T Superfluid Sunscreen with SPF 50+, which is really sheer, goes on clear, and is really hydrating. Then, it’s a pretty simple and quick makeup routine, which I’ve managed to get down to two minutes or less. I recently started using their Superfluid tinted moisturiser, which I love. It’s almost weightless, and evens out my skin without it looking like I’m wearing makeup. I use RMS’ Un-Cover Up concealer, because it looks like skin and covers everything up at the same time. I also like the RMS Living Luminizer; I put a bit on my cheekbones and down the centre of the nose, which gives me a healthy look. I’ve just started using this new mascara by Ilia, and it’s great because it’s natural, it doesn’t smudge, and it’s not clumpy. It just makes my eyes look brighter. Then, I brush up my brows with Nars’ clear gel, put a bit of RMS’ Lip2Cheek on my lips and on the apples of my cheeks if I feel I need a bit of extra colour. I also pop any excess from that onto my eyelids to give them a bit of depth. I get my lashes tinted regularly, too. It saves me time in the morning and I can skip the mascara if I want to most days. That’s it. Really simple.

What’s your evening routine like?
My evening routine, again, is really simple. I tend to get lazy with products, so I like to make things easy and cut down on time by cleansing in the shower. I use the evening Rationale routine, too — steps 4-6. This includes their ProCeramide Cleanser, which removes my makeup and leaves my skin feeling super clean. I follow this with their Catalyst serum, as well as their DNA serum and eye cream. I’ve started using eye cream for the first time, and it’s made a really big difference. It makes those little fine lines and dark circles a lot less noticeable. That’s it! Bedtime after that, for eight hours if I can manage it.

Watch Hayley’s morning routine below.

Words, Madeleine Woon. Photography and videography, Jordan Kirk.