Carmen Hamilton
On her morning routine:
“In the morning, I cleanse with La Mer The Cleansing Lotion in the shower. I also love using a really invigorating body scrub (like Malin + Goetz Peppermint Scrub) or wash (Bamford Geranium Hand & Body Wash is my favourite) to kick start the day. When I get out of the shower, I put Obagi Vitamin C Serum on, followed by Estelle & Thild Anti-oxidant Eye Cream and Dr Jart+ Ceramide Cream. The vitamin c serum instantly brightens my skin and gives it a big boost.”
On her favourite scents:
“At the moment it’s Le Labo Santal 33 90% of the time, and Givenchy Dahlia Divin for special occasions. But it changes from time to time.”
On her signature beauty look:
“I press a bit of Estee Lauder foundation onto my face where I need it, then I conceal/brighten under my eyes with Benefit’s Erase Paste, curl my lashes, press a bit of Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks onto my cheeks, put on a bit of Clinique mascara (top lashes only) and then Fresh Sugar Lip Tint in Plum. Oh, and I always brush a bit of Bobbi Brown Brow Gel throw my brows, otherwise they go cray. I like my makeup to just look like a better version of the real deal, without being obvious.”
On her evening drill:
“At night, I remove my makeup with This Works In Transit No Traces wipes, cleanse again if I can be bothered, then go over my entire face with Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix wipes – these have made the biggest change to my skin. It’s clearer, brighter and softer all over. If you use one at night, you wake up the next morning with different skin. I repeat the vitamin C serum, and follow with Creme de la Mer. I have really dry skin, so it drinks it all up pretty quickly!”
On her five minute beauty tip:
“Moisturise (so your skin looks fresh and hydrated). For your skin, just focus on the areas that really need attention – cover blemishes, redness and any darkness under the eyes. Curl your lashes, apply mascara, brush-up your brows with gel, smile and press a bit of a multi-purpose colour onto your cheeks (colour gives our face life) and finish with a bit on the lips. I always wear a shade or two darker than my natural lip colour and rub my lips together so it bleeds over the edges slightly = bigger, better lips.”
On her earliest beauty memory:
“I had a bowl cut when I was about 5? Not even kidding.”
Carmen wears Ellery dress (shop similar here).
Pictured: Balenciaga Cabas shopper, Celine Trio purse (view stockists here), Celine tote (view stockists here) and Dylain Kain Lovette bag.
On her product obsessions:
“I wear Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation every day – but not all over. I just press it onto my cheeks, chin and wherever else I need it. It stays on all day, and keeps my skin looking even. I’d also be lost without my Fresh Sugar Lip Tints – I feel like I look dead when I have nothing on my lips!
I also love a hit of Aspect Dr Retinol Brûlée every now and then – it makes your skin look amazing!”
On her hair routine:
“I find it looks best when I let it grow out a bit, deprive it of a hair brush and pack it full of texturising products. After I wash it, I let it air dry – always! I scrunch a texturising product – like Oribe Après Beach Wave – through the ends with my hand when it’s still damp. If I want it to look really textured, I’ll tie it back in a messy half bun when it’s almost dry, and let it out a few hours later. Then I spray it full of texture spray, and put some volumising powder (like EVO Haze Styling Powder) in the roots.”
On what keeps her inspired:
‘The people I meet. Everyone has taken a different path to get to where they are, and learning those stories inspires me because it shows there’s not a one size fits all guide to life – you have to choose your own way!”
“Paloma at Oscar Oscar has cut my hair for years now. I always love what she does. I also get it coloured there. I like my colour to look really natural and grown-out almost, but still healthy and fresh – they always get the right balance of warm and ashy for me there, so it’s never orange, never dull!”
On her personal style:
“Put-together but uncomplicated. Big coats. Black jeans. Sneakers sneakers sneakers.”
On her beauty treatment schedule:
“I still haven’t managed to get myself to a yoga class weekly, so beauty treatments are off limits until then. Priorities!”
Pictured: Givenchy sandals, Stella McCartney pumps (shop similar here) and Acne oxfords (shop similar here).
On exercise:
“Exercise = my weak point. Does running up and down my stairs count? At the moment I’m aiming to get to a yoga class once a week, but it’s just not happening!”
Carmen wears Ellery dress (shop similar here).
On her home style:
“Organised chaos, just like the rest of my life. It’s a compilation of things I’ve collected along the way.”
“I do a lot for my general health, and I guess my skin reaps some benefits from that? I drink Bare Blends freeze dried greens with water and lemon most days, take a fish oil supplement, have a gluten-free diet (80% of the time), and steer clear of processed foods 90% of the time. In summer, I was having a veggie juice every day, but I’m struggling a bit now that winter’s here!”
On her hangover saviours:
“Water with lemon and my dried greens, a splash of cold water on my face, allergy eye drops to make my eyes white (it’s my guilty pleasure), Aesop mouth wash (the best!), a big dose of moisturiser, and lots of brightener under the eyes. Benefit’s Erase Paste is the best for counteracting darkness around the eyes, big hair, and even bigger shades.”
Sneakers all day, errday.
Product pictured: Converse low-top sneakers, Acne oxfords (shop similar here).
On her dirty little beauty secret:
“I use Alpha Keri Lotion all over my body. Does that count? It’s not exactly the sexiest moisturiser, but I find it keeps my skin hydrated for the longest.”
On her advice to budding bloggers:
“Know yourself, what you really love and what makes you different. Having a personal blog is like telling a story. What’s going to make yours interesting?”
You know when you have to give a speech about your friend at their birthday? It’s always a little awkward and cringey. You want them to know how awesome you think they are, but you also don’t want to blow too much smoke up their arse. That’s kind of what it’s like writing this weeks profile, as it’s our very own Beauty Boss at TF HQ, Carmen Hamilton.
You’ve probably spotted her during one of your pinterest procrastination sessions or stumbled across the Chronicles of Her instagram (along with 191,000 others) wherever it is you’ve seen her, it’s highly likely she’s responsible for making you realise your dream girl wardrobe. Whether it’s her penchant for sneakers, her elegant, paired back monochromatic take on street style or her mean shoe game, Hamilton has in spades what we’re all secretly trying to achieve. Effortless cool.
But fashion aside, it’s actually that unperfectly perfect hair flick that has most of us turning our heads. So when we arrived at her Bondi beach pad what we were most interested in, was getting a blow-by-blow account of how she gets that killer #iwokeuplikethis hair.
“I find it looks best when I let it grow out a bit, deprive it of a hair brush and pack it full of texturising products.”
“After I wash it, I let it air dry – always! I scrunch a texturising product through the ends with my hand when it’s still damp. If I want it to look really textured, I’ll tie it back in a messy half bun when it’s almost dry, and let it out a few hours later. Then I spray it full of texture spray, and put some volumising powder (like EVO Haze Styling Powder) in the roots.“I change-up my hair quite often these days, it’s kind of like getting a whole new wardrobe (but much, much cheaper).
Not that Hamilton needs a new wardrobe. As a blogger she pretty much has clothes on tap (sigh). From Acne Brouges, to Saint Laurent blazers and Celine clutches, it’s a serious case of fashion porn. But with so many amazing pieces, she finds it impossible to pick a favourite.
“It’s like picking a favourite child! I’d wear head-to-toe The Row every day if I could afford it. But if I had to pick my most treasured outfit, I’d say my jazz costumes from when I was little. My mum hand-made them all.”
Which sounds pretty rad, and although she declined to let us shoot her in her jazzercise unitard, she did promise to wear them into the office on casual Friday. What a sport.
Words by Carlie Fowler
Photographed by Carlie Fowler
