Sara Donaldson
On her dirty little beauty secret:
“Tea tree oil is a goodie for killing a spot, but i think i’ve found a better one with Cosmedix Clarity serum…it dries it out quick smart.”
On her beauty routine:
“First up I wash my face with Cosmedix Purity Clean cleanser. Melanie Grant recommended a few Cosmedix products which I’ve been using for a couple of months now. The smell of the cleanser is my favorite, it’s really relaxing with notes of peppermint.
I follow this up by using Clarity serum, which is a blemish fighting serum that sits under my SPF (Dermalogica Pure Light spf50), which I then follow with my foundation.”
“In the evenings I wash my face again with Cosmedix Purity Clean, followed by Cosmedix Serum 16 that is a retinol which aim to fight breakouts and reduce hyperpigmentation. I’ll then follow this up with a moisturiser for added hydration, I’m currenly using one by Aspect Dr.”
“I never thought i would have a signature scent… I like to pick a scent based on how i want to feel.”
“Le Labo Noir #29 is my everyday choice as it gives off a don’t fuck with me vibe.”
On her inner beauty:
“I’ve been using The Beauty Chef’s Glow Powder for a couple of years now… I see a huge difference in my skin if i haven’t taken it for a week – it’s rather alarming.”
On her low-key hair routine:
“I’m very low maintenance with my hair. I only wash it a couple of times a week and always follow up with a conditioner.”
“I’ve been going to Jaye Edwards at Edwards and Co for years now…He just gets me.”
“I prefer to let (my hair) dry naturally, as i have a natural wave. I’ll use texture powder on my roots to create a bit of grit, volume and texture…I hate clean hair as it’s a bit too fluffy.”
“When i’m feeling under the weather facial mists are my hero products…rosewater is a great option, as it’s not too expensive and you can really go to town (on your face) to help wake you up.”
On her fitness routine:
“I’m the poster child for getting hooked on a workout for 3 months and then never going back…I realised I needed someone to hold me accountable… so i enlisted my personal trainer, Dan Adair.”
“I always pack a gym outfit when i travel…if i’m feeling especially guilty about living it up i’ll do a quick ab session on the hotel floor.”
Style Essentials:
Adidas Originals Stan Smith’s and Nike Tennis Classic shoes in leather.
“I’ve recently gotten hooked on Estee Lauder’s tinted brow gel…I can’t walk out of my house without doing my brows!”
“I’ve come across Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer Kit, a tiny duo kit that fits into any bag.”
“My skin started to freak out due to hormonal imbalances, stress, travel and diet sensitivities, so i needed to step up the skin care game. Melanie Grant was my go-to”
On her beauty shortcuts:
“Getting (my makeup) done in as little time necessary is the aim. Focus on key areas…for me this is eyes, brows and a sweep of illuminator.”
On her signature look:
“I’ll do a super low key wing liner.. it elongates my eyes and gives them an almond shape”.
The trick? Etching liquid liner along the outer edge of the upper lashline “with a subtle lift up at the ends, only extending by a few millimeters”, then filling in half the waterline so lashes appear thicker.
On her perfect Sunday:
“My dogs wake my partner and i up bright and early. We take them to an off leash dog park and aim to pick up a coffee on the way.”
“My most treasured items of clothing is my black Balmain blazer.”
“What i’m wearing and how my makeup sits needs to work together. I rely on having a glowing complexion to elevate my look.”
On her beauty essentials:
“Charlotte Tilbury’s film start bronze and glow should be in every woman’s beauty kit.”
“I’ve been having regular Omnilux treatments which have really helped to lower breakout inflammation, and also gives you a ridiculous glow.”
On her Instagram tips:
“Go easy on the Facetune…One of my favourite things to spot (on Instagram) is an obvious Facetune when i’m having a scroll!”
On her personal style:
“Black, white, grey, denim, undone and relaxed.”
On her words to live by:
“Above all, be kind.”
For most of us, simplifying our lives is this never-ending pipe dream. We’ve read Kondo, subscribed to “The Minimalists”, hell, we’ve even planned a market stall to clear out our stuff. Well we’re going to. Soon. Maybe. Look, the reality is, when we get real with ourselves, in the organization department, we are a MESS.
And this extends to our wardrobes. For the most part, you couldn’t pay us to throw out those limited edition Marant x H&M leather pants we waited hours online for, or the Etro dress that looks amazing but we haven’t quite found the right occasion. And then there’s the shoes, hmmm, but let’s not get into that.
So when we walked into the home of Sara Donaldson (who moonlights as Harper and Harley on your Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat and Facebook feeds) we were hit with an overwhelming feeling of; Girl got her shit together!
We’ll back it up: We first became hooked on Sara a few years ago when we stumbled across her blog in all of it’s black, white, grey and denim glory. Her knack for styling back basics, keeping things minimal, clean yet beautiful is her signature, and leaves everyone else wondering why the hell we can’t make something so simple, look so damn chic.
You know you’re really in the home of a fashion blogger when they A) they introduce you to an entire room as their “wardrobe” complete with rolling racks of perfectly organized Saint Laurent, Balmain, Gucci and Alaia, B) Its contents could put a child through college, and C) they have a floor to ceiling shoe cupboard that would make Imelda Marcos weep.
Then we got to experience her immaculately decorated living room, which is so slick we thought for a second we were in a wallpaper magazine shoot, complete with Vicki Lee wet flower series and large oversized vintage leather armchair.
And not surprisingly her approach to beauty is as simple and streamlined as her style. She credits Melanie Grant as her skin whisperer and swears by a tight edit of products to “have a glowing complexion (hello illuminator) to elevate my look”. Illuminator of choice? Only every blogger/model/celebrity’s must-have, Charlotte Tilbury’s Bronze and Glow palette, duh.
Sara Donaldson has this knack of proving that less, really is more. Remind us to have that chat with our wardrobes….
Shot by Rudy Zverina.
Words by Carlie Fowler.
