How often do you think you’ve planned your Saturday around having enough time to get ready to go out? How often have you dedicated the hour before heading out to getting dolled up to go out? Now, how often has the man in your life? Less right? 

I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Realising there were hours in the day that I was losing to be ‘ready to go out’ that He simply…wasn’t. 

In essence, what I’m talking about is the Gender Beauty Gap. 

This concept certainly isn’t new but I think as I get older, it becomes more and more interesting to me. Do you realise the average woman spends two weeks of every year grooming herself for the purpose of ‘looking the park’ for her job? Two weeks?! 

Think of everything most blokes are doing with an extra two weeks a year? How many more books could you read? How much more sleep could you get? Geez, how much more sex could you be having in those two weeks? 

Now my point here is not to say that spending time to look the way you want to look is a waste of time. By no means. The truth is, I love make up. I love a night out and an outfit of the day. But what is shifting in me is the consciousness around it. The decision to opt into the expectation, rather than to bow down to it. The option to accentuate my features, rather than cover them. The move to make sure I’m putting things onto the largest organ in my body that aren’t harmful, full of chemicals or tested on anyone or anything but the babes that use them. 

And that’s where my obsession with skin care comes in. 

What is the point of spending huge amounts of money on makeup when you aren’t taking care of the canvas it’s headed for? I figure, if you spend the money on the canvas, you need significantly less of the paint, right? And the better the canvas, the less time the painting will take. 

I realised I was spending all this money on skin care and then covering up all the benefits with foundation. I was using skincare products that made my skin dewy like a spring morning, and then adding highlighter ON TOP to create the affect I’d achieved naturally. I’m pretty au naturale when it comes to my look - I’m certainly more European than American in that sense - but I’ve really found the better quality skincare, the easier it is to create the same affects with just your actual face. I think the world wants to see your freckles. I know that I certainly want to see your real skin. I want to see the lines when you laugh. 

For the most part, because of my favourite skincare products, I no longer wear foundation. And when I do wear makeup, it’s oil based, natural and designed to be not just make up but skin care too. (In saying that, you’ll never catch me without concealer though - I’ve somehow looked like my bags have baggage since I was about 8). 

What I’ve compiled here for you are brands I really believe in. They are naturally derived (for the most part), cruelty free and with some personality. I hope my trials and tests of these products give you some confidence that they are the real deal and that investing in them isn’t risky business. More than that, I hope that maybe this piece raises some questions for you. How long am I spending making myself “ready” for my day - how much of that time do I resent? Am I taking care of the canvas? Am I investing in products that are working overtime to take care of me, not cover me up? And am I making sure that my money is going into the pockets of those who value me valuing me? 

Have a read. Ask any questions you have. And for god’s sake, make sure you moisturize. 

Frank Body

Aussie made, natural and cruelty free, I’ve used these products for years now and they do exactly what they say they will. If you want to see just what they can do, head over to their instagram where they showcase all the skin they’ve soothed. I’m a long time fan of good old Frank.

Glow Mask 
This can be used in the mornings a number of times a week before you head out or at night if your skin is feeling a little tired. It leaves you feeling so silky smooth and brightens up your face. I may or may not be wearing it as I type these very words.

Original Face Scrub 
Made as their original coffee scrub, this is in essence the face exfoliant version of their full body scrub. It leaves your skin baby-soft and removes left over makeup, gunk and excess oils that build up over the week. I use this once or twice a week and it smells delicious!

Jojoba Company

This is the most recent addition to my skincare arsenal and I’m onto my repeat products. I found this during Quarantine Iso and it’s worth its weight. Their products are made from the purest Australian Jojoba from the town of Yenda with sustainable farming practices (win!).

Ultimate Youth Potion
This product is an excellent serum that feels more like a waxy oil than a liquid oil. It smells amazing and works to restore healthy skin lipids. The serum is 100% botanically derived and I use it morning and evening all over my face and neck. It’s also a gorgeous gold and feels super luxe to have on.

Night Cream
A great, rich cream to act as a companion to the Youth Potion, this product says it’s for before bed but really, I use it often morning and night. It works a treat on dry or tired skin and you know it’s got no nasties in it. It’s also a great option for those who don’t like the feeling of oils on their skin.

Ultra-Violette

This young company with rave reviews was started by two women in the make up industry who were looking to make a SkinScreen - a sunscreen that took care of your skin rather than just acting as a barrier from the sun. They have multiple different products but the one I choose is the Queen Screen. I have to admit, I’ve come to the sunscreen game later than I’d care to admit. If I’m lying in the sun all day then of course I’ll lather up but with naturally tanned skin, I haven’t always prioritised sunscreen the way I should. But more and more, I’m choosing not to ignore the messaging of putting sunscreen on my face EVERY DAY and this product has certainly helped with that.

Queen Screen 50+
This product goes onto your skin after your moisturizer and before your makeup. It comes in a gorgeous glass bottle with a stopper and has lasted me a fair amount of time. It makes your skin glowy and dewy without feeling sticky and is easy to apply any make up over. Made with native antioxidants, I am now slowly converting to remembering to wear this on all days, not just those that appear sunny outside.

Nuxe

I found this cult favourite in an airport in Iceland after my Irish housemate had told me she thought it was a Must-Have in every woman’s skin care routine. The fact that Nuxe is on this list will be no surprise to my international audience but it’s certainly not a product well-known in Australia - which really should change. It’s the number one selling skincare product in French Pharmacies and its magically multi-purposed. You can use Nuxe oils on your hair, your nails AND your skin.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multipurpose Dry Oil
With high levels of macadamia and tsubaki oil, this oil is beautiful on the skin. An added bonus is whenever I wear it, people always ask me what perfume I’m wearing because of it’s winning floral smell - two for the price of one! You can also rest assured that you’re getting the best in the skincare oil world - Nuxe invented the dry oil in 1991! If you’re new to the oil game and are worried it may leaving you feeling…well…oily…think again. Being a dry oil, your skin feels dewy but the oil has dried in a matter of minutes. Plus, if all the french girls are swearing by it, who are we to turn it down!

Go-To

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about Zoe Foster-Blake’s genius brand - I’ve reviewed their Transformazing Mask before here at lexduff.com and given it the full 5 Stars. But I have always thought their range was missing an oil cleanser/make-up remover so I was thrilled when Fancy Face was added to their product line recently. I have to say, I’ve never really found any other type of cleanser to properly take make up off. I mean, it makes sense. Most make-up is oil based (at least the brands I wear like RMS, Gucci Westman etc) and so it’s going to be an oil that helps them slide off for the day. This leads me to introducing…(drumroll please) :

Fancy Face
My favourite Go-To product to date by far! This nourishing oil cleanser takes off your day properly. It includes 5 botanical plant oils, vitamin E and essential fatty acids - which is a fancy way of saying, it’s good for your skin. It also comes with gorgeous muslin cloth to help take off the oil. This product really works and is a staple in my night time routine now. In fact, I think i’m running dangerously low…

Fragonard

Moving into the world of fragrance, Fragonard is a Perfumerie I’d hazard a guess not too many Millenials have heard of in Australia. I was first introduced to this famous French establishment on a stop over in the French Riviera at Eze and have been wearing their perfume ever since. Started in 1926 by Eugene Fuchs, this Perfumerie is still run as a family business and their production houses are set up in the perfume capitals of the world (Grasse and Eze have been central figures in the world of perfumed smells since the 16th century!). Fragonards has a wide variety of scents, crafted by some seriously talented Noses and created for both Men and Women at a reasonable price point for the brand’s fame. It’s definitely worth giving them a google, even just to learn more about this gorgeous part of the world.

Ile d'Amour
My current pick of their range is this perfume. It’s a strong scent and certainly leans towards a bolder rather than more subtle perfume. Its main notes are osmanthus, rose, jasmine, lilac, and lily of the valley. It’s often described as a marine scent and it reminds me of summer on the French Riviera. It’s certainly unlike any other perfume I’ve smelt on the market (and I’m picky!).

Pivoine
My other Fragonards favourite is this Eau de toilette. This is a lighter, more floral scent without being sickly sweet. It’s central scent comes from three different peonies (pink, red and white), followed by notes of iris, amber, jasmine and musk. It really is absolutely beautiful and I need to re-stock. Gorgeous for a summer night out or a day out, this is a beautiful feminine perfume.

Replica

Last but certainly not least is Replica by the luxury Parisian Fashion House, Maison Margiela. I love this Perfumerie and the angle they have taken with their range. Designed with memories in mind, each scent is based on a scent of nostalgia for a time and a place. Being the Queen of Nostalgia, this is right up my alley. Each scent, they write, is a “reproduction of familiar scents and moments of varying locations and periods” and they’ve done an incredible job at conjuring just that. Made with scents designed for both men and women, I also love that they make unisex scents because hey, memories aren’t always gender specific are they?! My favourites are:

Lazy Sunday Morning
Provenance and Period: Florence, 2003
Fragrance Description: Soft Skin and Bed Linen
My comments: Divine, clean, soft florals and fresh

Under the Lemon Trees
Provenance and Period: Palermo, 1987
Fragrance Description: Relaxing and Bright Lemon
My comments: I love citrus based scents for how fresh they are. This smells like summer sun in a bottle.

Et c’est Fini! Enjoy!