Dolly Alderton is a writer and TV producer living in London. After a stint on the Made in Chelsea production team, she now works as assistant development producer, writes a dating column for Askmen.co.uk and is a regular fashion panelist for Never Underdressed. Contributing writer Natalie Peck spoke to Dolly about her beauty must-haves:
MORNING
FIRST THING:
I know it’s boring, but the most important part of my beauty routine is sleep. I’ll do anything possible to get seven hours banked in. I keep my phone out of my room and have a radio alarm clock to wake me up – so I’m not tempted to wake up in the middle of the night to check emails or write mad, useless ideas on my iPhone notes. I get up and make a pot of Monmouth coffee strong enough to wake Tutankhamun from his tomb before I get in the shower.
SKINCARE + BODY:
A few times a week I’ll use a lavender body scrub from Trader Joe’s. My friend from New York got me hooked on it when I was over there – it’s from a supermarket and only costs a few dollars. It smells absolutely gorgeous and leaves your skin feeling like silk.
When I get out of the shower, I moisturise my body with Penhaligon’s Lavendula moisturiser. I then spritz myself with their Cornubia fragrance, the best perfume in the whole wide world and the one I’ll wear until my last intake of breath… unless they discontinue it, then I’ll be in trouble.
FACE:
I’ve used the same face wash since I was thirteen - Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser for dry and sensitive skin. It’s beautifully scented and gentle on sensitive skin, but removes every molecule of make-up. I then tone with embarrassingly un-trendy glycerin and rosewater on a cotton pad, which you can get for pennies from most naff pharmacies. Finally, I moisturise with Clarins HydraQuench Cream for normal to dry skin.
MAKE-UP:
I have basically worn my make-up the same way since I was a teenager, I just wear much less of it now. I wish I was someone who experimented with different shades of lipstick and shadow, but I worked out what looks good a long time ago, and I’m loathe to change it.
I start with Clinique Even Better Makeup foundation – used very sparingly as I hate the look of too much face make-up – then I use their All About Eyes Concealer to cover any dark circles. I dab Benefit’s High Beam on my cheekbones, under my eyebrows and I dust my face with the Soleil Tan De Chanel Moisturising Bronzing Powder. I use L’Oreal Lash Architect mascara after doing the rounds, I’ve found that this really is the best mascara for me.
I buy my pencils from Rimmel - brown to fill in my eyebrows, white for the corners of my eyes and black to draw underneath. I finish off with the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Lipstick in Hint of Peach.
I have recently started using Laura Mercier Foundation Primer in Radiance before I start any makeup, and it has stopped it from shifting anywhere. I often walk along a couple of miles down the canal to get to work, so don’t want my makeup down my face by the time I get to the office.
HAIR:
For the last six months, I’ve been getting my hair cut and highlighted by Millie Hennesy at Oskar Pink in Mornington Crescent. I have a half head of highlights every eight weeks and a cut at every other visit. She is the most reasonably priced hairdresser I have ever had, and she’s also brilliant.
I wash my hair every other day and I always cover it with Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment, which has made my hair noticeably thicker and glossier. I blowdry it with the Babyliss Big Hair rotating brush. I finish by tipping my hair upside down and giving it a spray of Elnett. The smell will forever remind me of drinking tumblers of cheap white wine with my best friends at university before a night out – a nice memory to start the day with.
NOON
I drink water like a camel, bottles and bottles of it. I started keeping on top of how much I drink a few years ago and now it’s a habit. To begin with, I had to keep reminding myself but now it is just part of my routine. If I don’t drink two litres a day now – at an absolute minimum – I feel headache-y, lose concentration and my skin looks dull.
I am utterly hooked on Cowshed Moody Massages and treat myself to one whenever I can. The therapists often will identify where your problem areas are before you’ve even told them. I’ve never had a better massage in London and it’s worth splashing out on them. Whenever I’m there I will also buy their Horny Cow range that smells (and sounds) divine – particularly the body oil and the room diffuser that we use in our house.
NIGHT
No matter how late I have stayed up or how many vodka tonics I’ve had, I will never sleep in my makeup. I wash and tone as I do in the morning, but then apply rose oil instead of cream. I am currently using Neal’s Yard Remedies but Sanctuary do a fabulous one too. I put my phone outside my bedroom, turn my laptop off and read or listen to music for at least ten minutes before bed to help me switch off and sleep.
- As told to Natalie Peck.
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