Rituals mean comfort for me; I need everything in balance otherwise I feel very off. I feel most beautiful when I am well rested, well fed and relaxed. My curiosity is what pulls me out of bed. When I wake, I like to make a coffee and sit quietly with my cat and boyfriend sleeping softly beside me in bed. I need a slow and relaxing start to my day. From bed, I plan what outfit I’m feeling for the day and then layer on my skincare. After going through some rough times with my skin and a course of Accutane, I finally found a simple routine that works well for me. A simple cleanser and a few drops of hydrating oils— and always sunscreen. Face oils changed my life!
I’m doing my best to figure out how I got to where I am now. I’m from Australia, and currently living in Melbourne— where I live has given me a community of like-minded people and incredible, close friendships that I am so grateful for. My work is quite varied at the moment, so each day tends to be different, which I love. I get to work with a lot of my friends, so I always look forward to discovering which friendly face I get to see that day.
Beauty, to me, can be anywhere. A verdant park on a summer’s day, a stranger on the train... The other day I looked up to see a building near my work had been painted with a cloudy sky, like a renaissance painting. I’m currently listening to this beautiful jazz album by Emahoy Tsegué-Maryam Guèbrou. I heard someone describe it as “slow dancing in an empty ballroom.” I do think beauty also comes from within. You can see it in others when they aren’t expecting to be noticed. There’s beauty in the way you make a cup of tea for the person you love, how you laugh with a friend, and so on. It’s in moments of kindness, in vulnerability and connection.
“So many people live their lives without their best interests in mind; I just want to enjoy myself. I’m working on letting go of the fear that what I am doing is not enough, that I’m not supportive enough or productive enough.”
My greatest hope in life— it’s literally so cliche— is just to be happy. So many people live their lives without their best interests in mind; I just want to enjoy myself. I’m working on letting go of the fear that what I am doing is not enough, that I’m not supportive enough or productive enough. It’s a work in progress. Over the years, I’ve learned that my time is valuable, that gluten is not my friend, that you can have just two wines and still have fun. On occasion, I wish I’d never known heartbreak, but I know there is a purpose for it. My hope for humanity is for us to overcome ourselves, and the best advice I have to offer is to take everything in moderation.
In five years, I picture myself in a studio, working on something yet to be known with a dog by my side. Twenty years from now, I want to be on a holiday. Somewhere by the sea, eating and drinking and laughing. There’s no dream adventure that I hold onto— adventures emerge all the time and you just have to say yes to them! Although I would love to have a Call Me By Your Name Italian summer with my best friend and partner, Nathan, if that counts.
Photography by Tasha Tylee.