#MCBeautySpy: Kate Morris

Kate Morris opens up her beauty kit

Are you a skincare, makeup, fragrance or hair girl?
Now that I’m in my 30s, I probably put the most effort into skincare. Your skin is an asset that can’t be replaced if you don’t look after it! I do change and mix brands a lot, but my favourites include asap, Sodashi, Skinstitut, Dermalogica and Alpha-H. I also cleanse with a Clarisonic every other day, and wear sunscreen religiously (La Roche-Posay is my favourite). I rarely have time to get facials, which is ironic considering I own a beauty salon, but I do love microdermabrasion and sonophoresis.
For hair I use Pureology Strength Cure shampoo and conditioner, because they help repair my coloured and heat-styled hair without making it greasy or heavy. I use a Kérastase heat protectant (Nectar Thermique) and love Kevin.Murphy styling products, especially Body.Builder and Powder.Puff. I’ve been getting my hair cut and coloured at Cream in Fitzroy for 10 years.

What’s your go-to weekday beauty look?
My weekday makeup always starts with Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Perfecting Primer SPF30, followed by either Lancôme Teint Miracle or YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat foundation, and Laura Mercier translucent setting powder. Sometimes I’ll mix in a bit of BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal. I use Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector under my eyes, and Benefit Coralista or BECCA Beach Tint in Guava on my cheeks. Eyeshadow will just be a wash of taupe (BECCA Doeskin, now sadly discontinued – why, BECCA, why?!), with BECCA Automatic Eye Pencil in black, Lancôme Hypnose Precious Cells mascara, and Benefit Gimme Brow to help fill in my wishy-washy brows. Lips might just be a shiny lip balm like Lanolips 101 Fruities, or one of my everday lipsticks, YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in Pink in Confidence or Laura Mercier lipstick in Rose.

And your after-hours style?
For special occasions I usually play up my eyes; I like Benefit’s Smokin’ Eyes palette, with YSL charcoal grey liquid eyeliner, and a set of lashes. If I have to have my photo taken I’ll switch to a non-reflective foundation like Laura Mercier Creme Smooth or Moisture Supreme, and add Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc. I also fake-tan before a special occasion, usually Fake Bake Flawless or Mine Tan for body, and JBronze or Clarins for face.

Beauty muse?
Cate Blanchett is perfection. Her skin is to die for. I would love to look like Lisa Wilkinson or Nigella Lawson when I’m in my 50s... actually I’d settle for looking like either of them right now!

Some products are really hard to buy online (like foundation and concealer, or the perfect red lipstick) - what are your tips?
Foundation is easy now actually – we developed Findation.com, which is a matching service for buying foundation online. All you have to do is put in any brands and shades you’ve used previously, and it will give you your match in nearly any other brand. Problem solved! Lipstick can be trickier, though if you Google the name of the lipstick plus “swatch”, you’ll usually find plenty of blogs with additional colour swatches so that you can see the product on a real person. We’re working on making this easier on Adore Beauty too, so stay tuned.