What I Put On My Face is Mamamia’s new celebrity beauty series that goes inside the beauty cabinets of some of Australia’s most influential women. From what skincare products they use to their go-to makeup tips, it’s a pervy look at exactly what they put on their face. And body. And hair. You get the idea.
This week, we speak to Kate Ritchie. The radio host, actor and Jockey ambassador shares her secret weapon for prepping her skin while she’s in the hair and makeup chair, and the simplified beauty routine she’s got down to a tee for busy mornings with daughter Mae. Plus, she talks about how her relationship with her body has changed for the better since becoming a mum. Enjoy!
Side note: Co-host of our You Beauty podcast, Kelly McCarren, talks us through every product she used on her wedding day. Post continues below audio.
Kate Ritchie’s skincare routine.
I was lucky to be blessed with good skin generally, which I am thankful for because as we know problematic skin can really affect your overall confidence. I had plenty of pimples during my teens but nothing I didn’t grow out of.
The hormones that come with pregnancy also changed my skin but that also passed… except I still have a few lines that are born from all those sleepless nights! My concerns now are increased pigmentation which I of course blame on ageing and twenty years spent in sunny Summer Bay!
Like so many things in my life I now value simplicity when it comes to my skincare. I need it to be streamlined and easy to use. If I have a cluttered bathroom vanity of bottles and tubs with complex instructions and 5 steps to achieve the desired effect then no doubt I will end up doing none!
Now that I’m older I am also aware that my skincare and beauty routine is pointless if other areas of my life aren’t in check. That includes my diet, my exercise regime and sleep patterns. It’s more important now than ever to self care as a whole.
Often when I am in the makeup chair for a big shoot (or after a bad night’s sleep!) I will pop on a mask while having my hair done. The Lit From Within masks from Mecca give me a concentrated dose of brightening and moisturising and they’re full of Vitamin C.
For my face I love the QV Face gentle cleanser. It’s lightly foaming and enriched with safflower oil so it doesn’t dry my skin out. I also like the Dermalogica Daily Resurfacer, especially when travelling as they come in mini pouches and I can throw them in my toiletries when packing and space is at a premium. They exfoliate and even my skin tone.
My QV face moisturising day cream thankfully has SPF 30 for my day to day skin protection all year around. For face oil, I use the Jojoba Company 100% Natural Ultimate Jojoba Youth Potion (I also use it on my cuticals.)
At the end of the day, sometimes I’ll use the Dermalogica Sound Sleep Cocoon. The mix of Sandalwood, Lavender and Patchouli soothes for a peaceful sleep… Fingers crossed!
Kate Ritchie’s makeup routine.
Because I grew up wearing television makeup and having my hair dried pretty much every day (spoilt I know!) my off duty beauty has always been minimal. I can’t wait to take my makeup off at the end of the day and on the weekend if I can get away with a tinted moisturiser and a coat of mascara then I am happy.
I originally thought a career in radio might mean I could turn up to work in a tracksuit and a treatment in my hair but alas! These days we have cameras rolling nonstop in the studio and there is a constant stream of videos uploaded for the socials. As a result my daily makeup routine consists of as little an application of foundation as I can get away with on that day and a light powder so I am not too shiny on camera.
I love an eyeliner (Burberry Cat Eye Liner is a favourite) and loads of mascara and a peach cheek so I look alive! Moisturised lips and a drop of tint if I’m feeling it. I also think a great, strong brow does wonders, even when you’re makeup-free.
My usual work week doesn’t call for a flurry of makeup artists but I do love to sit in the chair and have someone else take on the big job involved in having me red carpet ready. I enjoy the whole process of workshopping a particular look. It’s the only glamorous part of my life nowadays.
The products I use regularly are Laura Mercier Foundation Primer with an SPF30, and the Tinted Moisturiser Natural Skin Perfector. Marc Jacobs does a great bronzer and Westman Atelier has the most divine highlighters and illuminators for perfect contouring and the peachiest highlights.
When it comes to lipstick, I continue to find new favourites in pretty much the same colours! Now it’s Dior Rouge 169.
And take a look at the Chanel Le Gel Paillete. It’s an extravagant and luxe face and decolletage transparent shimmering gel and it’s what I was wearing on the ACRAS red carpet this year.
Kate Ritchie’s body care routine.
I will always do a complete body moisturise with QV in the morning – all the spots I can reach at least. Even when I am in a hurry nothing is too oily so that I can’t throw my clothes on straight afterwards.
When I don’t have time for a professional spray tan I opt for a foam one that can see me bronzed in an hour or so. I’ve discovered a new fake tan on the market called La Beach (in Deep Bronze) and it does all that it claims to. It’s 100% vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free AND streak free which really comes down to technique I suppose! It seriously looks like the most divine oozing caramel.
For some luxe body highlighting, in particular, those collarbones come summer, the Chanel shimmering gel I mentioned is divine!
My favourite fragrance is always determined by mood and season and I really like my fragrance to change throughout the day. Right now my favourites are Tom Ford Sole Di Positano and Aerin Mediterranean Honeysuckle. There’s obviously a theme presenting there of where I’d rather be…
Bath time isn’t often solo these days but when I manage to enjoy one on my own I will try to do a Bare Body Beauty Co body scrub. They have so many wonderful concoctions all hand blended in Australia. If I’m sharing with Mae and all the Barbies then I’ll add some QV Bath Oil which is nourishing for anyone who is taking up room in there!
Kate Ritchie on body confidence.
My relationship with my body has changed [over time] and it has a lot to do with maturing, learning and growing a thick skin. But mostly I have to thank pregnancy, childbirth and my daughter Mae for a complete shift in priorities. I now have a greater appreciation for this incredible, powerful, trustworthy body of mine.
Don’t get me wrong, I still have days where I could be a little kinder to myself and I wish that this self-assurance had arrived years earlier, but I also understand it is a journey that cannot be hurried. It is what it is.
I’m an ambassador for Jockey’s new bra range. I wanted to try something new and I figured a brand I already knew and trusted was as good as any to do that with. I have always been pretty conservative with my decision making and so the fact that I was pushing an imaginary boundary felt good. It was a little daunting if I’m honest, [but] the experience and the feedback has been nothing but positive so I’m incredibly glad I pushed through all that.
As a mother, I can only hope that I continue to teach my daughter to love herself first and foremost. To be kind to herself and not engage in all that negative self-talk I, myself, have indulged in throughout my life. By setting a better example for her I have taught myself a great deal too. There is no more checking myself out critically in the mirror. What a relief!
Kate Ritchie’s hair care routine.
Thank goodness I wear a ponytail well because my DIY hair styling is woeful. I have had my hair done for me way too many times to perfect any of my own skills. Awful, I know! I try to give my hair a good treatment once a week and because I am a bit blonder than I used to be.
I am currently using the Olaplex line of shampoos and conditioners. Makeup artist and friend, Lilly Miljkovic, introduced me to hair brand Hair by Sam McKnight and I love everything about it. His Cool Girl Barely There Texture Mist has to be one of my all time favourite products and the fragrance is breathtaking. I now stalk him and his garden on Instagram!
Have you tried any of Kate’s favourite beauty products? Tell us in the comments.
You can read more from our What I Put On My Face series below:
- What I Put On My Face: Every single beauty product Rebecca Harding uses on her face.
- What I Put On My Face: Every single beauty product Sophie Monk uses on her face.
- What I Put On My Face: Every beauty product Edwina Bartholomew uses on her face.
Feature Image: @kateritchieofficial/Instagram.