Nine New Zealand tastemakers share the beauty lessons passed down through generations, the wellness practices that draw on heritage, and the daily rituals they use to stay calm, grounded and connected.

Rachel Soo Thow

Freelance writer, book enthusiast and content creator @thelitlist__

You don’t need
a 10-step routine. Sometimes the most effective skincare routines consist of just a few products, while tending to what your skin needs depending on the seasons.

Listen to your skin. You don’t need to follow the same skincare routine every night. If your face is feeling dry, hydrate with face oils and moisturisers to provide that extra hydration. If it’s feeling oily, use a lighter gel moisturiser. You are the only one inhabiting this body, nourish it.

Sunscreen is always a non-negotiable. Japanese sunscreens are so, so good – not only are they super light but your makeup application will thank you as they act in part as the best primer for makeup.

Sleep is your best friend. While some of us may not get the full 8.5 hours, embrace it. Turn off all screens and be present. Rested. At ease. Your mood tomorrow will thank you.

The best piece of advice I’ve been given lately: Stress kills gratitude. Rushing kills presence. Fear kills possibility.

(Now read that backwards).

Lucy Slight

Beauty and lifestyle journalist, certified personal stylist @lucyslight

Keep it simple, stay consistent. If you’ve ever found yourself on #beautytok, you’ll know that skincare trends are constantly changing, with new ingredients being hyped every time you scroll. But the most enduring advice when it comes to skincare is that a simple routine practised consistently will do more for your skin than any fleeting trend. When you give your skin stability with an at-home routine that consists of products suited to your skin type, that’s when you’ll find harmony (and a happy skin barrier).

Experiment! Everything washes off. Beauty should be playful, not precious, and I’m reminded of this every time I attend a makeup launch or receive a new set of colourful lipsticks or eyeliners. Knowing that a bold lip or a quirky eyeliner can be wiped away in an instant gives you freedom to experiment and get creative – something that’s impossible to do when you’re aiming for perfection. Some of my favourite beauty looks have come from these low-stakes trials and taking a chance on something a little out of my comfort zone.

Dan Ahwa

Honour your heritage. When it comes to anything wellness related, I tap into my Chinese heritage for guidance. For example, a morning routine is really important to start your day right. Something I have consistently done over the years is drinking warm water first thing in the morning. This allows me to set up my digestive system for the day, promote circulation and detoxification while balancing yin and yang, the latter playing a big part in my sense of calmness.

Stack your morning habits. Another Eastern wellness routine that I swear by comes from both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, tongue scraping. I do this before I brush my teeth with a bronze tongue scraper, and it just feels like I’m taking that extra step to ensure I start the day right.

Don’t forget your feet. Every six months, I also get a Chinese pedicure and reflexology massage. It’s important to take care of your feet as you age, and this very simple combination of scraping dead skin and massaging the pressure points of your feet is actually a vital part of overall health and wellbeing.

Tessa Stockdale

Wellness comes from within. What you give to your body, it will give you back. Drink two litres of water a day, nourish with whole foods, touch some grass and of course, drink your matcha.

Nothing protects, preserves and future-proofs like SPF. Your face and neck are a given, but don’t miss the back of your hands. Your 60-year-old self will thank you.

Spend where the change happens. Cleansers and moisturisers are your support crew. Serums are what will drive the results.

Sarika Patel

Freelance makeup artist, Viva Beauty Awards 2025 judge and shade matching expert @ssarika

Skin prep is non-negotiable. The one piece of beauty advice that has stuck with me came early in my career from the M.A.C greats – Amber D, James Molloy and the other incredible artists. I learned that achieving a radiant, second-skin finish starts long before you pick up a foundation brush. Proper hydration, priming and preparation (both internal and external) is what separates makeup that melts into your skin, enhancing what’s already there, from makeup that sits on top looking cakey and making it hard to blend.

Tanne Snowden

The body keeps the score, even in beauty. The moment I started using high-quality active ingredients on my arms, legs and chest, everything changed. My skin tone evened out and I felt more confident in my own texture. It made me realise that taking care of your body is deeply emotional, not just cosmetic. Treating the body holistically creates the kind of all-over glow you can’t get from facial skincare alone.

Wellness shows up on your skin before it shows up anywhere else. A nutritionist told me that your skin is usually the first to report back on stress, sleep and hormones. Dullness, breakouts, inflammation – they often speak louder than any lab result. It taught me to treat skincare and wellness as teammates, not separate categories.

Treat your neck and chest as part of your face. I ignored that area for years until extending my skincare downward became a ritual, and honestly, it’s one of the changes that made the biggest visible difference. It feels like taking care of future me.

Mary Outram

A swipe of lipstick will always make you feel polished. My mum always told me that my grandmother Mary (who I was named after) would never go into town without her lipstick on… even though she lived rurally on a farm. My mum passed that little ritual down to me, not as something over the top, but as a simple way to feel a bit more polished. Most days I don’t wear makeup, but I always brush up my brows, wear a touch of something on the lip, and let my BONNIE GLOW Gradual Tanning Face Drops and moisturiser do the rest. Lately, I’ve been loving M.A.C’s Soar Lip Liner paired with the YSL Love Shine Lipstick in Shade: 200 Rosy Sand, or a slick of the Hair Candy Lip Gloss.

Danny Pato (MNZM)

Award-winning hairstylist, co-founder of D&M Hair Design and 2025 recipient of the New Zealand Order of Merit @dannypatohair

In summer, use a leave-in conditioner to hydrate and protect your hair from dryness, breakage and colour fade. You can then style it sleek and chic: centre or side part, slick back to the nape and secure in a chignon. Or for a loose beachy wave look, apply before bed and loosely braid, taking them out in the morning. The Rolls-Royce leave-in conditioner I recommend is the new Davines Beautiful Things Leave-In Mask, a healing and nourishing biotech treatment that protects from UV and heat.

Sara Higgins

Skin health is a reflection of internal wellbeing. Supporting gut function, managing stress and nourishing the body consistently have the greatest impact on how skin looks and feels. When the inside is cared for, the glow follows naturally.

Hydrate the fascia, not just the body. This has stayed with me as a guiding principle. Gentle movement incorporating bowspring, regular massage (daily self-massage and from a therapist when I can), and proper hydration keep everything supple and connected. When the fascia is nourished, the whole body moves and feels better.

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