In my beauty bag: Margi Robertson

Margarita Robertson is the founder and designer of Dunedin-based label Nom*D.

Her label was one of the ’New Zealand Four’ who showed at London Fashion Week in 1999 - the first Kiwi label to show at an international fashion week, (although NOM*d was already retailing in London at the internationally-renowned Liberty’s).

Sister to Elizabeth Findlay of Zambesi, Margi and her husband Chris also own retail store ’Plume’ in Dunedin. In recognition of her exceptional contribution to the New Zealand fashion industry, Margi was recently awarded an honorary Bachelor of Design (Fashion) from Otago Polytechnic.

We caught her at hair and makeup tests for her upcoming Auckland show as part of the Marr Factory series, and asked her about her beauty routine.

"I wear makeup six days a week, sometimes seven - pretty much every day of the week if I am out and about. The only time I don’t wear any is if I am planning to spend the day at home doing the housework, or other housey type things. Generally I just feel a bit more confident if I am wearing makeup when I go out.

As a teenager, our mother always encouraged us to cleanse, so that nightmare chore of cleansing and moisturising and doing that sort of thing in the morning has been instilled in me from my youth... As far as topical application goes, I’ve gone through the years of wearing a lot of makeup, that punky type thing and lots of eyes, but as I have become older I have really gone for the ’less is more’ approach. But when I say ’less’ I don’t mean ’none’!

In the morning I moisturise with La Mer and I use a Kiehls eye cream (I wash my face with a facecloth in the shower). I use a M.A.C. Prep + Prime always, and then I have a Chanel foundation, ’Lift Lumiere’, which I have used for several years. I use M.A.C Prep + Prime Lip and a M.A.C lipstick - ’M.A.C. Red’ at the moment, and I always have a bit of a touch-up of the eyebrows. I don’t use eyeliner or mascara as a rule because I feel that my eyes are too lined now for that sort of thing. For evening I put a bit of eyeshadow on, I use a M.A.C pot for a little bit of darkening - but very, very little.

For my hair, I do something as quickly as possible, generally! I’ve had a Keratin treatment and I don’t have too many frizzy bits as a result, and what I am loving is that I don’t need too much product - I have had drawers full of product that I don’t use or don’t like because I always used to be using product to tame the frizzies. My hair is naturally curly.

At the moment I am using a Keratin Straight shampoo and conditioner that I was given to use since I had the Keratin treatment. I have a Kevin Murphy styling cream or I use Redken Diamond Oil. I get my hair cut at Aart in Dunedin. David there did a trim when I had the Keratin treatment, but now that I have long hair I haven’t been a continual hairdressing client and of course I don’t get it dyed any more, either.

I’m addicted to Shellac! Every two weeks I go and get a Shellac nail polish done and it’s been amazing, it’s strengthened my nails which is incredible. Every month I also get a pedicure done which I love, it’s a really nice time out for me. Prior to discovering Shellac I was never really a nailpolish wearer but I’m quite enjoying that now. I use a Chanel handcream and I have been using an amazing Kiehls vanilla and cardamom body lotion. I alternate it with Clarins Toning Body Balm - they both smell gorgeous and give great moisture treatments.

I’m the Comme de Garcons perfume girl. I usually have about five years from a perfume, and my current favourite is Avignon which is from the Incense series.

I am definitely low maintenance. I am all about fast."

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