Kat Farmer

Renowned for her style credentials and down-to-earth sense of humour, we chat beauty with the founder of Does My Bum Look 40 In This , mum-of-three and fragrance fan, Kat Farmer.

The Wind Down

Sundays generally are slightly hectic. I would love to be more organised, but I’m pulling together uniforms and lunch boxes, and finding school ties that have been abandoned since Friday afternoon. I’ll also be trying to organise the nanny, my husband, the dog, my schedule, and sort everything out for the week; Sundays are not as relaxing as they were pre-children, shall we say.

The Routine

Sunday evening is mask time, that’s what I call it. I do like to escape to my bedroom for my mask and normally use that time to catch up on television. Until last week it was Love Island, but I’ll often have a box set like Billions on the go. I like a balm cleanser, Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, £18.00 is my absolute favourite and her balm is incredible, I’ve been using it for years. The is also amazing. So I’ll cleanse, then I’ll mask – my favourite masks are sheet masks. I find with cream masks it goes in your hair and then it’s hard work to remove, it sounds ridiculous, but once you’ve used a sheet mask you get it. They’re also obvious, and also when you’ve got children, a sheet mask makes a great ‘do not disturb’ sign.

I’ve seen a couple of facialists who taught me how to do proper face massage. They say that we spend all this time exercising the different muscles of the body but we never do it for the face. So I always massage after a mask and I’ll use a facial oil; Emma Hardie Brilliance Facial Oil, £43.00 is absolutely brilliant, and Darphin 8 Flower Nectar, N/A is beautiful, it’s aromatherapeutic which is lovely. Quite often my daughter will come and sit with me and we’ll do a mask together. She likes cleansing masks, things like Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment, £9.60 or , whereas I’m all about moisturising and nourishing with things like Sarah Chapman Skinesis 3D Moisture Infusion Mask, £50.00. Just before I go to bed I’ll use a cream, the most incredible cream I’ve ever used is and , the night is my favourite. It’s really rich, but it’s not tacky, it’s a like a velvety gel. It sinks in instantly and I love the fragrance – it smells of luxury. It’s my favourite skin product.

I rarely have time for the luxury of a bath because for me, beauty has to be dynamic, it has to work quickly. So I’m a shower person. I absolutely love the Laura Mercier Bath products, so if I do have a bath that’s what I will use, but I do use them in the shower as well. Bath oil in the shower is incredible – it’s a much richer experience and I am getting to that point where my skin is basically leather! Diptyque shower gel is amazing and I love Laura Mercier body lotions and creams for afterwards, although for moisturising I generally prefer a body oil – I love the Diptyque oils, and their body exfoliator is the best I’ve ever used. In the summer I always use the Nuxe Huile de Prodigeuse. It smells so good and it gives my skin a sheen. I’m a massive fan of layering scents and I like to use a shower gel, body oil and moisturiser with the same scent. I love buying home beauty products for general wellbeing too. I keep Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash, £33.00 and Aesop Resurrection Aromatique Hand Balm, £27.00 in our downstairs loo and kitchen, it smells so good. I’m also obsessed with candles. I remember getting my first proper pay cheque and buying a Diptyque Figuier Scented Candle, £35.00 from Space NK. I still buy it! I also like Diptyque Baies Scented Candle, £35.00.

I am a massive, massive fan of fake tan and is my holy grail because it’s foolproof, and doesn’t come off on sheets or clothes. I use it every Sunday with a body mitt before bed when I don’t have a natural tan. I also love their Body Blur – I’ve asked them to do a handbag version. It is the best thing, it makes skin look amazing and it really doesn’t come off unless you wash it off, even if someone spills wine on you.

I have hair that’s basically like straw and I only wash it once a week to save time. I tie it up the rest of the time and just use a Diptyque Hair Mist. Living Proof is good too, I like their Restore Shampoo but I always use a mask instead of normal conditioner, that’s how dry my hair is. I don’t use styling products – I find they make my hair sticky.

Bedtime

I’m so lucky, I can fall asleep very easily, but all my children love the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, £24.00 This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray before bed. They use it every night and it’s really comforting for them if we’re away. I always pack that, along with De Mamiel Altitude Oil for me on the plane. I read a lot and I love thrillers. I read on my Kindle in bed for a bit and then I’m out like a light.

Monday Morning

The first thing I do when I wake up is a 5-minute check on Instagram and email. Then I brush my teeth, I can’t bear morning breath! I splash my face with water and have coffee after that. I’m not a morning person but DCL C-Scape Serum helps, it’s amazing for brightening and it feels zingy. It actually wakes up my skin.