Pat Kane: My biggest beauty lessons

I come from a family of mostly women – aunts, a sister and a bunch of very special, sister-like cousins, so incredible female energy surrounded me all my life. My grandmother was a beautiful and really well-put-together lady who has taught us all to look after ourselves. She believed that women should always be ready for a special occasion. She was so glam.

Some of my favourite sustainable beauty products are natural deodorants by Janni Bars, body and hand cream by Bodhi Blends, the Clay & Tea Tree face mask by Roza Natural Cosmetics, the Cleansing Balm and Radiance Serum by Nunaïa, and the Silicone Mask by Soothe Skincare.

The three products I can’t go without are a good cleansing bar, a powerful moisturiser and of course, SPF. I use my own Reuzi cleansing bar – it works really well for all skin types and it’s easy to carry to the gym or on a weekend away at my in-laws’.

I truly believe in self-love. We are all perfect in our own way and that by itself is beautiful and should be celebrated. When it comes to my own self, I love my dimples, my eyebrows and my Latina curves.

I will be 40 this year, so when I compare my early twenties routine to my routine now, a lot has changed. For instance, I used to go for fragranced products because they smelled good without thinking about the potential harms of heavily fragranced products to my skin. Today, I trust the power of plants and will prioritise natural ingredients always when possible.

My mother was always my icon – beauty and beyond. She’s ageing gracefully and it’s a joy to watch someone dealing with the changes as they come.

In the morning, I love waking up and taking a minute or two to set my intentions for the day. It’s a part of my routine that I cannot skip.

I love skincare and cannot go to bed without going through my routine. I use pure jojoba oil or the Nunaïa Cleansing Balm to remove my make-up. If I have a toner, I will apply it too. My next step is to use the Ella & Jo hyaluronic spray and on top of that I will use my Skingredients Skin Veg serum – overkilling it? Maybe, but it works for me! The final step in my nightly routine will always be a viscous moisturiser to seal the effects of all the hard work I’ve put into the previous steps.

For someone like me, living and breathing sustainability on a daily basis, make-up is a huge challenge. Brands are heavily reliant on plastic containers and some use ingredients I’d rather not use on my skin. If I am working from home, I will go for that “no-make-up-make-up” vibe. The goal is to slightly enhance my features in a very natural and minimal way. If I am meeting clients or presenting at an event, I will add a bit more to it with some eye shadow and a brighter lip.

My hair is naturally dark and straight, probably due to my native indigenous roots. I keep my haircare routine quite simple – natural shampoo and conditioner bars by Reuzi and a natural hair mask once a week. From time to time, I will apply jojoba oil and leave it overnight.

By Megan Burns and Nathalie Marquez Courtney. This article originally appeared in the Autumn issue of IMAGE Magazine 2022.