Today's #ForteFemale is the brilliant fashion and celebrity make-up artist and founder of The Attracta Beauty Awards and the Beauty|Art Book 8A – Imperfect Beauty, Attracta Courtney. She has spent the last two decades of her career working with the A-Listers; her make-up creations have graced countless magazine covers, runways and red carpets.
What will you be doing differently in this lockdown?
Being asked to stay at home and stop doing what I love as a creative has been challenging at times; however, I have used this second lockdown to reflect on new ways to communicate on beauty. I have really enjoyed taking part in live interviews, meeting other beauty experts virtually and attending the British Beauty Council webinar think-tanks to share my knowledge with the industry.
Which place would you travel to now, if you could?
St. Lucia. It’s an island that holds many happy memories of when times were more carefree.
What's the first restaurant you're going to go to after the lockdown?
Lemonia in Primrose Hill.
What is your favourite spa or wellness space?
Kamalaya in Koh Samui or Como Shambhala at COMO Metropolitan London.
What is the first treatment you're going to do after lockdown?
What are you doing/ using to stay physically active and mentally well at the moment?
I love going for long walks in Richmond Park very early; watching deer and listening to birdsong is so peaceful. I regularly meditate which I find very therapeutic and grounding.
What helps you get to sleep if you are wired but tired?
I love to have a warm bath in the evening with candles and mellow soulful music. I always practise mindful deep breathing in the bath and finish by doing my Attitude of Gratitude; giving thanks for things and people who are in my life.
What is your skincare regime during the lockdown (morning and evening)?
AM: I always start with a gentle face refresh using a flannel soaked in cool water. I am currently applying a Vitamin C Active Serum by MZ Skin called Brighten & Perfect to counteract any pigmentation caused by the summer. When it gets colder, I always use a rich moisturiser; I have just discovered FUARAIN Super Active Moisture Cream which is gentle and deeply hydrating. I then finish my routine by applying a high SPF cream by Heliocare 360.
PM: I always double cleanse using QMS Medicosmetics Epigen Pollution Detox Cleansing Gel to remove all traces of makeup and any residual SPF. I am using a Vitamin A cream at the moment, the MERUMAYA Retinol Resurfacing Treatment. I follow this with the Emma Coleman Healing Night Balm.
Do you have one evening or more a week where you spend time masking/ pampering? What do you do?
Sundays and Fridays are my ideal home-spa pampering evenings. I love to apply gentle but effective active skin exfoliants such as Irene Forte’s Apricot Face Peel and then follow with the rich, divine Pomegranate Face Mask. My favourite eye treatments are Guerlain’s Super Aqua-Eye patches. This combination has been just wonderful to deeply hydrate and nourish my skin over the last few weeks. I am a firm believer that skincare should also be a sensorial uplifting experience and Irene Forte’s products tick all those boxes for me.
What is the best beauty/ skin advice you've ever been given?
Invest in quality products and your skin will thank you later!
What's your favourite:
Book:
Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty by Nancy Etcoff
Documentary:
Why Beauty Matters - Sir Roger Scruton
Skincare product:
It has to be Irene Forte’s Pomegranate Face Mask, it’s just divine!
