Martha Kalifatidis on her beauty essentials, the treatments she's tried, and how she dealt with her 'acne beard'

As the reality star that's rocked every hair colour from red to platinum and every eyeshadow shade from lilac to emerald, Martha Kalifatidis isn't exactly new to the whole beauty thing.

Not only was she a makeup artist before even stepping onto our screens, but she's also very well versed in the haircare and skin care spaces, too. And (in what may be our favourite thing about her), she's not afraid to talk about the treatments she's tried (filler isn't a dirty word, you guys), as well as the ones she definitely won't.

We caught up with Kalifatidis to talk all things beauty, and she definitely didn't disappoint...

Martha Kalifatidis’s skin care routine

“My morning skin care routine is much more pared back and my P.M. regimen is quite extensive," Kalifatidis shared. I like to spend time steaming and oil cleansing at night; I look forward to it, it’s pure bliss! I like to prep my skin for all the actives I’ll be applying, like AHAs and retinol. Retinol is an ingredient that will catapult you towards your skin goals.

[The] retinol does all the work so in the morning I keep it simple with a gentle cleanse then either a vitamin C serum or a niacinamide serum under my sunscreen... you can do one better, the Olay Vitamin C + Niacinamide Super Serum has both ingredients!”

Adding glow in before base is super important to her, too. “Skin care prep is more important than the makeup itself; you can’t fake a healthy glow. From someone who has done thousands of makeup applications on thousands of different skin types of all ages, skin prep not only makes your makeup last better but it creates a beautiful base for the makeup, which you can’t fake with a highlighter.”

Martha Kalifatidis’s skin journey

“I was on the pill for eight years, [and] when I came off it I broke out in what I call an 'acne beard': acne all over my jaw and cheeks. It was really angry and red, I hated it. Obviously nothing I did topically could rectify it because hormonal acne needs to be treated from the inside, [so] I changed my diet and within days the angry redness subsided. Now my concerns are different – skin laxity and loss of collagen are what I worry about. So I always take a collagen supplement religiously! And wear sunscreen!”

Martha Kalifatidis’s favourite (and least favourite) beauty treatments

“Ohhh where do I start? [I’m a fan of] needling, HIFU (AKA high-intensity focused ultrasound, a noninvasive facelift alternative) and skin tightening. I can’t go past a good old LED and I’d be lying if I didn’t say Botox. I'm not an extremist. I like to try things but I won’t go too crazy.

I get a little filler and a little Botox but nothing the girl next door isn’t doing! There are probably a lot of things I’d be hesitant to do. That might shock a few of you but you probably won’t see me with a fox eye or anything like that...”

Martha Kalifatidis’s makeup essentials

As for her makeup bag mainstays, Kalifatidis has three favourites: bronzer as “it gives the face life and dimension”, lip liner (“who doesn’t want a lil' pout all the time?”), and mascara: “Lashes are so feminine and make me feel good. Lancôme Grandiose is my go-to.”

Martha Kalifatidis’s favourite hair products

“I love a good hair oil! I have a million but I do always go back to the Moroccanoil [one]; there’s nothing else like it for coarse, textured and unruly hair like mine! Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil is also a fave.”

Martha Kalifatidis’s best beauty advice

“Don’t tan in the sun! Tsk tsk tsk. Wear sunscreen and never ever let your face or chest see the sun! Also always take your skin care down to your neck and chest! Ohhh and drink heaps of water!” Wise words from a wise, wise woman.

Martha Kalifatidis’s beauty philosophy

“Ohh I’m a true Gemini! I don’t have a philosophy; it’s more of a mood. Some days I’m glam and some days I’m bare faced. Really just listen to your skin, it’s a great communicator. It tells you what’s going on inside! Beauty starts inside.”

Main image credit: @martha__k

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