Jewellery creator, store-owner, mother, jazz singer: Claire Terry loves beauty products that cater for a busy woman. Her beauty bag is a mix of no-fuss items that mean business, and pampering treats to help relax after a day on her feet – with as many locally made, organic choices as possible.
Whilst running her Cuba Street boutique, Madame Fancy Pants, Terry relies on ranges that will stay put, like NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and MAC Sheertone Blush in Peach.
For daytime, Terry favours lip balm – Crazy Rumors candy flavours, stocked in her store, are a delicious pick, while for an evening out, MAC Ruby Woo is her go-to – plus a spritz of Jean Paul Gaultier Classique or MOR Marshmallow Perfume Oil roll-on.
Terry won’t be seen in public without her brows done: “I feel very naked, like an un-eyebrowed freak!” she laughs. ModelCo Eyebrows Designer Brow Kit in medium is her solution. After a disastrous professional brow-shaping experience in her teens, Terry has spent years getting them back to just how she likes them. Now a convert to threading, she keeps stray hairs at bay with the incredibly precise Tweezerman tweezers.
She also adores Bésame 1930s Mascara, which is paraben-free and allergy-tested. “They keep their products as natural as possible… It doesn’t make my eyes water like other mascaras tend to do,” Terry says. Bésame is available in Wellington at The Powder Room on Cuba Street, which is run by Terry’s close friend Lisa Ussher. “She just knows me and knows what I want – even if I don’t say anything.”
Ussher has also got Terry hooked on Davines Hammam Hand Kit, a cream and scrub packed with bergamot and black pepper scents, ideal for keeping hands smooth and supple, and for unwinding after a tough day. Other favourites include New Zealand-made Orania Facial Oil and Cleansing Oil. She loves the Cleansing Oil as a makeup remover for eyes, lips and brows. “It’s not astringent, it’s natural, and it takes off all of your makeup,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll put it on, get a hot face cloth, put it on my face, let that seep in. It smells lovely. Scent is really important to me.”
At the end of the day, Terry lathers on Badger Sleep Balm, packed with lavender, bergamot, rosemary and ginger for one last treat before a good night’s sleep.
