In the second of a four part series, we look at how a sucessful stylist, business founder and mother fits in regular down time
The fashion industry moves at an incredibly fast pace, but stylist, founder of WIT and co-founder of Wardrobe Icons Laura Fantacci moves even faster. As a former fashion editor, fit, quality and love come first when it comes when it comes to her sartorial choices, and her lifestyle decisions too. Owning a business, running a website and heading up exciting fashion projects mean that she’s always on the go, but she never compromises when it comes to spending time with her daughter or taking care of her body and mind. Learn how she turns snatching a few blissful moments to herself into an art...
Get The Gloss: What do you do to start your day in a positive way?
Laura Fantacci: I wish that I was one of those people who works out, but sadly I’m not. To start the day positively I just love to sit down with my two year old daughter Greta Zita and have breakfast together. One of the biggest pleasures of being self-employed and working from home is that most days I can be a little more flexible with my start time. It makes me feel like a good mother to get her up every day, sit down and start my day by having a meal together.
GTG: What are your morning beauty rituals?
LF: In the morning I like to keep things simple - I have about 15 minutes to get ready so I slip on my sheepskin slippers and cashmere robe and splash my face with fresh water. I use a tinted moisturiser and then I decide on a statement eye or lip and always apply some bronzer.
GTG: What are the three most important things you do for yourself during the day?
LF: I love getting dressed in the morning and it’s something that always makes me feel good about myself. Everything from coats to accessories gets a little thought - looking at my wardrobe makes me happy. I always eat at least one green thing a day, it can be anything from broccoli, to salad but it has to be green. I was brought up in Italy and my diet is (albeit gluten free) full of fresh vegetables. Lastly, no matter what, I like to take a shower using a body scrub or a long bath with essential oils every evening before wrapping myself in a cashmere robe and switching off my phone.
GTG: What do you do to turn a bad day good?
LF: I get a manicure - it’s one of the small luxuries in life and never fails to put a smile on my face.
GTG: Do you have any guilty pleasures?
LF: Sea salt chocolate, Ottolenghi hot chocolate.. anything chocolate! Oh and Instagram. I’m obsessed with it.
GTG: How do you approach fresh starts? Do you do anything to detox or declutter?
I’m a list maker and I work through my to-do list on a daily basis rather than piling things on it - I like to think that each day is a new beginning so every day is a busy one for me! On a cyclical basis I do things like re-arrange my shoes, clear out my desk and take all my coats to the dry cleaners. I clean out my wardrobe at the beginning and the end of every season - I’m not emotional about things so it takes me no time and leaves me feeling “lighter”.
GTG: What do you do to unwind and de-stress? How do you switch off from 'work mode’?
LF: That’s a hard one - I’ve quickly learnt that having your own business means that it's much harder to switch off entirely; but I must say that having a business partner that I can totally rely on, knowing that when I’m away or off-duty the business is in good hands, really helps. That’s certainly the case with Petro, Wardrobe Icons co-founder.
To unwind I would curl up on the sofa with my husband and watch House of Cards on a loop, and to de-stress I would head to Babington House for a long weekend or to the beach in Italy.
GTG: What is your favourite indulgence?
LF: Spas. If I could I would have an at-home massage therapist…
GTG: What are your night time beauty rituals?
LF: Aside from my nightly shower I always take my makeup off with a cream cleanser, followed by a face oil and a rich lip balm. To really treat my skin I’ve just started using a new Estée Lauder mask - it’s really lovely to use and while the long-term effects are yet to be seen, the immediate ones are very welcome (think healthy glow the next morning!). From time to time I will also slather on a body oil and then wear socks and a Uniqlo heat-tech overnight so that the moisture really soaks into my skin.
This feature was written in partnership with Estée Lauder
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