Hannah Farren, Visual Merchandiser, Space NK Apothecary

Hannah Farren, Visual Merchandiser, Space NK Apothecary

'My name is Hannah Farren [@ _hannah _farren]. I'm originally from Birmingham, England, but I've lived in London for five years now. I am a visual merchandiser for Space NK Apothecary, so I travel around the city a lot in the name of making things look pretty. It’s a hugely creative job, and I am lucky to be in a position which is essentially all about inspiring others. Other than that, fun, for me, is rest. I love to just sit, putter, read…

Before working at Space, I could never have told you why a slightly more expensive moisturizer worked better than a cheaper version. Now I know that it's quite often down to the potency of ingredients. Cheaper brands can often include those same ingredients, just not necessarily enough of it to do much.

I start my skincare with Eve Lom's Morning Time Cleanser. It literally plumps your skin up, and I like the ritual of leaving it on while I brush my teeth. Sarah Chapman's Morning Facial is honestly incredible stuff. It takes you from your four-hours-of-sleep reality to a well-rested, eight-hour fresh face in a matter of minutes, plus it smells incredible. Though, there are times where not even Sarah Chapman can save me. In comes Eve Lom's Rescue Mask, which is the only mask I will put on before a night out or on a particularly awful morning. When you put it on, it's like no other feeling...you can actually feel the circulation in your face.

I tend to go for the 'English Rose' kind of look, mostly because I'm never really going to pull of 'Amazonian goddess' when I'm a pale, blonde girl from Birmingham. That being said, I believe in making time to properly enjoy putting your makeup on. Seriously. Sit down and do your makeup in a beautiful vintage mirror, store your brushes in fine china, wear a kimono! You should never stop being inspired by your products, and that should be as much a part of your routine as regular exfoliation, in my opinion. For makeup, I use Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation in Vanille Clair applied with a Beauty Blender dipped in lavender-infused water, which helps calm down redness. Wherever possible, I try to include lavender in my routine. I buy the Miaroma Lavender Pure Essential Oil from Holland & Barrett for around £5. I include it in my cleansing routine by putting a drop in a sink full of hot water. I soak my washcloths in the same water while I cleanse.

Smith's Rosebud Salve from Rosebud Perfume Co. is particularly awesome. I use it on the tops of my cheekbones, my Cupid's bow, and I work it into my eyelashes and then curl them with Shu Uemura's Eyelash Curler—the only one that doesn't clamp half of your eyelid with it, in my opinion. I hate wearing mascara because I think it looks so stark against my face, so instead, after curling, I use Benefit's Big Beautiful Eyes palette because it hasn't got a single sparkle in it. I apply the dark brown shade liberally under my eyelashes—really work it into the lash line—which darkens them but doesn't make them look too heavy.

For fragrance, I just want want to smell clean. I wear The Library of Fragrance's Fresh Laundry mixed with Baby Powder—but I only spritz once with the latter, while I douse myself in the former. I also use Johnson's Baby Moisture Wash because I adore the smell, and it doesn't hurt that my body lotion, Ameliorate Skin Soothing Body Lotion, smells like that, too.

My hair, apart from being quite thin, is actually well-behaved, so I'm very lucky in the fact that I can buy cheap shampoo, stick it in two Princess Leia-esque buns while it's damp, and come out on top of the world. I'm ashamed to say this as I actually judge my shampoos and conditioners quite substantially by the way they smell. My favorite is Alberto Balsam's Coconut & Lychee Shampoo. A boy once told me that I smelled like 'holidays and sunshine' after I'd just washed my hair with this stuff, and I've never forgotten.

Living in London, I very rarely have to get into a car because I take the train everywhere. When I do get in a car, though, I get terrible carsickness. My secret relief is to always have Caudalíe's Beauty Elixir with me. Open a window so that you have some fresh air, spray it into your hands, cup your hands over your nose, and inhale. Keep your eyes on the road, and I promise you'll feel better.”

—as told to ITG

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