Katherine Ormerod

We chat to brand consultant and founder of workworkwork.co.uk Katherine Ormerod about the beauty of a perfected skincare edit and why Sunday nights are sacred…

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The Wind Down

Sundays are generally about winding down all day long and I don’t schedule too much. I might work from 4-7pm, but then it’s all about easing into the new week. Then the relaxation starts. My goal with my routine is to go through a really deep cleanse and condition my skin for the week ahead; it’s a combination of results-driven and therapeutic. I want to nourish and repair my skin and make sure that it’s properly exfoliated, but there is also something psychologically satisfying about rejuvenating and cleansing the skin. It’s a bit like packing your outfit for the next day.

When it comes to background noise I’m a big fan of silence, I find that music hugely alters my mood and distracts me, and my Sundays are more about relaxing for me so I try not to multi-task for once! I always do my routine on my sofa wearing my cashmere trousers by Le Kasha and a T-Shirt by LNA, and I’m a candle monster. I always have them burning when I’m at home, whether it’s Sunday or not. Cotton Poplin by Byredo is a favourite scent.

 

I’ve always been an ultra-efficient multi tasker in the past, but I’m trying to mend my ways. Working for yourself across multiple projects one of which is social media related means that your work/life balance can become really stretched. For me there’s a full integration of both work and life so that while I’m never chained to a desk, I’m never really ‘’off’. You definitely get back what you put in, so the temptation is to keep working late into the night. I work most weekends on things I’m passionate about: read, the things that don’t pay the bills, so while it’s fulfilling I can easily go a month without a full day off. Recharging is however, so important – not just for the soul, but also for the body which is something that going through fertility struggles has really highlighted for me. So in terms of relaxation I’m trying very hard to learn to be a lounge lover!

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The Routine

I try not wear makeup on Sundays and I definitely take more time over my routine on a Sunday – there’s been a lot of trial and error along the way, but when I find something that works, I’m very loyal. I start with Ren No.1 Purity Cleansing Balm which I remove with a muslin cloth, it’s my longest standing skincare product. I complete the process with my usual night time creams – Sisley Ecological Compound and By Terry Baume de Rose Face Cream. Then I layer GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment (the latest addition to my routine) and after that I use a nourishing mask. My skin has some large, open pores, but otherwise it’s clear. It’s also oily, but not excessively so but I do have some sun damage across the cheeks and sides of the face.

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My body regime is all about removing excess dry skin and moisturising for the week ahead – it’s about resetting the skin and just giving it that bit of TLC which you don’t have time to do during in the speedy weekday showers. I’m definitely a bath person, showers just wake me up which is the last thing I’m looking for on a Sunday night. I love the concentrated rose scent of the Ren Moroccan Rose Otto Body Wash and use the Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub which is great, followed by By Terry Baume de Rose Body Cream. I could definitely add some body brushing in the routine – I need to work on stimulating my circulation. Mine is a tight edit, simply because sometimes I react badly to products and if I’m using so many all at once it can be really hard to identify which one it is that’s caused the reaction.

I wash my hair every day. No matter what. When you have a fringe and oily skin it is impossible to just leave it much longer than 36 hours. At the moment I love Kiehl’s Amino Acid Shampoo. Occasionally I’ll use a mask to restore shine.

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Bedtime

My bedroom is a massive sanctuary for me. I have a serious no-screens policy and I love a milky drink before bed. Lights out is around 11pm. I wear ear plugs every single night – one of my exes snored terribly and I just got completely addicted and have been wearing them every night for over a decade. I generally need about six and a half hours sleep as a minimum, but I struggle to sleep more than eight hours. It really depends on what is going on in my life though; I suffer so badly with jet lag – a trip to LA can take me more than two weeks to get back to normal sleep. But in general I fall asleep easily and the only issue comes if I wake up around 4 or 5am. I use simple meditation practises to clear my mind and try to get back to sleep, but if 45 minutes passes I get up and read until I’m sleepy again.

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Monday Morning

I set my alarm for either 6.45am if I’m working out or 7.30am if not and I generally feel positive and ready to roll, although I do need about 20 minutes to come around. I make a coffee (decaf cappuccino made on my Nespresso machine with skimmed cow’s milk), make the bed then jump into the shower. I also practise yoga every morning with 15-30 mins classes with my app Yoga Studio.

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