Krisztina Van der Boom

What does the beauty routine of a beauty entrepreneur and former corporate headhunter look like? We chat to the the effortlessly chic Krisztina van der Boom, co-founder and one of the sisters behind of Dryby, central London’s chicest hair and nails salon to find out. (NB. it contains, as you would expect of a woman who manages to blend serious business acumen with serious style credentials, some seriously chic essentials…)

sunday sessions krisztina van der boom

The Wind Down

I tend to start winding down at around 3-4pm because I try to be home latest at 4pm on Sundays and watch a movie with the kids. I try to finish all work related things by Saturday night, so on Sunday I don’t have to open my computer. I don’t look at work emails at all and I don’t make phone calls; I am totally in the Sunday bubble with the family. My aim with my beauty routine is really to get better skin and hair so I always start with hair treatment that I put on damp hair. I let it sit for 3-4 hours and wash it out at night. I am obsessed with candles and home fragrance, and love Byredo, my favourite is Tree House. I also like Diptyque Tubereuse and Ambre. I generally feel good, I like Sunday night. Strangely – I love Mondays, it always makes me feel like I have a new start, so I don’t have the Sunday blues at all.

sunday sessions shelf - krisztina van der boom

The Routine

When it comes to skincare La Mer is my luxury. A friend of mine who really knows skincare recommended it about a year ago when I had terrible breakouts on my chin and since I started using it I’ve become a total convert. My skin tends to be dehydrated and sensitive, so I use the original Moisturizing Crème, The Tonic and The Renewal Oil. I also love Dr Sebagh’s Supreme Maintenance Serum, Serum Repair, and Omorovicza’s Rejuvenating Night Cream has been in my skin routine for ages. I stick to what I know and like; I rarely change once something works for me.

sunday sessions shelf krisztina van der boom

I’m a real bath person and I love Suzanne Kaufmann’s Oil Bath for the Senses and I love the AESOP body creams for afterwards. I have a tiny tight edit of beauty products because stuff and clutter makes me crazy. I feel like naturally I would like to be a lounge-on-the-sofa type person when it comes to beauty, but I multi-task since I have kids.

I always wash my hair and let it air dry on a Sunday night, it’s the only time I wash my own hair, the other two times I wash my hair in the week I have it washed and styled in the salon. My hair is frizzy, difficult and coloured, so after I leave the treatment on for a few hours I wash it off with Original & Mineral Hydrate and Conquer. I use Ouai styling products, which are my favourite; I love the Texturising Hairspray in particular.

sunday sessions shelf - krisztina van der boom

Bedtime

On Sundays I try to get into bed really early at 9pm and then turn lights off at 10pm. I usually have a herbal tea and watch a bit of Grey’s Anatomy in bed, too. I love candles in the bedroom and I’m really loving the REN & now to sleep pillow spray at the moment. Right before lights out I use a cuticle oil, hand cream by AESOP and lip balm by Omorovicza. I need a minimum of 7 hours sleep but ideally 8 hours. I’m a light sleeper, I hear everything and wake really easily. When I’m feeling stressed I go to bed really early and manage 9 hours.

Monday Morning

My alarm is set for 5am on a Monday; I am not a snoozer. I love Monday mornings, they are a ritual. Everyone is asleep and it’s really quiet and I feel super awake. I spend an hour from 5-6am just sitting with the computer in the kitchen having coffee and going through the week. I have two coffees in that one hour, then I open the computer and check the agenda for the week ahead in the morning. I also make a green smoothie with Welleco’s Super Elixir and take fish oil and magnesium supplements.