A Day In The Life Of A Botanical Beauty: Petra Strand

I am an early riser…even on days off!  I have four children so sleeping is a thing of the past! I usually get up at 6 to get things organised before everybody else wakes up.

My home and work life is totally intertwined, I’m lucky enough to have a home studio, and when I wake up I usually check my emails, get breakfast going for everybody and gets them off to schools. Then I have breakfast.

I love a protein breakfast, my go to is 2 eggs, toast and orange juice and tea.

Simple but effective…Glow Tonic/serum and moisturiser (depending on my skin- right now I use Hydrating Milky Serum and Rose Blend Oil) and of course SPF- our new Sun Serum SPF 30. My brand and my life revolves around creating multi-tasking makeup,  so 5 things is all I need. Illuminating Tint & Conceal – which gives me extra moisture, another layer of SPF and evens out my skintone with a luminous finish. It has a concealer in the cap so when needed I use that for extra coverage. I curl my lashes and apply Lash Booster Mascara (waterproof). I dust on some bronzer over my lids and cheeks, and apply a tinted lip balm. My secret trick for awakening-looking skin is using Flawless Beauty Primer.  I specifically developed that to give skin a beautifully diffused glow, and I use it as a lotion highlighter on brow&cheekbones. I finish off with a quick misting of Vitamin Wakeup Mist.

After the mornings with my family, I go into Pixi mode. I am really passionate about developing quality products for Pixi so a lot of my day is taken up with innovating new product concepts, testing lab samples and searching through my archives.  I liaise with not only my Product Development Team but with every other department in the company as we work together. If I’m travelling it’s usually back to back meetings and then a business dinner at night.

I have 4 children so downtime… is spending time with them. I do love nature and being outdoors the temperature where I live (California) means that we can enjoy being outdoors- going for walks on the beach/swimming and exploring. One of my favourite places to go is the amazing Rose Gardens and other botanical gardens in Southern California where I get so much inspiration for ingredients and even shades.

I can shut off work and stress quite easily..... :) I don’t look at my phone or computer unless I am in work-mood.  If I have the time, a deep bath filled with beautiful oils is the perfect way for me to unwind.

My favourite cleanser in the world is Double Cleanse that we did with Caroline Hirons, I actually triple cleanse with Glow Mud Cleanser also- using it more as a cleansing mask when I need a really deep purifying cleanse. It works wonders in the shower with the steam. After I use Glow Tonic, I apply Overnight Glow Serum on my T-zone, and mix Beauty Sleep Cream and Rose Oil Blend and smooth on all over. I finish 24K Eye Elixir & Nourishing Lip Polish – and mist on Hydrating Milky Mist.

I try and be in bed and lights out for 10. I need my sleep to keep up with the pace of my life right now!

I stretch before bed to relax and I also always drink a glass of milk. Calming essential oils like Lavender in our Beauty Sleep Cream is soothing and relaxing.