Rachel Sloane is used to being surrounded by beauty.
After all, the renowned jewellery designer spends her days pouring over diamonds as she and her partner Alex Bunnett lead a team of passionate jewellers at Naveya & Sloane's loft-style boutique, located in Auckland's Queen's Arcade.
The brand’s first bricks-and-mortar store defies its central city setting offering clients a bright and airy haven while overlooking bustling Queen Street.
Naveya & Sloane’s story matches that of its co-founders, who met and fell in love in 2010. Drawing on Alex’s business nous and Rachel’s artful eye, the brand sought to specialise in fine jewellery and carve out a new path in a crowded jewellery industry.
For almost 10 years Rachel and Alex have been helping others tell their own love stories, with Naveya & Sloane quickly building its reputation for crafting made-to-order engagement rings, each one designed with the wearer in mind.
One such ring hangs gently on Rachel’s wedding finger a princess cut diamond in a halo setting.
She’s busy planning her upcoming wedding to her long-time love Alex, and if their bespoke jewellery is anything to go by, we have no doubt their big day will be equally as chic.
Beauty ethos
I would describe my beauty ethos as efficient, natural, classic and chic.
Early makeup memories
I danced throughout my childhood, mainly doing jazz ballet. My earliest memory is probably my mum going bananas on my eyelashes when it came time for the end of year concerts. I do have quite long lashes, and she loved layering them up for maximum drama!
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Advertise with NZME.Daily beauty routine
I try to keep things as simple as possible and ideally take about 5-10 minutes to do my makeup. I wash my face with Cetaphil, and then put on M.A.C Strobe Cream to layer the skin with a luminous glow. It's important to get the skin looking as flawless as possible for a fresh, natural look. At the moment I'm using Bare Minerals Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream which I'm quite into as a foundation which I apply with my hands. I don't really like using too many brushes.
Then I go all out on my M.A.C Concealer to make sure the darker areas look light and youthful. I find this is really key to making me look a little more contoured and fresh. Next, I do a simple contouring routine with bronzer around my hairline, cheekbones, chin, under my nose, and down my neck and chest. I use this same bronzer as a natural eye shadow. From there, I put M.A.C Pearl Cream Colour Base on as a highlighter in the highest points on my face to make my skin look luminous, and then add a touch of blush. I quickly do my eyebrows, making them as straight and natural as possible giving them a little brush! Ideally, I’ll apply a couple of layers of mascara, and a small amount of dark brown eyeshadow for a subtle smoky eye.
![Rachel's hair hack includes fully drying her hair before tying half of it up for extra lift at the roots. Photo / Supplied](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/7RHSDRBAD42BXTVDTQQPKQIG6Y.jpg?auth=074fbf58f4e62b88fc5af0b54f7740f5b2ed8aa7d064f5aa4d2236c650d13277&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
Hair and its care
I like my hair to feel sculptural but effortless, so I use two products to get it looking chic. To get maximum volume, I wash my hair then spray Oribe Dry Texturing Spray on my roots before I blow-dry it. Ideally, after I blow-drying, I have time to tie my hair half up half down, for an hour or so to lift the roots and set the product, this helps to keep the volume throughout the day or night. Then I'll take it down, curl it with my ghd curling tong and spray Wella Ocean Spray Spritz to give it a little bit of an unkempt sea-salt look.
Day to night transformation
My day to night beauty look is pretty similar, but I do a stronger smoky eye with eyeliner. I like to keep my look as natural as possible for both day and night.
Best kept brow secret
I keep going back to the same Hourglass product (available from Mecca) for my brows. It's a brow sculpting pencil with a flat end on it, which I love as I like to straighten out my eyebrows. They are quite arched in shape so it's a great product to fill them in really easily and still look really natural. At the moment I am brushing them and making them look a little bit more fluffy and 80s vibe.
Treatment to try
I've thought about Botox but I'm not 100 per cent sold, though it does seem like it's the best option long-term.
Five favourite products
1. Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil A quick easy product to straighten my brows for a bold natural look
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Advertise with NZME.2. M.A.C Strobe Cream it makes my skin look fresh and more youthful
3. Wella Ocean Spray Spritz gives my hair a natural effortless texture
4. M.A.C Pearl Cream Colour Base Highlighter makes me feel more fresh and alive
5. Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara the unique tube formula ensures no panda eyes!
Last beauty buy?
My Hourglass brow pencil.
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Beauty muse
I love Caroline de Maigret, she is so effortless and chic in every way. She is a bit older as well, which I like and she doesn't look too perfect.
Tricks of the trade
For a while there I was really interested in Kim Kardashian's beauty products and contouring, which was really interesting. I think what she has achieved in beauty is incredible and it really shows that you can create so much through the right vision, focus and products. My main beauty trick is I always drink a small glass of water before bed which I find hydrates my skin overnight. Drinking loads of water is my favourite skin hack.
Beauty is...?
Life!