Elevated Beauty – Madeleine Walker of The Twenties Club

The lovely Madeleine of The Twenties Club takes us though her beauty routine when she needs to be a little more elevated for events, soirees or attending weddings…

Rituals – Do you have any beauty rituals for getting occasion prepped?

Most of my favourite beauty rituals happen in the comfort of my own bathroom! I find an Epsom salt bath incredibly restorative (you can take an empty jar from your pantry and fill it up with Epsom salts at most bulk wholefoods stores). Along with the Epsom salts I’ll add Dr. Bronner’s Rose-infused Pure-Castile Liquid Soap, it’s organic and really gentle on the skin. I’ll then give my body a good scrub with Aesop Geranium Body Scrub and when I step out of the bath I’ll moisturise with a body oil like Leonor Greyl’s Magnolia Face and Body Oil – the scent is incredible.

If I want to treat myself to a facial I’ll make sure it’s at least a week before the event as facials often “unearth” any pimples that were lying dormant on my face. I trust Milly at The Tonic Room, and the Codage Facial at Spring Spa in Ponsonby.

Skincare – What are your favourite skincare products that you rely on when you have an exciting occasion coming up. Do you use them just on the day or do you use something special in the weeks leading up to an event?

My skin is incredibly sensitive, therefore I never run the risk of trying something new or dissimilar from my usual routine before an event in case I have a reaction.

I prefer to do my evening skincare routine as early as possible so that everything has time to work its magic before my face hits the pillow. I’ll use an oil cleanser (at the moment I’ve been alternating between Tata Harper Nourishing Oil Cleanser and Votary Super Seed Oil), then alternate days between Shani Darden Retinol Reform and an acid like Drunk Elephant Glycolic Acid or Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid (I love the licorice in this product!). Acids are great in the lead up to an important event because they help to remove any dead or dry skin – creating a smooth canvas for makeup. I’m a huge fan of oils (especially before an event to make my skin as soft as possible), and right now I’m loving MARA Universal Face Oil; it’s loaded with algae which is high in essential fatty acids and makes the skin look healthy and bouncy.

On the day of an event I’ll typically use the Summer Friday’s R+R Mask, a 2-in-1 mask which contains rose powder to gently exfoliate and Bulgarian rose oil to hydrate.

Makeup – What are a couple of your go to makeup product’s when it comes to occasion beauty.

I save my La Mer Soft Fluid Long Wear Foundation for special occasions! It wears really well and gives the skin a completely flawless finish. Otherwise I’ll choose something equally reliable like the MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation which is perfect for when you need a full-coverage but not heavy foundation. The Marc Jacobs “O! Mega” Bronzer is the best matte bronzer on the market, in my opinion! I prefer to use a matte bronzer instead of one with shimmer, and I’ll create dimension using a highlighter.



And what great highlight or hero makeup products can you recommend that make an impact and may change depending on what you are wearing or where you are going?

I really love experimenting with different shades of matte orange and matte pink eyeshadow – it sounds a lot scarier than it is, I promise! I think blondes really suit those warm orangey tones and MAC have so many great colours. In particular I love ‘Up At Dawn’, ‘Rule’ and ‘Passionate’. My friend Abby is a makeup artist and she’s constantly reminding me that makeup is meant to be fun and experimental. 

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Hair – Where do you go / what do you use / what styles are you loving for occasion hair at the moment?

I see Adelle at M11 for my cut and colour – I’m naturally blonde but I rely on highlights to brighten everything up! When it comes to styling my hair for events, I do it myself! I know my hair so well at this point and feel confident to do it myself. If I’m wearing it in a low twist then I’ll wash my hair the night before the event and blow dry it upside down to inject a little body so when I pull it back into a twist it doesn’t sit too close to my scalp. If I want to wear my hair out I’ll wash it two days before the event so that it gets a little dirty and gritty (thus making it more likely to hold curls). I’ll then use my Cloud Nine hair straighteners and bend the tool back and forth to create soft waves. The key is to let your hair cool off completely after using the hair straighteners and then gently brushing the waves with a comb to soften. Works every time!

The extras and details  – What are the final touches that you rely on to give your occasion look that extra je ne sais quoi

Jewellery has always been really important to me. Especially since most of the hair and makeup looks I create are relatively understated, I love having a fresh manicure (clear polish is so underrated!) and then stacking up all of my favourite gold rings. My favourite brands are Sarah & Sebastian, Missoma London, Martha Calvo, Alighieri Jewellery and Louis Vuitton’s costume jewellery range.

And lastly, perfume! A good fragrance changes the way I feel and especially how confident I feel leaving the house. My favourite perfumes for events are Glossier You, Tom Ford Soleil Blanc (for summer events), Tom Ford Santal Blush (for day time events) and Tom Ford F*cking Fabulous (for winter events). Can you tell I love Tom Ford?

If you are not familiar with The Twenties Club we highly recommending popping on over to check it out.

Photography by Ashleigh Brooks