MORNING MOMENTS

Our Global Head of Visual Merchandising and Training, Janelle Hallam, was once a night owl. 

But since becoming a mum of two girls, she's discovered an appreciation for the morning, and its simple pleasures – not least the quiet, private time it offers before everyone else gets up. From listening to the radio with her cat on her shoulders, to choosing the day's perfume, her morning routine is full of guaranteed mood-boosters.

"These days I don't need an alarm. Waking up naturally is the best feeling, because I know it means I've had enough sleep. I get up before everyone else, and it allows me some time to myself. My Savannah cat will join me though, as I listen to the radio. My favourite moment is when I open the blinds – I check to see what the day looks like, and it's a beautiful way to observe how things change with the seasons. When I look out of the window it's like I'm greeting the world, asking: 'what's new today?'

"As soon I'm up, I splash my face with water. I've always done the cleanse, tone and moisturise thing, and I do this before breakfast to allow my moisturiser time to absorb. It's after I've showered that I do the whole works: serum, eye creams, oils. I love my clean beauty skincare routine – a bit of pampering is a self-care ritual we can all benefit from."

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"Working from home these days gives me a little more time in the mornings. I walk my youngest to school in my gym gear, and then I take a run back home beside the river. Then I get dressed and put on my make-up, ready to start the working day. I'm ready to start work at nine, feeling energised."

My must-have is a spritz of fragrance. I love the ritual of selecting which one I'll wear. It lifts my mood and sets me up for the day.

"The thing I can't miss in the morning is a spritz of fragrance. I just love that ritual of selecting which one to wear! It lifts my mood and sets me up for the day. I'm proud to have all the La Perla Beauty fragrances, and they look divine displayed on a gold tray on my dressing table. I think my absolute favourite is our signature fragrance, La Perla Eau de Parfum – it's such a feminine fragrance, and perfect for any occasion. If I'm heading out, I'll make sure I have a small 30ml bottle of it in my handbag for uplifting spritzes on the go. I also love My Day, which I wear when I want to feel confident – it really does make me feel like it's going to be My Day!"

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A proper body skincare routine is also important to me. Many women don't take these steps because they think it can take up a lot of time, or effort, but I see it all as self-care. It doesn't need to take ages, anyway! The La Perla Beauty Firming Lotion Serum absorbs really quickly, so you get all the indulgent, nourishing benefits in very little time. You can jump out of the shower, put it on, and before you know it you can get dressed.

I never wore red lipstick before I joined La Perla Beauty – I thought I couldn't pull it off. But Venetian Red looked so good on everyone else. So I threw caution to the wind, and never looked back!

As for make-up, it has to be a really good black mascara, and my ultimate confidence booster: red lipstick. My hero shade is Venetian Red. It's just so wearable. I never wore red before I joined La Perla Beauty – I thought I couldn't pull it off. But Venetian Red looked so good on everyone else. So I threw caution to the wind, and never looked back!