Meet some of the people who’ve committed to slowing their beauty routine, simplifying their bathroom cabinet with multifunctional products, and choosing a pared-back lifestyle.
Charlotte Henry from Words To Live By is our first Face of Corbin Rd.
Tell us about yourself, Charlotte…
I’m a freelance copywriter living in Napier and working with clients from all over New Zealand and around the world. Much of my work is bringing new brands into being; everything from naming and taglines to brand stories and creating a voice that brings to life a brand’s purpose and resonates with the right people.
How long have you been using Corbin Rd?
I met Wendy from Corbin Rd a couple of years ago and she introduced me to her wonderful skincare products. I was a little suspicious of the balm and cloth as I’d always been a foaming or cream cleanser in a bottle kind of girl. But after my first try of the cleansing balm I was sold. Massaging the balm into your skin is a lovely ritual and I noticed how soft my skin became. I did feel like my skin was being nourished even while being cleansed. The hydrating oil is divine too.
What do you love about it?
It’s simple, so simple. I love that the formulations are minimal and made of natural oils that nourish the skin. I also love that it’s a local business and that that business is operating in a responsible way – making mindful choices that allow us to feel ok with using less. It’s freeing to realise my skin can feel this great with so few products.
What does ‘slow beauty’ mean to you?
It’s the antithesis to the more, more, more culture we’ve been used to for so long. Buy more, use more, consume more. It’s so easy to be swept along by the wave. It probably started for me with the Dolly magazines I used to pore over as a young girl, excited by the fluro fashion and candy-coloured lip glosses… we’re bombarded by messaging that plays on our fears and insecurities, and these are tailored to every life stage.
Life is busy and it only gets busier. It seems to have ramped up even more in the last couple of years with the ability for us to be online and on call all the time. I’m a working mum running my own business from home and that means keeping a lot of plates spinning at all times. It’s crucial for me to find ways to slow down and switch off. Little things, like a joyous skincare ritual at the end of the day, can go a long way for me in letting things go, breathing deeply and slowing down for a moment.
What’s the one thing Kiwis could do to reduce their impact on the planet?
It’s a minefield and I can’t claim to be doing all the right things. But if I can make incremental changes as I go on, I think that is playing a part. We’re lucky in Napier to be able to get milk delivered in reusable glass bottles; I put my empties out in the morning and have fresh milk on my doorstep in the afternoon, I love that. I compost, I recycle, we cook and bake at home, and we love the hand me down clothes loop.
What does your ideal Sunday morning look like?
A lie-in and then up for good coffee and a book in the morning sun, followed by pancake breakfast with my little family while we plan the day ahead – a bushwalk or day at one of our favourite local beaches.
Where are the best places in New Zealand to recharge?
We’re spoilt for choice in Hawke’s Bay for places to recharge; beaches, bush and beautiful mountain vistas. Sometimes my soul needs a city hit so a weekend in my hometown Wellington calls; Cuba Street for brunches, beer and cocktails, Petone for coffee and second-hand shopping, and the south coast beaches to blow away the cobwebs.
What will life look like for you in a year’s time?
Can anyone really answer this question right now? We’re living in a crazy time where it is so difficult to plan. I think this period we’re living in is going to teach us more about ‘being’ than ever; about being in tune with ourselves, our mental health and the people closest to us. I think this is a good thing. If in a year’s time I am happy, at peace and can share joy each day, I’ll be happy with life.