BRHQ Behind The Scenes: First Lady

intro by BR Amelia

I blame BR Nat for my Coke addiction. I never thought much about Coke before BR Nat. I drank it once in a blue moon. If that. Then whenever I saw her she had it in hand, and she was getting so much stuff done on the daily, I began to think that Coke was the key to BR Nat's super powers. Because, truly, Natalie is the queen of getting things done, and her energy knows no bounds.

She has three kids, she engages heavily with the kids' school and schooling, she loves spending time with her extended family, she always has time to chat to us BR gals about EVERYTHING, from work to motherhood, makeup to general chitchat, AND she still manages to make working full time at Beauty Review look like a breeze. The woman's not only the right hand First Lady of our beloved BR Merilyn, she's also an inspiration, who was only too happy to make even more time in her packed schedule to have a chat about her day-to-day... Coke in hand.

So, Nat, how did you come to join the Beauty Review Crew?

I first joined BR as a member. It became my go-to time killer for those middle-of-the-night feeds when my oldest was my only baby. I loved writing reviews, and I ended up getting selected for a few Trial Teams - I was hooked! Remember the days on Facebook when you wouldn’t get a Message Request notification? Messages would go to die in the Others folder right? I randomly checked my Others folder one fateful eve back in August 2013 and I had a message from…Merilyn! It was a WEEK OLD! She said that she enjoyed my reviews and wanted to know if I would be up for doing a few hours a week of content work for her. We spoke on the phone and in the words of Rocky Balboa we ‘filled gaps’. I had website and writing experience; Merilyn was full of vision and experience. As a working mother Merilyn understood the need for flexibility. Within two weeks I was working full time from home and we haven’t looked back since!

How has it felt seeing Beauty Review grow?

BR is like my fourth child. It’s constantly growing and makes me feel very proud.

What does your average Beauty Review day look like?

Hmm, I usually start by checking the inbox while I have my morning cuppa - we’re an online business which means people are on the site throughout the night. You’d be surprised by the number of emails we receive overnight, let alone during the day! I keep a close eye on campaigns, making sure they’re running to time, and I’m generally prepping future campaigns at any given time. A lot of the work is talking to people - clients, members and the crew.

What do you most love about being part of Beauty Review?

My crew mates. We’re a collaborative bunch and bounce off of each other well. We’ve worked together for so long we’ve reached peak comfort. Everyday we laugh, eyeroll and create. And drink a lot of Coke.

Care to share your favourite skincare, cosmetic and personal care products?

 L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum - this is an incredible retinol serum! Don’t underestimate the power of a ‘supermarket’ product. If you’re looking for a high powered way to improve skin texture, tone and glow, pick this baby up.

La Roche-Posay® Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF50+ - it’s the best sunscreen ever! It’s light and hydrating, non-greasy and sits beautifully under makeup.

L'Oréal Paris ELVIVE Dream Lengths Conditioner - My waist length hair uses a lotttttt ofconditioner - and this has been a favourite since it was released. It smells incredible and you only need a good-sized dollop for intensive conditioning.

The question we've all been waiting for… What’s your best bit of beauty advice?

Don’t pick it!

Finally, what are your hopes for the future of Beauty Review?

That we keep growing in all the ways we can - database, reviews, clients and most importantly, members!

And there you have it - everything you've ever wanted to know about the Wonder Woman of BR! So, do tell... What's your number one beauty tip that everyone needs to know about? Get chatting below!