arabella preston

Arabella Preston was a Makeup Artist long before the idea to launch a skincare brand came to mind. After testing a wide variety of products on different clients, she began to experiment with natural plant oils as she sought out gentler, more effective solutions to skin ailments and needs. VOTARY was born into the world as a passion project: an answer, and an alternative to achieving healthy, happy, glowing skin! Enjoy my conversation with Arabella below as we discuss the VOTARY ritual, ingredients, and lifestyle. 

MM: The cleansing ritual is at the heart of everything you do at VOTARY. Why? What can you share about the importance of cleansing oils, implementing face cloths, and tending to the skin at this step?

AP: I believe cleansing is the most important step in your skincare routine. People new to skincare can often be surprised by that, sometimes disappointed as well because it’s not the most glamorous step in a routine. I’m a big advocate of oil cleansing. This can be the first step at combating and addressing imbalances and conditions within the skin. I used to be a makeup artist and for years I could visibly see how gentle but effective oil cleansing was. It’s a bit of a lazy girls’ product - I was looking for something quick and effective. We have three different cleansing oils for a range of different needs. Our original Rose Geranium and Apricot (great for all skin types), Super Seed (a thicker oil for dry/dehydrated/sensitive skin), and Clarifying (a lighter oil to support congested and blemish-prone skin). As far as double cleansing goes...when I wear SPF, I take the time to cleanse twice because I know SPF can irritate my skin. But, I would say you don’t need two separate cleansers to do this, I believe you can cleanse twice with the same product. 

MM: Anytime I see a skincare brand offering supplements, I think two things: firstly, I’m glad they realize that healthy skin is also an inside job, and secondly, why did they take the pains to make the supplements themselves? So, share with us about both of those points!

AP: It always felt really natural. We’ve had the Super Seed Nutritional Supplement for four years and we launched the additional supplements last year. We have known from the onset that gut health, stress, sleep all factor into your skin health. Also, it was a matter of: we’re buying these products for ourselves, why don’t we try making them as well? Quite often, we make and launch things that we want in our own lives. Our Magic Razor Wands are something I was purchasing and using years before we launched our own. With every launch, we can broaden and focus on another conversation with our customers too, which I think is also at the heart of our innovation.

MM: Talk to us about formulation! You began experimenting around your kitchen counter years ago but what does the journey from ideation to realization look like today at VOTARY?

AP: It was never my intention to launch a brand, Charlotte, my business partner, was really the one who steered me in this direction. I was lucky enough to train with makeup artist Kay Montano who was so focused on natural beauty: what someone else might see as a flaw, she’d see as a treasure to enhance. From her I learned that if you have great skin, your makeup will look great. I was obsessed with ingredients. I eventually started to blend my own face oils to use on clients. When we created VOTARY, we took those formulas to a lab. Now we don’t only make oils, we make water-based products like creams and masks as well. This demands a much more collaborative process in terms of formulation because our chemists then have to preserve and stabilise the formulas to ensure their integrity. We gather a lot of inspiration from our customers who often write to us with their needs and wishes. We’re always listening for the gaps in the market, we avoid being trend-led.  

MM: What does your VOTARY ritual look like, AM and PM?

AP: A quick cleanse starts me off for my morning routine - everything looks better when I do. My skin needs serum and oil in the morning so I always make time for that. I’ll do this when I wake up, then go downstairs and have breakfast, then I’ll come up to apply SPF and brush my teeth! Breaking my routine up gives my skincare time to absorb and settle in. 

In the evening, I religiously draw a hot bath and do my skincare regimen as early as possible. By oil cleansing, I remove SPF and makeup. I believe the sooner you can get that stuff off of your face, the better. I’ll spend longer massaging the skin in the evenings. If I wait until ten or eleven at night I’ll be too tired, so I avoid late night routines. I apply the Intense Overnight Mask just before bed because it’s like a comfort blanket for the skin! 

MM: When you want a vacation from your brand, which brands and skincare products do you reach for? 

AP: I just purchased Ultra Violet SPF. I really trust Australian SPF brands. I also use UltraSun, La Roche Posay and I really like the Dr. Dennis Gross SPF. In terms of skincare, I don't use other brands. Having said that, I am obsessed with Oskia’s Tinted Serum Nutri Bronze, it’s like a hybrid between skincare and makeup. Haircare-wise, I use Ouai and Larry King products. There’s also a really lovely Aveda body scrub that smells heavenly and softens my skin. 

MM: When you decide to do the absolute most for a spa night at home, what do you do?

AP: I like taking a really hot bath with some Antidote Bath and Body Oil. Before hopping in, I’ll cleanse my skin. Then I’ll rinse with a warm wet washcloth. I’ll apply our Super Glow or Radiance Reveal Mask, or another few pumps of oil cleanser to sit on my skin while I soak. When I get out I’ll do a little maintenance: eyebrow plucking or the Magic Razor Wands and I’ll use a layer of either Super Seed Serum or Brightening Hyaluronic Serum followed by Intense Night Oil. A spritz of Pillow Spray on my bed linen. Afterwards, I’ll jump into pyjamas and add a layer of Intense Overnight Mask to my skin.

MM: Is there anything in the pipeline that you can share or tease us with?

AP: We have a toner in the works and are excited to share our latest launch - Radiance Reveal Lactic and Mandelic Mask. It’s creamy, clarifying, calming, effective and yet still balanced. 

MM: What are a few favorite VOTARY ingredients and why do they make the products so luxurious and effective?

AP: One that comes to mind is Jojoba Seed Oil. We only use this in our cleansers, strictly speaking it’s a wax so it doesn’t absorb in the same way as other oils and it makes it super-effective at lifting dirt and makeup from the skin. I love Rosehip Seed Oil, an incredible leave-on ingredient. Hydroxypinacolone retinoate, which is effective but gentle making it stand out among other irritating iterations of retinol. I don’t think it’s correct to compare the benefits of Rosehip Seed Oil to the action of Retinol - so we use both. I am more interested in creating formulas that capture the power of natural botanicals as well as clinically researched lab-made ingredients and being transparent with our customers about our decision-making. 

MM: VOTARY is one of the few green beauty brands that offers a collection of fragrance-free products. Talk to me about the decision to offer these and why it was paramount for VOTARY to lead the way on this front?

AP: People come to the Super Seed range for many different reasons: allergic reactions to fragrance (natural or synthetic), pregnancy, sensory preferences. I designed this range to offer an option to those people with sensitive skins and noses. I want VOTARY to be a home for anyone and everyone. But I do want to clarify that fragrance-free does not mean scent-free. Sometimes things are added to a product to mask the smell of the raw ingredients in a formula. Our Super Seed Facial Oil has a very distinct aroma but that’s just from the smell of the natural raw ingredients. 

MM: Since inner-health is so key to outer-beauty, share with us the supplements, teas, and tinctures in your current lineup? 

AP: I’m low maintenance. I take the Super Seed Nutritional Supplement daily, neat, because I’m used to it. I incorporate it into my salad dressings because I advocate a full fat diet. I take the  Super Glow Supplement when my skin needs a boost. I take Vitamin D3 which is vital for everyone to take right now. I love the Pukka Teas too, the cinnamon one is my favorite. It's warm, sweet and delicious. 

MM: What’s on your plate, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, on an average day? 

AP: Breakfast is always the same: peanut butter toast, I’ve eaten it for my whole life. I love the ManiLife Peanut Butter. We grow a lot of our own vegetables so salad is often on the menu for lunch. We eat a lot less meat than we used to but when we do purchase it we source consciously and locally. 

MM: The best business advice I ever received…

AP: Was from my business partner Charlotte: don’t bother writing a business plan. You can’t know until you start. 

MM: The best life advice I ever received…

AP: This too shall pass.

MM: A wellness hack I wish I knew at 20…

AP: Don’t drink as much. 

MM: If people would just understand this about skincare…

AP: Cleansing is key.

MM: What do you know, deep in your bones, to be true?

AP: Kindness is everything.

MM: What gives you hope? 

AP: My kids. 

Many thanks to Arabella for the wisdom and the generosity of spirit shared with me and with you, our readers. Hyperlinked throughout this interview are just a few of the many products offered by VOTARY . You have it on my word, the Cleansing Oils are a great place to start in their range!