APHRODIZZIAK / REAL FANS

YES AVA

WHO 

Beauty editor, brand consultant, content creator – I’m happiest when doing a bit of everything!

FAVOURITE THING ABOUT WHAT YOU DO  

I get to exercise and celebrate all my facets and skills, and am always growing and shifting

ENTERTAINMENT

LISTENING TO

The Receipts Podcast, Mixed Up, Take Ten with Twiggy, BeautyMe with Charisse Kenion. Listening to a lot of Joyce Wrice and Ojerime right now.

WATCHING

MAFS Australia, Shameless US (for the third time), and (wistfully) a lot of travel vlogs 

READING

Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino, Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and Such A Fun Age by Kiley Read (again)

SWEAR-BY BEAUTY TIP 

I never put concealer right up to my eye, so it creases less and keeps some of that natural sultry deepness and definition around my lids

SWEAR-BY HAIR TIP 

Only using oil as a pre-wash treatment on scalp and strands. It stops hair from absorbing moisture naturally and encourages bacteria to breed on the scalp if left on for days on end

A SMALL JOY

 Just found out Oddbox have started delivering to my area – champagne-worthy, I know

WASH ROUTINE

 Weekly: SLS free shampoo, mask for 10 mins-1 hour, conditioner, then a leave in and a little texture spray to avoid that wash day fluffiness. Other times I’ll do a pre-wash oil, or use a cowash if my hair feels a little dry (but ensure to use a shampoo a couple days later)

WHY DIZZIAK

It’s the brand I recommend the most, the one I reach for when I want guaranteed results, and it’s been saving my hair since the very first time I tried it years ago

GREAT HAIR MEMORY 

Brushing my hair out pre-wash and realising how amazing it looked without definition, so I just left it. Whatever society says about frizz, controlled curl patterns, and how our texture should be – it’s all bullshit Eurocentric standards. Choose how you want to wear it, but make sure your ideals are in check

NIGHTMARE HAIR STORY 

Eek – definitely the ghd era which held me in its clutches for over a decade. Luckily my hair bounced back!

ICONIC FIGURE 

I always wanted Lauryn Hill’s iconic afro when I was a little girl – and the way she’s transformed the lives of so many through her music and energy is unlike anyone else

IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW

 I would love to be amongst the redwoods in a California forest right now. Or on Kelis’ farm

ONE THING YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO 

I’m currently working on one of my biggest dreams I’ve had since I was little – all will be revealed soon!

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE

When someone shows you their true colours, don’t try and paint over the picture. In other words, don’t try and turn their red flags into orange ones. You get the gist