Artist Nicole Millar has an honest approach to beauty and wellness. A creative mind that believes movement is just as important for holistic wellness as any topical cream. She's open about her struggles with anxiety and her pursuit to achieve calmness and balance, whether it be through meditation or just a hot sauna.

Below, we chat to Nicole about her life, routine for wellness and her favourite products. She shares with us her best beauty hacks, her playlist of the moment and why she focuses on gut health.

What's your morning beauty routine?

I like the keep things simple in the morning. I wake up, have a shower, brush my teeth and put on a face serum by Biologique Recherche followed by a sunscreen by Doctor Babor. I then scull a glass of water and leave the house to get a coffee because I can’t function without it.

What's your night beauty routine?

I’m obsessed with skincare, as when I was younger, I had cystic acne and I made it a goal in life to get clear skin. I start with cleansing my skin with Augustinus Bader Cleansing Balm and warm water then I double cleanse with Cosmedix Purity Clean which really helps inflammation in the skin then If I have the energy, I will then exfoliate with the Cosmedix Purity Detox Scrub and then moisturise with the Crème Elastine Marine by Biologique Recherche. I have a bunch of masks that I put on if I need some self-care but to be honest, I’m quite lazy with those.

What you do for a living? What does a typical day look like for you?

To be honest every day is quite different. It all starts with the same morning routine but some days I’ll be in the studio making music, rehearsing or shooting content, and some days I’ll take the afternoons off and have friends over… At the moment we love to sip on Tanqueray Negronis while listening to my Art Of The Bar Cart playlist on Spotify! I feel grateful to be able to enjoy this downtime after a busy week of work.

What is the supermarket/ drug store/ chemist beauty product(s) that you use and love?

I love lip balms - every time I’m at a checkout I have to refrain myself from buying a new one, but I currently love the Hurraw coconut lip balm. I also love buying bamboo toothbrushes - I’m yet to find my favourite brand, but I try to stay away from the ones made with nylon bristles.

How do you keep fit/ healthy? Does exercise form a large part of your routine?

I’ve been doing reformer Pilates for quite a while, but after last year I’m only getting back into exercising. I’ve been doing Pilates one to two times a week, and then trying to keep things fun by trying new classes. I did my first ever boxing class the other week and I love it. I also do Yin yoga as a way to meditate. For me if I haven’t exercised in a few days my back starts to kill and my anxiety flares up.

What do you do when your body needs to recover?

I find it really hard to relax; that’s something I’ve been working on. I really love saunas and find that they help me keen calm. I also find just going for a slow walk by the without any technology really helps.

What do you do for fun? What are you reading or listening to?

I’m definitely a home body, I just finished this amazing book by Suleika Jaouad called Between Two Kingdoms (what almost dying taught me about living). It’s a real eye opener - I definitely recommend.

When I’m feeling social, I’m a massive foodie so I’ll invite a bunch of friends over, stick on one of my fave playlists, and I’ll make Tanqueray Negroni’s and nibbles for everyone. They’re super simple, the recipe for how to make them is here.

What's your approach to wellness as a whole? How do you care for mind as well as body?

Wellness is really important to me, I can find it hard to relax and stop thinking, as my life is go go go. I do suffer with anxiety and if I don’t look after myself it flares up in the middle of the night and I won’t sleep and my tummy will swell up like a balloon haha. I’ve started doing Yin yoga which really helps, and alone time makes me feel better. Taking down time and watching a movie really helps.

You’re tired or rundown: what is your beauty hack?

I have a rose quartz roller that I like to use under my eyes but sometimes I forget to pack it with me, so I’ll use what I have and actually probably works better! I’ll use spoons and put them in the freezer then press them under my eyes or I’ll use ice cubes. If I’m feeling fancy, I’ll soak a green tea bag and gently press that under my eyes, and it works so well. Oh and drink about a litre of water!

What is the one non-negotiable in your beauty routine?

Definitely cleanser and moisturiser, I hate feeling dry; I literally lather my whole body in moisturiser every night.

Do you have a beauty icon? Who are they and why?

I have so many Michelle Pfeiffer, Esther Perel, Grece Ghanem and Gweneth Paltrow. I just love how all these ladies are elegant, have all aged gracefully and they show an image to me of happiness and health.

What is the best advice on health you’ve received?

Probably learning about gut health and how the gut is really a second brain and if you aren’t looking after yourself by eating a balanced diet and feeding your microbiomes with healthy food your anxiety will flare up.

What is the one product you can’t live without?

Currently the one product I can’t live without would be the purity clean cleanser by Cosmedix.