If there’s one type of show that truly polarises an Australian audience – it’s a good ol’ fashioned dating reality television series. And this year’s Married At First Sight took this to a whole new level – with Martha Kalifatidis one participant that seemingly everyone either loved or hated. For the record, we were tilted more towards the love side of the fence.

Despite having attended some of the same events as Martha since post-filming, this morning’s Nip and Fab event was the first time we’d actually had a conversation – and I’ve got to say, I’m now sitting more firmly on that love fence (which sounds a little awkward, but I’m going with it). Warm, open, and down-to-earth – I was a little taken aback at just how easy and natural it was to chat.

After bonding over our love for Nip and Fab’s glycolic pads, I decided to delve a little deeper into all Martha’s go-to beauty products – from skincare to cosmetics to hair must-haves – finished off with a quick Day on A Plate (we’d come this far with our snooping, why not go a little further?!)…

What exactly can we find in your beauty bag?
I have been using some of the new Nip and Fab products they sent me. My stand-out favourites are the Vitamin C Fix Cleanser – I love it. It’s gentle but gets rid of everything. I feel like usually with a cleanser it’s either one or the other, it doesn’t cleanse or it’s overly stripping – but the Vitamin C one is just the perfect daily cleanser. I’m also obsessed with their Glycolic Fix Night Pads, I even peel inside my ear to make it really clean and smooth. I literally use the peel pad everywhere! A good eye cream is an absolute must. I’m obsessed with the La Mer The Eye Concentrate eye cream. Obsessed. I actually layer my eye creams – I use two. I use a serum and then put a cream on top. A lip balm is also an absolute must for me. I use the Aceology Overnight Lip Mask – it is maybe the best lip balm I’ve ever used in my life and I love lip balm. Multivitamins – I’m really into taking my multivitamins at the moment because I travel so much. I’ve been taking a hair and a skin vitamin for just under a month – and my skin is better and my nails are harder than what they usually are.

Can you talk me through your favourite cosmetic products?
My favourite mascara is absolutely Lancôme forever – I do not have any other favourite, that’s the one. Marc Jacobs – I’m obsessed with all his makeup at the moment. His liners are insane, so pigmented, his Shameless Foundation I can not get enough of. Love, love, love. His bronzer – also really good. The Revlon Matte Bronzer, I’m obsessed – it’s one of my favourites. Another favourite – MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl. I’d literally kill someone for that liner… literally. Brows, Benefit only. Always Benefit. And powder – I’ve got a few different ones, but I always go back to Laura Mercier.

Sounds like you may have a pretty intensive beauty regime…
I cleanse, eye serum, eye cream and then my serums. I use about three different serums and then a moisturiser – something with hyaluronic acid usually. Then my sunscreen – sunscreen is an absolute must. I do not f*ck around with sunscreen, I don’t leave the house without it on. Then foundation. A little bit of bronzer, bit of liquid brush, set it all with a powder, a bit more powder/bronzer on, use bronzer as my eyeshadow as well, a bit of liner, brows, brow gel, mascara, curl the lashes, lip liner, lip balm – and out the door… after 45 minutes, let’s be honest!

What about your hair? Any go-to hair products?
I use a few different hair products. Kérastase is my go-to, but I was using the Bondi Boost hair mask for a long time and nothing makes my hair as smooth as that mask. I don’t know if it’s got some detangling secret concoction, but I’d get out of the shower and I would not have one knot after using that mask. I have to look through the ingredients again, but there’s something in it that just gets rid of knots – so if you get knots, it is insane. Oribe – their styling products, my absolute favourite. The Oribe Dry Shampoo, I don’t even know why other brands even bother making dry shampoo. That is so bitchy of me to say, but it’s true. They’d be my hair go-tos.

What about styling tools?
I wash my hair and let it dry and then put it in a plait and go to bed because the extensions are so long. I then just wake up and style the top of the fringe a bit with a hair dryer or straightener and then I’m done. If I’m at Michael’s house, he only has a hair dryer – so I’ll just do it with a hair dryer.

And just before you go, can I get you to quickly talk me through your day on a plate?
I would start by drinking water. As soon as I wake up, I like to drink as much water as possible. I’ll have a tea followed by a coffee. With my breakfast, it’s either some blueberries, papaya – I love papaya in the summertime, a piece of toast with avo… I don’t really eat much in the morning. I’m a bad eater in the morning, I have to force myself to eat something. If I’m at Michael’s, I’ll just have peanut butter and toast with honey because he doesn’t have the goods that Mary Kalifatidis (Martha’s mum) keeps in the fridge at home.

For lunch, I’ll have a salad with hot chips. I love hot chips – I’m so bad at the moment. For dinner, we try and cook at home, but nine times out of ten we go out and eat. I like to have soup for dinner and I’m obsessed with vegan pho. I try and find healthy soups, anything without MSG. And that would be my day on a plate.

Any dessert in there?!
Always, is that serious?! 100 per cent dessert. I’m obsessed with the vegan Magnum icecreams and a good piece of dark chocolate. Me and Michael are so bad at the moment. We have been eating absolutely everything – popcorn, Red Rock Deli Rock Salt Chips – we literally would get divorced over them if we were married!

You must exercise a lot though…
To be honest, the last few months I’ve been traveling so much, I haven’t exercised. I’ve put on 6 kilograms. I’m just working with it at the moment – I’m embracing my new Beyonce. I feel uncomfortable though and I’m trying to get back into exercise. Michael is really keen on training me at the gym at the moment, so we get up about 5/5.30 – I’ll complain for about 20 minutes and then get dressed. So we’re doing that.

All images: Marthaa__k | We chatted to Martha at the Nip and Fab media event in Sydney.

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