SIMPLE BEAUTY

Makeup artist and beauty fanatic Hannah Wiles’ personal style has evolved with her career, finds style editor

Foryears, Hannah Wiles embraced a wardrobe of black clothing, influenced by her Wellington roots and career working on the cosmetic floor (“apparently it showcases the makeup you’re wearing to customers”). A move to an office environment s aw a shift –o rr ebellion, a ss he describes it–a s Wiles embraced colour, pattern and embellishment whereve rs he could, with what she now calls he r“cosmetic b….” wardrobe.

“These clothes, along with a banging red lipstick and fun nails, allowed my naturally introverted self to feel more confident when presenting in front of a room of people, ”s he explains. Since she has opened her own business and finds herself on her feet more, she has embraced a mor e ca sual feel with sneakers and her style staple of wide-leg pants (she own ss even pairs).

Wiles, a qualified makeup artist who worked with French beauty brand Guerlain fo rs even years and describes herself as a “beauty industry lifer”, recently opened the doors to I ris Store & Studio on Wellington’s Victoria St, offering an a rray of beauty brands and services (including, for the first time available locally, cult brand ss uch as Sana Jardin, Lanshin and Kjaer).

I LOVE FRENCH STYLE.

Timeless pieces with a side of playfulness. Clothing that is comfortable to wear, beautifully made and joyful. Dressing to feel great about oneself rather than to project a certain look. I’ mabitofaF rancophile and am known for trying out my school girl French whenever I meet someone with a whiff of a French accent.

IN WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A NOD TO FRENCH CHIC,

I stopped colouring my hair in my early-30s (to the abject horror of my hairdresser). In the yea rss ince I have become increasingly aware of the disparity in society’s attitude to ageing based on gender, which ha ss purred me to continue letting my hai rr etain its natur alg rey. I’ve noticed a few more have popped up in the past six months after project managing the Iris fit out, but love to run Chloe Zara’s Hair Creme through my lengths after washing to plump out and smooth the strands .Wi ry hairs begone!

ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE EVER WORN

was an amazing floor-length, tiered, guipure lace skir tf rom Camilla and Marc for a celebration of my 40th birthday. It’s beautifully constructed and, despite the weight of many layers of lace, it’s comfortable to wear.

I re-wor eitfo r af riend’s wedding in Malaysia and a ss oon as Id ressed I pulled out a dance move so the layers of lace swirled around me. As we got together with friends at the wedding I asked the ladies there whether their dresses also came with a dance move, which created a super fun mini dance floor on the lawn.

I’M A FAIRLY COMPETITIVE PERSON

and this comes out in spades when dressing for costume parties. You could s ayI ’m a competitive fancy dresser .I ’ve been Charlie Chaplin, I wa s“pregnant” with a hired belly to a P Party, I’ve wor na shrimp costume to a child’s Halloween party (I don’t have children and was the only adult in costume), and my personal favourite – for a Hollywood themed celebration I found a huge gorilla hand online, which wrapped around my waist, styled my hair in finger waves and went a sA nn Darrow. I’m not quite at Heidi Klum’s level, but I like to think I’ maclo se second.

THERE ARE A FEW REASONS BEHIND US NAMING THE STORE “IRIS”,

one of which is my love for Iri sA pfel. She is unapologetically herself and embraces life with all she has. The way she mixes textiles and prints is genius and continually inspires me to have more fun when I’m choosing outfits . Th roughout my life I’ve thrown myself into new experiences –en rolling in a makeup artistry cours ea s I’d never learnt how to apply makeup; becoming a trainer when I detested speaking in front of people; and now opening a

store so I could have my dream job – something Iris Apfel is a great cheerleader for, saying “you only fail if you do not try”.

I DON’T FEEL FULLY DRESSED WITHOUT A SPRITZ OF FRAGRANCE.

I find it magical the way scent can draw out emotions and memories. It can comfort, uplift, remind you of a certain person or time in your life.

I have shared perfumes with a few friends – where we both love the same scent – and wearing it brings them closer to me. Both these scents are limited or seasonal editions (if anyone has a spare bottle of Guerlain Terracotta and Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Lumiere, hit me up!) so we use them sparingly and scour the internet trying to find another bottle.

I HAVE MULTIPLE SCENTS IN ROTATION AT ANY TIME,

at the moment I’m wearing a different scent each day from the gorgeous Sana Jardin and Vahy ranges, which we stock at Iris. Fragrance is such a personal thing and is really interesting to sell in store as you have to put your personal preferences aside and just tune in to the customer. There is no shared language to describe fragrance and as much as you intellectualise and talk about the process of creation and the perfumer’s inspiration, the customer has to feel the juice is for them.

LEFT Hannah Wiles in her Ann Darrow King Konginspired costume she wore to a Hollywood themed celebration.

Juliette Hogan Loren Pants, $699 I’ve been eyeing these beauties up every time I walk past the Juliette Hogan store on Victoria St and think they need to be in my wardrobe asap!

Stacks Furniture Monterey Armchair, $3357 Now that my home office isn’t doubling as a makeup and brow studio, I can finally fit a lush occasional chair in it. I fell in love with the Monterey Armchair in watermelon when I first set eyes on it a few years ago, and think it would create a perfect place to read a book in the afternoon sun with a glass of pinot on my days off.

Josh Rosebrook Ultra Peptide Cream What’s not to love about a brightening and barrier repairing serum with a unique incredible velvety texture? Josh Rosebrook creates next-level skincare that feels amazing on the skin and really delivers results. It’s like you can feel his passion for skin when you apply his products. I’m looking forward to adding this to my morning skin routine for some extra plumping without heaviness under my sunscreen.

Baina Self Care Set, $253 Self-care is a huge part of my ethos; the importance of taking time in those quiet moments alone is critical in balancing the chaos of modern life. This Baina set, with its pop of colour and organic cotton seems like the perfect addition to my daily routine.

Kate Sylvester Doily T-shirt, $129 I remember the Doily tee from the first time around and feel like it would work well in my new life at Iris.

The Village Goldsmith Natural Pearl Drop Earrings, $490 Many years ago my New Year’s resolution was to wear more jewellery, and since then I’ve been slowly collecting pieces that bring me joy. I love natural materials that have a bit of sparkle, so these beauties from our Victoria St neighbours would be a fun addition to my jewellery box.