Back in the early/mid 2000s Lucy Vincent was arguably the most influential name in hair in Aotearoa. As co-owner of three salons she shared with her former husband Stephen Marr, and other business entities that included Lucy and the Powder Room skin clinics, The Department Store and Golden Dawn, Lucy was an arbiter of style across many Auckland touchpoints, and had a client list that consisted of celebrities, CEOs and industry insiders who flocked to her for her signature fuss-free style that she both embodied and encouraged in clients.

In 2009, frustrated with not being able to find products that matched her ‘less is more’ philosophy, she started Sans [ceuticals], her own range of skin and hair products and last month, a completely waste-free and refillable hair care system called Perpetual joined the lineup.

What is your earliest memory of beauty?

Growing a herb garden and making a face toner from the Feverfew I’d grown.

Who and what were your biggest beauty influences?

I was born in the 70s and was mad about disco. Tight satin jumpsuits, cherry-red lip gloss and midnight blue glitter nail polish were just magical to me. Clearly, this is a look that had to evolve, as I don’t think my team would take me seriously at our Monday morning WIPs.

I grew up in Nelson. This was peak 80s, where spiral perms and shoulder pads reigned supreme. Obviously Madonna had a massive impact on my early youth, but a key defining moment was seeing Peter Lindbergh's work for Jil Sander, featuring Linda Evangelista, from 1991 to 1993. I fell in love with androgyny, its lack of ornamentation and the strength it represented and projected. The boxy suits and boyish hair still look incredible today.

What was the first beauty product you fell in love with?

Probably peel off glitter nail polish and cherry red, roll-on lip gloss when I was seven or eight. Couldn’t get enough of the stuff!

What’s the first fragrance you ever owned?

Eau Dynamisante by Clarins. I felt so chic dousing myself with this in the 80s.

What fragrance do you wear now?

I don’t because I can’t smell. I have anosmia. I do apply our Activator 7 oil every day, so you could say our ‘Sans signature scent’.

What is your ethos when it comes to beauty? Has this changed over time?

I’m very low-maintenance and find the admin of beauty a real chore. This has been a constant throughout the years and hugely influenced how I worked as a hairstylist, preferring to work with a person’s natural texture and character as opposed to forcing their hair into something that required 30 minutes of faff, versus a 1-minute touch-up.

I do love a Saturday night bath, face masque and pedicure at home, but this is more about self-nurturing and an occasional event.

Do you follow beauty trends?

No. Once you have a good understanding of chemistry and physiology, you see through its gimmicky nature and opt for a more consistent and sound approach. But don’t get me wrong… I can lose myself in Mecca for an hour!

Are there any beauty looks you would love to try that you haven't yet?

I would love to cut my hair short, but I'm far too attached to it.

Beauty is inextricably tied to youth in our culture. What has been your approach to ageing, personally?

This is something I’m super passionate and vocal about. I worry about the direction ‘the pursuit of youth’ is taking and its psychological impact on us as we age. The attempts to represent and honour older women in media and film are still cloaked in a sort of sexiness, which to me should be so much more evolved. I spoke with a gynaecologist the other day, and she said that in cultures where older women are revered, menopausal symptoms are significantly lower.

I was reflecting the other day on how Gen X was, in some ways, the first generation to grow up with a distorted, unrealistic view of beauty and body through print media. These were the days of the supermodel and 'the body'. I see the struggles with ageing around me, and I worry for the current generation and the scrutiny through the lens of social media. I’m hopeful it peaks and becomes cool to go off-grid.

Do you have any daily beauty must-haves? What’s your beauty product philosophy?

Minimal and opting for really good quality, as opposed to a bathroom cupboard becoming a graveyard of once-tried beauty products.

I apply our Activator 7 in the shower, without fail every morning. We have gone to great lengths to create a product of this quality while keeping it affordable, so it can be used daily, top to toe. I know there are similar quality products sold as premium, active face serums for $150, for a mere 30ml.

What is the most important beauty lesson you’ve learnt?

To give less of a fuck. When you’re in the company of someone, what truly matters is how you make them feel, not how you look. That’s what’s remembered most. So yeah, to stop caring so much.

What beauty item or look makes you feel like your true authentic self?

No makeup, just a bit of mascara and sunscreen.

What’s on your current beauty wishlist?

Abib PDRN Retinal Eye Patch Glow Jelly, $34

Airy Day ‘Golden Glow’ Dreamscreen Sunscreen SPF50, $66

Westman Atelier Lit Up Highlight Stick, $94

Sans Perpetual Conditioner kit, canister and refill, $129. Literally the best conditioner I have ever used and key for curl formation.

Maryse Mineral Tint Blush ‘Dune’, $59. Best colour ever!

Mason Pearson Popular BN1D Brush, $520