LUI Ritual: Gemma Dimond
Here at LUI, we love the idea of rituals: those little everyday practices that help you feel calm, centred and whole. We believe shaving deserves to be part of this self-care routine. In celebration of mindful moments, the LUI Ritual series asks friends of the brand about their own positive habits and how they elevate their day.
HI, MY NAME IS… Gemma Dimond.
BUT EVERYONE CALLS ME… usually Gem, sometimes The Gem, Gem K, or Wattsy.
WHEN I WAS GROWING UP I DREAMED OF BEING… initially, a ballerina or a pop star. By about age 6, I knew I wanted to work in fashion and beauty media in some capacity (I doubt I was calling it media, but I loved “magazines and TV and things like that.”)
BUT NOW I WORK AS… I mean… go back and tell 6-year-old Gem that’s she’s gone and done it. I work as a freelance beauty and fashion writer, I run a copywriting business specialising in beauty and wellness, I host a beauty podcast, and I’m an MC. I also still take dance classes in my spare time! How good’s a hobby!
THE FIRST THING I DO WHEN I WAKE UP IS… look at my phone. Anyone who gets on their high horse about not looking at their phone is a punish; do your thing and let me do mine. I know we’re not supposed to look at devices before going to sleep because it keeps us awake, so by that logic staring at a screen is actually a really good way to signal to my brain, “hey, we’re on.”
THE LAST SONG I PLAYED ON SPOTIFY… 'Sweet Talkin’ Woman' by Electric Light Orchestra.
MY MORNING ROUTINE IS…
1. Stare at screen, force self out of bed and into activewear.
2. Remove teeth aligners, brush teeth, put in contact lenses, chug some water. Very sexy.
3. Get in car and drive directly to gym (if I don’t do this first thing in the morning, it won’t happen). Work out.
4. Drive home, shower, dress self.
5. Coffee and breakfast.
THE PERFUME I SPRAY ON RIGHT BEFORE I LEAVE THE HOUSE IS… I collect perfume so the answer to this changes daily, but my all time favourite (and what I would call my signature scent, so to speak) is Le Labo Thé Noir 29.
MY COFFEE ORDER IS… a long black… however I’ve recently been having a skinny latte because I’ve been drinking three coffees a day and three long blacks seems a little diabolical.
THROUGHOUT MY DAY I FIND JOY IN… pretty much everything! I actually have “enjoy” tattooed on my arm as a reminder to stop and enjoy everything. Even when work is feeling a little tedious, I remind myself that little baby Gem wouldn’t believe she gets to write for all of these amazing beauty brands for a living, so I like to check in with myself as often as possible and remind myself to enjoy.
MY LUNCH ORDER IS… usually some sort of spicy tuna/rice/quinoa/rocket/salad-y situation (if I’m at home, that is. If I’m in the office, sub tuna for chicken. Tuna in an office environment is incorrect).
MY 3PM PICK-ME-UP IS… currently, it’s blasting Dua Lipa ‘Illusion’ and doing that fun jump-clap move they do in the video. Works a treat.
AFTER A LONG DAY I SWITCH OFF BY… if it was a good long day, maybe a nice wine. If it was a bad long day, fresh air. Even if it’s freezing cold, a walk around the block changes my mood like nothing else.
THE LAST BOOK I COULDN’T PUT DOWN… The Whispers by Ashley Audrain. I read thrillers almost exclusively.
MY NIGHTTIME ROUTINE IS…
1. A mug of WelleCo Evening Elixir and some Swisse Sleep gummies.
2. Double cleanse, LED mask, scare husband with LED mask, use microcurrent device.
3. Topical skin care, clean teeth, remove contact lenses, put aligners back in.
4. Read some deeply unsettling crime fiction.
5. Listen to a meditation (usually on The Pilates Class app because I love Jacqui Kingswell’s voice).
THE LAST THING I DO BEFORE BED IS… tell my husband I love him!
YOU CAN FIND ME ONLINE AT... @GEMDIMOND, @GLOW.JOURNAL & @GLOW.JOURNAL.CREATIVE.