How to Glow This Party Season | Q&A with Albaray

How to Glow This Party Season | Q&A with Albaray  

As female founders of sustainable brands, Clare Hopkins of Balance Me and Karen Peacock of Albaray know what it takes to help women feel their best - whether it’s glowing skin or timeless, effortless style. Here, Clare and Karen share their top tips for party season confidence, building a capsule wardrobe or skincare routine, and the lessons they’ve learnt as female entrepreneurs. 

1. What’s one tip that helps you feel confident in the party season?

Clare: Something that makes me feel really confident during the party season is a really good glow mask. Often at this time of year, your skin can look dull and a bit lacklustre. So before I go out, I pop on our AHA Glow Mask for 10 to 15 minutes - it removes all the dead surface skin cells, reveals fresh, bright skin, and gives you a lovely glow. 

Karen: For me, confidence in the party season is all about feeling comfortable in what you’re wearing. This dress is made from an eco-viscose jersey - it’s so soft and feels lovely to wear. I think when you feel good in what you’re wearing, you naturally feel confident. I go for soft, easy fabrics that aren’t too tight, which makes it so much easier to step into the party season feeling my best. 

 

2. What’s one product from your brand that you think everyone should have this party season?

Clare: I think everyone needs our Tripeptide Plumping Cloud Creamthis party season. It’s packed with ceramides, peptides, and hyaluronic acid, which really plump and hydrate the skin while improving the skin barrier. After late nights and dark mornings, it preps your skin beautifully, and it has such a lovely, luxurious texture. 

Karen: It’s an obvious one, but I’ll stand by it - the little black dress. It’s timeless, it’s your go-to when you’re not quite sure what to wear. It can be sequins, velvet, jersey, or even something with a bit of swish like fringing. A black dress is such a classic piece, and it’s always my party season favourite. 

 

3. If you could offer one tip for creating a 'capsule wardrobe' or skincare routine, what would it be?

Clare: My tip for a capsule skincare routine is to keep it really simple and stick to a routine. It’s just like exercise, doing a little every morning and night is so much better than a full-on hour once a week. My go-to three-step programme is cleansing, serum, and moisturiser. If you keep that up, you’ll see amazing results. 

Karen: For me, it’s all about a great pair of jeans. You know, the classic ‘jeans and a nice top’ look - easy to dress up or down. During the party season, there are so many dinners and drinks where you just want something simple but elevated. Our relaxed-leg jeans in washed black are perfect with a slightly dressier top. 

 

4. What’s a festive fashion or beauty trend you’re loving this year?

Clare: For beauty, I love the focus on ageless, timeless beauty - something we’ve been doing for a very long time. We use nature-identical ingredients, which are lab-synthesised to be exactly the same as those in nature. It’s clean, eco-friendly, and doesn’t mean chopping down trees to source ingredients. I also love the wellness trend of merging skincare with self-care. It’s all about making your skincare routine a relaxing, feel-good ritual. 

Karen: A festive trend I’m loving is this season’s rich, plush burgundy colour. It’s such a classic autumn shade, but this year, it’s really taken centre stage. It looks beautiful on fine-gauge knitwear and velvet—just so rich and luxurious. 

 

5. How do you juggle work and life as female founders, especially during the busy festive season?

Karen: For me, it’s about having space between work and home. That little breather allows me to wind down, which is so important. Especially as a designer, you need inspiration, and even something as simple as seeing the trees change colour can make such a difference. 

Clare: I juggle work and life with yoga and cold-water swimming. I’m lucky to have a reservoir just five minutes from my house where they run yoga classes. Starting my day with yoga overlooking the water, followed by a cold swim sets me up for the day. I’ve heard cold-water swimming increases dopamine by 250% - it’s incredible for removing stress and anxiety. It’s hard to get in this time of year, but it’s worth it! 

 

6. What's the most important lesson you've learnt as a female entrepreneur?

Clare: The most important lesson I’ve learnt in running the brand for 20 years is to maintain balance. Everything is a juggling act, and there’s a lot of stress as a female founder - you’re managing family life, work and navigating different economic cycles. It’s all about making sure you have a home life, as well as a work life, and keeping that balance. 

Karen: For me, one of the biggest lessons over the past four years has been the power of a great network. So many people - especially women - helped us in the early days, and I don’t think we could have done it without their support. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice and lean on friends who are there to help you. 

Clare: Absolutely. Our industries are full of fabulous women who are always willing to help, and they’ve become great friends along the way. 

Treat yourself this festive season with 20% off Albaray with code BALANCEME20. Discount can be used across full-price items until 31st January 2025.