Sliding Drawers With Chrisanthi Kaliviotis

In the second instalment of Sliding Drawers, we bunk down with fashion and beauty editor, Chrisanthi Kaliviotis.

A writer, consultant and all-round creator, she is as passionate about fashion and beauty as food, design and travel, forever inspired by art and place. Keen to bask in both the spotlight and sunlight, Chrisanthi is the quintessential Leo; fiercely loyal, fiery, theatrical, ebullient. She is enigmatically erudite yet not afraid to let her hair down (and there's a lot of it), forever the life of a party with a booming voice to boot. 

Here, Chrisanthi gets under the covers with Par Femme as we discover her ride-or-die beauty products, unearth a love affair with scent, and find out why a snack in bed is so damn pleasurable.

What’s inside your bedside drawer? Talk us through your products and why they’re bedside essentials…

As a beauty editor for almost a decade, I have collected (or rather, hoarded!) a plethora of beauty products over the years - be it skincare, makeup, haircare or fragrance - so my home is well and truly filled with the spoils of beauty. And while the cabinets are full and the cupboards brim, the products next to my bed are arguably the most precious. Out of all the beauty skews, scent is the most profound for me, a kind of aide-mémoire to moments in my life - good, bad, exhilarating, tender. I appreciate scent in all its forms - not just fragrance! - so I always have a scented mist, candle and soap, along with perfume, by my bed. Skincare, too, is important, so I’ll always have a considered, bed-friendly edit on my drawer; usually sheet masks (the Cosmedix ones are incredible), a body oil, and Avène’s Thermal Spring Water Spray (a cult product for a reason!). I’m also a very sentimental person, so I have an assembly of sentimental souvenirs; photos, jewellery, a painting by my uncle (interior designer Chris Connell), love notes from Sam, and curious bits ‘n’ bobs that feel supremely nostalgic and special.

Do you have any tips you do with your bedroom stash?

Mist BEFORE and after your skincare routine! Misting before your first skincare step leaves your skin amply moist and dewy - meaning the product absorbs better into your skin. Also, leave your sheet mask on for longer - because why not?



Do you incorporate intimate wellness into your routine? And how?

Having just turned 35, I’m keen to try Kegel Balls to help strengthen my pelvic floor and keep me in good stead for the future. The pelvic floor undergoes so many significant changes throughout a woman’s life: during pregnancy, vaginal birth and at menopause, so it’s super important to have it strong to support these changes! I also suffer from a hormone disorder called hyperprolactinemia (high prolactin), which interferes with dryness down there, therefore a lubricant is also a must.

What are your secret bedroom pleasures?

A little messy and very controversial, I love a snack in bed - crumbs and all! There is something so wicked about getting down and dirty with a sexy treat beneath the sheets. And of course, pleasure in its purest form ;)

Do you practise “self-care”? And what rituals do you believe are important in self-care?

Yes! My approach to self-care is two-fold. I practise self-care in the most tangible, traditional sense - skincare, massage, pilates, walks, and anything sensorial (I’m a sucker for things that smell nice and tactility in general). Even just the ritual of something like applying an oil or doing a hair mask is important in the path to introspection. On the flip side, tokens of intangible self-care are just as important. Chats with friends. Happy thoughts. Practising less self-criticism. Saying “no” to things I can’t realistically do (a new thing I’m trying!). And generally just being a little kinder to yourself - particularly in these trying times. 



What’s your nighttime / wind down routine?

Any of the following (often in tandem): watching a series with my partner Sam in bed, eating something indulgent, drinking something indulgent (usually natural wine), doing a mask, partaking in an elaborate nighttime skincare routine that is utterly superfluous but sumptuous and makes you feel special :)

Do you read in bed, if so, what?

Yes! Either literature by an incredible female writer like Elizabeth Strout, Sally Rooney or Deborah Levy, a magazine, or an in-depth article on the New Yorker or similar. Something meaty and robust and interesting that will (hopefully) aid my route to slumber!



What’s the last thing you do before you drift off to sleep?

Think about why I can’t sleep! But terribly, it’s usually glancing at my phone. A mix of social media, article-reading, last-minute email checking and an online shopping scroll, which can be both alternately mind-numbing and leave me wanting more...

What’s the last you think about before you go to sleep....

Every thought, opinion, feeling, great / terrible idea decides to flood my mind just as I need to nod off - and it’s something I’m trying to curb! But it’s often what I have to do the next day, and what I could have done differently / better that day...I’m a classic over thinker.

Choose one!

PJs or naked? Underpants, always.
Lights on or off? Off!
Late night snack or nothing? I’m partial to a sweet little something just before bed.
Shower before bed or no? Sometimes, depending on the debauchery I’ve got up to that day ;)

Shop Chrisanthi's bedside drawer and more at Oz Hair & Beauty.