I would like to officially welcome Olivia Hambrett to Onya Magazine’s Beauty Department. She has already snuck in a couple of reviews on Mor Little Luxuries and Lily Loves Pearl when you weren’t looking, and as much as I’d love to take credit for her fabulous work, I thought I’d best introduce you to her.

When not penning reviews of beauty products for us, Olivia is the Editor of Trespass Magazine – yes, she’s a smart little cookie with a BA in Psychology and an MA in Creative Writing.

Besides an ardent desire for fragrance, Olivia loves summer, Scandinavian pop, travelling, checking her horoscopes and the delightful ritual of drinking tea.

Like myself, Olivia (okay, now that you’ve gotten to know her a bit better, you can call her Liv) is dedicated to showcasing the finest Australian made and owned beauty products this country has to offer. But, there’s something about Liv’s reviews you should know. Like my columns, they are honest.

Sure, we get sent a lot of beauty product to try, but just because they get sent to us for free, doesn’t necessarily mean we write good things about them. Because we don’t want our readers rushing out to buy products that simply don’t work. There’s a word for this, and it’s integrity – and I don’t think there’s a lot of that going in mainstream media.

But I’ve never seen you write a bad word about any product in the magazine yet? That’s because there are many products that simply don’t make the cut.  I’m not one to slam a product, but I certainly won’t endorse it if it isn’t good.

I concede I’m a tough crowd. It’s hard for me to look past bad packaging or use something that I think smells offensive, but I am objective. Sure, there have been some products that have made me want to dry reach and have gone straight into the bin, never to be subjected to another human being again, but most products that I don’t like are sent on for a second opinion (who doesn’t love a surprise parcel in the post?)

So you, our dear readers, can trust that when you read about a beauty product or brand in Onya, it must be truly fabulous – because we accept nothing less.

When not working as Beauty Editor, Columnist and Media Manager, you will find Gaynor penning her thoughts and day-to-day adventures at The Modern Woman’s Survival Guide (think Bridget Jones meets Sex and the City). You may even get a sneak preview of her book, but that all depends on her mood – a direct reflection of the state of her hair on any one day.