Kay Montano: The Complete Woman Make up artist Kay Montano shares her life and style essentials. 'I wake up every morning a bit like Humpty Dumpty who has to put himself together again,' says the international make-up artist Kay Montano, 46, who is the beauty director of Lula magazine and a contributor to Harper's Bazaar. Given her profession, you might think she's talking about her appearance, but Montano's priority is a balanced mental state. She links that to an active lifestyle. 'Exercise gives me clarity and helps me focus my ideas,' she says. 'I'm miserable if I'm not active. Everything feels stale. Each morning she power-walks her pug for 90 minutes or practises Jivamukti yoga (jivamuktiyogalondon.co.uk). But she doesn't do too much. 'I used to be an over-exerciser in my twenties and was obsessed with being thinner,' she admits. 'My weight and emotions yoyo-ed and I wasted a lot of energy trying to be something I wasn't designed to be.' Now her energy comes from careful attention paid to her diet. I like what [the author] Michael Pollan says: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." The media has made food, weight and health so complicated. Her typical plate is 'three quarters vegetables, one quarter protein', and she never eats white pasta, potatoes or rice. They make me tired and sluggish, and I crave more starch. Montano visits an 'existential therapist' once a week (existentialpsychotherapyandcounselling.bacp.co.uk). To check in with an intelligent, neutral person is extremely beneficial and I see no stigma in that. I'm very pragmatic and if I can't fix a problem in life, I focus on accepting it.' Kay's essentials • Every morning I make a juice of spinach, carrot, lemon, apple and cucumber and add Amazing Grass Raw Reserve Green SuperFood powder and Udo's Choice Ultimate Oil supplement. Breakfast is quinoa flake porridge with cracked linseed, chia seeds, vanilla Rice Dream, goji berries and raw cacao nibs. I use a Stevia sugar replacement as sugar lowers my mood. I work out at Equinox gym (equinox.com). If I'm in a rush, I use a cross trainer at home. I'm a huge fan of facial serums. I alternate SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 and Eve Lom's hydrating or firming. I only rinse my face in the morning, but every night I use a mild foaming cleanser with a muslin cloth. I exfoliate two to three times a week with Karin Herzog Mild Scrub. Bobbi Brown's BB cream is incredible for dewy skin, and I swear by RapidLash for longer eyelashes and Rimmel's Lash Accelerator Mascara. I love Eyeko's brow serum and Chanel eyeshadows. I love eating out on my own. I've had to be away for work since I was 16 and it's one of my favourite things to do. A glass of wine, a delicious meal, a book... heaven. I buy vintage clothing because it's timeless. My favourite garment is a lace dress from The Gathering Goddess in Notting Hill (thegatheringgoddess.com).