A Day In The Life Of Pilates Instructor Molly Gay

“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised wellness has so many different facets…that you need to be well mentally, physically, financially and emotionally with your relationships,” says Pilates instructor Molly Gay (or @mollykatgay as her Instagram followers know her!). As a Kansas native who shifted careers from modelling into becoming a fitness instructor after moving to Sydney in her early 20s, Gay has spent the past decade refining what health and wellness means to her.

“I used to think that [wellness] was just going to the nicest new gym or making sure I had only green juices in the morning, but it goes back to that self-care aspect of putting your own mask on first. And it’s kind of like meditation, when you don’t have time for it, you probably need it the most,” she explains.

With a day-to-day life that runs at a frenetic speed, Gay describes her morning routine “as quick as humanly possible” and mostly accompanied by “a strong long black”. Even though she finds herself consistently in a high-paced rhythm, the importance of taking the extra steps to “be present by feeling and creating” slow moments is never lost. Her beauty routine is an important part of this pause—a mindful self-care ritual supported by a handful of her favourite products by French yellow-hued beauty brand L’Occitane.

“I’m such a sensory person. So, the Immortelle range by L’Occitane has helped me create this gratifying end-of-day routine,” she says. A hero in her routine is L’Occitane’s new Immortelle Precious Enriched Emulsion, a milky-white, thin textured moisturiser that creates a perfectly primed canvas of hydration. “It’s light enough that you feel you’re not caking it on your skin and it absorbs quite quickly, leaving a glow.”

Paired with the newly relaunched L’Occitane Immortelle Precious Divine Youth Oil, Gay has formed a night-time ritual that eases her senses: “To be able to smell how nice the Divine Youth Oil smells and feel how silky my skin feels after using the Emulsion, it helps me go to bed easier.”

Applying the Divine Youth Oil each evening, Gay takes the time to “really press the oil into the skin,” allowing it to melt. With a rich and indulgent formula, the Immortelle Precious Divine Youth Oil harnesses the power of the iconic Immortelle flower, sustainably sourced from the French island of Corsica and known for its restorative and soothing properties.

With a more advanced concentrate of the Immortelle Essential Oil than ever before, the reformulated Divine Youth Oil and the Enriched Emulsion combine powerful antioxidants such as Argan Oil, Lentil Extract the deeply hydrating hyaluronic acid. The various cocktails of natural ingredients the range incorporates aids in protecting the elasticity of the skin while nourishing the skin barrier. As Gay notes, “I’ve noticed more even skin tone and more hydration in my skin almost straightaway.”

It’s here that Gay points out how “growing into your own skin is so important.” And “if that means you want to be wrinkle free and tight till you’re 101, or if you want to let your hair grow silver and you just want to enjoy your life, that’s ageing gracefully.”

“As long as you’re staying true and authentic to who you are, I think that’s the best way to do it.”

You can shop the Immortelle Precious Divine Youth Oil here; the Enriched Emulsion here; and the Immortelle Precious Range here.