Lee Mathews x RATIONALE backstage report – May 13th, 2025
To mark Lee Mathews’ 25th anniversary and Resort 2026 showcase at Australian Fashion Week, RATIONALE proudly partnered as the official skincare and makeup sponsor.
"We were thrilled to partner with Lee Mathews for this year’s runway. There was an effortless synergy between our brands – both proudly Australian and grounded in innovation," said RATIONALE global marketing manager, Genna Ring.
"Her Resort Collection was the perfect canvas, and creating a full runway look using only SPF felt like a bold evolution. It showed that solar protection and elevated beauty can truly coexist."
The look
Led by makeup artist, Linda Jefferyes, the runway look was achieved entirely using SPF formulations, creating a radiant, resort-inspired finish that honoured both brands’ shared commitment to luminosity, artistry and innovation.
"What I love about RATIONALE’s Beautiful Balms is how they enhance your complexion while nurturing your skin. It’s rare to find makeup that offers both aesthetic and skincare benefits so seamlessly," said Jefferyes.
Key products:
Discover the runway resort-inspired glow featuring:
- The Instant Radiance Mist
- #1 The Serum
- #2 The Light Crème
- #3 The Tinted Serum SPF50+
- Beautiful Skin Superfluid SPF30
- Beautiful Cheeks, Beautiful Bronze, Beautiful Light, Beautiful Lips
- The show also featured Lyra, RATIONALE’s new Beautiful Lips shade launching this October.
Get the look:
Skin prep –
- Spritz Instant Radiance Mist over the face liberally, this imbues instant hydration and radiance to bare skin.
- Next we apply the coveted #1 The Serum, this is rich in Niacinamide to strengthen and hydrate creating the perfect make up base.
- We then apply RATIONALE’s award winning #3 The Tinted Serum SPF 50+, this is the key product in creating the coveted RATIONALE glow on all skin types.
- To achieve a polished and perfected base, we then select the best match from our Beautiful Skin SuperFluid collection, this delivers a very light tint to the skin whilst maintaining the coveted glow.
Sunkissed colour –
- Start with well-prepped skin using the RATIONALE ritual. Then sculpt the face using Beautiful Bronze in Nebra to bring soft definition and warmth.
- Add dimension with Beautiful Cheeks in Hera, sweeping it over the apples of the cheeks, blending into the temples, and across the bridge of the nose, forehead, and brow bone to create a natural flush.
- Tap Beautiful Lips in Vera lightly across the lips for a soft tint.
- Finally, highlight with Beautiful Light in Andromeda on the lids, brow bones, inner corners of the eyes, and the high points of the cheeks. It gives that lit-from-within, photogenic glow we all love.
Image credit: Supplied
