In the Know with Roj Torabi

Roj Torabi shares the motive behind her beauty and lifestyle podcast, The Roject, top tips for serious glow-getting skin and must-have Aspect products.

 

Can you tell us about yourself in a nutshell?

How big is this nutshell? I ask because I feel like I am so many things in one person - like an Allen's party mix.

Basically, I’m a lawyer by day and influencer by night. I study skincare. I question everything. I like to cook. I ask a million questions. I talk a lot. I love a cocktail. I love a chat. I never sleep. I love a laugh. I am annoying to some. I cram more into the day than I ever should. I love working. I love my family.

Does that give you a picture?

 

Tell us your journey in the beauty industry and how you got to where you are now.

Interesting question. I hope my answer isn’t too stereotypical.

It started when I was around 11 years old and had mild acne. I tried just about everything under the sun to fix it. You name it, if it said ‘acne clearing’, I owned it. The reality is, nothing worked.

Being the geek that I am, I decided to learn it all from scratch. I learnt the ingredients. I learnt what to use, how to use it and what treatments to get. Naturally, I then became that person that my friends would go to for all their skin questions.

Every time I saw a friend, I was repeating the same information and often getting “omg dude can we grab a coffee I have so much to ask you”.  Let's be real, we’re all time-poor and love to access anything at any time we like. Which is why 11 years on at the age of 22 I thought you know what, let me just make a podcast and Instagram page and put all the information there. And here we are.

 

What made you want to start your podcast, @theroject, and what are the best things that have come out of it?

Honestly, I was so done with seeing how the success of some social media personalities was being built on pretending. The number of posts my friends would send to me and be like “does this work? X”, or “Hey have you tried this?”.

I was like, how are people believing all that they are claiming? Surely people would know that a gummy wouldn’t make your hair grow? Or that a moisturiser wouldn’t rewind a stretch mark? ‘I want to start a beauty podcast and Insta page’, I said. I vividly remember a few people being like ‘Why?’, ‘You don’t have time’, ‘There are heaps out there already’. But then on the other hand my friends were like ‘do it’. I knew they trusted my opinion and they just wanted to be able to access it at any time - even if they haven’t had the chance to see me. So fundamentally, it was a place they could go to, to learn, to have a laugh and to have access to honest reviews and advice.

The best thing that has come from it by far, is the friends that I have made. No, they're not followers, they're my friends. Every DM, every question, every message, is so comforting because it's like wow, thank you for trusting my opinion. Even on my most tired days, I look at the page and I find something that I can laugh at. A meme I might have been tagged in, a joke I may have been sent.

I am honoured that I have the platform. It's far more than anything I ever imagined.

 

Your skin is #goals! Tell us your secrets and tips/tricks you swear by.

  1. SPF is your BFF. If anyone tells you otherwise, they’re trying to ruin your skin. Get one that’s SPF 30 and over.
  2. Cleanse every night & day like your life depends on it. Your skincare won't work if it can't reach your skin through the dirt.
  3. Your skin is the first thing anyone sees. Love it, spend on it, be kind to it, care for it.
  4. Don’t forget your neck. We can't be falling apart that close to the face.
  5. Skincare = Prevention. It’s harder to undo the damage than it is to prevent it. So why not start early?
  6. Stay hydrated - seriously, just get it in you. Trust me your skin will thank you for it.
  7. Always apply your eye products first. Wearing it last is like wearing your undies on top of your trousers. Pointless but still a look.
  8. Use your eye products on your neck and smile lines. Why? Cause it works.

 

Favourite Aspect Skincare products and why?

Why would you make me do this? It’s like asking a mum about her favourite child.

  • Aspect Pigment Punch + is definitely one. I love it because it’s one of the rare pigmentation products on the market that actually works.
  • Aspect Eyelift 3 is the greatest thing since feta cheese. It works on anything you want to tighten. For me that is eyes, smile lines and neck.
  • Aspect Retinol Brulee is something I should have started using when I was 13. Not joking. It's amazing and I love it because the results I see from it continue to shock me. Stop ageing kids and buy this before you get to the end of this article. 
  • Aspect Phytostat 9 - the perfect moisturiser. It’s light yet nourishing and has one of those push down pump tops. So good.
  • Aspect Sun CC Cream SPF 50+, it’s the best. It's magical. It protects me from the sun and colour corrects. What more does a girl need?

Can I do one more???

  • Aspect Illuminating Polish – love it for quick and easy exfoliation. Don’t tell my dad, because I actually use his (sorry Daddy Jay).

 

What do you look for when choosing skincare – is it specific ingredients, brand story, popularity etc?

I base it more so on a few questions I try to ask - what’s the science behind it? What's on the ingredients list? Is it a cosmeceutical? What are the actives? What do I want it to achieve for me?

Obviously, I love a random purchase too, but if it’s something that I am expecting great results from, I ask those questions first before I pick what to buy.

That said, I do though love retinol, an Australian-approved sunscreen, a range of high-performing active ingredients, a cosmeceutical and something that won't irritate.

 

You’ve managed to convince your dad, Jay (@daddyjay_t), that skincare is a non-negotiable – does he have any ‘holy-grail’ products from Aspect Skincare he can share?

To be entirely honest with you, I learnt it from him. My dad has looked the same since he was about 18. I'm not kidding.

He's always told me the importance of looking after your skin. He's always told me to cleanse before you’ve even said good morning, wear sunscreen every day; put one in the car if you have to and to keep a pump of moisturiser on hand at all times. Oh, and to push your eyebrows up with your moisturiser as you apply it. Genius.

Haha! He has a pretty cool collection; he swears by them. Here's a sneaky photo of his shelf for you... He swears by these ones and takes the SPF everywhere with him.