Sometimes we crush on other women for their brains, opinions and approach to life. Women who make us think, laugh and question everything... In a good way. Welcome to In Good Company, where we talk health, ambition, friendship, confidence, ageing, pleasure and all the things that make life great after 40. 

This week, we’re in very good company with Beauticate founder Sigourney Cantelo, talking dancing, strength, sleep, the deep pleasure of saying no and wearing PJs to VIP events. 

Hey Sig, what's making you feel wildly alive right now?

Dancing, full stop. My husband's a DJ and he just put together this incredible Spotify playlist:  heavy on 90s and noughties house anthems with some killer remixes. I blast it during my morning weights sessions, which often turns into a dance-off with my daughter. We've also just installed a boxing bag in the backyard, so there's a bit of kickboxing happening too. Spring helps: the earlier mornings and warmer weather mean I've got more energy to move.

What's one thing you do for your health almost every day – no negotiating, no excuses?

Morning sunlight in the eyes. It's my non-negotiable for circadian rhythm balance and melatonin production, both absolutely critical for sleep, and mine can be patchy at best. If there's no sunlight, I use my Bon Charge red light panel. It sounds simple, but it really seems to help me wind down at the other end of the day..

It's a completely ordinary Tuesday. What are you having for breakfast?

Bonfire Bakery sourdough with avocado, cottage cheese, tomatoes, sauerkraut and a sprinkle of chilli flakes. Trying to eat more protein (aren’t we all!? Seriously trying to get to 100g a day feels like a full time job!) and adding in fermented foods wherever possible to help my tortured gut.

What does exercise look like for you now, and how's it changed since you were 30?

I'm doing a lot more weight training now. I have a bench and weights at home, so I try to get in at least a couple of sessions a week. If there’s time and I’m feeling disciplined, I’ll try and add in jogging or swimming to keep my VO2 max up. And I try to get to yoga at least once a week, which is essential for me because I have arthritis in my back and it really helps with the pain.The trick is finding exercise that’s fun like dancing and kickboxing. I've just started a class called Balance and Beats, which is dance and hip hop not-too-tricky choreography – I go with girlfriends and we just laugh the whole time.

Stress levels through the roof. What genuinely brings you back down?

Breathwork has honestly changed my life. I do breathwork sessions with Brooke from Luxe Wellness Collective and practice at home before bed – 4-6-7 breathing to sleep, box breathing (4-4-4-4) when my heart's racing. Diaphragmatic breathing into your belly activates the parasympathetic nervous system instantly. When that's not enough, I get in my infrared sauna (the heat and the enforced phone-free downtime work wonders). 

What do you wear when you want to feel ridiculously good about yourself?

Beautiful pyjamas in silk or cotton voile. I'm a resolute creature of comfort. Even active wear can feel too constricting for me, and high heels are a no unless it's a very short dose. I actually wore my pyjamas to an event the other night! I was away and hadn't packed anything warm enough, so I thought, to hell with it! Nobody batted an eye. I love Papinelle and Homebodii, they've got the good stuff.

We're snooping in your bathroom. What's on the shelf that you'd immediately buy again?

Mukti organic skincare, Saint Louve active serums, and The Secret Skincare's new oestrogen cream. Celeste Barber's BOOIE Beauty tubing mascara is the bomb ( if you haven't tried tubing, you'll never look back. No more smudged panda eyes at 4 p.m!) And the great thing is we stock all of these on Beauticate Shop – our new curated beauty & wellness shop. We also stock Eir Women – my favourites are Fuel – 100% Pure Creatine Monohydrate and Sparkle – Prebiotic and Probiotic Gut Powder.  

What's the best thing about getting older that nobody warned you about?

The whole not giving a shit what other people think. I spent my 20s worrying about my makeup and my clothes and trying so hard to impress people. It's been so freeing to realise the people whose opinions actually count are the ones I choose, and letting the rest go. I’ve stopped being a people pleaser. Perimenopause is a bitch – something's got to give. If that means fewer dinners and saying no to events, then so be it. I'm prioritising my nervous system, my sleep, and my family.

What's bringing you an unreasonable amount of joy right now?

My puppy, Coconut. She's a Cavoodle-Maltese-Shih Tzu rescue that we didn't plan to get (my daughter fell in love with her on her 10th birthday and we got sucked in!) I've never been a dog person, but I've been amazed by the pure love and devotion. Unlike my children, she loves me without any sass or arguing back. She just gazes at me adoringly and follows me around all day. She's my exercise companion and an amazing work-from-home buddy.

What have you discovered about yourself lately that you rather like?

How much joy music gives me. I’ve always loved singing and dancing, but never really leaned into it until now. It goes hand-in-hand with not caring what people think: I sing without abandon, in the car, in the shower, at home. There's freedom in it.

What have you officially stopped apologising for?

I no longer feel bad about not making plans or having to be socially busy all the time. I don't feel like I need to book dinners or be part of a big group. My life is busy enough with work and family. I reach out to friends when I need them or they need me, but I make no apologies for prioritising home and downtime.

THE EIR QUICKIE...

1. Strength, cardio or a long walk with a friend?

Strength. I had a DEXA scan that showed low bone density in my hip, so I'm focused on building strength to prevent osteoporosis.

2. Your current tiny luxury?

Getting my nails done properly. I've always done my own nails, but I recently jumped on the BIAB bandwagon and I'm obsessed. After years of sad little stumps, I finally have flawless, strong, tappable nails.

3. 9pm: in bed or just getting started?
In bed, winding down. I'm trying to avoid working late because of blue light exposure and I've really rediscovered the joys of reading. I just finished Leanne Moriarty's new book, Big Little Truths, which felt so relevant to my stage of life with a teenage son and hormonal chaos. 

4. What are you currently reading, watching or listening to on repeat?

Watching and listening to anything about AI. It just blows my mind. I follow a lot of creators and am learning vibe coding, how to build agents and use them in my work. Every time they complete a task feels like a small victory, and I'm learning so much every day. It's a really exciting (somewhat terrifying!) time to be alive.

5. Five women. One dinner table. Dead or alive. Who's getting a seat at your table, and why?

Joan Didion, her writing just stops me in her tracks. Would she talk like that, too? Julia Louis-Dreyfus: funny, brilliant, and I just adore the whole premise of her podcast Wiser Than Me. Oprah Winfrey – I’d love to hear take on where humanity is heading right now. Marianne Faithfull – she was the original Chelsea girl, Mick Jagger’s lover and muse, lived through heroin addiction and she would have some stories. I loved her autobiography. Also Liv Tyler. I had such a girl crush on her in the 90’s during her Stealing Beauty and Empire Records era. Now that would be a table full of women who know who they are and aren't afraid to talk about it.

About Sigourney… 

Sigourney founded Beauticate in 2014 on a simple idea: beauty + educate. Twelve years on it's grown into a multi-platform media business reaching millions of people a month across web, podcast and social. This year, in its boldest chapter yet, the team launched Beauticate Shop, one of the first editorial e-commerce platforms in Australia, where the same trusted, expert-led storytelling now curates what women buy.