Presenter & Podcaster Clara Amfo Talks Us Through Her Typical Day
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6am
I usually wake up between 6am-8am. I generally feel quite revived when I wake up. It all depends on what I’ve eaten the night before and how much coffee I’ve had the previous day. I definitely notice a difference if I have an early dinner and no coffee after 5pm. The first thing I do when I wake up is drink at least 500ml of water. I used to be that person who forced herself to drink water but now I realise how much I need it. Right now, my morning soundtrack is Not my problem Laila! It’s on repeat.
8am
I have a Sun Warrior chocolate protein shake before I work out. I then have my first coffee of the day – Nescafé Azera instant coffee with oat milk. I don’t have a coffee machine in my kitchen because I would abuse it. I try to stick to two coffees per day. I have a treadmill in my front room that I try to walk on every day for 30-60 minutes. I’m multitasking whilst I’m on there – doing emails, getting back to friends, taking phone calls, watching TV… I’ve just binged the new season of Love Is Blind UK. I’m also a huge fan of podcasts. Keep It makes me laugh out loud every time, while The Dish with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett and Miss Me? With Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver are some of my favourites.
9.30am
I hit the shower and start my morning skincare routine. I use a SkinCeuticals cleanser and vitamin C serum, before finishing up with the Zo Skin Health Daily Defense moisturiser. On my body I use Ava Estell Magix Cream. It’s good at minimising scars on black skin and leaves it feeling really soft. I have breakfast after I shower – usually a filling protein packed salad with salt, pepper, olive oil, smoked salmon, egg, tomatoes and seeds.
I usually dress for comfort unless I have a work event to go to. Colour is a big part of my wardrobe but lately, I’ve been loving black. I like Japanese streetwear, so I wear a lot of Sacai. My other favourite brands include Ganni, ARKET and COS. As for specific designers, I love the girls at The Attico, Jacquemus, JW Anderson and Vivienne Westwood. My style is a mix of high/low – a typical outfit would be a pair of tailored trousers, a bodysuit, trainers and a sporty bomber jacket. Melody Ehsani and Anissa Kermiche do fun jewellery, and Misho does the best gold hoops.
Keep It; Ava Estell
@TraceeEllisRoss; Leon
12pm
I jump in a taxi to head to the studio to record my podcast with Jordan Stephens. It’s about 40 minutes from my house and on the journey, I’ll catch up on more emails or take calls. I’m a huge fan of The Cut, so I’ll catch up on the journey. I can’t leave the house without my Bottega sunglasses, lip balm or gloss – the Fenty Glossbomb is a hero and my latest discovery, a Tide pen, is just magic. The studio has a great set – we have lots of vinyl in the background, think Lauryn Hill, Pixies, Little Simz and Arctic Monkeys. We’ll record multiple episodes in a day, so in between guests I’ll grab some lunch around 1.30pm. It’s usually Leon’s gluten free chicken nuggets, with slaw and baked fries. If I’m eating out, I like to go to Murano.
6pm
I eat some dinner, get back to the emails that I've forgotten, work on edits and look at my diary for the next week. I like to figure out where I'm going, what I'm doing and what I've got to prep for – whether it's a big interview, a podcast or TV work. At the moment, I'm prepping for an interview with Florence & The Machine at the BBC Proms.
Murano
Everyman
8pm
It’s tricky to describe a typical evening because my schedule is never the same. I could be hosting a film premiere or be at a work event but on the evenings I’m at home, I like to chill out as much as possible. Right now, I’m binge watching The Bear. Alternatively, I’ll go to the Everyman cinema in Broadgate Circle or take myself off for a 45-minute hot girl walk – anything to decompress after the day.
10.30pm
I aim to be in bed by 10.30pm but realistically fall asleep around 12am. One of my biggest extravagances is candles and perfume – that’s what you’ll find on my bedside table. I’m obsessed with Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady and Diptyque’s Baies candle. My book is Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay, and I like to use some magnesium spray before bed too. Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night repair serum has been a part of my night-time skincare routine for about five years, and I always sleep with my silk bonnet from Pattern to protect my braids. The last thing I do before bed is watch some TikToks. I delete it from my phone sometimes because I waste so much time on there, but I love it so much. In early lockdown, TikTok genuinely saved my mental health because people are so funny and creative.
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