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11th Oct 2015

20 game-changing beauty trade secrets you need in your life

HerFamily

The gals in the office constantly ask me to share my trade secrets from eight years of make-up and skincare training with Clarins, Chanel and Dior. I always assume everyone automatically knows these tricks of the trade, but maybe not…

I have trialled hundreds of skincare brands, but firmly agree that getting back-to-basics is the key to perfecting your beauty routine.

Here’s the definitive list of how-to’s when it comes to wrinkles, dehydration, make-up tricks and skin breakouts:

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1. Always use an exfoliator at night to remove the day… never in the morning. Your skin is susceptible to UVA and UVB damage when you simply step outside the door. Add the elements of sun, wind, rain and pollution, and care is needed for optimal health of the epidermis. If you exfoliate in the morning, you are removing an all-important protective layer that has been nourished the night before with moisturiser. It kind of defeats the purpose. I suggest Nuxe Gel with rose petals and natural plant kernels to exfoliate.

2. If you want longer lashes… put beeswax on them each night, NOT Vaseline or talc. Vaseline is a preservative and will dry out the hair follicle and cut nutrients to the lash hair over time. Talc will cause extreme drying and breakage.

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - AUGUST 05: A model gets her make up done backstage ahead of the Lovechild 1979 show during the first day of Copenhagen Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016 on August 5, 2015 in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Photo by Rob Ball/Getty Images)

3. Drying and wrapping your hair in a T-shirt… and not a towel prevents split ends and calms curls and flyaway strands, without the need for expensive styling products.

4. Keep all of your moisturisers in the fridge… even your hand cream, this soothes the skin instantly and is a blessing for puffy morning skin and eyes. Moisturising your hands at night is a sure fire way to prevent and hide the ageing process. My best suggestion for skincare if you are rolling in the G’s would be the Heaven skincare range. If you are waiting for the next pay check then Kinara Skincare from Galway is an excellent option. If you haven’t a penny to your name, but you still want moisture opt for Boots Pharmaceuticals  own range moisturiser.

5. Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer  in med-light… should be your best friend if you are a pale-skinned lady with dark circles that need cover.

6. Keeping an eye gel in your handbag… means you can re-hydrate your skin over your already perfectly-applied make-up at any stage during the day. Apply this gel twice a day and more often if you sit at a computer screen at any period during the day.

7. A face oil is an essential part of your skin diet… whether you suffer with dry, oily, sensitive or aged skin. Just invest in a gentle, natural oil that suits your skin type and apply every night. Your skin will wake up full of life without dullness as well as becoming more plump and nourished over time. I suggest Trilogy Rosehip Oil which is perfect or the natural nourishment and Miranda Kerr uses it religiously.

8. Using coconut oil… on your body to shave your legs and underarm hair will mean less coarse hair in the regrowth stage.

9. Always throw out mascara after six months… always. Take advice from the girl who worked in make-up for eight years. Preservatives in old mascara wands and product will cause untold damage to the lining of the skin around your eyes and face.

10. Do not touch your face for any reason during the day, ever… There are live bacteria on your hands that will penetrate your pores and make your face dirty. If you suffer breakouts or pustules under the skin, these will lessen when you keep your paws away and keep your hair off your face during the day.

backstage ahead of the Mila Schon show during Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2016 on September 28, 2015 in Milan, Italy.
11. Freeze your spots. If you didn’t follow point ten then this is your saving grace. The minute you feel a bulge or an itch under the skin get an ice cube, wrap it in light cloth and hold it to your pimple. It reduces swelling and minimises eruptions of the skin. Use ‘Neostrata clarifying wash’ as a spot zapper. Dot on the tiniest bit and it will help remove the blemish extremely fast. 

12. Moisturise your body from the feet up. Always work towards the heart when caressing the body. This method drains toxins in the correct way for easy removal and aids blood circulation. This is especially important in the Winter months when the immune system becomes sluggish and we are more susceptible to infection.

13. Drink lukewarm water with lemon… Every. Single. Morning. Without fail. Your gut and skin will be revitalised in less than a week.

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14. When applying moisturiser, cleanser, conditioner or any other topical applications… less is always more. Two pea-sized drops of moisturiser, one teaspoon of cleanser and one tablespoon of conditioner. Your skin will not become overwhelmed trying to absorb the content. A glaze is required, not a dollop.

15. Never apply the same colour eye liner on the top and bottom of your eye. Use a pencil exactly two shades ligther on the bottom and never apply it all the way to the centre of the eye. Concentrate on the bottom outer edge.

16. Use a white tear line pencil to line the top and bottom tear line of your eye. Start at the area beside your nose and work towards the middle of the top tear-line, and no further and the same on the bottom. This will instantly give the illusion of bigger eyes and make you look awake in the morning even if you have not another scrap of make-up on your face.

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17. Never, ever drag your eye area when removing eye-makeup remover. If years of skin pulling and unnecessary abuse has left you with unsightly sagging; apply Aloe Vera gel in a light veil across the socket line each night, before your eye cream. It will tighten the skin.

18. Facial tapping on the area of the eyebrows, cheek bone and jaw bone can relieve stress brought on by tension and should be performed at least once a day. Simply rest your chin onto your chest and using the index finger and middle finger of each hand, tap the face gently on each side. Begin at the eyebrow bone just above the nose. Continue along the cheek bone and then finally work on the jawbones. Mirror the movement with your two hands on each side of the face. Tapping relieves anxiety before a big event, meeting or any happening in your life, too. This 5-minute kitsch video explains it if you can bear the pixelation.

19. Apply make-up with a big fluffy, flexible brush… and buff your foundation product into the skin. Wash your brush once a week with washing-up liquid and pop some toner onto it to keep it relatively fresh in your make-up bag.

20. Do a mini-massage every second night. Doing this as well as our suggested facial toning massage will help drain fluid from the sinus pockets above the eyebrows and on each side of the nose. After you have removed your make-up and have followed point seven, hold your (clean) hands to your face below the eye area. Lean forward and press your hands with even pressure from the middle of the face outwards, and repeat. This will manually force the fluid from your face into the lymphatic system – along the appropriate channel – to the outer edges of your face and into the drainage system. This is a great aid to help you sleep too. This 5-minute video will explain the more comprehensive approach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqRHON7_uqQ

My top tip? An SPF is far more important than people realise. More important than all of these points. Why? It’s a vital step to combat the ageing process – it eliminates free-radicals from the skin that lay there from exposure to pollution, mobile phones and computer screen use, and even from abrasion by rough winds. If you apply factor 5o every day, you will have a forcefield against ageing and far less broken veins. Fact.

Got any tips for me? Hit me up: karen.forde@herfamily.ie