SKINCARE SECRETS OF A CLEANSING QUEEN
With a phenomenal and ever-growing online audience and a new book out next month, we ask skincare expert Caroline Hirons to spill the beans…
Top tips from Caroline Hirons
Caroline Hirons knows beautiful skin: ‘Bouncy, juicy, not unlined necessarily – there’s nothing wrong with a few laughter lines – but definitely elastic, which is easy to fix by the way… a few drops of facial oil and you’re golden. I think of black actresses in particular, when they’re absolutely glowing, and I always admire incredible bone structure. My daughter has perfect, 18-year old skin. She gets the odd hormonal zit, but I tell her she’s supposed to. She’s 18!’ If you don’t know Caroline, consider this your primer: she’s a trained aesthetician, brand consultant and skincare blogger with 120m page views, 18.4m views on Youtube, 370K Instagram followers and now a book. Skincare, out in June, will roll that bouncy, juicy glow even further on to the faces of an audience eager to learn more about her may-as-well-be-trademarked protocol of double cleansing, acid toning and multiple stages of retinol. But to suggest Hirons’s success is all down to the intel would be to play down her unique brand of skincare and sass. Yes, she’ll tell you how to read a label or (carefully) squeeze a spot, but she’ll also share her chin hairs, hormones and family spats – and she’ll always have your back. ‘My community is a place where people can say they feel bad about their skin without anyone judging. I’ve always been that big-sister figure, but now I have the confidence that comes with age. When I see an injustice, for example, I’ll speak up.’
In recent times (and oh, what recent times), Hirons’s chutzpah came into its own in Instagram Stories calling out retailers that were slow to support staff through the Covid-19 crisis. ‘I get messages saying, “I love how outspoken you are,” or “I love how you don’t care,” but the thing is, I care too much, especially about the beauty industry.’
‘Caroline has a reputation for being unguarded and forthright, which is rare,’ says Cult Beauty co-founder Alexia Inge. ‘She is a specialist with an incredibly loyal following of skincare “freaks” who absolutely trust her recommendations. When she believes in a brand, we really see the halo effect on the site.’ Space NK’S buying director, Margaret Mitchell, agrees. ‘It’s hard not to draw a link between Caroline’s reach and shopping behaviours. A great example would be the Tan-luxe Super Glow Hyaluronic Self-tan Serum. When she declared it one of her favourite products, it shot into our top 10 and continues to sell well. Caroline has had a big influence on the UK and global beauty industry.’
If prodded, Hirons will admit she’s kind of a big deal. ‘I think I’m instrumental in a movement that takes skincare seriously and isn’t dismissive of people’s needs. I see myself in sales of certain products, but outside of that, I’m not sure. I’m still surprised when my events sell out.’ Reader, they sell out – and fast. We know from her appearances at Red’s Smart Women Week that not until the last selfie has been taken, the last tear has dried (true story) and taxis have been cancelled multiple times (also true story) will Hirons go home. ‘I’ve never met someone with such a strongly engaged community,’ says Jini Sanassy, Space NK’S head of PR and no stranger to a Hirons meet-and-greet. ‘Her fanbase is like a small army.’ An army that’s about to settle down with a good read. Here, we share the products she stands by, her golden rules for a better complexion and a taster from her new book.
SIMPLE PLANS FOR GLOWING SKIN
There’s a skincare journey in all of us. Wherever you are on the trajectory, find your next step here: