MY LIFE IN BEAUTY
After the death of Brandon Truaxe, Nicola Kilner was left to pick up the pieces of the most disruptive brand in beauty. Here, the CEO of Deciem speaks to HOLLY O’NEILL about the year she’s had, her skincare secrets, and kindness.
Holly O’Neill chats to Deciem CEO Nicola Kilner
WHAT’S YOUR FIRST BEAUTY MEMORY AND HAVE YOU ALWAYS LOVED BEAUTY? My mum being in her rollers with a big smile every morning. From as young as I can remember, I’ve loved beauty… we’d play at beauty salon.
WHAT INGREDIENTS SHOULD EVERYONE HAVE IN THEIR ROUTINE AND WHAT’S YOUR SKINCARE SECRET? Copper peptides. And consistency really makes the biggest difference. WHAT WAS THE LAST PRODUCT YOU BOUGHT? I’m fortunate to get most of our products directly from the lab, but I purchased Tan-Luxe The Water, €39, for a recent holiday.
YOUR DESERT ISLAND MUSTS? NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum, €67, NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Lipid, €80, The Ordinary Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil, €9.45 (which I use on hair as well as skin), NIOD Survival 30, €30, and a reuseable water bottle. WHAT DECIEM PRODUCT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO CREATE? We’re currently working on WaterColours in The Ordinary, which will be a water-free foundation. This is proving to be quite testing in the lab. SPFs are the hardest to launch globally, as there are so many different regulations around the world. WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU EVER RECEIVED? “You catch more flies with honey than vinegar”, meaning being kind gets you further. I think in the year 2020, kindness is a trait of beauty. THE WORST BEAUTY MISTAKE YOU EVER MADE? An at-home hair toner that turned my hair orange!
HOW DO YOU TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF? I’m happiest when with my daughter Mila and my husband, and it’s never a challenge to prioritise them.
IS THERE A TREATMENT YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY? Yes, a Nichola Joss facial!
YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO GET READY – WHAT DO YOU USE? The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, €7.20, The Ordinary Buffet + Copper Peptides, €28.90, The Ordinary Serum Foundation (includes SPF), €6.95, Benefit mascara, Estée Lauder blush… As a working mum, I actually have the “quick” routine down to about three minutes, but I do love it when I have longer to use more products.
HOW HAS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGED THE BEAUTY INDUSTRY? It’s allowed every person to become a micro-influencer and the audience to demand transparency.
WHAT SKINCARE INGREDIENT IS MOST UNDERRATED? Squalane – it’s low cost and so versatile. Our most underrated product is our Hair Density Serum, €17.90, in The Ordinary. WHY DID YOU WANT TO JOIN DECIEM IN 2013 AND HOW HAS IT BEEN LEADING THE COMPANY OVER THE LAST YEAR? I wanted to join Brandon. His energy was infectious. I’ve never felt alone in leading. I miss Brandon every day, but I’m so fortunate I still have the Deciem family that he built around me. We aim to stay true to the three values Brandon held at the core of Deciem: innovation, design and function. We try and focus only on what we are doing, but it’s nice to see the pick-up on the transparency of ingredients and that price point no longer has to define luxury. WHAT’S NEXT FOR DECIEM IN 2020? We have new brand launches Loopha and Hippooh and something in the natural space. We also have some exciting new retailer partnerships and will be entering new markets to try and make The Ordinary even more accessible to all.