THE SKINCARE DIARY OF A PANDEMIC BRIDE TO BE

It was a long a winding road that finally brought me to my Prince Charming. He didn’t just ride in on one white horse, more like a team of them! And so myself and my daughter upped sticks from our city life in Dublin, and headed to the beautiful North West of Ireland to begin our rural adventure – marketing and PR by day for a luxury skincare brand, equestrian farmer surrounded by dogs the rest of the time. Life is infinitely better here for a myriad of reasons but that is a story for another day. 

CHANGE OF PLAN

Last year we set about planning our big day and envisioned it to be in the sunshine and so we booked a beautiful location in Portugal for this June. But then along came COVID 19 to spoil the party. Thankfully in my career, I’ve had plenty of experience in dealing with last-minute event crisis and so within 48hrs, I had cancelled wedding Take 1 and had booked a new and improved wedding Take 2 along with all suppliers, in the stunning Adare Manor. 

We are now 12 weeks out from our big day (as long as Leo and Tony allow it to proceed). I must say that it is quite bizarre being this close to the wedding and not actually knowing if it will go ahead or not. It is a bit like spinning a roulette wheel as if planning a wedding (2 weddings!) wasn’t stressful enough. 

SKIN SOS

This stress, along with having to adapt to working from home, not being able to see my family in Dublin, having a bored teenager stuck indoors (although thrilled that she got to miss her Junior Cert) and the general worry of not contracting Coronavirus, has all taken its toll on my skin.

And I am not alone in this. I have had numerous friends and family contact me with skin concerns over the past few months. We must remember that our skin is our body’s largest organ and will tell us when something is wrong. Breakouts, rashes, dry patches, etc. are all your body’s way of sending you an SOS. Ignore these warnings at your peril! 

Over the course of my career, I have been lucky enough to work with numerous beauty brands and have amassed a body of knowledge during that time. Working with VOYA really opened my eyes to the fact that organic and natural does not mean ineffective. It is actually quite a common misconception. In fact, my skin has never looked better since I made the switch to VOYA products (always allow 6-8 weeks if changing a skin care routine as your skin will need time to adapt). 

Am I holier than thou and virtuous through and through when it comes to my skincare?  Absolutely not!  I am not averse to a little injectable assistance here and there now that I’m on the wrong side of 40.  BUT what I do know, is that if I am going to subject my skin to harsher chemicals and treatments occasionally, then I really need to be kind to it and care for it with the best of ingredients the rest of the time.

MY VOYA SKINCARE HEROES

For those of you looking to get Bride to Be Glowing (bride or not!), here are my Top 10 VOYA skincare heroes:

1. My Little Hero – aptly named, this is an iconic product that has won many awards and is loved by both women and men. It’s a real multitasker, and let’s face it, we all want hard-working products that offer value. I use MLH religiously every night to give my skin a deeply moisturising drink. Night-time is key for skin recovery – ALWAYS cleanse and moisturise.  Male skin also loves this product, and it can double as a moisturiser and beard conditioner. 

2. Get Glowing – another award-winning product. This clay mask is my ‘spa at home’ go-to. I use it every couple of weeks. As with all masks, do not use it immediately before a big event as they tend to draw out impurities and so may result in a breakout. Get Glowing is also perfect to dab on to the occasional spot as it will dry it out and draw out the nasty stuff.

3. Luminosity – this is a wonder product to give you a real glow. I use it immediately after Get Glowing for best results.

4. Bright Eyes – it does what it says on the bottle! Perfect for keeping the sensitive skin around your eyes moisturised. 

5. Me Time – the perfect hydrating moisturiser that is light and won’t negatively impact makeup application. Apply daily under your SPF.

6. Effervescence – This body scrub is incredible. So often we focus on our face and forget the other 90% of the skin on our body. It is the ultimate self-tan remover and perfect to get baby soft skin all over.  Also ideal for a hand or foot scrub if you are treating yourself to a mini-Mani/Pedi at home.

7. Softly Does It – while I love our body oils and in particular Moonlight Moments for its relaxing scent and properties, this body lotion is a no-nonsense nourishing cream. Use sparingly and rub in well or leave to soak into the skin as you prefer.

8. Totally Balmy – another swiss army knife product! This is the most luxurious cleanser that I have ever used that will remove even the most dramatic makeup. It comes as a solid in the tub, then you warm between your fingertips and it turns in to a smooth oil (similar to coconut oil). Remove with warm water and the organic cotton cloth which comes with the product. The cloths can be washed multiple times, so you are also doing some good for the environment (bin your cotton wool pads and wipes!). Again, this is one for the guys as it’s perfect as a beard conditioner or even a cuticle moisturiser.

9. Ritzy Spritzy – This toning spray wakes me up in the morning with one spritz and wipes away the last remnants of the day before I go to bed.  It is also perfect as a refreshing spray when in dehydrating hot climates or when flying (oh how I miss travel!). It is also wonderful for anyone going through the menopause and the dreaded hot flushes.  And finally, it can double as a texturizing hair spray to create beachy waves (due to the sea salt in it).

10. Balmelicious – this is a handy lip balm to keep in my bag while on the go. I love the lemon and lime scent in summer and the vanilla and peppermint in winter. It can also act as cuticle moisturiser with all the additional hand washing, we have lately.