Pat McGrath kicked off 2025, serving hyper-shiny glass skin at the Maison Margiela show during Paris Haute Couture Week. It had beauty bloggers in a chokehold, illustrating the connection between beauty and fashion.
Last month, I was invited to attend Milan Fashion Week. I was beyond excited. Naturally, I would wear my fresh, naked, glowing skin just as confidently as I wore my outfits. I knew, as a beauty founder, the skin needed to be “skinning”.
I’ve made enough mistakes to know what to do, and what not to do in the days leading up to a special event. I wasn't going to gatekeep.
Pro Tip: The same tips would apply before any special event where you wish to look your best - e.g. a special date, a gala, a speaking event, a photoshoot, a friend’s wedding or your own wedding.
Whether it’s a regular facial or a PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment (a.k.a. “vampire facial”), this is the perfect time to schedule that treatment. The more invasive the treatment, the more time should be planned before the event to allow for any swelling or sensitivity to subside and for the full benefits to be visible. This is also not the time to try a treatment for the very first time, not knowing exactly how your skin will react.
I’m a busy mom and don’t go for facials or treatments as often as I recommend or would like to.
So my at home hack is to leave a stainless steel gua sha in my shower and make time for a couple of minutes of facial massage daily, while I’m in the shower. I’ll also attempt an at-home extraction of any white- or blackheads around my nose by spending at least five minutes in the steam, followed by massaging the Abundance Cleanser and a few strong strokes of the blackhead remover tool in surgical steel.
I know my skin and have a good idea of what is most likely to go wrong so I like to get ahead of it. I have Rosacea and am prone to Rosacea flare-ups. This is something I’m always on the lookout for but again, 30 days prior to an event, I will not try anything new on my skin and will be careful to avoid any products with alcohol, fragrances or essential oils, or anything that can potentially irritate my skin or cause redness. I am also prone to dryness so I will keep my skin hydrated - from the inside and outside. I’ll be sure to drink a lot of water and eat water-rich foods. If I’m out in the sun, I will be sure to apply and reapply sunscreen.
This one is crucial. It is much harder to work around a pimple and the post inflammatory hyperpigmentation from a pimple, than it is to prevent it in the first place.
I’ll be sure to never sleep with my make-up on, to keep my skin clean with a pH balanced cleanser and to use an AHA treatment once or twice a week. If I see something coming, I will use a spot treatment of the AHA treatment to prevent it building into a full blown breakout. I’ll also be sure not to use any moisturizer or cream with any comedogenic ingredients.
I use 0.01% Tretinoin a couple of times a week and I’ll be sure to stop using any and all retinoids 7 - 10 days before a special event because I don’t want to risk any new irritation, dryness or flakiness because I will share from experience - any attempt to hide or apply make-up over a Retinol purge is mission impossible.
This is a forever tip but I’ll be sure to start remembering to keep my lips hydrated. I don’t use filler so I have lines on my lips. Keeping them hydrated minimizes the creases and makes lip makeup easier to apply and look better. I love this $8 Paw Paw lip balm that I’ve been using since I lived in New Zealand. I’m also a sucker for multi-purpose products. If not, I’ll resort to Aquaphor.
Never, ever use anything you get for free on a flight, on your skin. Always carry your own skincare - the essentials (< 100ml) in your carry-on and the rest in your check-in.
Often what you are offered, in business or first-class, are legacy brands that I would never put on my face. In Emirates, I was offered Bvlgari cream, face wash and lip balm. I don’t even open these bags, let alone let them anywhere near my face or hands.
I took a red-eye from New York to Milan and I skipped the make-up (and the champagne that was served). I was sure to prioritize sleep with a clean, make-up free, hydrated face.
I’ll always use the Abundance Cleanser as a 5-minute mask after a flight, as soon as I arrive at my destination / hotel.
Speaking of hotels… this was not my first trip to Milan. I have been there before but always as a stopover en route to Lake Como or another one of my favorite This trip to Milan I stayed at the Principe di Savoia, a part of the Dorchester collection of hotels. From the entrance to the hotel, to the lobby to the corridors, the entire hotel was buzzing with fashion week energy and celebrity, editor and fashionista sightings.
For years, I was a loyal consumer of the Dr. Dennis Gross daily peel pads and loved them for travel. However, with time, education and consciousness for the environment, I have learnt that the formula is mainly glycolic acid which can be too strong for my skin, and is especially not recommended for melanin-rich skin, it also contains alcohol which has the tendency to irritate and dry my skin in the long haul.
Instead, I always opt for this AHA treatment which contains gentle acids that help me wake up to baby soft glass skin without the irritation, the redness or dryness of other chemical exfoliant options, really helping my skin thrive.
In addition to supporting cellular turnover, lactic acid works at a cellular level, triggering mitochondria to rejuvenate.
I am a convert.
This is an essential step of prepping my skin for makeup. The Abundance Cleanser has light exfoliation particles that help slough off any dry flaking parts of my skin without irritating it or causing any redness. My skin feels clean, but comfortable.
It is also immediately softening to the point that I can’t stop touching my skin which means makeup simply glides over.
I’m not sure when exactly we can categorize our skin as aging but I’m almost 40 so I’m not exactly a spring chicken anymore. I am starting to see some texture on my face and the beginnings of some lines. I say this without judgement. It just is what is and what I knowingly am working with.
I might be biased but the Power Serum is the best primer for makeup application - hands down. It offers a smooth, bump-free canvas and an instant glow effect.
And it works hard, long-term, to even skin tone and texture. I’ve seen it work first hand for the melasma girlies better than their dermatologist-prescribed potent Hydroquinone x Retinol x Kojic acid concoctions.
In the summer, I opt to skip moisturizer under makeup for the day. I find that the serum is enough and I’m currently using and loving the Haus Labs foundation which also feels super hydrating.
Whenever I’ve added a moisturizer underneath makeup, even though I don’t have oily skin, my skin looks too shiny.
I’ll top up my skin prep, and my make-up, with sunscreen.
And we're off to the races.
