All things beauty and more with @Madeleinelovesthis

Skimono Beauty - 1st December 2020

Madeleine from @madeleinelovesthis talks all things beauty and more....

We caught up with Skimono fan and all-round beauty guru, Madeleine, from @madeleinelovesthis to find out what makes her tick in the world of beauty and beyond. From her career as a journalist, coping with anxiety and her top beauty tips, we're so pleased to feature Madeleine as our first guest on our blog...

Hey Madeleine! Tell us a bit about yourself for starters:
I’m a freelance journalist, podcaster, brand consultant, and make-up artist who hails from London via an Austrian mother and Hungarian father. I spent my 20s mostly suffering enormously from panic attacks and agoraphobia with the odd stint of work experience or writing gig I could get, before knuckling down in my 30s, which brings me to today.

How did you get into the beauty industry?
Though my 20s were riddled with battles with anxiety, I was able to intern and managed to make some connections in the industry. During one of my periods of being stuck at home, I started my blog, madeleineloves.com, which went on to win awards, after which I went back into magazines and worked at Marie Claire, InStyle UK, Stylist and Glamour UK, as well as freelancing at various titles.

What’s your earliest memory of beauty products?
I’m an ‘80s child, so beauty products are baked into every memory I have of adults from my youth. A few moments: Guerlain powder, on my mum’s dressing table, powder puff as soft as a kitten’s paw sitting atop the little pearls of colour; Shalimar, sprayed liberally in the air before my aunt went out, all blue eyeliner and shoulder pads; my sister’s Charlie perfume collection, which I would climb onto her shelves to sniff whenever she was out, and, finally, of course, hairspray - all the hairspray, always Elnett.

The 3 makeup products you couldn’t live without?…and why?
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer because it covers everything, looks like skin, and as an erstwhile acne-sufferer who still on occasion will sprout a humdinger of a spot, great concealer is non-negotiable.
I wouldn’t be without Daniel Sandler Watercolour blush (in Cherub or Luxe) because it makes cheeks look lit from within and I love skin that’s suffused with life, and also eyelash curlers because my lashes are straighter than straight (Surratt makes the best).

The 3 skincare products you couldn’t live without? …and why?
Skimono masks - not just because I am writing this for you guys, but quite genuinely because they’re my go-to when my skin needs a pick-me up. Exuviance Creme Cleanser - cleanliness in the case of skin is really damn important and this does the job without stripping it. And I couldn’t do without Clinisept because it calms even the angriest skin down.
Can I sneak in a fourth? If so: SPF. Any, though I’m partial to ones by Murad, Skinceuticals, and Perricone MD. Daily. Without fail, come sun or rain.

Top tip for skin during the winter months.
Routine. It sounds so tedious, but skin loves it. Mine includes cleansing morning and night, serum, spf, and a good hydration product, with the odd treat in the form of a mask.

What are you currently reading?
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, which my friend Esther Coren said was really excellent and she’s not wrong.

When you aren’t fully immersed into the beauty world, what do you enjoy getting up to? Walking my rescue beagle/pointer, Monty, is pretty much my favourite pastime, but I am also a voracious reader, borderline obsessive about roaming London and looking up its history, and if I’m not doing those things, I can generally be found watching Golden Age Hollywood films. Or watching/listening to Elvis. Anything to do with Elvis is my favourite way to while away time.

You have a podcast, tell us what it’s about?
My podcast is an interview format in which I talk to a variety of guests about their life journey and where beauty has played a role. The premise is simple, but the conversations end up taking so many tangents, and I’ve had some really quite fascinating chats.

There’s lots of drive for eradicating the use of photoshop for skincare & beauty products in commercial adverts, what is your opinion on this?
I’m primarily all for it, particularly when it comes to editing to represent impossible standards, but when it’s a case of cleaning an image up slightly (the removal of a speck of dust, a errant hair, etc.) I understand that brands might want to remove them to perfect the shot and to me that is a different thing and is acceptable.