Trinny’s beauty tips to see you through the Perth summer
The insider know-how and essential products you need in your stash this season.
INTERVIEW Elizabeth Clarke
Oh wow, it’s hot out there. If your complexion feels less than fresh and is glowing for all the wrong reasons, we can help.
Elizabeth Clarke grilled British style maven Trinny Woodall, founder of wildly popular skincare and beauty line Trinny London, for her best summer beauty secrets. Plus, she discovered why Trinny thinks Perth style is fabulous and how to apply the perfect hot weather base for gorgeous, healthy skin.
"Perth style is a combination of Sydney and Brisbane. I hadn't been here for 15 years, and it was so much more sophisticated and far more fashionable than when I last came."
—Trinny
(EC): Trinny, you recently travelled across Australia. How do our beauty and style differ from state to state?
(TW): Sydney's style is very sunny-chic. Brisbane, I found an unexpected joy in their love of print. I adored how so many women I met just loved printed dresses. We were in a sea of printed dresses, joy and embracement of colour! Just so much colour in Brisbane.
Melbourne was full of very, very beautifully dressed women. Lots of sequins in our lovely line-up of people coming to our Trinny London events, but I think, generally, it's a quieter chicness than Sydney, and there's a little bit more black.
Perth was a whole mix – a combination of Sydney and Brisbane together. I hadn't been here for 15 years, and it was so much more sophisticated and far more fashionable than when I last came. Everyone in each of these states has a love of fashion and style, and they interpret it in different ways.
How important is skincare to you?
It's the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to bed. It's a twice-daily routine. It's integral to how I feel about my skin physically and also how I feel about myself mentally.
What is the biggest issue you notice with women's skin in summer?
Different skin issues come up in hotter months. People tend to have slightly more congested skin because they can sweat more on their faces. They can also have more damage from the sun because they're going to be more exposed to it on their face every day. It's why there is a greater importance to protecting your skin but also why you don't want to put too many layers on it. It's about using key ingredients but lighter layers than you might apply in the winter months. Layers, like vitamin C and SPF 50, are integral in preventing further skin sun damage.
What are the challenges for keeping skin fresh and clear in summer?
Not wearing a base that is too heavy and smothers and suffocates your skin. I look for a base with good skincare actives, like our BFF All Day with vitamin B3, which works to reduce congestion on the skin and pore size. So, as long as you have good ingredients in a base, it will not adversely affect your skin, and from that, you can build up cream-based layers because powders feel quite heavy in the summer.
What are the other products you're most proud of in your line?
All of them because I invented and designed them in the lab as my babies. Each one has a place depending entirely on your skin, as different products will be more important for different people.
I love our Boost Up with 30 per cent vitamin C, because I like a really high percentage of vitamin C. It's not for everybody; it's quite a grown-up formulation. It's really for those people who are total skincare lovers. At the other end of the scale is Plump Up, a formulation I wanted to create that plumps your skin and feeds your collagen and elastane that anyone could use, even if you have a skin condition like rosacea or dermatitis. There's nothing in it that's going to irritate your skin.
What is in your summer skincare routine?
I wear SPF 50 daily, followed by our BFF Skin Perfector SPF 30, as I like the glow it gives my skin. I put a tiny bit of Just a Touch foundation where I need it, and then I follow with a Sheer Shimmer in a summery shade like Dido, Bunny or Maiko, depending on if I want to be warm, cool or neutral. I keep my overall makeup lighter in the summer, and if I'm doing a glamorous night out, it will be more about the glow and a bright lip rather than dark smoky eyes.
Do you put sunscreen on first or last?
I put sunscreen on after I finish my skincare routine, but first, before I put my base on.
What are your insights into the 2024 beauty look?
I don't believe in trends for beauty. You've got to work with the skin you have and what your skin needs. The rules of what's in your skincare routine don't change; you add extras. So the rules are good cleansing, exfoliation, vitamin C, retinoids, and SPF.
Shop Trinny London online, or shop your favourite products at her pop-up at:
Karrinyup Shopping Centre
Level One, 200 Karrinyup Road
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