By Alison McGill
“Come with me into my bathroom.” I’ve spent five minutes on the sofa meeting and greeting iconic makeover pro Trinny Woodall, and she is ready to fast-track our relationship with an immersive chat about Trinny London skincare while she double cleanses, masterfully massages and moisturizes my face. If you are ever lucky enough to have Woodall perform lymphatic drainage and her signature cheekbone-defining facial massage, you have experienced one of life’s ultimate beauty gifts.
Launched in 2017, Trinny London has just turned five, and Woodall is on tour to celebrate. Woodall recently touched down in Toronto as part of the party and had a whirlwind three-days in the city meeting journalists, influencers, and the city’s top beauty pros.
I spent two blessed hours in Woodall’s glowy orb, learning all about the very user-friendly and ever-expanding Trinny London makeup line (I had a personal glam session with the brand’s artist-in-residence John Corcoran), and her skincare line which dropped earlier this year. We also recorded a brilliant episode of my weekly podcast Aisle Seat, where we chatted all things wedding beauty and style.
Woodall is particularly passionate about skin. Having personally suffered for years with complexion issues, she knows the massive impact it can have on one’s confidence. Read on for some conversation highlights from my time spent with Woodall.
On what Trinny London is doing that’s different
“I have learned a lot through my years of experience working with women; understanding how they feel and what they need in different moments of their life. We are a really great brand that is supportive of so much more than skincare and makeup. We are refined choice in a world of so much choice. The more people trust us, they come to know we will give them the best ingredients, the best formulations, the easiest products to apply, and we’re going to help them understand a routine around skincare. We always want to demystify what can be very complex or can be made to appear very complex.”
On why every beauty look starts with great skin
“It’s always about having skin that’s yours. When you have gone through a tortuous time around your skin you are always seeking the best results to resolve it. I used to wear a face caked full of makeup and tons of fake tan—I looked like a pizza. I wanted to cover up. At any big event or moment in your life, be you. I went around the world doing What Not To Wear and met over 5,000 women talking about their relationship with their skin, their body, their hair. I learned a lot. I know what women feel inside, and this is a huge component of our brand.”
On the power of peptides
“I love peptides so much. If we look at all the categories of skincare ingredients, peptides are a real hero. Retinoids accelerate skin cell turn over. Vitamin C is great for evening out skin tone and treats pigmentation.
Acids are good because you want to get off the dead skin cells. But peptides are the skincare ingredient that goes in and feeds the proteins our skin needs to create collagen and elastin.”
On beauty tech tools
“I love my NuFace. To see results, you need to use it every couple of days to. I personally love the travel size because it’s easy to use and at a great price point. A little micro-current on your face goes a long way.”
On the rules of highlighter
“I grew up in the days of matte. Now we are at a very different age of skin finish, but if you’re not careful, skin can just look greasy. There is an in-between. The bit around the nostrils, I don’t want to see sheen. Under your eyes and chin, I don’t want to see sheen. Use a little highlighter on the cheekbones, and a little above the eyebrows. When I use highlighter, I like to put it on underneath my base. Highlighter should be there when you turn into the light, but you don’t see it as a strip. Put it on under a foundation serum to achieve a beautiful etherealness.”
Here are 5 Trinny London essentials that you need now
Be Your Best Enzyme Balm Cleanser
$58, trinnylondon.com
This balm takes it all off—makeup, SPF, pollution, and impurities. Woodall recommends double cleansing with this to achieve a glowing complexion. Trinny London skincare staples are refillable—we love sustainable packaging!
Plump Up Peptide ‘Ha Serum
$118, trinnylondon.com
This serum is one Trinny London’s iconic bestsellers and is packed with six different types of peptides. It firms, hydrates and plumps perfection via a complex peptide blend designed to make skin bouncy and beautiful
Miracle Blur
$46, trinnylondon.com
You may have to wait a minute to get your hands on this little pot which is often waitlisted—Woodall says one is sold every 20 seconds. Tap this translucent lip and line filler into your skin to smooths and blurs imperfections.
The Right Light
$45, trinnylondon.com
This is the perfect highlighter, available in four shades to compliment every skin tone. Woodall’s favourite hue is Candlelit, which she taps on her skin before applying base to create a gorgeous, natural glow.
Lip2Cheek in Milly
$45, trinnylondon.com
Trinny London makeup is packaged in stackable little pots, and formulas are designed to be multitasking and easy to use. Milly is the newest Lip2Cheek shade, and the poppy pink is perfectly on point for the season.
