My Life In Beauty: Lucy McPhail, founder of Fetch Beauty

The former beauty buyer for Harrods, Irish woman Lucy McPhail has just launched her own online skincare emporium, Fetch Beauty. Here, she shares her favourite products with ROSALEEN MCMEEL.

THE FIRST PERFUME I EVER LOVED WAS CK One by Calvin Klein. I remember saving up to buy it, and the Hugo Boss one, completely influenced by ads on TV.

I GET MY NAILS DONE REGULARLY because they’re so brittle. Inmylastrole,Ihadtobe quite formal in terms of hair, make-up and nails, so since I’ve been back I’m like, “Sparkle me!” I’m currently wearing pink glitter from Tropical Popical.

I USE ARTIS BRUSHES (artisbrush.com). The brand was set up a couple of years ago by the ex-creative director of MAC. I use the Oval 7, approx €50, for foundation and then I have a mix of brushes from lots of other places. But Artis for foundation is brilliant. I couldn’t imagine doing it with something else now.

I NEVER TRAVEL WITHOUT Cleanse by Lauren Napier, €8. They’re individual cleansing wipes. I also carry antibacterials because I’m very conscious of germs. I bring some hyaluronic acid too – it’s the best way to hydrate skin, as it can hold up to a thousand times its weight in moisture. The first thing I do on a plane is completely cleanse and apply hyaluronic acid throughout the journey; it’s an amazing way to wake up 12 hours later not looking completely haggard.

THE FIRST BEAUTY PRODUCT I EVER BOUGHT WAS Max Factor Panstik, €9.99.

THE ONE BEAUTY APPOINTMENT I’LL NEVER MISS IS my Face Place Signature Facial, €115. Every month, I have to travel to London, and I get this facial in Sense, the spa in the Rosewood Hotel. It’s a really old Hollywood treatment. They cleanse o your make-up and wrap your face in cotton soaked in vitamin C and zinc and then they put this leather mask over your face. So instead of steam to open your pores, they use the heat from the leather mask, which allows all the vitamin C to penetrate into your skin. Then they do extractions, which nobody really does anymore and I love. You literally glow.

THE PRODUCT I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TRY IS Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, €21 – it’s just fabulous. It might not actually change the shape of your bum, but it’s a lovely product to use.

I’M OBSESSED WITH HAIR PRODUCTS. I think Moroccanoil, €16.90, is amazing. There’s this new towel called Aquis, approx €30 – I think they’re going to have it in Arnotts, but it’s really cool. I bought it in Australia, but someone I know in the UK is distributing it. I don’t know how it works, but I noticed when I stopped using it how much it had helped to keep hair smooth and sleek – it’s something to do with
the microfibres. I also love the Balmain Hair Couture range,
from €12.

SOMETHING I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO TRY IS botox. I’m going to give it a few years, but I’d love to see what difference and change it would make to my face.

THE BEST BEAUTY ADVICE I EVER RECEIVED WAS to wear sun protection every day. Sun damage is the single biggest cause of premature ageing apart from genetics

THE LAST BEAUTY ITEM I BOUGHT WAS Perricone MD Super Greens, €76 for 30 sachets. I love that question because when choosing products to buy and sell and invest in, I always ask myself, would I spend my own money on this? And I can safely say yes with all the products that I sell. For instance, the first time I came across the brand Luxor was in Liberty, and I bought the whole range.

MY SIGNATURE SCENT IS Gypsy Water by Byredo, €180.

I’VE TRIED A LOT OF WILD TREATMENTS. I had one absolutely mad one where a friend of mine, Dr Barbara Sturm, took a vial of my blood and put it in a centrifuge and then separated the plasma from the rest of it and made it into a cream for my face. It’s called Blood Cream MC1. She’s a phenomenal doctor based in Du?sseldorf, but travels a lot to LA, and has her own range.

A PRODUCT THAT’S ALWAYS ON MY NIGHTSTAND IS the Sand & Sky Brilliant Skin Mask, €46.90. It’s a clay, but it doesn’t dehydrate your skin, and you can just throw it on and it’s a ten-minute process, so I reach for that quite often.

THE LAST BEAUTY RELATED THING I DO BEFORE GOING TO BED IS put on a silk eye mask and lie on a silk pillow. It stops me getting pillow face. It makes me sound like such a princess, but when you try a silk pillow (any brand is fine, until I start selling them!), the di erence it makes! You wake up and you’re not red and creased, your face is just normal. Also, cotton pillow cases just absorb all those expensive products you’ve just applied to your skin.

This article originally appeared in the March issue of IMAGE, on shelves nationwide now.