FRESH TALK WITH A SKINCARE INFLUENCER FROM LOS ANGELES

Mandy Madden is a beauty, health, travel guru and entrepreneur, originally from New Zealand but now living in Los Angeles. After moving to Los Angeles, she seized the opportunity to rediscover herself and built the courage to divert from her background in Law and Marketing, and explore a new career path. For a long time, her love for beauty and skincare had grown and become something she wanted to dedicate her life to. Mandy decided to pour her passion for these topics into her blog, as well as her Instagram platform and YouTube channel, where she shares her secrets on how to achieve her signature glowing skin and how skincare routine has helped her to cultivate self-love.

We sat down with Mandy to discuss her passion for skincare, best party-prep tips, and the perfect spa day at home.

1. TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF (AND YOUR SKIN, OF COURSE).

I am a skincare influencer, creative director, and the founder of "Pagerie", a luxury pet accessories brand. I am originally from Romania and New Zealand and moved to Los Angeles after meeting my soulmate at baggage claim and marrying him. It took me many years to fall in love with my skin and to care for it, and I love to foster that patience and grace in the process as I share my journey.

2. WHEN DID YOU START GETTING INTERESTED IN SKINCARE?

My skin and I have had a rocky past, which is ironic given how central to my life and success it currently is. While I fondly remember watching my grandmother practice her natural beauty routines, and hope to pass that self-love and self-care to my daughter Kaia, I was bullied as a child for having much darker skin than anyone in my family or community, which caused a lot of self-loathing. Once I moved to the United States, my skin did not adjust well to the new climate, and I suffered from breakouts and pigmentation issues. This was a repeat nuisance for me in terms of my skin being a source of embarrassment. In healing my skin, I learned to embrace it, and skincare as self-care became a huge passion of mine.

3. WHAT'S THE ONE THING YOU WISHED YOU LEARNED SOONER, IN REGARDS TO SKINCARE?

In Los Angeles, outward image is incredibly important, and many people will do anything to ensure they look their best. When I first moved and struggled with my skin, I believed what I was told - that it was necessary to get laser treatments and to see every specialist you possibly could - to achieve great skin. Over time, I learned that while those experts and their tools can be very effective, they are more of a luxury than a necessity. I learned that great skin is a matter of discipline, which is something people can access at any budget, and with or without outside treatments.

4. DO YOU HAVE ANY LIFESTYLE HABITS THAT HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON YOUR SKIN?

I believe that all lifestyle habits impact our skin! It’s our largest organ, so our diet, exercise, and sleep all either help or hurt our skin’s condition. This just gives me more motivation to make sure that I am eating a clean diet that’s primarily plant-based, drinking lots of water and herbal teas, staying active, prioritizing sleep and meditation, and avoiding things like stress and alcohol.

5. WHAT'S MAKES YOU FEEL BEAUTIFUL (BESIDES SKINCARE)?

A celebration of my unique qualities! As I mentioned, it has been a journey for me to fully accept and love myself and all the different things that make me, me. I really encourage those around me to celebrate and love their natural beauty. There should never have been a cookie-cutter beauty, and now, thankfully, the world seems to be shifting towards the positive and embracing a diverse set of standards in terms of beauty.

6. HOW WOULD YOU GET READY FOR A PARTY IN 5 MIN?

It’s amazing how skincare factors into this… Since I take such great care of my skin and don’t care for much makeup, my “getting ready” for events time is much shorter. Usually, brow gel, lip color, and mascara are enough for me, though I sometimes glam up with a graphic liner. Et voilá!

7. WHAT ARE TOP 3 BEAUTY TIPS FOR OUR READERS?

My first tip is to learn facial massage and lymphatic drainage techniques. I cannot overstate how beneficial this has been for me to decrease inflammation and to spend a wonderful time honoring myself through skincare as self-care.

My second tip would be to use a high-frequency device on your skin at home, and often! Again, no need to break the bank on professional treatments when you can be innovative at home and care for yourself.

The third tip is “less is more.” If you go through my house, my wardrobe, and my makeup routine, you can see that I prefer a minimalist approach, focusing on timeless elegance. Embracing a disciplined skincare routine can help your natural beauty shine through on its own.

8. What is your favorite NUORI product, and why?

I am particularly fond of the Supreme-C Serum Treatment. I think vitamin C is one of the most important ingredients in a skincare routine to fight free radicals and brighten skin. I love that this two-step process improves how strong and effective the treatment is and how great the results can be.

9. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND YOUR PERFECT SPA DAY AT HOME?

This question doesn’t have to be hypothetical for me - I stand by my statement of a disciplined approach to skincare as self-care, so I have wonderful spa days weekly for myself, and I use them also to spend quality time with my daughter, Kaia. Hopefully, she learns by my example the importance of caring for oneself and realizes how worth that time and effort she is and carries that into adulthood. If I really want to go the extra mile, on top of my scented candles and amazing face masks, I love browsing through vintage copies of Vogue in a beautiful bath!

Follow Mandy Madden on Instagram, at https://www.instagram.com/mandymadd/