Cabinet Confidential: Molly McKeever, Yogi And Fashion Blogger

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My beauty philosophy

“To be honest, I really think less is more. I would very much do a lot less make-up than skincare. ­I moisturise a lot, drink a lot of water and try to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s about eating healthier, taking fish oils and so on.

In terms of products, moisturising would be my number one priority.

“When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is brush my teeth! I usually shower then, and mouthwash with coconut oil for 10-15 minutes while I’m in the shower. It doesn’t really taste of anything, really, but it really cleans out your teeth, big time.

My hair regime

“For shampoo and conditioner, everything is Aussie. Then, I use Burt’s Bee’s face wash – it’s called Soap Bark & Camomile Deep Cleansing Cream. It’s the most amazing thing. To be honest, I have quite sensitive skin, so my body wash would be odourless and the same with my moisturiser. I use E45; I find it’s so much better for my skin.

My face care, in a nutshell

“On my face, I use Oil of Olay, the day cream. That’s actually because my mum and my mum’s mum used it.

Since I was small I’ve used Oil of Olay cos it reminds me of my mum.

“I use a toner by Phyt’s – it’s called Hydrolat d’eucalyptus. I probably use that three times a week; I wouldn’t use it every day. There are days where, if I’ve been teaching yoga all day, if I’ve been wearing make-up, I’ll use that in the evening before I go to bed. But there are a lot of days where I don’t wear much make-up. Some days I’m just lazy!

“If I’m not wearing make-up, I’d literally use The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer or Benefit High Beam, and that’s it – when I’m teaching yoga, my make-up will melt off!

I find it really hard to find foundations that are not really, really oily or really, really dry out my skin.

How I make-up

“When I’m wearing make-up, I use Clarins Skin Illusion foundation – I have quite mixed skin, oily and dry. So this is a good mixture for combination skin. It has a really nice glow – it’s kind of dewy, but doesn’t look like you’re wearing a lot of make-up. I just use my fingers, always!

“My sister uses a lot of brushes, but I read online that Kim Kardashian’s make-up artist says to apply things with your fingers because the heat from your fingers makes things apply much better.

I like the natural, dewy look.

“Then it’s MAC Studio Fix powder all over my face, then I use Benefit bronzer with a blusher brush to contour my cheekbones. Then I use the The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer – that kind of highlights the cheekbones and it’s quite light. Sometimes I find they look a bit weird cos they take off your foundation; this one’s just a bit lighter.

“I use MAC brow pencil in Lingering – it’s quite universal. I do my brows myself. I’ve been tempted to go into Shavata in House of Fraser – I’ve heard of so many people going there, I’m just a bit anal about my eyebrows! So I’m scared I’d come out looking a bit mad.

“I like natural, neutral colours on my eyes – so I use MAC paint pot in Groundwork. It’s kind of a light, neutral brown, as a base. Some days I would just use that, then mascara – either YSL or Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara. It’s really hard to get here, so any time someone’s in the States I get them to grab one for me. It’s unreal and so cheap!

“Then I’d use Urban Decay Naked palettes, either Naked 1 or Naked 3 – I apply them using Real Techniques make-up brushes.

“On nights out, I use liquid eyeliner too – I used to use a Sephora one, that’s what I’m using at the moment. I’m good at doing my own eyeliner; I find the brush liner much easier to use than the inky pencils. I like one that has a brush – it’s much easier to apply.

“I have a Christian Dior rose lip balm that’s amazing; it smells divine, of roses. It’s really good – a little bit expensive but it lasts forever. For lipstick, I have quite a few, mostly MAC. Again, I’m a bit of a neutral, nude freak so I have a few!

“I find Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream really great for cuts and stuff – from shaving! Patches of dry skin, cuts, even as handcream. Sometimes I put it on before I go to bed – lifting weights has given my hands horrible callouses, so it’s nice just to put that on at night. It works a charm.

I never go to sleep with my make-up on, never.

Cleansing and pampering

“I always have baby wipes – the Johnson & Johnson ones – with me. Coconut oil is amazing for getting your eye make-up off. Then I usually use a face cloth with my Burt’s Bees cleanser again at night time.

“I don’t really go for facials; I’m really blessed with good skin, but when I lived in New York I got in the habit of getting my nails done a freaky amount. There’s a place in Dun Laoghaire called New Yorki Nails on George’s Street in Dún Laoghaire. It’s like walking into a salon in New York – they do a really good job. I go there every four weeks and get my gel nails refilled, and pedicures. It’s €30 for the nails, and €20 for feet. It’s really, really cheap.

There was no point pretending I’m dressed up all the time when most of the time I’m either in the gym, cooking healthy food or doing yoga.

My blog and fitness rules

“My Instagram used to be a lot more fashion – and I just realised, obviously fashion is a huge part of my life, but I’m a yoga teacher now and I’m spending more of my time doing fitness things.

“I’ve been into health and fitness for about four years – I tried a few different diet fads. I was strictly Paleo for about a year; that got very hard to stick with. It’s all meat and vegetables all week, then you get one day to stuff your face. For the rest of the week, you’re waiting for that day – it’s a bit depressing.

“Austin Rhatigan is my personal trainer; he does my programmes, my diet – I’m very lucky that I have him doing a food plan for me.

“At the moment, I’m carb cycling; you have low-carb days, then medium-carb days, then high-carb days. There’s not too much of a pattern, so you’re lowering the carbohydrates and heightening fats on your low day – so you’re getting all the energy from fats, and then on your high-carb day you get energy from carbs. I’m not craving crap as much, which is great!”

Pic credits: Molly McKeever

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