Caroline Hirons gives Beaut.ie her best beauty advice for Irish women

When you got the opportunity to pick skincare guru Caroline Hirons' beauty brains, we don't refuse!

Caroline Hirons is coming to Ireland tomorrow! The beauty guru has worked in the beauty industry for nearly 20 years, is trained in over 100 brands and is a qualified advanced facialist. When Caroline gives advice, you take it. Caroline is in town to take part in Arnotts' in-store event, but we grabbed before her appearance to give our readers some beauty wisdom.

Beaut.ie: Skin doesn't like change, but it's inevitable around this time of year! What should we be doing to prepare our skin for the colder months - and when the sun starts to shine again?

While skin might not like changes in season, it DOES like changes in product, so you just need to step up your routine depending on your skin and where you live. Moving into the colder months I would definitely be looking at adding a facial oil to your routine so that you are keeping your skin nourished.

The recommended skincare routine seems to be growing in product number every season. Where once we could cleanse, tone and moisturise, now we must add a serum, an essence, a target treatment... the list goes one. What are the basic steps you would say everyone should take, what would you leave out, and what extra steps would you say are now essential?

Well, I’m clearly biased, but for me, cleanse, acid, spritz, eye, serum and moisturiser are non-negotiable every morning. In the evening I switch out serum and moisturiser for a specified night-time treatment such as a retinoid.

Speaking of many, many products, some of them have to be nonsense, don't they? 

Depends what you class as ‘nonsense’. I would be more inclined to say that some are clearly ‘luxury statement products’ in the way that you may buy a designer handbag, you might enjoy spending hundreds on your products.. but that comes down to individual preference, it’s certainly not necessary.

Acids - yay or nay?

OBVIOUSLY YAY. Yay all day.

Pixi is a new brand coming to Arnotts, and you'll be there on September 30th telling customers all about it. Can you give us a scoop and tell us why you love the brand and let us in on a hero product or two?

Pixi is a brilliant, efficacious, affordable brand and you absolutely have to try the Glow Tonic and my Double Cleanse. That’s a good place to start.

Is it ever too late to start a skincare routine? Is it a waste of time if you're in your thirties and all you've ever used was *gasp* baby wipes and maybe a splash of water?

Of course not. That’s like saying ‘Is it ever too soon to take better care of your body?’ We do what we can, when we can, and if you only start using good skincare in your 30s or above, the main difference you will see and feel immediately is a change of texture. Your skin should be smoother after the first few uses of good products.

Any final tips for Irish women?

USE SPF. Just because it’s not as sunny as Greece doesn’t mean you can get away from sun protection, and I have met a lot of Irish women who never think of using SPF. Get it on your face!