Part 2 featuring Donna Ireland.
LOVING using ANNOD skincare products.
Hit me up @choosandfashiondoos
Part 2 featuring Donna Ireland.
LOVING using ANNOD skincare products.
Hit me up @choosandfashiondoos
Hey, welcome to real beauty with FD. This is episode 13, and this is part two with Donna from anode. Um, so we will continue that conversation in a hot minute. And I just want to say, can you believe we literally have like 19 days until Christmas. Oh, my gosh. I am so stinking excited and I'm unsure if I'm excited about the food, the time off, I cannot wait to see Luna's. Face when she sees her presence. And when we, um, Complete decorating her room, which we have painted two walls. And now we just need to construct the bad cause its trunk, the bouquets. Oh my God. There's so much we need to do, but that will be up to us the night before. Which I'm so excited about. I'm definitely in the Christmas spirit. And, you know, one of the things I literally promise myself and I feel like I've been working up to building up my wardrobe to allow me to do this. Is for every day of December where something sparkling. And I've not succeed. To the point where I literally took off my, um, nail Polish the other day, that was the only sparkly thing on me. And now I have nothing. So I have been terrible at that commitment, but tomorrow. It's another day. That I'm able to get back on the sparkle track. So I'm willing to take that commitment. Anyway. What else has been happening? Well, I am going to brag for a second. And I have no shame. I'm okay. And I will explain why. Today I got a promotion. Which was totally not expected. I didn't think this was going to happen for a while. And I am so fucking delighted. Like I cannot express. How, like if anyone that's been in like a similar situation or maybe you sometimes kind of look. At more of like your career. Uh, situation you think of cam not where I want to be. When I started my career, I was in the merchant Navy. When I was 17. So train spent years training. Finally, it was qualified officer. Um, really enjoyed it, but I ended up moving onshore. Trust me. I'm not going to bore you with my life story. I promise. But I ended up moving onshore because, um, With my relationship. I didn't love being away. So we were like, let's try and kind of get an onshore job. And in reality, I then restarted my career. Which is fine. It just sucks having to like, go back to the beginning again. And especially when you've worked off shore, it's kind of like that qualification or that experience is now Boyd because working in an office is completely different. So anyway, did that great. And then we ended up moving. Here to the us, like nearly nine years ago. Which again, incredible opportunity, but then it's like, okay, the us is different. My experience was all the UK are off shore. So again, I felt like I was restarting again with the company. Um, So, anyway, I just feel with my age and experience, I've just not being where I've wanted to be. And I feel like it's constantly striving for more year after year. Um, and it has been. As you all know, cause I've spoken about it openly. It's been a tough year. Um, and like work-wise, it has been crazy since I took on this position in February. Um, And it's been awesome. Challenging. Great exposure. So like, I really appreciate this opportunity. But at the same time, it's, you know, when you're like, oh my God, like, I really just need something here. Um, so anyway, I got the news today and of course I cried in front of my manager. Who probably already thinks I'm crazy, but. It's like, God, I just appreciate it. So damn much. Um, and it just goes to show, like, I know. It's easy thing. There's kind of after the fact, but like, God, life is such a roller coaster and there's going to be good days, bad days. Shit months. Um, even, you know, shit's here. You know, longer periods if it's over the course of months or weeks. Um, But it really is those kind of sparkly moments that I need to start saving more and I need to start being more vocal about it. So yay to me. Um, and I'm so happy and. Um, Yeah, I'm just really looking forward to it and it's like, yeah, I'm just happy. So I hope. Well or listening, um, You also are having good news. I hope good things are happening at the end of this year. Um, But I also. Like want to promote that when good things happen, we need to talk about it. We need to praise one another and. It's not, you shouldn't just be looking for that praise from other people. It's you need to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and be like, You're on it. I love it. Well done. And that's how I feel today as I'm going to savor this moment. Um, and without further, do I am going to jump straight back into this episode? Um, so yeah. Enjoy.
francene:Like, I have this lavender spray, um, and I spray it on my pillows before, you know, when I'm kind of getting organized and I
donna:smell it and it's, yes, it's ritual. And that's really important because the other thing that's important for the skin is sleep. Yeah, that's true. You know, your skin will do it. It's most repairing at night, so you need to have a, a nice restful sleep.
francene:Yeah, there is nothing. So I love my sleep and I definitely go to bed, um, at very reasonable hour. Like, I'm tired by like nine, so I'm definitely not a party animal. Um, but on the days, if I do stay up or we have a four and a half year old and sometimes, you know, she has her, you know, a nightmare, whatever it is, even just missing out on a couple of hours the next day, it is so crazy how like, just so obviously the bags under my eyes, like my skin just looks like gray. I just, I notice it so much more. It doesn't look radiant. It doesn't look like well rested. Like it's very obvious.
donna:Yes. Because you've missed some of that repair time. You've, um, just changed the body clock. Yeah. Yeah. Sleep is, is crucial. And one of the, the. Parts of getting a good sleep is that routine, like you're saying, you spray your pillow down, so it just starts telling your mind and your body what's to come and to slow down and, you know, no screens in bed. And so it's, I need to be better
francene:with that.
donna:Yes, that the blue light is, you know, also not great for the. It's, you know, it's like sun can cause sun damage and we're on screens all the time. I
francene:know, I know. Especially, um, like, especially over the last couple of years. And, you know, I actually was going to, this is a great segue. I was gonna ask you, what have you, have you seen a significant difference in either your clients or new clients? Because they have the zoom kind of fatigue where I've never seen so much of myself than I have in the last couple of years. And it is, maybe this is saying a lot about me or like I'm narcissistic or whatever. But if you're on a Zoom call with your other colleagues, you can't help but look at your picture. You look at their picture and then you're like, oh my God. Like that woman has great skin. Oh, my skin looks so bad today and oh my god, you can see I'm frowning. Oh, their skin's perfect. Like, have you seen a change in how people are viewing themselves over the last couple of years compared to before?
donna:I think yes. And, and it started even earlier than that with social media. You know, there's, uh, I noticed that Instagram now have on, um, a post made with effect Oh to, yeah. So it alerts people that there's a filter being used here because I think the reality is, Is not there anymore. Mm-hmm. you know, people are using filters and, and people are thinking that's reality when it's not. And I think it's definitely, cause, I mean, I'm falling into that chapter as well, thinking, oh gosh, look at them. Um, you know, and it's not, not real. And this is where we begin our conversation with confidence. And if you feel good, if you look good, you feel good. But we're looking at other people and comparing ourselves, but we're not comparing to reality.
francene:I know. So, you know, I actually, I feel, I feel bad for. Like the, the younger generation coming through knowing that they're only gonna grow up with social media. Cause I never had this, it was only when I was, you know, kinda an adult that social media and certainly Instagram was, you know, more around. And I feel I'm comfortable enough in myself that, you know, I'm okay. But I agree. And sometimes I see influencers doing the, you know, like before and after how they edit their pictures. And the crazy thing is, is when you see the edited picture, like, it looks so real, you know, like in the past, yes. You kind of be like, oh, I can tell that someone has a filter on. Like, it's just, your face is a little bit more distorted. But when you see the slight touches or airbrushing that they do to their skin and their body, I like, it's mind blowing how, yeah. You look at a picture and you think this, I'm comparing myself to like a fake image that is
donna:yes, not possible. Yes. And we have seen so many fake images Yeah. That we've become to think it's real. No, I know. I was just at Beauty Expo. Yeah. Where we were exhibiting Beauty Expo with anot and I saw that there were two areas that were really happening and one was machinery. There's so many lasers and machineries and. Sculptors and yeah. And then there was, you know, companies like me, the natural and I really talking to the therapists and you know, I was saying to them, I really think there's, the world is going to start shifting between the two divides of beauty. Those that have to have the machinery, the fillers, the Botox, and then the other half that is going to embrace the health and the wellness side of their life. And then the other thing is it's that care factor of salons. Um, you know, cuz people are under so much pressure, you know, looking at those pictures that are not real. We're really being harder on ourselves than we ever have been in our lives. And we're going to need that care from somewhere to, you know, top us up. And I believe salons in that holistic experience is where people will go. So I really see divide happening in the beauty world. Yeah. Fake and
francene:real Yeah, I agree. And it has been nice seeing over certainly the last five years, the industry moving into more like natural products, organic, um, really like creating more awareness to, you know, consumers looking at the bottle and being like, what is in here? Do I understand? You know, all of the products. Does this make sense? But yeah, I agree. There's gonna be definitely that, um, you know, kind of. Extremes. Yes. And the care, what I see, especially here in the States, is we need to ensure that, um, you know, if only I was in charge of this, the way I'm talking. Um, but I think it's like the juvie of care with these individuals performing like the filler and the Botox and everything else is ensuring that they're doing it for, you know what I mean? The right reasons. And it doesn't go too far. And I don't even know how you would be able to kinda help with that, but I, I don't know. I think there comes a point where you're like, Hey, you've completely changed your face. Like, is everything okay Yes. Do you need like, support? Cause even, um, God, it was like earlier this year. Um, and we all have body parts that, you know, if we could change, I'm sure we would, but for whatever reason we haven't. Right. Because I'm. Also of the opinion that I was made this way and it's what makes me me, and I'm okay with that. Um, but I was having conversation with my husband and I was like, you know, maybe I should just, you know, get a knows job. Maybe I should just do it. And he's completely against it. He's like, this is ridiculous. But I was thinking about it like a month later and I was like, can't I, why am I caring? I'm like 33. I've lived with this nose. Everyone knows me. But yeah, I still have brands. I'm married, I've, you know what I mean? Great support network. This is so ridiculous that I'm even thinking to this extent of doing a procedure like that for what, like, I don't even think it was for me. Um, but I, it's, I can't imagine how other people feel and the rationale in their minds to, you know, the thought process.
donna:Yes, I, I think the, um, there's a clinic that, um, sells and on here and so I go there regularly and they ha are laser treatments, but they're also Botox and fillers. And I have seen, um, the age of the girls in there. And I also think, you know, a lot of the time we want stuff for how we think it's going to make us feel. For sure. Yes. And the thing is, you can actually get that feeling without doing that if you, you know, work on your mindset and, and then all those things you think having that look will bring, they can come anyway. But I, I do agree that I think people are doing it all for the wrong reasons. Yeah. You know, the 20 year olds having Botox for prevention. I know. I'm like, what? What, what? I know. I, yeah. So it's, you know, as I said earlier, our industry has a lot of misinformation in it. And I often feel, you know, quite disappointed in there's no regulation and there's no, you know, people eventually say anything about products, oh, it'll do this when you know it, it won't do that. I know.
francene:And, you know, this is, um, this is a good and bad thing about. Like the internet is, we have so much access to incredible information. People like the way we're connected in the world, even us being able to have this conversation. You're in Australia. I'm here. Yes. To connect it. I love this, but because there's so much information out there, it's, you know, I like when I say to my doctor, I'm like, I, I don't Google. Cuz the minute you Google you fall down this rabbit hole. If you're always gonna find an article or an opinion or however it's written to be like, this is what you should be doing with like your skin or, yes. And it's actually really difficult now and exhausting to do the right research, to find the right publications and really the. Source because there's so much out there. Yes. That I know. I get that feedback a lot like from my girlfriends is, can you recommend, you know, a product or a brand or whatever? Because honestly the thought of even going out and looking for it is too much Yes,
donna:exactly. And I think people are doing too much to their skin. Mm-hmm. you know, I was, um, a couple of years ago, I. Um, and add up in a, in a salon. And of course the girls wanna trial it for their own skin first. Yeah. And so I say to them, right, what's your skin? And what are you using Now? This girl was 20 years younger than me, and she had like 15 product she was using. I was like, oh my gosh. And, you know, her skin was stripped. It was, you know, not healing. It was breaking out. And there's this thing of, oh, I've gotta use an active product. It's like, what? What's an active product? What is an active product? Well, it's. It's just a terminology that people are using for things that have acids and retinols and you know, and it's quite funny because active, they're not alive. These products, they're synthetics. So Yeah. Um, you know, I just feel on a whole, people are doing too much to their skin. There's three steps to good skin. It's got to be clean. So your cleansing routine is paramount to start that off. Deep cleanse at night. Very mild cleanse in the morning. Your skin's been at rest and, and you unit products should have absorbed, it needs to be smooth. So manually exfoliating the skin. Yeah, and it needs to be most, they are the three steps to good skin and then you can start layering in what you want to concentrate on different areas, like for example, with an art, we never use a cream on the throat or around the eye area because of the wax content is too heavy for those fine, delicate areas. Oh, and it's how you apply it as well. Throat is applied in a downward direct. Not up as everybody has this. Um, God.
francene:Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do it up. I just, um, poor Donna, no one else can see this, but I'm like, when she's talking, I'm also doing the motion of like, oh, and then I'm like, oh God. Yeah. I think I always, yes, I think I go upwards. Yeah, I think,
donna:oh, but you need to go down the throat because you need to do lymphatic drainage, which keeps the tissue clear, so it keeps the tissue more healthy. You're also stimulating the muscles. And, and there's a v. That happens as you get older, these muscles separate out and you get this Big V and it's, people talk about it as a Turkey neck, you know, if you think of an older woman. Yeah. So, you know, that's the area. The other thing is the eye area. We teach master classes, so, and it's always interesting. Everybody wants to pat around the eye area and lightly dot their products on. Yeah. No, no, no, no, no. And no Yes, I can see you doing it. I think I do that. You need to work. I like middle finger because you've got a lot of pressure in it. Yeah. And you go from the inside to the outside and you go really firmly. Now remember you are using an oil as the moisturizer. And then you go from the top of the nose across the brow bone. Yeah. And out. And what that's going to do is drain the lymphatic fluid. You know, you talk about broken sleep, you'll wake up, you'll be puffy. Yeah. That movement. Yep. That movement will drain that lymphatic through. Uh, the darkness, under the eyes will also dissipate because you are draining through. If you're a sinus person, yeah. You will get, um, discoloration through there and you lift that muscle. Everything's gotta be done quite firmly. It's quite the opposite to what people think they should do with their skin. If you've had a facial, you'll know your movements are firm. You wanna stimulate oxygen, you wanna stimulate lymph, you wanna stimulate blood supply to, to the skin because that keeps it nice and healthy. Yeah, it's
francene:so true. Um, what, what are your thoughts on, you know, when, um, like you typically go for a facial and they do extractions and I, I mean, I know when it's your skin. I really try not to pick my skin. I definitely have in the past, but I really try and avoid it with like, I know it's just gonna make it worse. I've learned that. It
just
donna:makes it worse. It, it does, it slows down the healing process.
francene:Yeah. And I end up then with a wet that actually no one noticed before, and now it's like half Um, definitely learn my lesson. But with regards to like extractions, like do you recommend them when you go for like a facial cause then a professional's doing it? Like what is the best way to, especially if you suffer from like black heads or, you know what I mean, your skin just, it needs it out. Do you, what, what do you think
donna:there? Um, look, yes. I think extraction can be needed. You have to be careful with extracting. No, because the skin, like as you say, you come out with a big welt from, from it. Um, but it needs to, this, everything comes up and out of the skin. So sometimes after you've had a facial, you'll end up with spots afterwards. That spot was going to come up anyway. Yeah. It's just been stimulated faster up and out of the skin. So extracting the skin, um, if, um, there's infection to open it up and let the infection out. Um, not a lot of pressure onto it has to be done with the side of the fingers. So you're pressing against the paw and everything will come up and out. Um, black heads, um, you. Can get rid of with your exfoliation proper cleansing routine. And a lot of people talk about black heads on the nose cuz I can see what you are doing now. Fran I definitely, yep. Now a lot of the time they are, they're paws open pause. Now it's a whole, so within a whole it's black. Yeah. So you are actually just looking within the pour. If you, you've got filament in there, it oxidizes and goes black. So it's your cleansing routine that's very important to make sure that pour is clean because a pour fills up from the outside. So it just keeps getting filament and debris, bit of makeup, a bit of, you know, sunblock and it, it's filling up in there. So it's really important to use a product. And you'll see our products. We have oils as cleansers. Yeah. And even our creams have a very, I think you have the ha haba. Yeah.
francene:Yeah I do. Yeah. This
donna:is, it's still oil based as a cream because molecularly the structure of oil is going to get in and clean the pour out better. Now one of the things with us with cleansing, you clean has to go until dry skin. Because you have to break down what's oil soluble first. Then you put the, so your oil solubles make up sunblock, moisturizer, natural oil flow, and then you clean what's water soluble. So you put the water on. Oil and water don't mix, but they bond. So you are going to lift everything up and out of the skin, and then you have to take a face, cloth, the sponge, meat, whatever, and physically pick up and take all of that product off the skin. If you gonna splash off or tissue off your product, you are not going to get it off the skin correctly. That is so
francene:true, man. I'm just thinking, um, like especially lately, just as I know I like wash my face, like how often I do sometimes use, you know, like a washcloth, but how often I just, you know what I mean? Like use water and then think okay to roll, but you quite like, in reality it's like how much of are you actually taking off? You know what I mean? From your skin, like how clean are you getting it?
donna:I did a, a lady's skin one day and she said to me, oh, I cleans last night and I've got nothing on my skin now. So I, you. I'm clean, so I cleansed her face with our mist. Yeah. Using a pad. And I took off strips of makeup on the side of her face that she didn't cleanse off properly from the night before. Oh my. And then she put moisturizer over the top of that, then she slept in it all night. Then she put moisturizer on the top of that. Yeah. I've also seen under a dark light, a woman who had said, I cleanse last night and I've got nothing on my skin. And we had the sun cancer, um, charity in with us, and they had their camera for picking up pigment, and we could see where this woman had left some block on her face. After cleansing. Oh my God. So it's important for not only your ingredients, but how you use your products. And that's what an's about. It's a facial in a bottle. You know, it was educating how to use your products because a lot of the time, you know, if you don't quite get it right, it doesn't matter what you're putting onto the.
francene:Yeah, it's so true. God, I feel like I'm gonna wash my face so well tonight,
donna:Um, that'll be the like you've had for age and go get your miss out of your hand back. I know. Make sure. Yes. And spray your miss from one side of the face to the other. So the face is wet. Yeah. Then you, you cotton pad start in the middle of the forward and wipe out. Yeah. Do one side of the face, flip the cotton pad, do the other side of the face, starting from the forward down and then down the throat to make sure it's clean. And you'll be surprised that what you can see, I mean, I've. a professional facialist for over, you know, 25 years, and I can leave makeup on my face when I'm cleansed off. I sometimes think, oh my goodness. So you have to up with the miss to make sure you've taken all of that, you know? Day off your face because it's not only, you know, the makeup, et cetera, you know, it's yelling at the husband, it's the the kids, the, you've gotta get it all
francene:off. Well I'm definitely, maybe I should do like a video or something to do this just to showcase cuz Yeah, the cleanser is incredible. So I will properly wash my face and I will document it. Um, lovely. But so Donna, I wanna be respectful of your time. Um, and this has been awesome information. Like, I really, really appreciate it. Um, but I wanna do a quick fire round, so whatever pops into your head, um, feel free to answer it in that way. So what is your favorite cocktail?
donna:It's called a Bombay Rose. Oh, so it has rose, rose petals. Rose gin. I live on the beach and there's a really good cocktail bar, that's like the, I'll send you the recipe.
francene:Please. Please send it to me. Um, do you prefer going to the cinema or a home Movie? Home Movie, yeah. It's always nice at home. Um, what is your most used emoji?
donna:Uh, the one where the eyebrow is raised.
francene:Um, if you were a sex in the city character, which one would you be? And hopefully you watch it.
donna:Oh, I would be Charlotte. but I'd prefer to be Samantha Oh, def. But I'm definitely Charlotte
francene:Do you know I'm exactly the same, but I really want the touch of Samantha. Like we all need.
donna:Yes. It'd be nice to be
francene:that bold. Yes. You would. Um, if you could pick two skincare products, what would they be?
donna:Okay. Definitely cleanser. Yep. And a moisturizer.
francene:Awesome. And any particular ones from your brand that you would be like, these are like the two,
donna:my basil and rosemary cleansing oil is to die for. Okay. And for moisturizing. I love, um, my moisturizing rose face oil. Okay. It's frankincense and rose oil and it's just
francene:beautiful. Yeah, I'm a sucker for anything Rose, to be honest. Um, if you could be anyone for the day, who would you be?
donna:Madonna. Oh,
francene:that's a correct answer. And Madonna, or just like time over the years or
donna:time? Anytime. She's a little older than me, but I have just adored her from the first time I've seen her and I've been lucky enough to see her in concert twice.
francene:Amazing. I've only seen her once. Um, and she was great. But yeah, I've always been a fan, especially of her earlier songs. Yes.
donna:Um, yeah, and she still brings it today, even in her sixties. She, oh, you know, controversial and
francene:Yes. Yeah, she definitely, um, has, and do you know what else I love about Madonna is she has evolved so much over the years that it's like every album was like a different persona of her and I, I, I love, like she changed the way like she looked her hair, even the music, like, it's impressive for an artist to continue to stay so relevant knowing that music changes. Like, it's incredible.
donna:Yes. So that's who I would love. I've always said that if I could be anybody else, I'd be Madonna. I
francene:love that. Yeah. That is a good one. Um, and lastly, what is your life motto or like phrase that you live by Daily?
donna:It always works out. That's true.
francene:It really
donna:does. Yeah. The universe always has you back. Even I have, I've got a little pocketbook cat at the moment, and it says, the universe has three answers for you. Yes. Not right now. Or, I've got something better for you.
francene:Yeah, I love that. I feel like now more than ever, we need to like, hear things like that. And, um, certainly for me, I, I definitely appreciate, um, that type of phrase. So thank you for sharing it. Um, and really thank you for taking time out to speak with me. Um, so for everyone, please go check out.com. Wait, let me double check. Is that this? Yeah. Au. Okay, perfect. Um, and then, Let me just spell that too. So when you search on like Instagram, it's a n n o d. So as we said, Donna spelled background, uh, backwards. Um, so it's a natural skincare when you're searching on Instagram. Um, and I always appreciate like your videos and, and different kind of tips when it comes to, you know, kinda of using the products but really, really appreciate your knowledge and time and um, yeah, I'm looking forward to washing my face as you correctly. Yeah, dunno how excited I'm about everything coming out, but yeah. so no, thank you so much.
donna:My pleasure. Thanks for having
francene:me Francine. Anytime. We'll talk soon, I'm sure.
donna:Okay, great. Bye. Bye.