May 02, 2024

IN CONVERSATION WITH: CLARE MCCOLL

We spoke with the Founder of Fenn, Clare McColl to find more about her ethos to skin, at home facial tips and pregnancy skin advice. 

Tell us more about Fenn 

FENN is an embodiment of curated beauty and wellness. Our ethos revolves around the idea of mindful living, where beauty is seen as a holistic experience encompassing both inner and outer well-being. FENN prides itself on offering carefully selected skincare products from around the globe, focusing on result-driven treatments and scientifically researched ingredients that improve overall skin health. Beyond skincare, FENN aims to create an immersive experience for its customers, offering personalised consultations and advice to help them achieve their skincare goals. With a dedication to authenticity and quality, we always aim to ensure a unique and curated journey for all our clients - we want them to feel how much we love what we do and that's evident through our treatment offering and genuine care that's provided.
 

What is your approach to skincare? 

My personal approach is to keep it simple. My skin is a huge fan of niacidamine so I find myself coming back to products that are packed full of it. Hydration is also a fundamental part of my routine, the use of a good quality hyaluronic acid morning and night before laying on a probiotic moisturiser at night and a good omega oil in the morning before I apply my make-up. 

What treatment is your favourite from the Fenn offering? 

I love the FENN Kinesis. It's such an amazing, all-encompassing experience. I really enjoy firm massage so when this treatment is being performed my face thanks me. It's like a workout, plus all of the exfoliating elements of micro, peel LED etc. It's just the best. Oh and did I mention it has buccal massage and micro current!

What are your tips for at-home facial massage? 

  1. Choose your massage technique: There are various massage techniques you can use, such as effleurage (gentle stroking), kneading, tapping, and acupressure. Experiment with different techniques to find what feels best for you. 
  2. Start with gentle pressure: Apply gentle pressure to your face to warm up the muscles and prepare your skin for deeper massage. Avoid putting too much pressure, especially around delicate areas like the eyes. 
  3. Work from the centre outwards: Start massaging from the centre of your face (nose, forehead, chin) and move outwards towards your hairline and jawline. This helps to drain toxins and reduce puffiness. Always using upward strokes! 
  4. Pay attention to problem areas: If you have specific areas of tension or concern, spend extra time massaging those areas. For example, if you carry tension in your jaw, gently massage your jaw muscles to release tension. 

You're about to become a mum - What is your advice for navigating skincare whilst pregnant? 

Be patient. Would be my first piece of advice. There are so many hormonal shifts during pregnancy so you could be glowing one day and have a face full of dermatitis the next… that's been my experience anyway. Stick to your usual routine if you can and just sub out your retinols / vit a with a Bakucoil Serum. (natural vitamin a) If you have been like me and tend to get flare ups, don’t stress - they’re more than likely to go down once your hormones have regained some sort of balance. If you’re someone who has struggled with hormonal pigmentation like melasma, using vitamin c and niacidamine products can help to keep it a bay, however you’ll need to wait until post pregnancy / breast feeding to embark on a treatment plan to combat the residual pigment. 

What are 3x beauty products you love? 

Its so hard to narrow it down to 3 ! 
Maryse Enzyme Balm Still to this say the best balm cleanser I have ever used. Medik8 B5 Intense - my obsession with hyaluroic is met with this product, ill never not use it. Rationale Tinted Serum 50+ - protection in the best form ! its light weight and sits well under make up. 

What is your PEARL ritual? 

I am obsessed with the travel sachets ! Because I am currently pregnant and ive been taking a few other supplements to support my growing human, ive found the sachets to be really helpful just to grab and go. My first and second trimester saw me have a complete aversion to coffee but ive welcomed coffee back with open arms in my third and have been incorporating the sachets when I have one. Im all about ease and convenience so this works for me ! I love taking collagen and always see a difference in my skin. 

What is the best beauty advice you've been given? 

Internal support is just as important as external!. I suffered from acne as a teenager and then well into my early 20’s, it wasn’t until then did I understand that my gut had a huge impact on my skin. Since then I have tried to always eat a balanced diet, include bone broth as much as possible and drink plenty of water. The age old saying beauty comes from the inside is so true. Based on how we treat our bodies will always be evident in our skin, particularly our faces. Look after yourself ! 

What's next for you and Fenn? 

Well my baby is due on Monday ! Which is wild. So that’s what ill be doing, whilst always being involved with FENN my amazing team are on the ground and so pumped for them to take the reins for a bit. 
As for FENN we have a few new treatments we will be rolling out over the next few months including our latest addition FENN ReForm, which is our microneedling treatment. AMAZING ! Also working with a few new brands from the US that im excited to bring to our clients! Always trying to ensure we provide the best service as possible, improving always !


Par Olive is available at Fenn, Paddington.