What The Hell Is Skin Prep? & Our Favourite Gradual Tans That Won't Make You Sticky

You Beauty

Hosts Leigh Campbell and Kelly McCarren dive into the essentials of spring beauty, focusing on the importance of a proper skin preparation r

Key takeaways

• Skin prep is a multi-step process involving cleansing, exfoliating, and hydrating to prevent makeup pilling or separation.
• Go-To has launched a new 'Sensitive' range designed to soothe skin, with formulas approved by the E/Eczema Association of Australasia.

Main topics

• Skin preparation techniques
• New beauty brand launches

Notable quotes

Not to prime is a crime.

Conclusion

The episode serves as a practical guide for transitioning skincare and

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) This spring, Unleashed is throwing me the formal I never had and you're all invited. Because we're going back to the 80s and 90s for a night of Madonna, Mariah, George Michael, big hair, shoulder pads and a lot of dancing. So grab your girlfriends, get your best 80s or 90s look ready and come and dance like no one is filming you. Saturday, October 10 at the Oxford Art Factory, Sydney. Tickets to Unleashed Spring Fling are on sale now. Don't miss out. Head to www.mamamia.com.au forward slash spring fling to purchase. Hello Speaker 3 (0:45) and welcome to YouBeauty, the show for your face, hair and bathroom cabinet. I'm Speaker 2 (0:50) Leigh Campbell. I'm Kelly McCarron. Kelly, it's Friday. It's Friday, yeah. Yeah, we need to get a new like shtick because Speaker 3 (0:57) we always just sing that song. Speaker 2 (0:58) Someone else needs to come up with a Friday song. There's so many. Is there? There's the Friday song that we all made fun of but then we were singing in real life, like the she's in a car. Okay. Anyway, welcome to you, beauty. We don't know. Send us Friday songs so we don't sing the same thing every single week. Totally. So this week, wow, I'm very excited about lots Speaker 3 (1:22) of things. Okay. So you asked me why my face looks so good today. Kelly doesn't often give me compliments. I very. I beg your pardon. You Speaker 2 (1:31) say like I'm funny and I'm Speaker 3 (1:32) nice, but you don't say like my makeup's good. Yes, I Speaker 2 (1:34) do. It's Speaker 3 (1:35) fine. That's why I'm frothy. No, Speaker 2 (1:37) no. You know what it is? You don't believe me. It's true. So I compliment you a lot, but you very rarely go, oh my God, I know, right? You usually go. No, I need your help fixing me. Oh, no, it's too blah, blah, blah. I compliment you all the time. Speaker 3 (1:53) The reason I was running late, literally I was about to walk in and I was like, no, my savey is not good enough. It was good. It was a savey, but it just, no. And got bumped Speaker 2 (2:01) by both of Speaker 3 (2:02) us. It did. And so then I was like, guys, I need a minute. This. Hopefully it still Speaker 2 (2:07) looks good. It really does. It's Speaker 3 (2:09) going to be Speaker 2 (2:09) my savey. But Speaker 3 (2:10) before we do that, we have got some amazing beauty news. It is spring and everything new happens in spring. So we've got some new launches, some new products, some exciting news. Speaker 2 (2:17) And then? Well, we've got two fantastic questions that have come through that hopefully will be super helpful with our answers. So we have one about like a nice gradual tan that's also good for your skin. And then what the hell is skin prep? We have never had that. And we said, Speaker 3 (2:34) yeah, let's answer it. And the producers were like, isn't it just Prime? And we were both like, no, we have Speaker 2 (2:38) to answer it. Speaker 3 (2:40) So Kel, before we get into it, did you know that I am a high school dropout? Speaker 2 (2:45) Yes, because it's part of your elevator pitch. Is Speaker 3 (2:48) it? Oh, well, here we go. So I was a high school dropout and then I sort of went to beauty school because like I'm a beauty editor. Like I actually didn't know that. Well, I did that. I Speaker 2 (2:57) thought you Speaker 3 (2:57) did like interior design school or something. Have you watched Grace? Beauty school dropout, go back to high school. Oh, okay. I dropped out of high school and now I'm a beauty expert. Anyway. Speaker 2 (3:07) What were you like at school? Nerdy. Speaker 3 (3:10) Were you? Oh, yeah. Were you like a prefect? I Speaker 2 (3:14) was very good at the things that I chose to be good at, if that makes sense, not things that bored me. Well, Speaker 3 (3:19) the UBs are going back to school because our monthly masterclass is coming up Tuesday next week and this month class is in session and you and I are the teachers. We're science teachers. Well, sort of. We're also Speaker 2 (3:31) drawing teachers. There's a lot going on. Lee does some questionable art. It's the A to Z of skincare ingredients, except we're not, don't worry, we're not doing like 200 ingredients. We've picked 12 of the most common and popular skincare ingredients we hear about or that are used a lot at the moment. Kelly, there's Speaker 3 (3:49) not 200 letters in the alphabet. There's 26. No, yeah, Speaker 2 (3:52) sorry. Whoa, she needs to go back to school. Okay, as you will learn on Tuesday, for A, for example, there are a bunch of ingredients to start with A. That's what I mean by 200. Oh, Speaker 3 (4:05) Zed. We cover the 12 most asked for. I asked on my Instagram, what ingredient do you want to know more about? Not what product, what ingredient. The top 12, we're doing a deep dive, but not a scary science deep dive. Easy to understand, hopefully entertaining. Great analogies. We have a whiteboard. We're wearing lab coats. So come join us for school on Tuesday next week for our monthly masterclass. Bring your notepad. Actually, no, you don't need to do that. It's a bit of fun. We'll see you Speaker 2 (4:30) then. But for today, we've got a regular episode today. So, Leigh, what has been happening in the beauty world? Speaker 3 (4:38) Well, as we know, winter is so boring in Beautyland. Done. Done. See you later. Eat my dust, winter. Spring is when everything is born. Puppies, ducks, new. products, new brands. So we've got a few to get through. Everyone's favorite go-to that Zoe Foster Blake founded, gosh, over 10 years ago now. They are churning out some amazing stuff at the moment and they just launched on Tuesday a sensitive range. It's actually called Sensitive by GoTo because I think there wasn't enough words to rhyme with like bro Speaker 2 (5:05) to, grow to. Bit of a Speaker 3 (5:07) shame, really. So there's five products in the range, ranging from $18 to $75. And the reason Zoe did some sensitive products, because her products are already, I mean, there's high performance, but there's some really nourishing ones, is because she wanted to design products to soothe, restore, and strengthen sensitive skin. And some formulas are approved by the Eczema Association of Australasia. So I've just pulled out two from the press kit. I haven't played. yet but Speaker 2 (5:31) I think also she made this for me because you know my skin's been naughty it has been naughty lately do you want to open Speaker 3 (5:35) that one because I thought that sounded like you mellow Speaker 2 (5:37) milk it does sound like me doesn't it ultra soothing cleansing milk well firstly I really really like that it's a pump I'm gonna reuse that for something give me skincare with a pump I agree especially cleanser because your hands Speaker 3 (5:49) are Speaker 2 (5:50) maybe already wet oh she just put it all over her hand that is a lot more I don't know why but I was thinking about like road or Notorium. Yeah. Well, I didn't realise Speaker 3 (6:01) it was a cleanser. Oh, wait, what? I'm sure you just said the word cleanser. Hang on. Speaker 2 (6:07) It's a milk. Okay. It's a cleanser. When it said cleansing milk, it does say cleansing milk. All I read was milk and was just hopeful. Well, now I don't care that it's got a. I Speaker 3 (6:22) also thought that was very like gung-ho of you. That was something you would do. Yes. I don't want Speaker 2 (6:27) this all over my hand. I Speaker 3 (6:28) want it to moisturise. Well, I'm sure it's very calming and soothing. The one I grabbed is called the Gentle Exfoliator and it's for calm, bright skin. Do you know why I love this? On Tuesdays, the Yubies are going to learn in the Masterclass all about chemical exfoliants and it's hard to get one for sensitive skin. A lot of sensitive girlies just avoid it altogether, but they don't need to. Speaker 2 (6:47) And just in time. So the range launched on Tuesday. That's how many days ago? Three Speaker 3 (6:52) days ago. Speaker 2 (6:53) And I'm excited to try it now that I've shown you. I'm excited too. Can I just say a note for any brown down owners out there? I would love like a milky, essence-y product with a pump. Here, you can put it on my leg. I don't mind. No, no, no. I'm not putting cleanser on your leg. It's Speaker 3 (7:08) a cleanser. It won't Speaker 2 (7:08) foam. Just give me a wet wipe. All Speaker 3 (7:11) right. So that's new product from an existing launch. But I think you know about Nunu New Brand. Speaker 2 (7:17) I do. We have two brand new brands that have launched, both founded by Australian women. So Zoe, then we've got these two. It's so good. We did that on purpose. We actually try to. We do try, but like it doesn't always happen. The first one is called Homage. I'm assuming. Do not come for me if that is not the correct way to pronounce it. I looked through every single social and I could not see the brand pronounced once, so I'm just hoping for the best. I'm Speaker 3 (7:48) backing you up there. I have terrible pronunciation, but Speaker 2 (7:50) that's what I assume. I feel like it's Homage. It also sounds like what it would be. So it is a contemporary beauty brand launched by Lara Worthington, Nibingle, if you didn't know she married. Sam Worthington. Where the bloody hell are you? Exactly. Starting with a core range of three products. So it's got First Base, which is a $68 buildable tinted cream. It comes in 12 shades. There's Lip Coat, $52. It's like a blurring, hydrating lip color. And then the Buffer Brush. It's conceived as an extension of the hand. This $58 tool. pairs a weighted aluminium handle with ultra-soft vegan fibres for intuitive application. So Lara says that... Oh, for the face? Yes. I was just practising. No, Speaker 3 (8:34) no, Speaker 2 (8:34) no, for the face. I guess to apply the skin tint. Yeah, right. So Lara says that homage began with a simple idea, that beauty can start with the object itself. I wanted to create sculptural pieces that feel as good in the hand as they do on the face. So it's got the three products. It's launching online this week. And if you did want to go and play with the products and you happen to live... in Paris or New York, they have counter space. Oh, and Lara, Speaker 3 (8:57) we're very good on press trips. We'll give you lots of coverage. We could Speaker 2 (8:59) definitely Speaker 3 (8:59) go. I love Lara. I love Lara and I interviewed her when she launched her products, like the first range, 15. She had other Speaker 2 (9:07) products? Yes. Speaker 3 (9:08) Were they beachy though? They were the base, I think. It was called the base. I'm sure of it. I remember. It was in this house in Paddington. I wore my best dress, which was from an American store called Forever 21, not the same as Forever New. Everything was like $3. And I was like, Lara. Speaker 2 (9:22) I love you. Speaker 3 (9:22) And she's so nice. Speaker 2 (9:23) She's Speaker 3 (9:23) so nice and so hot. So hot. What else Speaker 2 (9:26) have you got? The second brand is called Twist and it is exclusive to Coles at the moment. So founded by the same queens, we actually had them on the pod last year, they founded Soma, which is that really big viral supermarket brand, and then Bronte, which is that beautiful brand, and they used one of their grandmas, the girls used. Anyway, it's got a beautiful story. But they are ex-MECA employees so they sort of. of really know what women want. We had them on the pod last year. We'll link the episode in the show notes because it was one of our best episodes. I cried. Everyone loved them and we all cried. So this is their third brand. Can you not? Stop doing so much. I Speaker 3 (10:05) know, Speaker 2 (10:05) and they're just so clever. So Twist is bringing premium fashion-forward hair accessories into the supermarket aisle, and I wish that I brought some in to show everyone because they are really fun. They're not like... Cheap and little girly hair accessories. They're just like cool and fun. So they've got things like claw clips, satin scrunchies, just styling things. It's just like nice stuff. So premium hair accessories have traditionally lived online or at our prestigious retailers, while supermarket options have been cheap, disposable, and probably very little girly, I imagine. So Twist is bridging that gap with beautifully designed salon quality pieces that are accessible and available as part of the weekly shop. I love that. Speaker 3 (10:46) And like hair accessories this spring are having a huge comeback. That zigzag comb headband that people put in to wash their hair that David Beckham used to wear, that's massive. Bows are huge. You were starting that? Speaker 2 (10:57) Oh, I've been doing bows forever. You should Speaker 3 (10:59) collaborate with Twist to do a Kelly bow. Speaker 2 (11:00) Twist here Speaker 3 (11:01) if you need. Yes, and I will do bobby pins because I can never find it. Oh, wait. Can you hear that? Speaker 3 (11:12) Ho, ho, ho. It's advent calendar time. I do think that that box is very pretty. Oh, it sounds like last week. If you missed last week, I started a weekly wrap, a weekly segment countdown to Christmas by way of beauty advent calendars because they're launching earlier and earlier in the year than ever. We used to plan around October until you guys maybe end of October. And Speaker 2 (11:33) even Speaker 3 (11:33) then that felt very early Speaker 2 (11:35) because I don't like to celebrate. too early. Speaker 3 (11:38) Kelly, it's not about you. It's about the advent calendars. I know. Speaker 2 (11:41) And you know what I've realized? I've shot myself in the foot because no one's going to want to send me an advent calendar because they'll be like, oh, the Grinch. Speaker 3 (11:46) Yeah. Send them to me. I will cover them. I love them. So this week I'm going to show you this one, but I'm going to tell you about another one first because I don't have it in my hand. And the reason we are covering it weekly is because they sell out like crazy. Honestly, they're obviously limited edition because Christmas is only a couple of months. They don't always make a huge run. And the popular ones are literally like getting Taylor Swift tickets. So just released this week is the ASOS Face and Body Advent Calendar 2026. It's $210. I think it's worth high fours, maybe $500. Real good mix of brands because if you go to a multi-retailer like last week we talked about, look fantastic, I think, they have a bunch of their stockists and they put them all together. Mecca, do you do one? No. Can you please? We haven't done one in Speaker 2 (12:32) the past. Speaker 3 (12:32) We Speaker 2 (12:32) would Speaker 3 (12:32) love a Mecca Speaker 2 (12:33) one. Oh, my God. Can you imagine? Speaker 3 (12:34) Anyway, in my hot little hands, and this was quite hard to get because I got an email literally last night saying, it's out, and I said, I must have this for the Yubies to show them on the video. So Speaker 2 (12:44) if you are just listening. Would you say that that's hard that you emailed at 3 a.m. and got it this morning? Speaker 3 (12:50) Excuse me. I offered to send an Uber parcel. I was very stressed. You would have as well. You would have gotten on a bike to get it. Get out. This is Christmas. Me just grunching Speaker 2 (13:00) away over here. Oh, so hard, was it? If Speaker 3 (13:02) you are just listening, head over to Apple Podcasts or to YouTube because you can see everything we talk about and particularly the Advent calendars in all their glory. So this is Jalik. It is $220. It's called the Jalik 2026 Advent Calendar. Very original. I must say I bloody love Jalik. Australian-born brand from Adelaide. I've been to the Jalik farm many times. I have a tree planted there with my name on it. I know, I Speaker 2 (13:26) visited it. Their Speaker 3 (13:27) formulas are so beautiful and it's one of those brands that you're like, oh, natural, that's nice, but they're very scientific and efficacious. All right, also. How much is it Speaker 2 (13:36) worth? Speaker 3 (13:36) The cost is $220 and it's $460 worth of products. So half price and more. Anyway, no maths. Speaker 2 (13:43) Also, just a warning, we gave that last week, that if you are not the type of person Speaker 3 (13:47) that wants a tiny, teeny preview, we're going to open one or two. Skip ahead because you may want to actually be a normal person and open them day by day. Sounds boring. We're going to get into it. Here we go. It's a beautiful midnight blue box. Oh, it opens. Oh, look at the end. Oh. Oh. Speaker 2 (14:04) I love an advent calendar. I just think it's too early. That's my only argument. You open it and there's something that I can't Speaker 3 (14:12) see, like a beautiful little pop-up thingy. Like a little letter holder. And then if you look at it this way, it's almost like it looks like a box of Nespresso Speaker 2 (14:20) pods because they're all in long thingies but there's some smaller ones. Speaker 3 (14:24) Kelly, I will let you choose a number despite you being really Speaker 2 (14:27) ungrinchy. I mean, I Speaker 3 (14:30) can't see numbers upwards. Speaker 3 (14:32) 14 is good in my theory because my theory is Speaker 2 (14:34) they start strong, they peter off for a few days. Actually, to test that theory, can you do number four? Speaker 3 (14:41) No. Okay, I will. No, I don't want to do four. I want to do a big one. I'm going to do nine. Speaker 2 (14:47) Radiant skin cleanser. Foaming cleanser. Speaker 3 (14:50) Yum. Little Speaker 2 (14:51) travel size, which is good, 20 grams. A Speaker 1 (14:53) lot of cleansers. Speaker 3 (14:55) Okay. I'm doing a smaller box here, and this is an advent calendar that's 1 to 24. Some of them are 12 days of Christmas. Here we go. I think this is a Speaker 2 (15:04) washcloth. I Speaker 3 (15:06) had no Speaker 2 (15:07) idea. No. Speaker 3 (15:09) It is the calendula cream. Oh, my God. This is soothe and restore. It's heaven. Do you want to open the rest of them? Speaker 2 (15:15) Can we at least open number four? I really want to see if your theory is correct because I also agree that it probably is. Yeah, okay. I can't see four. Right, it's just at the front. Is it in order? No, it's not in any order. One, two, four, five, seven. Maybe it's in an order in their mind. It's true. Is this a volum... Okay, we're wrong. Speaker 2 (15:37) It is, yeah. You're saying you don't like it. No, when I say a dud, I mean like there's always like a sad one solo eye patch or like a washcloth or something. Speaker 3 (15:46) Oh, I thought, oh, is this a rollable eye? Oh, my God. Okay, we better cut to the break because we've got to come back and answer questions. Millie's just Speaker 2 (15:52) opening them all at this point. They're rollable eyes. Stop looking. You don't like Christmas. Speaker 3 (15:56) Okay, cut to the break. We'll be back. All Speaker 2 (15:57) right, I'm going to stop laying her tracks, opening every single day. for this Advent calendar. But after the break, we're answering your questions. So Speaker 3 (16:11) we have had two amazing questions. We're both really excited Speaker 2 (16:15) today about our questions. Speaker 3 (16:16) This first one we've never had. I don't know how the UBs, it's like when you hear a new song that's really good, you're like, how are they making new songs? This question is phenomenal. So let's answer that. And if you want to