Rosie Green worked as a beauty director for two decades and these are the winning items she relies on every day, including a budget eyeliner and a super-luxe serum
With over 20 years as a beauty director for glossy magazines Elle and Red, journalist Rosie Green, 46, knows her way around treatments, tweakments and beauty products, having tested tens of thousands of them.
Rosie is now based in Oxfordshire with her teenage children and dog Pixie, and her book How To Heal A Broken Heart From Rock Bottom to Reinvention (via ugly crying on the bathroom floor) is out today. The book, which is Rosie’s first, is a heartbreak guide for grown-ups which tells the tale of how she picked herself up after her husband of 26 years walked out of their lives. It features expert advice and Rosie’s own experiences and doesn't sugar coat how heartbreak can bring you to your knees, nor how important it is to get back up again.
Here Rosie talks us through the products and treatments that make the cut after years of trying the great and good, and the experts she turns to for her youth-restoring tweakments.
My typical day
I wake up around 7am, inhale a decaf coffee and take the dog out for a walk. If I’m at home, rather than in London for meetings, I will generally throw on some athleisure and get some exercise in - either a five-km run with friends, when we’re allowed, or a TRX session with my trainer Jodie Brinson. A personal trainer is a big luxury but it really motivates me and keeps me toned and strong. I try and get out at lunchtime for another walk with the dog so I don’t spend all day hunched over my desk. Then I’ll cook dinner for my children; they’re teenagers now so we all go to bed at the same time - around ten PM - rock ’n’ roll! When not in lockdown I love going out to dinner with my friends or boyfriend. And then I’ll have a few drinks and make some more questionable food choices.
My weekend
On Saturday mornings, I run about seven km with two friends to the next village - the reward is a loaf of amazing bread from the bakery there and some cinnamon buns if I’m feeling decadent. Then when I get back I will often make some pancakes for the children. I love meeting up with friends or my family and getting outside. The kids roll their eyes, but they are forced outside for walks regularly. In the summer, we paddleboard on the Thames. I might do a yoga video on Sunday evening with Adrienne or We Are Blessed.
My beauty routine…
I have rosacea and so I have to be really careful about what I use. I cleanse each morning with a glycolic cleanser, then use a vitamin C serum followed by the prescription cream Rosex, finishing with an SPF. I swipe Lumigan, prescribed by Dr Vicki Dondos at Medicetics, along my lash line to keep my lashes long and luscious. Lumigan is used to treat glaucoma and they noticed that patients were growing long lashes as a side effect, so now it’s also sold for cosmetic use. I like the confidence boost makeup gives me, so I wear a little most days. I keep my skincare quite minimal and get my anti-ageing hit through tweakments.
Who I see for tweakments
I have botulinum toxin and filler with Dr Sophie Shotter or Dr Tracy Mountford at The Cosmetic Skin Clinic in London. I have Ultherapy at The Cosmetic Skin Clinic every year to lift jowls and give skin back a youthful plumpness. I also like Profhilo with Dr Sarah Tonks to soften lines and give skin a youthful juiciness without looking overly filled. I also love getting a lash lift and tint at Wax Goring and I’m always so pleased I had my lash line tattooed by Suzanne Martin. It’s similar to microblading, Suzanne makes very tiny incisions in the skin and deposits ink there. The effect is so subtle but gives my eyes a pretty definition. It lasts for four years or so.
My hygienist Anna Middleton at The Chelsea Dental Clinic uses a kind of jet wash to get teeth sparkling with zero pain. When I was in my early thirties I had braces with Asif Chatoo at The London Lingual Orthodontic Clinic. They were lingual braces - bonded to the back of your teeth and adjusted regularly until you get a perfect smile. I wore them for 18 months and the anti-ageing/beautifying effects amazing. I never regret the time or expense.
Wellness from inside
I am pretty good about eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and avoiding processed sugary foods. I just don’t have the latter in the house. I try and follow the 16:8 time-restricted eating regime, so I don’t eat till midday. If I do feel hungry, I will have some porridge. I often eat eggs and seven-seeded sourdough for lunch. For dinner, I eat lean protein with roasted vegetables in the winter, or salad in the summer. I have a stash of supplements that never get used, but I do take vitamin D . The Daylesford Daily Wellbeing Peppermint Flavour Vitamin D3 , £6.99, is the easiest and chicest I’ve found. And if I’ve had to take antibiotics I swear by the liquid probiotic supplement Symprove.
My best tip or best advice I’ve been given…
Dermatologist Stefanie Williams at Eudelo Clinic in London really helped me get a handle on my rosacea by putting my skin on a ‘diet.’ Because it always felt dry and irritated I tried to soothe it with balms, oils and unctuous creams, but she told me that they actually just made it worse. Instead, she told me to stick with a very pared down regime that keeps my skin on an even keel.
My repeat purchase products
Virtue Recovery Shampoo, £36, and Conditioner, £38
These were recommended to me by A-list colourist Nicola Clarke and they are brilliant for de-frizzing and smoothing fried locks. My hair smells amazing, looks amazing and feels amazing afterwards.
Clarins Relax Bath and Shower Concentrate, £17.85
A classic for a reason. This never fails to pick me up in the morning. Something about the spa like smell makes me feel serene.
White Company Ceramic Electronic Diffuser, £65
This brings me so much joy it’s embarrassing. I feel guilty when I burn candles, but this can be used again and again and fills the room with the most amazing scent.
SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum, £140
It’s not the most joyous product to use, it doesn’t smell great and the texture isn’t in any way indulgent, but it really does work over time to brighten and fight signs of ageing.
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum, £72
It’s no secret retinol is the ultimate anti-ageing ingredient and this product has enough to be effective, but not so much it’s irritating.
MORE GLOSS: The best retinol eye creams to try now
Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion, £17
I’ve always been lazy about body creams, but a couple of months of using this religiously has made my skin super soft, nixed scaliness and cleared up blemishes.
My Gym Wardrobe athleisure
I always wore the worst stuff to work out in, thinking it didn’t matter. But then I realised I was spending half my life looking and feeling terrible so I upgraded my kit. I’ve found this site has the best brands.
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturiser, £35
I like a light base and this makes my skin look more even-toned and luminous, but not made up.
MORE GLOSS: The best tinted moisturiser for light, glowing coverage
Vichy Dermablend SOS Concealer, £11.15
This budget buy covers even the most shouty blemishes. I use it around my nose too. It stays put brilliantly.
Chanel Cristalle Eau De Parfum, £91
I’ve flirted with so many other scents, but this and Chanel No 19 , remain my true loves. Green, sophisticated, fresh and sexy.
W7 Make-up Skinny Mini Micro Eyeliner, £4.95
This product’s slender proportions mean I can get it right into the lash line for pretty, subtle definition. It doesn’t budge and it’s cheap.
Bamford B Silent Night Time Bath Concentrate, £70
Love the way it smells, love the way it looks. Plus, it acts like a sleeping pill (but without the morning after grogginess).
Augustinus Bader The Essence Exfoliating Toner, £65
I swipe this over my face three times a week and my skin is clearer and brighter for it.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser with Salicylic Acid, £12
I give this to my teenagers to keep their breakouts outs at bay and use it on my body to keep it bump and blemish-free.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, £5.99
Great for removing make-up - not too harsh and available everywhere at a great price point.
MORE GLOSS: The best micellar waters for every budget
Hourglass Voyeur Waterproof Liquid Liner, £31
I love a cat flick, but despite nearly thirty years of practice I’m still pretty rubbish at it. This pen makes it easy. Plus the formula doesn’t budge.
MORE GLOSS: The best liquid liners to try now
Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumising Eyebrow Gel, £15.07
This adds natural definition (I’m not a fan of the marker-penned-on look) and the brush helps make them appear fuller.
Charlotte Tilbury Happikiss Colour Balm, £25
I’ve never met a lip balm I didn’t like but this is next level. Adds colour, definition and a shot of moisture.
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Trinny London The Right Light Highlighter in Starlight, £25
This small pot delivers big. The formula has just the right amount of shimmer, is easy to blend and opens up eyes, defines cheekbones and adds a dewiness to my skin.
Guerlain Terracotta Contour and Glow Palette, £50
The four colours in this great-for-on-the-go palette are all useful. Contour, bronze, flush and highlight. Plus the mirror is useful too.
How To Heal A Broken Heart From Rock Bottom to Reinvention (via ugly crying on the bathroom floor) by Rosie Green is out now, £11.99