Top Beauty Influencer Shares Her Life In Beauty
Leading the pack of ‘skin influencers’ with 130K Instagram followers is Elle McNamara, better known as @bambidoesbeauty. With her honest and relatable “skin info”, how-to videos, countless makeup and hair hacks, beauty tips galore and a true insight into her mental health journey. Famed for her incredible glowy skin and perfect bushy brows, Elle shares her life in beauty and how she has fast become a social media superstar.
What’s your first beauty memory?
When I was about fourteen my cousin and I would raid the local Superdrug for their fake tan wipes. They looked like makeup wipes, but it would develop into tan. Almost always streaky and not at all chic but we always came back for more!
What are your go-to treatments?
I’m pretty good with my at-home skincare and I’m also very low-fi with it so I don’t often go for big techy facials. If I’m getting a beauty treatment, it’s either a Thai body massage or a Face Gym signature hands (the one where they just use their hands on your face!) who knew you could get knots under your cheekbones?!
How do you come up with fresh content for your followers?
Random points in the day. Sometimes I get my best ideas when I’m up late at night and can’t sleep, I get kind of frenzied and start writing them down in my notes. It could be a product I’ve just tried or something someone said to me that sparks an idea. I often get mistaken for much younger and I use those anecdotes for content a lot on TikTok!
Where, what or who inspires your content?
Products are first and foremost. There’s nothing that motivates me more than when I try something that just really works – especially when it’s affordable, it makes me want to tell everyone. I’m also inspired but a lot of the young creatives on TikTok – girls who are literally just sat in their bedrooms, showing up as they are and captivating hundreds of thousands of likeminded girls are ultra inspiring to me.
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What beauty advice would you give your younger self?
Ooof I’ve made almost every beauty mistake there is to make, it’s actually why I started my series “Things I Wish I Knew in My 20s” as I get to delve into the mistakes that are so easy to make. My most dramatic beauty fail was when I went through a phase of bleaching and then dying my hair every few weeks with an at home bleach kit, as you can imagine my hair turned green and broke off!
Do you have any wellbeing rituals?
I’m not too airy fairy with wellbeing. But I do have some boundaries I’ve had to put in place to protect it – for example I never take my phone with me when I go to bed, I leave it downstairs every night. That’s actually been one of the best decisions.
Are there any beauty products you buy on repeat?
Ooooh! I’ve bought so many of the Curel Moisture Mist I’ve lost count. Unglamorous I know but I could open up a shop of Vaseline Body Lotion as I buy in bulk (it works a charm on dry skin).
Where do you shop for special and unique beauty finds?
Boots has my heart. Especially loving the glow-up they’ve had in the recent few years.
What are your go-to skin saviours?
Hydrating mists are my skin saviours every time. Unwell? Mist. Dehydrated? Mist. Sensitive? Mist? You get the idea! La Roche Posay Cicaplast Spray, Strivectin X Caroline Hirons Tears Of My Enemies Mist and Curel Moisture Mist are my absolute faves.
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What are your makeup bag heroes?
I know I’m late to the party, but Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter is just wow! I go for the lightest shade so it’s more brightening/glowy as opposed to coverage. I also loooove the Refy lipgloss, it doubles your lip size in an instant!
What’s your must-have product?
SPF. And most importantly finding SPFs that a) don’t sting the eyes! b) look good on the skin and c) are affordable.
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What are the beauty apps you can’t live without?
Does TikTok count?! If I want a review of a product or a tutorial on how to use it – it’s basically a beauty encyclopedia!
You’re all about glowy skin, what are your guaranteed glow-getters?
If my skin is looking dull and I need to cheat a glow this is the combo that does the job in seconds: La Roche Posay Hyalu b5 Aqua gel SPF followed by Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter. Click here for more bronzers that help you cheat a glow.
What are your relaxation staples?
A spritz of the Aroma Active Sleep Mist (it’s one of those mists where you only need one spray, and it lingers so well!) they’re the sister brand of Aromatherapy Associates and I really rate them – affordable and the scents really last. I also absolutely love the Dove Lavender Bath Salts, I picked them up once not knowing what to expect and they’re actually one of the best I’ve tried, they dissolve and don’t stab you in the bum like other bath salts can!
What’s your signature scent?
Diptyque have a Revitalizing Shower Gel that could just be my favourite-smelling beauty product of all time. They need to launch a cologne of it!
What is your beauty golden rule?
Less is more. I often need reminding of my own mantra as I can be heavy-handed with products.
Shop Elle’s favourites
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