The #ITGTopShelfie interview series focuses on the beauty routines of Into The Gloss' lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Submit your own on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.

“Hello! My name is Oisín Boyd (@oisinboyd), and I work at a communications agency specialising in PR and communications across fashion, lifestyle and beauty. I’m also a freelance stylist. I am from Greystones which is a seaside town around forty minutes outside of Dublin, Ireland—being by the ocean is so calming, though I definitely gravitate towards city living. Four years ago I moved to London from New York City, two hubs of people of different walks of life from around the world. Now almost all of my friends live in East London, so I rarely have to make more than a twenty minute journey outside my home. And it’s quite central, so I am never far from great places to spend my time—incredible galleries, restaurants and stores are right at my doorstep, so I try to make the most of them.

In my role as a Senior Account Executive at The Cast, I work across the VIP and talent side of the agency. Fashion has always been my greatest interest and popular culture followed closely behind. I love connecting incredible brands with interesting people, and then producing imagery with a creative team—I feel fortunate to be able to do it as a career. Since I’ve worked in creative production on fashion brand campaigns for years, styling was always a professional goal. Freelance styling actually blossomed out of lockdown, and it was a really natural progression. In my work, I am forever consuming new fashion editorials, current trends, and the latest product. But my personal aesthetic is minimal and subtle; I love to pay attention to the fit, fabric and ethical production of clothing. As much as I can, I try to buy less and invest in classic pieces I know I will still love as the years go by from brands that have a story. Most winter days you will find me in an oversized white shirt or knit, blue jeans, New Balances and a great big coat.

Every morning when I wake up, the first things I do are brush my teeth and shave my face. When I was around 14, I decided that I would shave daily and never grow facial hair—I just knew it would not be a good look on me. Since shaving so frequently can be quite tough on the skin, I use Aesop’s Moroccan Neroli Post Shave Lotion afterwards to reverse irritation. It feels quite soothing and relaxing… for me, it’s a winner. Aside from making that important decision, I never cared much for beauty as a teen. I first began to understand it when I started to go out at night. The process of getting ready is this transformative hour to build your confidence.

I like the face I present to the world to look young, tight, and alive. I also believe that there is power in finding what is unique about yourself and amplifying it. I have really large, stick-y out ears, and when I was around six years old my Mom brought me to a plastic surgeon to have them pinned back. The surgeon thought I was too young so I didn’t do it, but I grew up thinking about this experience and incessantly worrying about my Dumbo-like ears. Only in recent years have I begun to care less about them and even love them. I can hear perfectly, how blessed am I! Feeling my best and seeing others exude the same confidence is inspiring to me, and if I leave the house feeling on top of the world, I know I will attract that energy back into my life. Good energy is transactional.

After shaving I take a very hot, unfussy shower. Around three times a week I use Aesop’s Redemption Body Scrub, which feels exfoliating and hydrating at the same time. I like that I feel moisturized just from that, because time is of the essence in the morning. I try to moisturise my whole body every day with simple Nivea moisturizer, though it doesn’t always happen. If I meet someone with an attractive scent, I am immediately drawn to them (even if only to ask what they’re wearing). So scent is an important part of my self care regimen. I like to wear Maison Margiela Replica Jazz Club Eau de Toilette during the day, and then Tom Ford Grey Vetiver for evenings. Both scents make me happy every time I wear them and they never lose their classic appeal.

I get some great industry intel when I’m on set, and always try to make the most of it by asking the hair and makeup artists for their best hacks. One thing I learned is to use a toothbrush to apply some Vaseline or gel on the center points of your eyebrows to style them and keep them in shape. I am not a fan of the super gelled eyebrow look that is popular at the moment, so I do this sparingly and with caution. One tip I think many people forget about is that the obscure objects that come into regular contact with your face may affect your skin. I set some time aside each week to wash eye masks, jewelry, scarves, hats, pillowcases, and towels.

I use Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Botanical Cleansing Oil at night. It is soft on the skin and I love the lavender notes ahead of sleeping. In the morning, the first step of my skincare routine is serums. I apply a drop or two of The Ordinary’s Niacinamide + Zinc to each of my cheekbones, then massage it all over my face. That stuff is unparalleled in combating blemishes—life changing. Then do the same with The Ordinary’s hyaluronic acid. Texture is as important to me as appearance, and hyaluronic acid makes my skin feel buttery and soft. It’s a very important step. After my serum concoction has made me feel like a scientist, I put a little bit of Aesop Parsley Seed Antioxidant Eye Cream around my eyes. To be honest, eye cream is perplexing to me. I’m not sure what it actually does, but my friend insisted it’s a hydrating necessity and I believe her.

Dewy skin makes me look and feel like a sexy angel, and if you want that, Futuredew is your product. I spend time gently rubbing the oil-serum into my cheeks—the consistency is amazing. It’s not as greasy as I have found other oils to be, and it gives me the best looking result. I instantly feel moisturised and fresh. Finally, I swipe on a little Glossier Boy Brow in Brown. I was not blessed with full, thick brows (they move towards my temples) so this is ideal for filling in a little bit. I love the size of the brush because it’s small enough to avoid a big visible streak, a faux pas that’s hard for me to avoid with other products.

I get stressed quite easily, and it immediately shows itself in unkind ways on my face. Lifestyle things (getting a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night, consuming lots of cold water throughout the day, keeping a diet that’s good for the mind and body) help. I also practice meditation every day. If I really want to relax, I go to an art show. It’s a great activity to do with friends, but I also quite enjoy going alone, listening to music and zoning out. Some of my favorite galleries are the Tate, the Barbican and the Saatchi gallery. I have an artist friend that is quite clued in with current exhibitions, so whenever they advise on visiting a show I make sure to add it to my list! Photography or interior design shows tend to be my favorites. A run can calm me down, though I prefer to keep them short with many walking breaks. And if those two fail, I’m going dancing. Mare Street Market is my favorite local bar, and I’ll either start there or with dinner at Bistrotheque. From there we may go to Ridley Road Market—it has a fun energy and plays good music to dance to.”

—as told to ITG

Photos via the author