The BFF beauty brand

Trinny Woodall rings a bell for those of you who are a bit less young with the show What Not To Wear, a somewhat friendlier predecessor of the Dutch counterpart De Modepolitie. She then made headlines for her relationship with Charles Saatchi, a media millionaire and the ex of Nigella Lawson. When I was invited to dinner at The Dylan to meet Trinny and check out her makeup line, I knew without checking my calendar that I would be there. Trinny is a handshake away from Queen Elizabeth, went on holiday to Mustique every year with Hugh Grant and Liz Hurley, and is just semi-royalty and an incredibly nice woman.

Now we are half a year later and Trinny has added a few new chapters to her skincare book: cleansing, exfoliant, and a serum. And to celebrate that, we are zooming. She in London, I in the Haarlem girls' room of my middle child.

‘We met each other, right?’ Trinny is wearing a silver top with yellow cuffs around her wrists, completely in line with the design of By Trinny. As I open my mouth to confirm, she continues. ‘I thought that was really one of the best press events I’ve ever organized. You Dutch people are so nice and such an interesting group in the beauty field.’ As I want to make a satisfied L’Oréal-I’m-worth-it move by tossing a strand of hair over my shoulder and immediately giving myself a well-deserved pat on the back, she says: ‘There’s so much to gain with you. In terms of beauty, you are a kind of Ground Zero. Yes, you too. You told me that you sometimes leave your makeup on at night, just ridiculous. No matter how much I’ve drunk and how tired I am, this face gets washed twice a day.’

To interview Trinny, you don’t even need to put a quarter in the machine; she just goes off and answers all my questions without me having to ask them. About the craziest things she used to do to combat her problem skin: ‘If I had a boyfriend, I would put on makeup before we went to sleep and touch it up if I woke up at night, because God forbid he would see my pimples.’ Through the search for the best products for her skin, she developed herself into an expert in skincare. A good cleanser is key, and that’s why she has two different ones so you can choose which one suits you. Even better: you use them both one after the other.

Being obedient and enthusiastic as I am, I have neatly set up all her products that were sent to me by the PR agency around me. ‘Grab the Better Off,’ directs Trinny. ‘Smell it, feel it. I want you to not only remove your makeup but also evaluate the day and wash away the annoying things. I’ve thought a lot about the ingredients because the scent should do something to you.’

I manage to squeeze in a question, namely who came up with the fun names of the products; Better Off, Tiptoe Inn, Reveal Yourself, and Overnight Clarity.

‘That was me, and it took me a long time because I want the names to be both fun and clearly tell what they do for you.’ Then she shows me a package and points to the back where it clearly states what the product is good for and when and how to use it. If Trinny is good at anything, it’s putting herself in the life of a woman. And not just when it comes to skincare.

Since the coronavirus pandemic has taken over our lives and we’ve all been hopping from lockdown to lockdown, she initiated a tri-weekly workout with her personal trainer that she shared via her Insta Stories. ‘So now we work out three times a week with about five hundred women and everyone has more motivation to join in and a free lesson.’ She adds that she recently meditated with her digital girlfriend group for Ukraine.

During a break, I ask if she has always had that need to take care of everyone.

As she takes a bite (‘It’s crazy today, sorry! No time to have lunch.’) she nods actively. ‘I went to boarding school at the age of six and because my parents were often abroad, I stayed there on weekends too. I was already a fountain of knowledge and advice helping everyone with their hair and outfits. I like to know and share.’

That’s what she does with her makeup and skincare line, of which a new chapter appears time and again. She does this on purpose so that each product gets the attention and explanation it deserves. I wouldn’t mind if it became a very, very thick book. An encyclopedia for my part. Because if Trinny has figured it out for you, you just know it’s good.