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For this week’s body-care conversation, Glossy sat down with Emira D’Spain, a beauty and lifestyle influencer, Victoria’s Secret model and former beauty director. On social media, D’Spain uses her decades-worth of beauty insider knowledge and unique perspective as a trans woman to share useful beauty and body-care tips that everyone can use.
D’Spain said she had a tricky relationship with her body growing up. Though she loved her body overall, there were things about it she disliked, she said. Going through her transition, however, reminded her to appreciate the beautiful things about herself, which eventually helped her manage her negative self-talk. D’Spain said her journey to self-love hasn’t been overnight or easy; over time, it’s become easier to stop cynical thoughts from becoming intrusive.
In step, she’s become more thoughtful about her body-care routine. Currently, one of her most important self-care rituals is her thorough skin-care routine.
“My skin is very smooth all over. I did laser hair removal from the eyelashes down — that has changed my life,” D’Spain said. “My favorite compliments to receive are, ‘You smell good,’ and ‘Your skin is so soft.'”
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Aside from laser hair removal, D’Spain said the secret to her silky, smooth skin is using an African net sponge, Dove’s Body Wash for sensitive skin and the KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub from First Aid Beauty. “I wrap [the net sponge] around my hand like a boxing wrap. Then, I’ll aggressively scrub my body. It kind of has the same effect [of dry brushing], and it also helps with lymphatic drainage,” she said.
According to the model, the biggest game-changer in her skin-care regimen has been switching her shower head. D’Spain lives in New York City where the shower water can be harsh, leaving her skin dry and her hair brittle, she said. This led her to purchase The Filtered Showerhead from Jolie Skin Co.
“It has completely changed how dry my skin gets. When I get out of the shower and if I forget to moisturize, my skin doesn’t get as ashy or dry as quickly,” she said. “It softens the water and also my hair. I feel like my hair color holds better and doesn’t get as brassy.”
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Outside of the shower, D’Spain swears by three different lotions that she alternates between to get her perfect skin: Jergens Shea Butter, Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream and Summer Friday’s Silk Nourishing Body Lotion. Then, she uses Olehenriksen’s Firmly Yours Dry Body Oil with Peptides or the Sol de Janeiro Bum Bum Firmeza Firming & Debloating Body Oil. And to complete her routine, she puts on Supergoop’s Play Antioxidant Body Sunscreen Mist.
D’Spain acknowledged that her multi-step routine may not be for everyone, but she said her skin has never looked better and stressed that everyone should invest in a body-care routine that makes them feel their best, inside and out.
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