Beauty Breakdown: Aesthetician Alicia Lartey says skincare cannot stop at your neck
Alicia Lartey is a London-based aesthetician and beauty content creator known for her expert approach to skincare and dedication to educating her audience. With a background in biomedical science and years of hands-on experience in skin health, Alicia blends scientific knowledge with real-world expertise to help people achieve their best skin.
She has built a 31,000 Instagram following by demystifying skincare, offering honest product reviews, and championing inclusivity within the beauty industry. Whether breaking down the science behind skincare ingredients, highlighting the importance of professional treatments, or addressing the unique needs of melanated skin, Alicia’s content is both informative and refreshingly authentic.
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In her role as Head of NPD at Supernova Body, she works behind the scenes informing product formulations. "Supernova Body is a brand born to acknowledge all of your skin real estate from the neck down (sometimes the face too)," Alicia tells H! Fashion: "The main goal is to always create efficacious and well researched products. I hate a marketing claim that is barely backed up by ingredients. The founder, Cecile Stefanova, truly gave me the freedom to create my dream formulas. Adding: "I have an extremely blended role which utilises my skills as an aesthetician and educator as well as a product developer."
The Beauty Breakdown with Alicia Lartey
Her Beauty Philosophy
"I’ve always loved speaking about body care, I strongly believe that your skincare cannot stop at your neck. Most of your skin is on your body so leaving it out truly baffles me. Simple things such as applying sunscreen to the skin on your body will increase longevity and prevent premature damage. After all, this is your largest organ with a primary function of providing you with protection from your external environment. People often forget that you can experience the same concerns you have on your face, on your body too, such as acne and psoriasis. Managing both conditions requires some amount of body care."
Morning Skincare Routine
During a busy morning dash, the beauty creator advises using a cleanser with active ingredients and a sunscreen that can also double as a hydrating moisturiser.
Alicia swears by SPF as the last step in your morning routine. She says: "I'm so happy brands finally invested in their SPF offerings (especially products suitable for dark skin)."
The aesthetician started an online series last year called sunscreen or sunSCREAM. After concluding the series, Alicia discovered her favourite products on the market. She reveals: "Ultraviolette's Fave Fluid has a beautiful finish. Tocobo SPF50 (the blue one) has no white cast on all skin tones. Finally, Garnier BHA SPF50 has a gorgeous matte finish that is great for oily and acne prone skin."
She's not one for makeup mornings: "Not to sound like a pick-me girl at all but I only wear makeup in the evenings, " Alicia admits. "The only timI will wear makeup during the day is for events." Adding: "I've spent thousands to get my skin to where it is today and I enjoy being barefaced a lot."
However, on occasions where she does wear makeup, the content creator stresses the importance of doing your skincare beforehand. She says: "I have to use a cleanser with active ingredients, think Glycolic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide and Sulfur. One thing I learnt the hard way was that no matter what skin type you have, you need to moisturise properly before wearing makeup." Alicia always opts for a lightweight gel moisturiser to avoid looking greasy. After trial and error, her must have products before applying makeup are the Kate Somerville Eradikate Cleanser, Dieux Skin Air Angel and Topicals Faded Eye Patches."
"I grew up with severe acne and would always try to hide my skin."
Natural Everyday Makeup
"The key to pulling off my natural look is working on your skincare and focusing on your eyes. I take the same Maybelline Concealer and go in with a lighter hand to cover up my dark circles."
The educator is also known for her signature bleached brows and she shares the key to maintaining them: "I get my eyebrows done every two weeks at Bambrows. Once my brows have been waxed, I let them marinate for two days before bleaching and toning them." The key product to shaping them is her beloved NYX Brow Gel. "I had someone try to fill in my eyebrows before… the end result was terrible," she admits.
Evening Makeup
In her evenings, Alicia embraces makeup: "I always gravitate towards the Urban Decay face Bond Foundation and the Maybelline Eraser Concealer, when paired together they are a match made in heaven."
The secret to glam longevity on a long night out is down to the final step in her routine: "Whenever I have to step out I go for a long-wearing face and spray each product that I apply with a fixing spray and setting spray. I’ve also made the mistake of using way too much powder. The key is to work in thin layers to build up your base."
Evening Skincare Routine
When it comes to evening skincare after a long night out, Alicia keeps it real. "If I get back late from a night out, I'll be honest I’m sleeping with my makeup still on," she admits. "I really struggle with sleep and I work a lot so every second counts." However, her key removal products are the ELF Skin Cleansing Balm and Bioderma Micellar Water."
Quick-Fire Beauty Questions:
What is your secret to hydrated, glowing skin?
"Following a routine that was built for me by me. A lot of people chase the glow by following random routines that are not built for their skin needs. Keep things simple and find what works for you."
Can you recommend any multi-tasking makeup products that you find particularly useful?
"I love using the Glossier lip liners to do literally anything. Surprisingly they work as a blush, a lip liner and an eyeliner."
How do you deal with hyperpigmentation?
"When you experience hyperpigmentation, there are a few things you need to consider. What is causing the hyperpigmentation? If it is acne you need to have a solid management plan first to ensure you see results. I tend to recommend that people use ingredients that are anti-inflammatory, exfoliating and tyrosinase inhibiting. You should always choose an exfoliating ingredient, a tyrosinase inhibitor and a retinoid. Dealing with hyperpigmentation is a passion of mine and I do recognise that seeing a professional is a privilege so I created a free document called The Lartey Scale of PIH, to help people understand which ingredients correspond with their hyperpigmentation."
Are there any specific techniques or tools you rely on for achieving a flawless complexion?
"I’m so happy we have moved on from beauty blenders, I’ve never liked them. Brushes and fingers are great for precision application and warming up the product."
What are the most common beauty/hair mistakes you see and how can they be avoided?
"I see people choosing the wrong ingredients for their concerns all the time and that is largely because of social media. When it comes to hair, I like to call myself a survivor of the curly girl phase of 2012. Most of the information that was popular at the time was wrong. I wish people would take better care of their scalp and wash their hair at the right frequency."
Are there any makeup trends or techniques you're currently obsessed with?
"I will always love the UK black girl makeup look, it looks good on everyone and it's fun! There have been so many boring trends, I fell victim to the clean girl rubbish."
Are there any upcoming skincare/makeup/hair products or trends that you're excited to try?
"Skincare launches have slowed down for sure, I’m excited to see what role tech can play in terms of devices. Bodycare is also trending at the moment which means there will be increased interest in my field of expertise."
