November 14, 2025 • 42 mins
Beauty doesn’t start at the mirror; it starts in your energy. We sit down with Nina Gan—BBC‑trained makeup artist, commercial veteran, and sound healing practitioner—to trace how resilience practices like gong baths and kundalini yoga can reshape confidence, soften self‑judgment, and make makeup feel like self‑expression instead of self‑erasure. From Red Dwarf prosthetics to island shoots with Elizabeth Hurley, Nina’s career spans high art and hard days, including injury and personal upheaval that forced a full reset and a new philosophy of care.
Together, we unpack what really changes after 40 and why the best techniques focus on lifting rather than masking. Nina breaks down why “rules” about age and products often mislead.
Expect practical ideas you can use today. By aligning nervous system care with smart, tweaks, you’ll glow inside and out.
A beautiful meditation concludes the show.
Nina's contact details: https://ninagan.com/
Nina's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninaglondon/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:38):
Hello everybody.
So I got up bright and earlythis morning.
I've been up since 3 30 andtravelled because I wanted to
share this special, special,special episode of you today.
And I can't wait for you to meetthis next guest virtually.
So we hit the 250 episode markearlier this week.
(00:59):
So I'm having a bit of acelebratory month, and this is
episode 251, and we're on season19, and I believe this is
episode 7, and we're going to betalking today about the alchemy
of beauty, how spirituality andself-care transform how we show
up.
And I think it's reallyimportant how we show up in
(01:20):
life.
And we've got a very specialistperson on the show today, and
she likes every room-up that shegoes into with her natural,
uplifting, and wonderfulpersonality.
And Nina was trained by the BBC,and she's worked in the
professional makeup artistryindustry for over 37 years.
(01:43):
She's worked with iconicdirectors to high-end feature
films and commercials, and shespecializes in professional
makeup that is natural and alsocharacter makeup.
And I know she's done the likesof Liz Hurley to all other stars
(02:04):
and even the makeup on RedDwarf, which is a programme that
I used to like watching a whileago.
Nina has had a very excitinglife.
She did relocate to New Yorkback in 2014, but then decided
to come back to the UK.
I won't tell you everythingbecause I'd like her to share it
in her own words.
(02:25):
But on her website, one of thequotes is that her approach is
more than superficial.
It's about helping you feelcomfortable, confident, and
truly your best.
So I thought, what better personto speak to us today about the
alchemy of beauty, howspirituality and self-care can
transform how we show up.
Without further ado, pleasewelcome the one and only Nina
(02:48):
Gang to the show.
Welcome, Nina.
Hi Jane.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me on theshow.
Would you mind just sharing abit about your journey so far
and your own life's experienceon this path?
SPEAKER_00 (03:02):
Yeah, sure.
Well, I started doing makeup.
I got into the BBC as a trainee,got in my 20s, and that again
was a kind of it was a decision.
I think all the decisions I'veever made that have changed my
life have been snap decisions.
They haven't been really wellthought out.
So I decided I wanted to be amakeup artist.
(03:24):
And actually I got in to theBBC.
And at that time, you you didtwo years training, and there
were they employed 120 makeupartists full-time.
So, you know, we were doing bigshows.
So you learnt on that.
Um, you learned, you know, periyou learnt everything on that,
really.
Wiggs, period.
(03:44):
It was a really beautiful andcomplete training.
Then after a few years, I leftand went freelance.
And then got I got intocommercials because basically I
had a baby just before I was 30and I needed to be more regular.
And also I like the I like thevibe of commercials.
(04:07):
They were kind of short andsweet and fun and it was lively.
And I did that for got more orless up until now, but with big
with big breaks in between.
So my 30s was really aboutraising a child and working and
enjoying life, I guess, as wasmy 40s.
(04:27):
Then in my late 40s, I went tomy my husband, my ex-husband was
offered the chance to run hisrun an office in New York, and
it was a big jump, but I feltthat we had to make that change.
For me, probably the hardestpart was giving up my career,
(04:51):
even though over the years I Igot to the point where I tore my
rotator cuff over stretching,and every time I worked, you
know, I'd have kind of have tohave downtime.
And I remember one job, it itwas okay, it was fine, a little
bit painful.
And I was making up HusseinBolt.
SPEAKER_01 (05:13):
And wow.
SPEAKER_00 (05:15):
He's, you know, I'm five foot two and he's six foot
whatever.
And I stretched up to reach hisneck, and something happened in
my shoulder, and as I brought itdown, that my elbow stayed by my
ribs, and for three weeks it itwas stuck there.
So, um, so that was kind of anindication that it was time to
(05:36):
to move on.
But I but I've been in theindustry so long, I like the
lifestyle, I didn't know what tomove on to, and then this this
um chance of a new life in NewYork came up, and we went for
it.
And it was a chance for me tokind of rest and rethink, or
supposed to be, but in that timemy daughter got pregnant, my
(06:02):
husband became an absolutestranger.
We we I think it was probablythe worst time in my life, and
also the you know, the mostshould we say, exciting time.
I mean, it was lovely to bethere, but the worst things
(06:22):
happened to me.
So I found myself coming backtwo years later on my own,
having to restart again, and Ididn't want to be in the same
house with the same job, butwithout my family, as it were.
Um and so I I guess I well I wasbroken to be honest.
(06:47):
I think that one broke me morethan my mum dying, because
somehow when somebody dies youcan carry on.
You you can't, you know, there'sa beauty in that grief, but the
shock of my whole life beingturned upside down again, you
know, moving one place, settingup, spending two years, getting
that together, then having toset up again was was quite quite
(07:10):
devastating and threw me morethan I ever thought it could.
So that's when I discovered uhgong baths, because I sometimes
you're at a stage where uh yogais doing something.
Anything, you know, meditation,you're it you can't access it.
(07:32):
Your mind is too busy, and thegong bath just it requires
nothing of you.
And sometimes that's what youneed.
And and that kind of enabled meto to build up again my
strength.
And then I went back to tokundalini, which also is is just
(07:53):
amazing for bringing back, youknow, bringing making you
resilient, really, and movingforward.
SPEAKER_01 (08:00):
So that's that's kundalini yoga listeners, which
is a form of a form of a veryenergetic form of yoga.
SPEAKER_00 (08:07):
It's very yeah, it's quite a special form of yoga.
It's not for everybody, yeah.
But if you embark on it, itreally does make.
I think kundalini yoga saw methrough the death of my father.
It made me balanced enough to,you know, and strong enough.
It gives you a very internalstrength, as well as physical,
(08:31):
because it's quite energetic, wesay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
Amazing.
And I know that's you count,you've got clients like TikTok
and um LinkedIn on your on yourbooks.
So that sounds quite a difficultjourney that you you went went
through, and it's such aninspiring story that you've
shared so far.
From makeup arts industry aswell as yoga and sound healing.
(08:58):
How have you put these passions?
How have you shaped the way thatyou you think about beauty and
self-expression?
SPEAKER_00 (09:05):
Well, I think they're all in it's very
interlinked, isn't it?
I mean, I don't think, you know,we I don't think beauty is, you
know, they say it's skin deep,but it's absolutely not.
You know, the it's the beautythat comes from you, it's the
energy, it's all about yourenergy.
(09:25):
You can see it's you know, it'snot the most beautiful woman in
the world in the world that walkyou walk past and you notice.
It's the one with theconfidence, it's the one with
that something you can't quiteput your finger on.
Well, the gong baths reseteverything in you and they bring
you back to you, they give youthat that peace, I would say.
(09:46):
The after after having, youknow, gone to gong baths for
about a year, I wanted to dosomething that really helped
people.
I kind of got to the point wherethe makeup in commercials was,
you know, it didn't mean enoughto me.
And I and I wanted to dosomething worthwhile.
So with the training toKundalini and the Gong Together,
(10:09):
I kind of embarked on thisjourney of helping helping
people inside, you know, changetheir, change their energy, feel
better.
And then I see makeup as anextension of that.
You know, makeup for for womenwho, you know, you've you've got
to a stage where your facestarts changing, and you don't
(10:31):
or you wake up and you're going,where did these where did these
bags come from?
It's not something you everthought of.
And suddenly all you're seeingis those bags.
But you know, you can be doingall the internal stuff, but your
face is changing, and you don'tquite know how to make that that
kind of transition.
(10:52):
And for me, it's kind of workingon that that energy that
somebody has, that individualitythat they already have, and
showing them that it's there onthe outside too.
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
Get older, and in the society that woman I'm
particularly judged by the waywe look, or maybe we just have
this perception.
I don't know, to be honest.
But um, I know a lot of womenover 40 say their relationship
with makeup changes as they getolder.
I know, I know I had I had thegift of having a makeup lesson
with your yourself recently, andyou got me to stay clear from
(11:22):
the the the green and blueeyeshadow, which I have has kind
of been my signature look forfor maybe far too long and I've
stuck with it.
I'm just wearing the browns now.
SPEAKER_00 (11:33):
I don't mean to limit you in that.
There are greens, but it was theit was more the tone of the
green.
Yeah, the makeup does changebecause you know, perhaps even
you know, the eyeliner that youused to put on that looked quite
striking and and was yoursignature look, as your eyes
droop slightly, it can look it,you know, it can start to look
(11:56):
hard.
Yeah.
And so that but there's a way tosoften that.
So I think aging beauty is moreabout softening.
It is it is about embracingwhere you are, but not just
letting it all go.
It's just finding finding thosepoints and not focusing so much
on what you've lost, but seeing,you know, there's seeing what
(12:22):
you've what you've got now.
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, that's a really beautiful way to put it.
When you s when you speak aboutthat, it makes you think of my
friend, and she's she's likeshe's in the late 70s and she's
just she's all beautiful becauseshe she looks really nice, but
she also her inner light comescomes through and and she and
she really knows who she is.
And I find that that that deeplyinspiring.
(12:43):
But I guess not everyone has theability to know that about
themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (12:48):
No, I think that's going back to what you said
about women feel so judged, butI think women are the worst
people to judge themselves.
I mean, you know, if you look inthe mirror, you're looking
critically.
It's like, what's wrong here?
What do I need to take out?
What rather than hey, I'm here.
(13:08):
Yeah.
And I think men are far moreaccepting of the way they look.
They don't judge themselves asharshly as we judge ourselves.
And it does come from years ofhaving to look like this, you
know, having to look like that.
This is a certain way, therestrictions that there were
(13:29):
when we were younger.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:31):
Maybe they're not so much now.
But then it's nobody wants to bethat invisible older woman.
You don't want to be reflect,you know, things happen.
Yes.
Your body shape changes, youryour skin changes, your hair
changes, and it's finding theway to find the beauty in that
(13:52):
and the confidence in that.
What we want is, you know, whatbeauty is, is a freedom, isn't
it?
It's a sense of freedom.
It's feeling free.
It's like when you've been onthe beach for a couple of weeks
and you're brown and you'rerelaxed, you're beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
I had this b this vision.
Do you think it's because youfeel relaxed and accepting of
oneself?
SPEAKER_00 (14:15):
Yeah, and I think the sun has a lot to do with it
and the rest and the the and thenot having to be whoever you are
in your work, whoever you are,you know, in your life, in your
area or whatever.
You are you feel a bit freer.
And it's that freedom and thatsense of freedom, which is and
(14:37):
confidence, which is what thebeauty is about, isn't it?
That's what that's what youdouble take on somebody, not
somebody who's really made upand has the perfect figure, you
know, or it's the quirks, it'sthat individuality, it's like
that bright red lipstick on a75-year-old woman.
It's that that to me is is thebeauty.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Oh, and there's the whole industry.
Oh, Barbara, there's like this,this, there's so brace and like
models, the older models, likesome of them are in the
hundreds, like I know one model,I can't remember her name, but
she's like a hundred, and it'sall so they I think what you're
saying, and what I'm feeling isthat you dear listen is that you
can embrace and accept and loveyourself, but also kind of not
(15:21):
be invisible, like like Ninasaid.
So, Nina, what are some of thebiggest myths or misunderstands
you see with relationships withwomen and makeup as they get
older?
And I know your new business ishelping to define beauty at this
stage in their life.
Yeah, I'm thinking about that.
SPEAKER_00 (15:38):
I would say a lot of the stuff that that comes on
right now, the the things likeif you're a certain age, you
can't do this, you can't, youit's the can't, I think.
Um there are certain productsthat won't look so good on your
skin.
You can't put on with that muchease.
(15:59):
But I was thinking about thisquestion, and actually a few
weeks ago I was making up some20-year-old models, and in the
end, I use the same base that Iuse on older women for them.
So it's not so much about youcan't use this or this, it's
what individually suits suitsyou, and the beauty industry's
(16:22):
gone a little bit nuts withagain restricting women in older
women have to wear this, youcan't do that.
And and I find some of theproducts are excellent and they
do help, but a lot of them a lotof them are just gimmicks.
(16:46):
Yeah, it's just it's justselling to another insecurity
that we have, or making anotherinsecurity.
You know, it's the rules andregulations.
I mean, one myth that has allmyth or mistake that has always
gotten me is they you know, butthey always say when you when
you go to try on a base orfoundation, do it test it on the
(17:08):
side of your your jawlinebecause that will match your
neck.
But the problem is as you getolder, or even if you're
younger, if you've got you knowhigh colour in your skin, or
your pores are more visible,that's not going to, you're not
going to know if that's coveringthem or hiding them.
(17:28):
And so what I always say toeverybody is just put the base,
take the tester, put it or asmuch on your face as you
possibly put, on all over yourface, cover the the areas that
you want covered, and then gooutside and see what it looks
like in the daylight.
So it is really very much aboutwhat you see rather than what
(17:54):
you're told you should wear.
SPEAKER_01 (17:56):
Yeah.
There's all these things thatcome on Instagram and they're
saying, Oh, this is going to gowrong with you, this, this, and
this.
And I'm just thinking, like, ifyou listen to it all, you'd be
kind of be completely likeparanoid.
SPEAKER_00 (18:08):
You're paranoid and also feel really ineffective
because I some of them are greatto watch, and some of them, you
know, there are the the generalrules, but the thing is,
everybody's face is sodifferent.
So, you know, if you follow therules to where you should now do
your eyeliner from one Instagrampost, you're going to feel like
a failure because maybe your eyedoesn't fall in that same way.
(18:32):
And and makeup is aboutmillimeters, it's moving it
millimeters.
SPEAKER_01 (18:37):
You know, I like that.
Moving it millimeters.
Yeah.
And you've been in the industryfor years.
So, what shifts have you noticedin what women want and what they
look?
Has it changed much at all?
SPEAKER_00 (18:48):
I would say it has, because if you think about you
know my mother's generation,it's, you know, the mate well,
the first start, bases were veryheavy then.
They were thicker, they werereal, you know, you put on your
face, as it were.
And I and it's like uh theyslightly stepped into that older
(19:12):
woman role.
Whereas we don't, we've stillgot that kind of it's a
different, it's a differentenergy.
It's not like, oh, okay, I'vereached this point, I'm settled.
Nobody's settled.
There's divorce, there's grief,you know.
So many people are are stillworking harder than they worked
before in their 50s, in theirsixties.
(19:34):
So and also I think COVID had alot to do with with the change
in it.
You know, when it sud suddenlystarted, you know, before it's
like if you had grey hair, youwere an old woman.
But then suds people start intoembracing their grey hair, and
and it's beautiful.
Addie McDowell, she looks great.
(19:55):
Yeah.
And it's and it's and it's thatfreed.
It's more it is again, it'sgoing back to feeling that
youthfulness or wanting to feelthat youthfulness, not wearing a
full face of makeup, but usingthe makeup to bring out a
freshness.
You want that radiance, don'tyou?
(20:16):
You wake up in the morning, thatthere's a little bit of work to
do.
You're not, you know, the I'venoticed my face takes a lot
longer to wake up than my bodynow.
And that's accepting that, butalso it doesn't mean okay, I'm
washed out.
It just means that it takes thattime.
(20:36):
But you know, the base we thebasis we want, the look we want
now is more to lift our faces asopposed to mask our faces.
SPEAKER_01 (20:48):
Yeah, so working with what we've got to kind of
rather than try to change it.
SPEAKER_00 (20:53):
And it's that element of freedom and freshness
again, isn't it?
It's an element of embracingnatural, but not just being, you
know, there's natural andthere's embracing natural
working.
Natural takes a bit of work now,yeah.
Not a lot, you know, it's not anhour's work, but a little bit of
(21:15):
work.
A little bit of tweaking.
SPEAKER_01 (21:18):
A little bit tweaking here and there.
I'm a real good fan.
I've not had time to do it thisweek, but generally I like to do
facial like massage or yoga, andI find that helps my my my face
a lot.
When the time once I've had timeto do it, it kind of makes it
feel a bit more lifted.
At the very least, it kind ofrelaxes that startled look I
could sometimes have fromlooking at a computer all day.
SPEAKER_00 (21:40):
So yeah, yeah, facial facial yoga is very
effective, but you have to bequite disciplined about it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:47):
Yes, definitely, definitely.
But I think I think it'sdefinitely worth it, dear
listeners, and there's so manythings on YouTube.
So you start a new business,Nina, which is a it's always a
brave move, and I I always findit inspiring.
People that can start a newbusiness.
What inspired you to createsomething specifically for women
(22:07):
over 40?
And what's been the mostrewarding or challenging part of
that so far?
SPEAKER_00 (22:14):
Well, again, that slightly came out of the blue.
I thought I'm not going to domakeup, I'm going to just focus
on the gong and and yoga, whichI did for a few years, but but
I've missed working on peoplespecifically.
And really, a couple of people,actually one from my gong class,
(22:36):
asked it for you know, uh askedme their advice on makeup.
And I did it as a as a favor,and I thought, actually, I
really like this.
And then other people startedasking, and I thought, if
there's a there's a real needfor it's something I know, it's
(22:57):
something I I I know reallywell, I'm good at.
And it's there's a real need forpeople to learn how to naturally
look good.
You know, it's easy to it's easyto blank out the face and stick
on lots of makeup or not bother,but there's a big, you know,
there's a big gap in in the inin between, if you like.
SPEAKER_01 (23:21):
Ah, I like that.
So if it came it, it kind ofcame your way with someone
asking and obviously your expectexpertise and you enjoyed it.
That's lovely.
SPEAKER_00 (23:31):
And I think, you know, the biggest for me, the
biggest I I love, I get realpleasure out of somebody feeling
better about the that I've beenable to make somebody feel
better.
I remember once I was working,can't remember what I was
(23:51):
working on, something channel, Ithink, and an old lady came in
and she was wheeled in.
And you know, when somebody, allyou see around them, their
energy is grey, they are grey.
She was so there was so nothingcoming from her.
And she was 86.
I think she it was it was aninterview of something.
And she was, I don't wearmakeup, I don't bother with
(24:13):
that, it's not going to make adifference.
And I said, Well, what about ifI just do a little bit of this?
And by the end of it, she was adifferent human being, you know,
and she was sitting up straightin her chair and she was asking
me what I used, where I got it.
It was like she came alive.
(25:13):
And and that all that admittedalways stayed with me.
It's like that there is a powerin in sh teaching someone or
showing someone what the, youknow, what their potential is in
their face.
I mean, the challenges are thebusiness side of it.
You know, I can make up athousand people, no problem.
(25:34):
But the sitting down and doingthe business and doing the the
posting, that for me is is achallenge.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Yes, yeah, it's hard that side, isn't it?
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (25:46):
I think especially for my generation.
SPEAKER_01 (25:51):
Yeah.
But you're you're overcoming it.
Yeah, I'm I'm working at it.
Brilliant, brilliant.
And I I as looking on yourInstagram, you've maked up
you've made up the likes of LizHurley and used to do the makeup
on Red Draw.
That I used to love that show.
(26:11):
I didn't know it was you thatwas did it.
It's an amazing show.
SPEAKER_00 (26:14):
Yeah, I did I did two seasons on on um I made up
Crichton mainly because it tookso long to do that every day.
I mean, oh my god, yeah, thatput me off prosthetics.
It's one millimeter out, andyou're pulling, you know, he's
in pain for the whole for thewhole um shooting session.
SPEAKER_01 (26:37):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
You know, it's um it's where it was glue, you're
gluing his face basically.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
Oh wow.
Wow.
Yeah, and it's it uh for thosedear listeners of you who don't
know who Crichton is, if youjust Google Red Dwarf and
Crichton, you'll see a pictureand you'll see how intricate
this this makeup makeup was.
It was a whole rubber helmetthat we had to put in place on.
SPEAKER_00 (27:03):
But but it was a great experience, yeah.
And Elizabeth Hurley I did whenshe was very young.
I we I made her up for threemonths on uh probably my best
job ever.
We were out in Dominica and theCaribbean for three months, and
that that was that wasincredible.
Wow, she was great, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (27:24):
She's uh she's such an icon.
Actually, so so many womendescribe that when they get to
midlife, or not just womenexclusively, but it's a kind of
spiritual awakening, I guessgoing through the change, all
these kind of things.
From your experience, how doesembracing that transformation
change the way we approachbeauty and confidence?
SPEAKER_00 (27:43):
Well, that's a tough one.
For me personally, I wouldn'tsay it was a spiritual awakening
for a lot of women.
It's just like what the hell isgoing on?
It's like, you know, you youdon't sleep suddenly, you don't
sleep and you forget things.
I mean, on to be honest, I Ihave always forgotten things,
(28:03):
I've always been really scanty,but it's worse.
And trying to, it's that tryingto hold it together.
It's a bit like I think when youwhen you're pregnant and you get
to the last term, you just knowyou can't hold it together.
So you so you just embrace it,and there is there's quite a
(28:24):
loveliness in that.
I think the confidence comes incomes in the fact that you don't
have to be the one that peoplelook at and judge all the time.
You know, you it's not aboutinvisible, but you're not that
it's like you're not on thefront cover anymore.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You can sit back in those pagesand it doesn't matter that
(28:49):
you've put on half a stonebecause nobody's it's it's like
the expectation goes and youfeel kind of comfortable in not
being seen for a bit, andsomething else kind of evolves
from it, and you feelcomfortable in being a bit
scatty, and and then I guessthat's that's where the
spiritual awakening comes.
(29:12):
There's there's a freedom inthat.
SPEAKER_01 (29:14):
You're just embracing it and just allowing
it to kind of that's I yeah, Ilike that.
You think so, yeah.
Yeah, it's kind of I mean it'shell for a lot of women.
It's really yeah, it can behelpless for a lot of women,
can't it?
SPEAKER_00 (29:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
Feeling good about oneself is a is a way to help
navigate through all that.
And I know that you've helped somany people feel their best.
When when you think about yourown spiritual journey through
gong, yoga, etc., and now thisbusiness, what does beauty mean
to you today?
SPEAKER_00 (29:47):
Well, I think, oh god, beauty is everywhere, isn't
it?
I think when you're younger,you're very limited in what what
is beautiful and what is not.
As you get older, you you justit expands, doesn't it?
Beauty, beauty doesn't getlimited to anything.
(30:08):
But beauty is the kind of it'sit does begin with the in the
energy inside, and that's andthat's a bit contradictory
because a lot of the time, wellhow can you have this great
energy when you haven't slept oryou've been up since three
o'clock in the morning andyou've or you're worn out or
you're overthinking, all thosethings.
(30:29):
But actually that that self-careis uh is essential and the
beauty, yes, it does, it it'sit's um it does show in your
face.
But I think you know, you haveto look you also have to find
that beauty and not find notfocus on again on the negative.
(30:52):
It's like going to you know, anart gallery and you look at art
and you you you get filled withsomething, you know, or you go
into the you know nature andthere's this beautiful tree.
It beauty transcends something,it takes you somewhere else, it
elevates you.
SPEAKER_01 (31:09):
Yeah, I like that.
It's it's it's kind of uh it'slike it's like a blast of
uplifting energy.
It's like when you connectedwith like source or in in in in
the zone.
Like if you I don't know, onetime I This beautiful piece of
artwork in this shop.
I couldn't afford to buy it, butit just made my soul sing.
Yeah, it's it's all of that,isn't it?
(31:32):
I'm trying to help my listenersa lot, and that's why I think
this is such a good show to haveyou on today.
And I want to ask you, we alsoall start out with good
intentions, but keeping up withpositive habits can be tough.
What do you think tends to getin the way and how can we
overcome it?
Are there any tips that you cangive them?
SPEAKER_00 (31:52):
Oh, I think what gets in the way is it, you know,
while we're trying to achievesomething, while it's like a
diet or I don't know, a facialroutine, an exercise, whatever,
while we're trying to get there,we can do it.
We've got all that energy, youknow, and adrenaline.
We push ourselves, but but it'sonly a limited amount of time we
(32:15):
can we can stay on that level.
Then it gets, I think for me,it's boredom.
You know, you're meant it'smaintenance.
And that's boring because you'renot seeing these dramatic
changes anymore.
You're not on that path to thedramatic, the drive.
So it's the boredom that getsyou, and then you slump, and
(32:36):
then you slump, and then youbeat yourself up for slumping.
And then, you know, if you'reanything like me, you lie in bed
going, Oh, I should be doingthis, and I'm not.
But I think you take out thatshould what I've learned very
recently is I do it in soundbites.
I'll just do five minutes, andrather than say, I should do
(32:58):
this, I'm going to experimentwith this.
SPEAKER_01 (33:01):
Ah, I like that.
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
Experiment.
And it's not setting yourself upfor failure.
It's like five minutes you canallocate.
You know, and no, maybe I shoulddo my practice for an hour.
No, I'm gonna do five minutesand then let that extend.
It's the I think it's thepressure we put on ourselves,
and then you do reach a boredomlevel, and then maybe you have
(33:24):
to change it a bit.
SPEAKER_01 (33:26):
Yeah, and uh it's like microhabits, I think, is
like what you describe like thefive, five, like to do five
minutes, because it is sometimeswe can be we can talk ourselves
out of doing things, can't we?
We think, oh, actually, like whybother?
But I nothing I know fromexperience, nothing ever changes
unless we do some some kind ofnew positive habit.
(33:50):
Well, none of us are perfect,and and and when our listeners
hear about the difficulties thatother people have and how they
overcome it, it's always thinkit's a really good, a really
wonderful gift.
SPEAKER_00 (34:00):
Because you think you're the only one, don't you?
You think everyone else is goingout.
They look at those runners, lookat the you know, they're
practicing every day, they'redoing this, and you start, it's
it comes back to judgment,doesn't it?
And when you're in judgment, youcan't grow, you can't change.
SPEAKER_01 (34:18):
Absolutely.
So if I'm a listener, if ifthere's there's a one small
thing that they can do to feelmore elevated and and beautiful
and more confident.
SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
I would look for, I would say today I'm thinking
look for the look for the goodpoints in you, look for the
beauty in you that's there,rather than look for the
negative.
Look just find one thing thatyou like about yourself, your
smile, your whatever, and oryour lips if it if we're talking
(34:51):
about beauty, and bring thatout.
Focus on bringing that out, youknow, if it's your eyes, if it's
your lips, if it's you know,work on that, if it's your hair,
you know, a jumper you love thatthat lifts you.
SPEAKER_01 (35:07):
Yeah, because things like that can make a big
difference, can't they?
SPEAKER_00 (35:10):
I think they make a huge difference.
You can be feeling a bit, youknow, tired of but when you you
know you see this kind of colouron your on your on your clothes
or an uplifting, you know, redjumper or whatever it is, or or
something that's soft and cozy,you feel okay.
It's it's all about preparing,you know, very much it's it's
(35:34):
not like we're going intobattle, but it's like uh
preparing ourselves to getthrough something.
What's the one thing you wisheveryone knew about beauty and
self-worth?
It's a very hard thing to kindof get your head around that it
doesn't come from externalvalidation.
(35:54):
It comes from inside.
But at the same time, I thinkexternal validation is
important.
You know, if I see somebodywho's got a looks great or has
not, you know, something niceabout them, I will, a stranger,
I will mention it to thembecause it uplifts their day.
(36:15):
It also uplifts you, doesn't it?
If you see everybody in the sameclothes on the tube in the same
colours, you you kind of thinkwe're we're so as human beings,
we're so attached to everybodyelse's energy.
We pick it up and you think,don't you?
If you see somebody in a brightcoloured this or somebody who's
made an effort, might not beyour style, it doesn't matter.
(36:37):
You know, it perks you up a bit.
It gives you, it lifts you.
It's quite it's it's a reallyimportant, subtle thing, I
think.
But I think as human beings,we're so we're so vulnerable to
to to these energies that thatuh Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:55):
The point you're saying is that it when we see
someone who's really beenthemselves, it kind of reminds
us to be ourselves.
So if I'm a listener and I I'dlike to work with you, Nina, um
I do have an internationalaudience, maybe it's through
makeup or through the your brandnew business, new makeup
business, or the gong or yoga,how can they reach you and
(37:15):
what's the best course ofaction?
SPEAKER_00 (37:17):
You can find me on my website, nina gann.com.
This November I've just posted athing.
So if you book me this November,you don't have to take it in
November for a makeup group.
There's I think there's£100 offmy one-to-ones, and there's
there's discounts anyway.
Oh wonderful! So just to givepeople the lift before
(37:42):
Christmas, they might want toknow what suits them, what what
would look better.
SPEAKER_01 (37:46):
That's such a good idea with the party season
coming up.
Gifts for like loved ones aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (37:50):
It's been really lovely talking to you, and thank
you for having me on.
SPEAKER_01 (37:53):
Oh, I've really enjoyed it.
As promised, here is yourmeditation inspired by today's
show.
Top tips for the meditation iseither sit nice and cross-legged
on the floor with a nicestraight back, always nice to
sit on a block or a cushion, orif that's not available for you.
You sit in a chair with the backnice and straight.
(38:14):
The important thing is you'renot slouching.
And if you're doing somethingthat requires you for
concentration, all you need todo is just pause this and you
can reconvene the meditation ata time that is good for you.
If you're doing the meditation,let's begin.
(38:36):
So as you slowly and gently sitthere, just stop to connect with
your body and allow your mind tobe quiet.
Take a slow deep breath in andout through the nostrils, and
just feel as if you surrenderand settle into the moment.
(38:59):
You feel a sense of quietness,and in your imagination, you can
imagine a beautiful mirror.
It's a full-length mirror,surrounded by ornate patterns,
in a room where the light ishonest, and in that imagination,
(39:24):
in that imagined thought, youlook into this mirror, and you
see your face, your eyes, yourbeing, and you notice yourself
looking back at you via thereflection, all that you have
(39:47):
been through in your life,learned, loved, and hated.
But whatever path you've beenon, that reflection is you.
Take another deep breath, and asyou breathe, you feel you can
(40:07):
relax even more as you envisionyourself again in that mirror.
That honest picture of who youare.
You meet your gaze again and youallow your presence to be seen
as the light cascades in thewindow.
You have no judgment of what youbehold.
(40:30):
Maybe your hair has a few moregrey hairs now than when you
were young, a few more gentleexpression lines.
Perhaps you don't feel the sameas what you were, but instead of
focusing on that, can you lookinto that mirror and see the
(40:51):
divinity of your soul?
And tell yourself that you arebeautiful.
What one small thing can youappreciate about yourself?
One small thing you canappreciate about yourself.
(41:12):
Maybe it's the color of yourhair, the way you smile.
Focus on that.
And also an internal aspectabout how brave you can be
sometimes, or how you have thiskindness about you.
(41:34):
You are a resilient, amazingbeing, as you let the warmth of
the moment of this beautifulmirror, which is in a reflection
of your soul, and you let go ofanything that stops you from
feeling total and utterself-love.
You look to that mirror as ifit's eyes into your soul, and
(41:57):
you tell yourself, I love you, Ilove you, I love me, I love me
completely.
And you thank the mirror and youslowly come back into the
moment, come back into the room,knowing that you are always
worthy.
Hello everybody.
So I got up bright and earlythis morning.
I've been up since 3 30 andtravelled because I wanted to
share this special, special,special episode of you today.
And I can't wait for you to meetthis next guest virtually.
So we hit the 250 episode markearlier this week.
(00:59):
So I'm having a bit of acelebratory month, and this is
episode 251, and we're on season19, and I believe this is
episode 7, and we're going to betalking today about the alchemy
of beauty, how spirituality andself-care transform how we show
up.
And I think it's reallyimportant how we show up in
(01:20):
life.
And we've got a very specialistperson on the show today, and
she likes every room-up that shegoes into with her natural,
uplifting, and wonderfulpersonality.
And Nina was trained by the BBC,and she's worked in the
professional makeup artistryindustry for over 37 years.
(01:43):
She's worked with iconicdirectors to high-end feature
films and commercials, and shespecializes in professional
makeup that is natural and alsocharacter makeup.
And I know she's done the likesof Liz Hurley to all other stars
(02:04):
and even the makeup on RedDwarf, which is a programme that
I used to like watching a whileago.
Nina has had a very excitinglife.
She did relocate to New Yorkback in 2014, but then decided
to come back to the UK.
I won't tell you everythingbecause I'd like her to share it
in her own words.
(02:25):
But on her website, one of thequotes is that her approach is
more than superficial.
It's about helping you feelcomfortable, confident, and
truly your best.
So I thought, what better personto speak to us today about the
alchemy of beauty, howspirituality and self-care can
transform how we show up.
Without further ado, pleasewelcome the one and only Nina
(02:48):
Gang to the show.
Welcome, Nina.
Hi Jane.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me on theshow.
Would you mind just sharing abit about your journey so far
and your own life's experienceon this path?
SPEAKER_00 (03:02):
Yeah, sure.
Well, I started doing makeup.
I got into the BBC as a trainee,got in my 20s, and that again
was a kind of it was a decision.
I think all the decisions I'veever made that have changed my
life have been snap decisions.
They haven't been really wellthought out.
So I decided I wanted to be amakeup artist.
(03:24):
And actually I got in to theBBC.
And at that time, you you didtwo years training, and there
were they employed 120 makeupartists full-time.
So, you know, we were doing bigshows.
So you learnt on that.
Um, you learned, you know, periyou learnt everything on that,
really.
Wiggs, period.
(03:44):
It was a really beautiful andcomplete training.
Then after a few years, I leftand went freelance.
And then got I got intocommercials because basically I
had a baby just before I was 30and I needed to be more regular.
And also I like the I like thevibe of commercials.
(04:07):
They were kind of short andsweet and fun and it was lively.
And I did that for got more orless up until now, but with big
with big breaks in between.
So my 30s was really aboutraising a child and working and
enjoying life, I guess, as wasmy 40s.
(04:27):
Then in my late 40s, I went tomy my husband, my ex-husband was
offered the chance to run hisrun an office in New York, and
it was a big jump, but I feltthat we had to make that change.
For me, probably the hardestpart was giving up my career,
(04:51):
even though over the years I Igot to the point where I tore my
rotator cuff over stretching,and every time I worked, you
know, I'd have kind of have tohave downtime.
And I remember one job, it itwas okay, it was fine, a little
bit painful.
And I was making up HusseinBolt.
SPEAKER_01 (05:13):
And wow.
SPEAKER_00 (05:15):
He's, you know, I'm five foot two and he's six foot
whatever.
And I stretched up to reach hisneck, and something happened in
my shoulder, and as I brought itdown, that my elbow stayed by my
ribs, and for three weeks it itwas stuck there.
So, um, so that was kind of anindication that it was time to
(05:36):
to move on.
But I but I've been in theindustry so long, I like the
lifestyle, I didn't know what tomove on to, and then this this
um chance of a new life in NewYork came up, and we went for
it.
And it was a chance for me tokind of rest and rethink, or
supposed to be, but in that timemy daughter got pregnant, my
(06:02):
husband became an absolutestranger.
We we I think it was probablythe worst time in my life, and
also the you know, the mostshould we say, exciting time.
I mean, it was lovely to bethere, but the worst things
(06:22):
happened to me.
So I found myself coming backtwo years later on my own,
having to restart again, and Ididn't want to be in the same
house with the same job, butwithout my family, as it were.
Um and so I I guess I well I wasbroken to be honest.
(06:47):
I think that one broke me morethan my mum dying, because
somehow when somebody dies youcan carry on.
You you can't, you know, there'sa beauty in that grief, but the
shock of my whole life beingturned upside down again, you
know, moving one place, settingup, spending two years, getting
that together, then having toset up again was was quite quite
(07:10):
devastating and threw me morethan I ever thought it could.
So that's when I discovered uhgong baths, because I sometimes
you're at a stage where uh yogais doing something.
Anything, you know, meditation,you're it you can't access it.
(07:32):
Your mind is too busy, and thegong bath just it requires
nothing of you.
And sometimes that's what youneed.
And and that kind of enabled meto to build up again my
strength.
And then I went back to tokundalini, which also is is just
(07:53):
amazing for bringing back, youknow, bringing making you
resilient, really, and movingforward.
SPEAKER_01 (08:00):
So that's that's kundalini yoga listeners, which
is a form of a form of a veryenergetic form of yoga.
SPEAKER_00 (08:07):
It's very yeah, it's quite a special form of yoga.
It's not for everybody, yeah.
But if you embark on it, itreally does make.
I think kundalini yoga saw methrough the death of my father.
It made me balanced enough to,you know, and strong enough.
It gives you a very internalstrength, as well as physical,
(08:31):
because it's quite energetic, wesay.
SPEAKER_01 (08:36):
Amazing.
And I know that's you count,you've got clients like TikTok
and um LinkedIn on your on yourbooks.
So that sounds quite a difficultjourney that you you went went
through, and it's such aninspiring story that you've
shared so far.
From makeup arts industry aswell as yoga and sound healing.
(08:58):
How have you put these passions?
How have you shaped the way thatyou you think about beauty and
self-expression?
SPEAKER_00 (09:05):
Well, I think they're all in it's very
interlinked, isn't it?
I mean, I don't think, you know,we I don't think beauty is, you
know, they say it's skin deep,but it's absolutely not.
You know, the it's the beautythat comes from you, it's the
energy, it's all about yourenergy.
(09:25):
You can see it's you know, it'snot the most beautiful woman in
the world in the world that walkyou walk past and you notice.
It's the one with theconfidence, it's the one with
that something you can't quiteput your finger on.
Well, the gong baths reseteverything in you and they bring
you back to you, they give youthat that peace, I would say.
(09:46):
The after after having, youknow, gone to gong baths for
about a year, I wanted to dosomething that really helped
people.
I kind of got to the point wherethe makeup in commercials was,
you know, it didn't mean enoughto me.
And I and I wanted to dosomething worthwhile.
So with the training toKundalini and the Gong Together,
(10:09):
I kind of embarked on thisjourney of helping helping
people inside, you know, changetheir, change their energy, feel
better.
And then I see makeup as anextension of that.
You know, makeup for for womenwho, you know, you've you've got
to a stage where your facestarts changing, and you don't
(10:31):
or you wake up and you're going,where did these where did these
bags come from?
It's not something you everthought of.
And suddenly all you're seeingis those bags.
But you know, you can be doingall the internal stuff, but your
face is changing, and you don'tquite know how to make that that
kind of transition.
(10:52):
And for me, it's kind of workingon that that energy that
somebody has, that individualitythat they already have, and
showing them that it's there onthe outside too.
SPEAKER_01 (11:02):
Get older, and in the society that woman I'm
particularly judged by the waywe look, or maybe we just have
this perception.
I don't know, to be honest.
But um, I know a lot of womenover 40 say their relationship
with makeup changes as they getolder.
I know, I know I had I had thegift of having a makeup lesson
with your yourself recently, andyou got me to stay clear from
(11:22):
the the the green and blueeyeshadow, which I have has kind
of been my signature look forfor maybe far too long and I've
stuck with it.
I'm just wearing the browns now.
SPEAKER_00 (11:33):
I don't mean to limit you in that.
There are greens, but it was theit was more the tone of the
green.
Yeah, the makeup does changebecause you know, perhaps even
you know, the eyeliner that youused to put on that looked quite
striking and and was yoursignature look, as your eyes
droop slightly, it can look it,you know, it can start to look
(11:56):
hard.
Yeah.
And so that but there's a way tosoften that.
So I think aging beauty is moreabout softening.
It is it is about embracingwhere you are, but not just
letting it all go.
It's just finding finding thosepoints and not focusing so much
on what you've lost, but seeing,you know, there's seeing what
(12:22):
you've what you've got now.
SPEAKER_01 (12:23):
Yeah, that's a really beautiful way to put it.
When you s when you speak aboutthat, it makes you think of my
friend, and she's she's likeshe's in the late 70s and she's
just she's all beautiful becauseshe she looks really nice, but
she also her inner light comescomes through and and she and
she really knows who she is.
And I find that that that deeplyinspiring.
(12:43):
But I guess not everyone has theability to know that about
themselves.
SPEAKER_00 (12:48):
No, I think that's going back to what you said
about women feel so judged, butI think women are the worst
people to judge themselves.
I mean, you know, if you look inthe mirror, you're looking
critically.
It's like, what's wrong here?
What do I need to take out?
What rather than hey, I'm here.
(13:08):
Yeah.
And I think men are far moreaccepting of the way they look.
They don't judge themselves asharshly as we judge ourselves.
And it does come from years ofhaving to look like this, you
know, having to look like that.
This is a certain way, therestrictions that there were
(13:29):
when we were younger.
SPEAKER_01 (13:31):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:31):
Maybe they're not so much now.
But then it's nobody wants to bethat invisible older woman.
You don't want to be reflect,you know, things happen.
Yes.
Your body shape changes, youryour skin changes, your hair
changes, and it's finding theway to find the beauty in that
(13:52):
and the confidence in that.
What we want is, you know, whatbeauty is, is a freedom, isn't
it?
It's a sense of freedom.
It's feeling free.
It's like when you've been onthe beach for a couple of weeks
and you're brown and you'rerelaxed, you're beautiful.
SPEAKER_01 (14:09):
I had this b this vision.
Do you think it's because youfeel relaxed and accepting of
oneself?
SPEAKER_00 (14:15):
Yeah, and I think the sun has a lot to do with it
and the rest and the the and thenot having to be whoever you are
in your work, whoever you are,you know, in your life, in your
area or whatever.
You are you feel a bit freer.
And it's that freedom and thatsense of freedom, which is and
(14:37):
confidence, which is what thebeauty is about, isn't it?
That's what that's what youdouble take on somebody, not
somebody who's really made upand has the perfect figure, you
know, or it's the quirks, it'sthat individuality, it's like
that bright red lipstick on a75-year-old woman.
It's that that to me is is thebeauty.
SPEAKER_01 (15:00):
Oh, and there's the whole industry.
Oh, Barbara, there's like this,this, there's so brace and like
models, the older models, likesome of them are in the
hundreds, like I know one model,I can't remember her name, but
she's like a hundred, and it'sall so they I think what you're
saying, and what I'm feeling isthat you dear listen is that you
can embrace and accept and loveyourself, but also kind of not
(15:21):
be invisible, like like Ninasaid.
So, Nina, what are some of thebiggest myths or misunderstands
you see with relationships withwomen and makeup as they get
older?
And I know your new business ishelping to define beauty at this
stage in their life.
Yeah, I'm thinking about that.
SPEAKER_00 (15:38):
I would say a lot of the stuff that that comes on
right now, the the things likeif you're a certain age, you
can't do this, you can't, youit's the can't, I think.
Um there are certain productsthat won't look so good on your
skin.
You can't put on with that muchease.
(15:59):
But I was thinking about thisquestion, and actually a few
weeks ago I was making up some20-year-old models, and in the
end, I use the same base that Iuse on older women for them.
So it's not so much about youcan't use this or this, it's
what individually suits suitsyou, and the beauty industry's
(16:22):
gone a little bit nuts withagain restricting women in older
women have to wear this, youcan't do that.
And and I find some of theproducts are excellent and they
do help, but a lot of them a lotof them are just gimmicks.
(16:46):
Yeah, it's just it's justselling to another insecurity
that we have, or making anotherinsecurity.
You know, it's the rules andregulations.
I mean, one myth that has allmyth or mistake that has always
gotten me is they you know, butthey always say when you when
you go to try on a base orfoundation, do it test it on the
(17:08):
side of your your jawlinebecause that will match your
neck.
But the problem is as you getolder, or even if you're
younger, if you've got you knowhigh colour in your skin, or
your pores are more visible,that's not going to, you're not
going to know if that's coveringthem or hiding them.
(17:28):
And so what I always say toeverybody is just put the base,
take the tester, put it or asmuch on your face as you
possibly put, on all over yourface, cover the the areas that
you want covered, and then gooutside and see what it looks
like in the daylight.
So it is really very much aboutwhat you see rather than what
(17:54):
you're told you should wear.
SPEAKER_01 (17:56):
Yeah.
There's all these things thatcome on Instagram and they're
saying, Oh, this is going to gowrong with you, this, this, and
this.
And I'm just thinking, like, ifyou listen to it all, you'd be
kind of be completely likeparanoid.
SPEAKER_00 (18:08):
You're paranoid and also feel really ineffective
because I some of them are greatto watch, and some of them, you
know, there are the the generalrules, but the thing is,
everybody's face is sodifferent.
So, you know, if you follow therules to where you should now do
your eyeliner from one Instagrampost, you're going to feel like
a failure because maybe your eyedoesn't fall in that same way.
(18:32):
And and makeup is aboutmillimeters, it's moving it
millimeters.
SPEAKER_01 (18:37):
You know, I like that.
Moving it millimeters.
Yeah.
And you've been in the industryfor years.
So, what shifts have you noticedin what women want and what they
look?
Has it changed much at all?
SPEAKER_00 (18:48):
I would say it has, because if you think about you
know my mother's generation,it's, you know, the mate well,
the first start, bases were veryheavy then.
They were thicker, they werereal, you know, you put on your
face, as it were.
And I and it's like uh theyslightly stepped into that older
(19:12):
woman role.
Whereas we don't, we've stillgot that kind of it's a
different, it's a differentenergy.
It's not like, oh, okay, I'vereached this point, I'm settled.
Nobody's settled.
There's divorce, there's grief,you know.
So many people are are stillworking harder than they worked
before in their 50s, in theirsixties.
(19:34):
So and also I think COVID had alot to do with with the change
in it.
You know, when it sud suddenlystarted, you know, before it's
like if you had grey hair, youwere an old woman.
But then suds people start intoembracing their grey hair, and
and it's beautiful.
Addie McDowell, she looks great.
(19:55):
Yeah.
And it's and it's and it's thatfreed.
It's more it is again, it'sgoing back to feeling that
youthfulness or wanting to feelthat youthfulness, not wearing a
full face of makeup, but usingthe makeup to bring out a
freshness.
You want that radiance, don'tyou?
(20:16):
You wake up in the morning, thatthere's a little bit of work to
do.
You're not, you know, the I'venoticed my face takes a lot
longer to wake up than my bodynow.
And that's accepting that, butalso it doesn't mean okay, I'm
washed out.
It just means that it takes thattime.
(20:36):
But you know, the base we thebasis we want, the look we want
now is more to lift our faces asopposed to mask our faces.
SPEAKER_01 (20:48):
Yeah, so working with what we've got to kind of
rather than try to change it.
SPEAKER_00 (20:53):
And it's that element of freedom and freshness
again, isn't it?
It's an element of embracingnatural, but not just being, you
know, there's natural andthere's embracing natural
working.
Natural takes a bit of work now,yeah.
Not a lot, you know, it's not anhour's work, but a little bit of
(21:15):
work.
A little bit of tweaking.
SPEAKER_01 (21:18):
A little bit tweaking here and there.
I'm a real good fan.
I've not had time to do it thisweek, but generally I like to do
facial like massage or yoga, andI find that helps my my my face
a lot.
When the time once I've had timeto do it, it kind of makes it
feel a bit more lifted.
At the very least, it kind ofrelaxes that startled look I
could sometimes have fromlooking at a computer all day.
SPEAKER_00 (21:40):
So yeah, yeah, facial facial yoga is very
effective, but you have to bequite disciplined about it.
SPEAKER_01 (21:47):
Yes, definitely, definitely.
But I think I think it'sdefinitely worth it, dear
listeners, and there's so manythings on YouTube.
So you start a new business,Nina, which is a it's always a
brave move, and I I always findit inspiring.
People that can start a newbusiness.
What inspired you to createsomething specifically for women
(22:07):
over 40?
And what's been the mostrewarding or challenging part of
that so far?
SPEAKER_00 (22:14):
Well, again, that slightly came out of the blue.
I thought I'm not going to domakeup, I'm going to just focus
on the gong and and yoga, whichI did for a few years, but but
I've missed working on peoplespecifically.
And really, a couple of people,actually one from my gong class,
(22:36):
asked it for you know, uh askedme their advice on makeup.
And I did it as a as a favor,and I thought, actually, I
really like this.
And then other people startedasking, and I thought, if
there's a there's a real needfor it's something I know, it's
(22:57):
something I I I know reallywell, I'm good at.
And it's there's a real need forpeople to learn how to naturally
look good.
You know, it's easy to it's easyto blank out the face and stick
on lots of makeup or not bother,but there's a big, you know,
there's a big gap in in the inin between, if you like.
SPEAKER_01 (23:21):
Ah, I like that.
So if it came it, it kind ofcame your way with someone
asking and obviously your expectexpertise and you enjoyed it.
That's lovely.
SPEAKER_00 (23:31):
And I think, you know, the biggest for me, the
biggest I I love, I get realpleasure out of somebody feeling
better about the that I've beenable to make somebody feel
better.
I remember once I was working,can't remember what I was
(23:51):
working on, something channel, Ithink, and an old lady came in
and she was wheeled in.
And you know, when somebody, allyou see around them, their
energy is grey, they are grey.
She was so there was so nothingcoming from her.
And she was 86.
I think she it was it was aninterview of something.
And she was, I don't wearmakeup, I don't bother with
(24:13):
that, it's not going to make adifference.
And I said, Well, what about ifI just do a little bit of this?
And by the end of it, she was adifferent human being, you know,
and she was sitting up straightin her chair and she was asking
me what I used, where I got it.
It was like she came alive.
(25:13):
And and that all that admittedalways stayed with me.
It's like that there is a powerin in sh teaching someone or
showing someone what the, youknow, what their potential is in
their face.
I mean, the challenges are thebusiness side of it.
You know, I can make up athousand people, no problem.
(25:34):
But the sitting down and doingthe business and doing the the
posting, that for me is is achallenge.
SPEAKER_01 (25:42):
Yes, yeah, it's hard that side, isn't it?
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (25:46):
I think especially for my generation.
SPEAKER_01 (25:51):
Yeah.
But you're you're overcoming it.
Yeah, I'm I'm working at it.
Brilliant, brilliant.
And I I as looking on yourInstagram, you've maked up
you've made up the likes of LizHurley and used to do the makeup
on Red Draw.
That I used to love that show.
(26:11):
I didn't know it was you thatwas did it.
It's an amazing show.
SPEAKER_00 (26:14):
Yeah, I did I did two seasons on on um I made up
Crichton mainly because it tookso long to do that every day.
I mean, oh my god, yeah, thatput me off prosthetics.
It's one millimeter out, andyou're pulling, you know, he's
in pain for the whole for thewhole um shooting session.
SPEAKER_01 (26:37):
Oh wow.
SPEAKER_00 (26:38):
You know, it's um it's where it was glue, you're
gluing his face basically.
SPEAKER_01 (26:43):
Oh wow.
Wow.
Yeah, and it's it uh for thosedear listeners of you who don't
know who Crichton is, if youjust Google Red Dwarf and
Crichton, you'll see a pictureand you'll see how intricate
this this makeup makeup was.
It was a whole rubber helmetthat we had to put in place on.
SPEAKER_00 (27:03):
But but it was a great experience, yeah.
And Elizabeth Hurley I did whenshe was very young.
I we I made her up for threemonths on uh probably my best
job ever.
We were out in Dominica and theCaribbean for three months, and
that that was that wasincredible.
Wow, she was great, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (27:24):
She's uh she's such an icon.
Actually, so so many womendescribe that when they get to
midlife, or not just womenexclusively, but it's a kind of
spiritual awakening, I guessgoing through the change, all
these kind of things.
From your experience, how doesembracing that transformation
change the way we approachbeauty and confidence?
SPEAKER_00 (27:43):
Well, that's a tough one.
For me personally, I wouldn'tsay it was a spiritual awakening
for a lot of women.
It's just like what the hell isgoing on?
It's like, you know, you youdon't sleep suddenly, you don't
sleep and you forget things.
I mean, on to be honest, I Ihave always forgotten things,
(28:03):
I've always been really scanty,but it's worse.
And trying to, it's that tryingto hold it together.
It's a bit like I think when youwhen you're pregnant and you get
to the last term, you just knowyou can't hold it together.
So you so you just embrace it,and there is there's quite a
(28:24):
loveliness in that.
I think the confidence comes incomes in the fact that you don't
have to be the one that peoplelook at and judge all the time.
You know, you it's not aboutinvisible, but you're not that
it's like you're not on thefront cover anymore.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
You can sit back in those pagesand it doesn't matter that
(28:49):
you've put on half a stonebecause nobody's it's it's like
the expectation goes and youfeel kind of comfortable in not
being seen for a bit, andsomething else kind of evolves
from it, and you feelcomfortable in being a bit
scatty, and and then I guessthat's that's where the
spiritual awakening comes.
(29:12):
There's there's a freedom inthat.
SPEAKER_01 (29:14):
You're just embracing it and just allowing
it to kind of that's I yeah, Ilike that.
You think so, yeah.
Yeah, it's kind of I mean it'shell for a lot of women.
It's really yeah, it can behelpless for a lot of women,
can't it?
SPEAKER_00 (29:27):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (29:27):
Feeling good about oneself is a is a way to help
navigate through all that.
And I know that you've helped somany people feel their best.
When when you think about yourown spiritual journey through
gong, yoga, etc., and now thisbusiness, what does beauty mean
to you today?
SPEAKER_00 (29:47):
Well, I think, oh god, beauty is everywhere, isn't
it?
I think when you're younger,you're very limited in what what
is beautiful and what is not.
As you get older, you you justit expands, doesn't it?
Beauty, beauty doesn't getlimited to anything.
(30:08):
But beauty is the kind of it'sit does begin with the in the
energy inside, and that's andthat's a bit contradictory
because a lot of the time, wellhow can you have this great
energy when you haven't slept oryou've been up since three
o'clock in the morning andyou've or you're worn out or
you're overthinking, all thosethings.
(30:29):
But actually that that self-careis uh is essential and the
beauty, yes, it does, it it'sit's um it does show in your
face.
But I think you know, you haveto look you also have to find
that beauty and not find notfocus on again on the negative.
(30:52):
It's like going to you know, anart gallery and you look at art
and you you you get filled withsomething, you know, or you go
into the you know nature andthere's this beautiful tree.
It beauty transcends something,it takes you somewhere else, it
elevates you.
SPEAKER_01 (31:09):
Yeah, I like that.
It's it's it's kind of uh it'slike it's like a blast of
uplifting energy.
It's like when you connectedwith like source or in in in in
the zone.
Like if you I don't know, onetime I This beautiful piece of
artwork in this shop.
I couldn't afford to buy it, butit just made my soul sing.
Yeah, it's it's all of that,isn't it?
(31:32):
I'm trying to help my listenersa lot, and that's why I think
this is such a good show to haveyou on today.
And I want to ask you, we alsoall start out with good
intentions, but keeping up withpositive habits can be tough.
What do you think tends to getin the way and how can we
overcome it?
Are there any tips that you cangive them?
SPEAKER_00 (31:52):
Oh, I think what gets in the way is it, you know,
while we're trying to achievesomething, while it's like a
diet or I don't know, a facialroutine, an exercise, whatever,
while we're trying to get there,we can do it.
We've got all that energy, youknow, and adrenaline.
We push ourselves, but but it'sonly a limited amount of time we
(32:15):
can we can stay on that level.
Then it gets, I think for me,it's boredom.
You know, you're meant it'smaintenance.
And that's boring because you'renot seeing these dramatic
changes anymore.
You're not on that path to thedramatic, the drive.
So it's the boredom that getsyou, and then you slump, and
(32:36):
then you slump, and then youbeat yourself up for slumping.
And then, you know, if you'reanything like me, you lie in bed
going, Oh, I should be doingthis, and I'm not.
But I think you take out thatshould what I've learned very
recently is I do it in soundbites.
I'll just do five minutes, andrather than say, I should do
(32:58):
this, I'm going to experimentwith this.
SPEAKER_01 (33:01):
Ah, I like that.
SPEAKER_00 (33:02):
Experiment.
And it's not setting yourself upfor failure.
It's like five minutes you canallocate.
You know, and no, maybe I shoulddo my practice for an hour.
No, I'm gonna do five minutesand then let that extend.
It's the I think it's thepressure we put on ourselves,
and then you do reach a boredomlevel, and then maybe you have
(33:24):
to change it a bit.
SPEAKER_01 (33:26):
Yeah, and uh it's like microhabits, I think, is
like what you describe like thefive, five, like to do five
minutes, because it is sometimeswe can be we can talk ourselves
out of doing things, can't we?
We think, oh, actually, like whybother?
But I nothing I know fromexperience, nothing ever changes
unless we do some some kind ofnew positive habit.
(33:50):
Well, none of us are perfect,and and and when our listeners
hear about the difficulties thatother people have and how they
overcome it, it's always thinkit's a really good, a really
wonderful gift.
SPEAKER_00 (34:00):
Because you think you're the only one, don't you?
You think everyone else is goingout.
They look at those runners, lookat the you know, they're
practicing every day, they'redoing this, and you start, it's
it comes back to judgment,doesn't it?
And when you're in judgment, youcan't grow, you can't change.
SPEAKER_01 (34:18):
Absolutely.
So if I'm a listener, if ifthere's there's a one small
thing that they can do to feelmore elevated and and beautiful
and more confident.
SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
I would look for, I would say today I'm thinking
look for the look for the goodpoints in you, look for the
beauty in you that's there,rather than look for the
negative.
Look just find one thing thatyou like about yourself, your
smile, your whatever, and oryour lips if it if we're talking
(34:51):
about beauty, and bring thatout.
Focus on bringing that out, youknow, if it's your eyes, if it's
your lips, if it's you know,work on that, if it's your hair,
you know, a jumper you love thatthat lifts you.
SPEAKER_01 (35:07):
Yeah, because things like that can make a big
difference, can't they?
SPEAKER_00 (35:10):
I think they make a huge difference.
You can be feeling a bit, youknow, tired of but when you you
know you see this kind of colouron your on your on your clothes
or an uplifting, you know, redjumper or whatever it is, or or
something that's soft and cozy,you feel okay.
It's it's all about preparing,you know, very much it's it's
(35:34):
not like we're going intobattle, but it's like uh
preparing ourselves to getthrough something.
What's the one thing you wisheveryone knew about beauty and
self-worth?
It's a very hard thing to kindof get your head around that it
doesn't come from externalvalidation.
(35:54):
It comes from inside.
But at the same time, I thinkexternal validation is
important.
You know, if I see somebodywho's got a looks great or has
not, you know, something niceabout them, I will, a stranger,
I will mention it to thembecause it uplifts their day.
(36:15):
It also uplifts you, doesn't it?
If you see everybody in the sameclothes on the tube in the same
colours, you you kind of thinkwe're we're so as human beings,
we're so attached to everybodyelse's energy.
We pick it up and you think,don't you?
If you see somebody in a brightcoloured this or somebody who's
made an effort, might not beyour style, it doesn't matter.
(36:37):
You know, it perks you up a bit.
It gives you, it lifts you.
It's quite it's it's a reallyimportant, subtle thing, I
think.
But I think as human beings,we're so we're so vulnerable to
to to these energies that thatuh Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:55):
The point you're saying is that it when we see
someone who's really beenthemselves, it kind of reminds
us to be ourselves.
So if I'm a listener and I I'dlike to work with you, Nina, um
I do have an internationalaudience, maybe it's through
makeup or through the your brandnew business, new makeup
business, or the gong or yoga,how can they reach you and
(37:15):
what's the best course ofaction?
SPEAKER_00 (37:17):
You can find me on my website, nina gann.com.
This November I've just posted athing.
So if you book me this November,you don't have to take it in
November for a makeup group.
There's I think there's£100 offmy one-to-ones, and there's
there's discounts anyway.
Oh wonderful! So just to givepeople the lift before
(37:42):
Christmas, they might want toknow what suits them, what what
would look better.
SPEAKER_01 (37:46):
That's such a good idea with the party season
coming up.
Gifts for like loved ones aswell.
SPEAKER_00 (37:50):
It's been really lovely talking to you, and thank
you for having me on.
SPEAKER_01 (37:53):
Oh, I've really enjoyed it.
As promised, here is yourmeditation inspired by today's
show.
Top tips for the meditation iseither sit nice and cross-legged
on the floor with a nicestraight back, always nice to
sit on a block or a cushion, orif that's not available for you.
You sit in a chair with the backnice and straight.
(38:14):
The important thing is you'renot slouching.
And if you're doing somethingthat requires you for
concentration, all you need todo is just pause this and you
can reconvene the meditation ata time that is good for you.
If you're doing the meditation,let's begin.
(38:36):
So as you slowly and gently sitthere, just stop to connect with
your body and allow your mind tobe quiet.
Take a slow deep breath in andout through the nostrils, and
just feel as if you surrenderand settle into the moment.
(38:59):
You feel a sense of quietness,and in your imagination, you can
imagine a beautiful mirror.
It's a full-length mirror,surrounded by ornate patterns,
in a room where the light ishonest, and in that imagination,
(39:24):
in that imagined thought, youlook into this mirror, and you
see your face, your eyes, yourbeing, and you notice yourself
looking back at you via thereflection, all that you have
(39:47):
been through in your life,learned, loved, and hated.
But whatever path you've beenon, that reflection is you.
Take another deep breath, and asyou breathe, you feel you can
(40:07):
relax even more as you envisionyourself again in that mirror.
That honest picture of who youare.
You meet your gaze again and youallow your presence to be seen
as the light cascades in thewindow.
You have no judgment of what youbehold.
(40:30):
Maybe your hair has a few moregrey hairs now than when you
were young, a few more gentleexpression lines.
Perhaps you don't feel the sameas what you were, but instead of
focusing on that, can you lookinto that mirror and see the
(40:51):
divinity of your soul?
And tell yourself that you arebeautiful.
What one small thing can youappreciate about yourself?
One small thing you canappreciate about yourself.
(41:12):
Maybe it's the color of yourhair, the way you smile.
Focus on that.
And also an internal aspectabout how brave you can be
sometimes, or how you have thiskindness about you.
(41:34):
You are a resilient, amazingbeing, as you let the warmth of
the moment of this beautifulmirror, which is in a reflection
of your soul, and you let go ofanything that stops you from
feeling total and utterself-love.
You look to that mirror as ifit's eyes into your soul, and
(41:57):
you tell yourself, I love you, Ilove you, I love me, I love me
completely.
And you thank the mirror and youslowly come back into the
moment, come back into the room,knowing that you are always
worthy.
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