Meghann Fahy’s skin secrets on the red carpet, according to her facialist

• Meghann Fahy is known for her role in Season 2 of ‘The White Lotus’.
• We spoke to her facialist, Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine, about Fahy’s pre-red carpet skincare routine.
• Keep reading for McLeod-Valentine’s tips on how to get a similar glow at home.

Meghann Fahy is undeniably having a moment. From her portrayal of Daphne Babcock in Season 2’s “The White Lotus” to stunning on the red carpet of the 2023 season, she’s quickly becoming a sight to watch. Speaking of that face, we were curious how Fahy gets her skin so glowy and red carpet ready. So, of course, we went straight to the source: her facial specialist, Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine.

During awards season, you can find McLeod-Valentine — an ambassador for luxury skincare brand Augustine Bader — at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel, where everyone from Fahy to Cate Blanchett to Julia Garner gets prepped for most of the big events. Although he is a facialist, it is more correct to call him a facial massager – he is known for his rather intense style of “hitting” to snatch cheekbones and make the skin glow.

“The facial massage I was trained in is an ancient Japanese form called Kobido,” McLeod-Valentine tells POPSUGAR. “I trained under a geisha named Madame Shin when I was in China for 12 weeks. She showed me how to lift, contour and deep-drain the skin. [Think] about lymph congestion and puffiness. . . we really store there all the stress and coping responses to things like alcohol, caffeine, edibles, pollutants, diet, and free radicals that have the ability to blow up the face. When you dry the face and work on it, you bring people back to that really sculpted look that has become the hallmark and gold standard of the beauty industry.

When stars like Fahy get ready for red carpets, McLeod-Valentine usually gives them his signature facial massage — the Augustine Bader Method — anywhere from the night before to a few hours before they’re ready on camera. For Fahy in particular, McLeod-Valentine explains that like most celebrities who are under intense pressure, hot spotlight, and repeated glamor processes, she focuses on moisturizing the skin to increase its radiance. “She’s looking for products that not only address her immediate concerns, but also provide long-lasting support, defense, and complexion transformation,” he says.

As for the facial itself, McLeod-Valentine uses a number of targeted methods to lift the cheeks and strengthen the jawline. He starts with a double cleanse, first with the Augustinus Bader The Cleansing Balm ($77) to remove any residual SPF, any skincare products used in the morning, and any long-wear makeup that needs to be removed, then the Augustinus Bader The Cleansing Gel ($70) or Augustinus Bader The Foaming Cleanser ($70). From there, McLeod-Valentine uses an essence with exfoliating acids. “In Meghann’s case, I use Augustine Bader The Essence ($93) with AHAs, PHAs, and BHAs to really tone, tone, hydrate, and lift the skin, working on luminosity and radiance for the complexion.”

Then on the Augustinus Bader The Serum ($390) to instantly brighten the complexion. Now it’s time for the good part. “At that point, I go into the first pass of a deep rhythmic massage with Augustine Bader The Face Oil ($255), really working down the jawline to drain and separate the neck and jaw, what I call, church and state,” says McLeod-Valentine. “Then go under the cheekbone to taper and let that contour come in as you lift the cheek pad and work across the forehead to get that lifted, alert look in the eyes.”

Then it’s a sheet mask, a swipe of Cryo sticks ($125) “for a cool, soothing touch to tighten, refine skin and expel extra lymph congestion,” followed by a bit of radiofrequency. “In Meghann’s case, I use the Opatra Synergy Marble for its ability to have hot and cold settings and to bind to the fibroblasts, lift, contour and really define the look of the complexion,” says McLeod-Valentine . It’s all sealed with Augustine Bader The Cream ($180) or Augustine Bader The Rich Cream ($290), depending on the occasion. “I always lean into The Rich Cream for red carpet prep because it’s the perfect soothing pre-makeup,” he says. The whole experience concludes with a guided meditation under an LED lamp.

While you may not be able to experience McLeod-Valentine’s hands for yourself (or buy a $14K facial tool), he has some tips on how to get Fahy-level contouring. “I like to start the morning with my facial massage,” he says. “It sets the day and intention and primes the system to drain throughout the day. The more you do it, the more your skin and body get used to the ability to perform.”

Here’s exactly how to recreate that red carpet magic at home.

Step 1: “Start with your thumbs under your chin and thread them along your jawline up to the lower jaw, around the earlobe. Do that 4 to 5 times. You can do it as a 10 minute step or a 3 minute step, whatever you have time for.”

Step 2: “Repeat the same movement with the thumbs from the chin up through the jawline to the earlobes, but placing the index fingers or full palm against the nose and scooping up the cheek area, while – almost like when you are in the look in the mirror and pretend you’re giving yourself a facelift. You can repeat that 5 times or as many times as you like.”

Step 3: “From there you take the index fingers, start them on the nasolabial folds next to your lips, press up, pass the nose to the eyes and then tap under the eyes and spread out to the temples. The intention, if you go through goes into the nasolabial folds, it’s to break up sinus congestion and move those toxins around to make your eyes less puffy and your cheeks and face more pronounced.

Step 4: “Run your finger over your eyebrows, starting at the ends near your nose, round in circles, under the eyebrow, and take it under the eye in a counterclockwise direction, then repeat 5 more times.”