Marie Reynolds

I’m not sure what came over me but I attended my interview with Marie Reynolds, a globally renowned skincare and wellness expert, without a scrap of make up on, looking, at best, pasty! Marie, in her early 50s, was all glowing gorgeousness and contented living, so it was my mission to find out how she does it!

Marie, who is originally from London, now lives in a very pretty barn in the countryside near Reepham, a tranquil setting for her purpose-built studio, The Norfolk Clinic, where she works her magic on both our inner and outer selves. It was built, she says, with crystal quartz in the foundations which tells you just how seriously she takes her work.

And it is here that her clients, from all over the world, descend to enjoy her state of the art equipment which offers the latest complementary therapies – all based on ancient Chinese wellbeing principles. These include body treatments such as activated oxygen therapy, micro-needling, ozone insufflation and LED light therapy. She also offers facials including the Australian organic Qi anti-ageing facial which uses static magnetic field therapy and is said to have great results.

She sees people with all manner of problems, from troublesome skin, to poor sleep patterns, and helps with pain management, advises on gut health and more.

The first step, she says, is an in depth consultation where Marie will analyse everything about you, from how you sit, to the shape of your feet, your eating habits and more. ‘It’s like the Da Vinci Code,’ she laughs. ‘A real investigation. But everything about a person works together, everything is connected – we are 3D beings, not 2D ones.’

So, by looking at how your body acts and behaves, she can see the results this has on your mind, health and skin – and can thus work out an individual plan for you.

Marie started in the mainstream beauty world but found it unsatisfying, preferring Oriental practices and beliefs. ‘Chinese medicine is the foundation to all that I do,’ she says, adding that she has studied beauty therapy, homeopathy, genetics, counselling, aromatherapy, the Bowen Technique, colonic hydrotherapy, and energy medicine.

‘I’ve always been interested in how the body works,’ she says. ‘And I want to give people the tools to live a better lifestyle.’

Marie, who has many leading beauty editors and celebrities among her fans and is usually described as a global skin expert, has created successful ranges for skincare brands such as Origins, and in 2018 started to develop her own 17-strong skincare, supplement and accessories line called Marie Reynolds London. It includes Restore, a skin-food facial mask which has won several awards, Goji Mallow Cleanse, and a new eye care range, including eye masks.

She isn’t planning to add any products at present, saying: ‘I think I have covered everything you might need – each product can take a couple of years to bring to market – it is a long process.’

Marie worked in London for many years, with clinics in Kensington, Knightsbridge and Mayfair, but life changed when she met her (now) husband, Julian Pilkington, who was originally from the same part of London as her but had moved to Norfolk several years beforehand. ‘It just made me think! I’d been a single mum for 14 years and it was hard – really hard. So it was time to think of a different way of living.

‘I’ve been here almost 10 years. My daughter, Olivia, is now 25 and is back in London, teaching at a primary school.’

She still acts as a visiting clinician at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly, which retains a special place in her heart, with Marie explaining: ‘I love going, and I tend to go every two or three months for a couple of days. It’s mad, really busy and I find myself dreaming about the journey home!’

So she is very settled in Norfolk, listing Wells next the Sea as a favourite place, alongside Blickling, adding; ‘And we love packing up a picnic and heading to Winterton.’

She and her husband have two chocolate labradors, sisters Ava and Molly, so much time is spent walking them, and Marie is also a fan of wild swimming, especially in the sea.

‘I do try to practise what I preach,’ she says. ‘Sleep, sensible eating habits, exercise and deep breathing are all so important to our health. I choose organic foods as much as possible – you are what you eat.’

As she offers Zoom consultations and meetings, she is fully accessible to all but how lucky are we to have such a sought after specialist on our doorstep.

Visit Marie’s website, www.mariereynoldslondon.com, to buy her products, book a £150 consultation and find out more.

Marie also produces a weekly podcast called Good Vibes Only, which is released on Spotify each Sunday.