Princess Olympia Of Greece Shares Her Genius Trick For De-Puffing

“I’m obsessed with glow,” Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece says over Zoom as she reveals her array of beauty secrets to TZR. And her complexion is indeed glowy, gleaming across the pixelated screen in an otherworldly type of way, like the even sheen of a freshly-peeled egg. The 25-year-old model and socialite credits her glow to U.K.-based skin care apothecary, The Organic Pharmacy — a brand she’s also partnering with for her first skin care product. “I’m really close friends with [co-founder] Margo Marrone’s daughter Roxy, and over lockdown, they sent me a package of products,” she says. “I just became obsessed. I asked Roxy, ‘Can I contact your mom to do something together?’”

The result is Hyaluronic Acid Glow Serum, a limited-edition, dew-boosting potion meant to plump up the skin and deliver the enviable glow that’s visible even over Zoom. “It was fantastic to create this product with Olympia because it’s fun, but at the same time delivers serious results,” says Marrone. She notes that the serum itself is different from your typical formula because it's a triple molecular weight hyaluronic acid. “So, you've got the small, the medium, and the large molecules,” she explains. “The small ones are small enough to go a little bit deeper into the skin, and what they do is work over long-term and stimulate the skin to produce more hyaluronic acid. And then the medium one sits on top, then the high molecular weight one fills in the wrinkles.”

Ahead, Olympia shares all of her secrets for glowing skin — plus, her trick for de-puffing and the $6 mascara she always stocks up on.

Why did you decide to create the Hyaluronic Acid Glow Serum as your first skincare product?

I have this thing where I always like using things that I can shove in my handbag. I think it’s because I’m always traveling. If you go to Gatwick, they're awful about how many products fit in their annoying little plastic bag — you can't bring your own. They have this little plastic bag, and it has to shut. And then they wait and if it opens, they're like, “Sorry, you've got too many things.”

That’s why I was so excited that it's something I can take everywhere and use whenever. You can apply it on your cheekbones and just have that extra plump and glow effect.

How do you use the serum?

Morning and night. And then I usually will add a bit throughout the day. Today, I'm exhausted. London's been quite hectic. So I'll just apply if I feel a bit dehydrated. I put it on my cheekbones all the time because it really plumps. You can put it on your lips, too.

How would you describe your beauty routine?

I was, and still am, very basic [in my skin care routine]. I never was into using multiple products every day, morning and night... I get too confused. I’ve just always had a little simple regime. I think because my mother [Marie-Chantal, crown princess of Greece] was always so simple, so I kind of just followed what she did. When I was younger, my first product was this three-step Clinique system. [The simplicity] just kind of stuck with me.

Were there any other sort of beauty tips or secrets that you learned from your mom as you were growing up?

Witch hazel! My mom always told me she would buy me this bottle of witch hazel and she'd be like, "Use this as your toner — it will shrink your pores.” Because when I moved to New York, I was getting the worst skin from all the pollution. That’s why we used witch hazel as the base of the serum instead of water. We added grapefruit too, to add more of a glow. It’s actually a very simple formula, but very active.

What’s your makeup routine?

I just like to use the NARS concealer, the one in a tube, to cover some blemishes and then maybe a bit of bronzer if I feel I need some cheekbones. And then if I'm wearing a mascara, I love the pink bottle with the green cap, [Maybelline Great Lash] — I love it.

Do you have any other beauty secrets you swear by?

I really love getting a facial at The Organic Pharmacy, and I love a face massage. I also wash my face for 60 seconds morning and night with my fingers to wake myself up. If someone interrupts me while I'm washing my face and I've lost count, I will go back to the start of the 60 seconds.

And again, back to my mother. I love Chinese food. So I'd always wake up with really puffy face [because of the sodium]. My mom would always tell me, "Get me a bowl of ice.” So I always have to have ice to de-puff my face. Also, I love doing a pressure point [massage], pressing at different parts of my face. It just lifts everything up, which is super nice.

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