Whenever I visualise the best version of myself, my skin is always fresh and glowy. As for the shape of my face? Snatched. Think cheekbones in full sight, eyebrows raised, and a well-defined jawline. And although I am well aware that the likelihood of resembling a Bella Hadid level of snatch remains slim, I am also one to try everything in my power to make it happen. Or everything in my hands, as it turned out, when I discovered the best kept secret to looking sculpted from the comfort of your own home. Enter: The Bolder Movement.
Founded by celebrity facialist, skincare expert and Grazia Beauty panelist, Michaella Bolder, the Bolder Movement is a guided digital platform aimed to transform your skincare regimen through at-home facial massage techniques. We are talking knuckles methodically pressed up against the jowls, index fingers pushing on tension points around the temples, and the side of each palm sculpting the cheekbones.
'I wanted The Bolder Movement to be one of the first expert tutorial platforms for everyone, not just professionals. You're not going to earn a certificate or walk away trained in my protocols. This is about creating your own routine at home, so you can turn your skincare routine into a facial massage ritual and become your own expert in your own bathroom. It's education and understanding: how to massage and work the face, how to understand your own face, and what to look for and what to feel. Once you feel the results at home, you're encouraged to massage more regularly,' Bolder tells Grazia.
I would know because I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to try the method during a press preview session guided by Bolder herself. Gatekeeping would be brutal, considering the initiative is all about bringing the beauty community together with an approach that blends structured education with on-demand video tutorials, interactive challenges, expert advice, and insightful Q&A live sessions.
Facing the mirror, we were delegated a face oil according to our skin concerns – I was handed the Omorovicza Miracle Facial Oil, £110, featuring an ultra-nourishing formula suitable for all skin types. Bolder tailored the session to what would be a beginner’s level if you were to follow the platform’s tutorials.
Categorised into three expertise levels – beginners, intermediate, and advanced – users can browse through a series of step-by-step video tutorials to refine targeted areas of the face. You can choose from lifting the jaw, neck and chin to rejuvenating the brow and lip area, or releasing tension from around the temples. All using your own hands and fingers. Yes, really. And, once you know the general benefits of facial massaging, you'll want to get hands on yourself. Bolder explains four central benefits below.
The key benefits of facial massaging at home
Blood flow: you're encouraging circulation, which brings oxygen and nutrients to the surface of the skin to feed it and support a healthy glow.
Muscle release: you're relieving tension and pain. It's human touch to yourself, an exchange of energy between your hand and your skin, so you're giving your energy back to yourself.
Muscle tone: as you lift and work the muscle tissue, blood and oxygen are drawn through it and the muscle comes to life. Muscle has memory, so it's almost like taking your face to the gym, reminding it where it should sit.
Lymphatic drainage: imagine a flow of water just underneath the surface of the skin, and you're guiding it towards the drainage points. This reduces puffiness, excess waste and the stagnation that sits around the sinuses.
Outside of the physical benefits, Bolder sheds light on how intentional movement can also impact mental wellbeing. 'You've spent that time looking at yourself in the mirror, and that's great for confidence. Muscles love to be massaged, and the body loves human connection. You walk away feeling uplifted, lighter and really happy, because you've released dopamine. The list goes on and on. It's a connection between you, your mindset and your soul, and the visual result shows on the face.'
Bolder's go-to daily facial massage technique
The one technique Bolder says everyone should incorporate into their skincare routine is her Cheek Sculpt. She crowns it her 'one favourite movement' and walks us through the method below.
Place your hands together in a prayer position over your nose, then sweep the inner edge of your index fingers down the nose and underneath the cheekbones. At the bottom of the cheekbone, twist over your fingertips and let the outer edge of the hand take over, sweeping underneath the cheeks all the way to the hairline, drawing up and really stretching at the hairline.
'It's such a central move for the face. It opens up the airways, stimulates your lymphatics and reduces stagnation in the sinuses underneath the cheeks, while giving you a real uplift,' says Bolder. 'Do 10 to 15 sweeps, or 15 to 20 if you want to look really awake and alive. Think of it as one long, big sweep that works from the centre of the face, clearing any build-up around the nasal area, working underneath the sinuses, then stretching at the hairline and lifting the cheeks all at once.'
The great thing about it? You don't need much time or fancy products to get to work. Add it into something you're already doing, whether that's your moisturiser, your cleanse or any product application. 'It's about applying your products with intention: with movement, with pressure and with flow. Even two to three minutes in the morning during your cleansing or moisturising routine, or even 30 seconds, is enough to start feeling the benefits, and that's what entices you to keep going,' she adds.
My verdict
I gave the method a go at the press preview. After applying a generous amount of oil to my palm, I pressed my palms together to warm it up as demonstrated by Bolder. Then, I proceeded to open up my lymph nodes by massaging across the neck and collarbones to promote lymphatic drainage and stimulate circulation.
Truth be told, there are numerous cosmetic treatments on the market that can help with facial definition but accessing them can be a privilege. And that applies to techy tools, too. The Bolder Movement tackles that accessibility issue by giving subscribers a roster of professional tools and techniques to perform on themselves that deliver that post-facial glow. It was the overall sentiment during the masterclass I attended, too. A glimpse around the dimly-lit room and I was fortunate to see all the women caressing their faces with full concentration. We were all in it together.
As we worked our way up the face, I noticed that I was looking more and more sculpted. The tension around my jaw loosened, my cheekbones were more prominent and the arches of my brows were more lifted. It was hard to believe that I sculpted my own face with just my hands and oil. It was even harder to believe the tension release I felt when the technique targeted a pressure point around the temples – 'it’s where all your stress is stored,' Bolder told me. It was in that moment that I felt the real power of the Bolder Movement, and how it can teach you so much more about your body and how to care for it than you would ever think possible.
Regardless of having the advantage that Bolder was in the room with us to help us navigate each movement, she made sure that the expert-led video tutorials have that same feel when streamed. The close-up shots combined with Bolder’s insights into skincare, provide a thorough description of how to perform each movement and how to maximise its effect.
Watching them feels intimate, just like entering the treatment room before a glow-boosting facial. But the most special part? This is a treatment performed by yours truly.
Want to try it for yourself? Sign up for a free seven-day trial, or subscribe from the get-go for £24.99 per month. You can access each option here: The Bolder Movement.
Maria Papakleanthous is Grazia’s beauty assistant. Originally from Cyprus, she moved to London to chase her dream of working in magazine journalism. At Grazia, Maria writes about the newest beauty launches, wellness trends and everything designed to help you look and feel your best self. Follow her on Instagram @mariapapakleanthous