Caroline Hirons, founder of SkinRocks, is the outspoken queen of skincare, dubbed “the most powerful voice in the British beauty industry”. Born in Liverpool, she trained as an aesthetician in Paris and went on to found her eponymous beauty blog in 2010, at the age of 40.
In a fortnightly column for The i Paper, Caroline shares mid-life truths about self-confidence, marriage, the workplace and grandparenting. Here, in her first column, she delves into how she’s changed post-menopause.
When my 24-year-old daughter told me she was pregnant, I said, “Congratulations, but don’t marry him”. The reality is that women in 2026 do not need to get married. Make a commitment, sure, and I’m not saying don’t get the ring if you want the ring (although I would say, buy your own diamonds). I’m not saying don’t live together, I’m not saying don’t build a life together. I’m just saying that in 2026 women do not “need” to get married.
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The financial argument about tax benefits is all very well, but it’s not that big of a benefit if it means women can financially lose control of their lives and become dependent on someone else who subsequently has all the power.
