Vil and Skincare

Vil says that, when he was 10, he built a secret base in a room where he knew he would be safe no matter what: “All the walls were stone, and had no windows. There were a number of shelves, and just the right lighting.”

Jack asks if the lack of windows didn’t make it gloomy and Vil explains, “contrary-with no direct sunlight, it was the perfect place to give my skin a very much needed break…I can only truly relax when I know there is no chance of UV exposure.”

Vil said he would also do yoga in the room, which he took up when he was a child actor: “I’d also read scripts and work on my acting craft. I could really focus, without paying any heed to the time. It was the place I felt safest in all the world then, hidden away from prying eyes and the sun’s harmful rays.”

Jack asks if Vil stills spends time in the room during breaks from school and Vil says that he doesn’t even live in the house anymore, as they had to move for his father’s work.

Vil: “But it wouldn’t be a bad idea to create a room like that again where I can truly relax. A workshop of sorts, where I can craft my potions and skincare products in peace…I’m hoping to concoct the perfect product tailored exactly to my skin.”

Vil says that he has been formulating his own cosmetics for years, deciding to get more of a background in potionology as a result. Vil says that he received offers from cosmetics producers who hear about his work and want to commercialize it, but he turns them all down as he plans on starting his own brand in the future.

Vil says that skin beautification has been a constant area of research for him, and he normally never uses enchanted skincare products.

Vil also creates his own perfumes, massage oil, and asks Sebek for plants from Briar Valley for use in unspecified personal-care products.

Vil explains that he and his father would often pass the time at home by making their own beauty products and supplements, which they found fun, as they both love health and beauty: “Dad can’t use magic, but he knows a lot about beauty products, so it was a lot of fun creating things together.”

Each member of the VDC team is provided with a set of Vil’s personally formulated skin care products during Book 5, which Rook and Epel also use. Epel says, “he makes other things, too: sunblock, setting powder, lip balm, hand cream…He dumped-ah, I mean, gifted me—a bunch of it.”

Rook has also received special hair oil of Vil’s creation, and while Leona mentions receiving all-in-one face gel from Vil, he does not specify if it was something that Vil made himself.

During Vargas Camp Vil picks peppermint and thyme for Film Research Club members to use as bug repellant, explaining, “Being itchy isn’t the issue. What’s worse is that the bite can swell up and turn red. Sometimes it can even leave scars.”

Vil refuses Leona’s invitation to the Cloudcalling event, until Leona mentions Ivory Springs, where “the face packs and mineral water…are said to be second to none.”

To convince a reluctant Vil to join the tournament in his hometown (“I’d hoped to visit at some point, but I can do that easily enough on my own. Certainly that will be more pleasant than going with you”), Leona offers to escort him to exclusive locales within Ivory Springs open only to the royal family.

Vil agrees to join the tournament, and is rewarded with an exclusive opportunity to go in a hot spring that is restricted to all but the royal family. Afterwards Vil says, “The water made my skin so smooth. I’ve somehow become even more beautiful” and that it was worth the effort to visit.

Vil says that the comments on his Magicam posts are typically filled with fans seeking his help for advice, and for a while the most common query was how to get beautiful skin. Vil says there are so many variables consider, from age to diet, and “Do they really expect me to go to such lengths to devise a routine for a stranger?”

Jack asks what kind of research he does and Vi explains, “When I started out, I’d experiment with all manner of consumer skincare products and record how they affected my skin. I also made sure to document any changes brought about by diet or environment. Then I did a deep dive into the active ingredients in skincare products, experimenting to find the most effective combinations.”

Vil says he tries to “get enough good fats with every meal” as high quality oils are essential for beautiful skin, and even his tsum turns its nose up at a student who has yet to remove his makeup: “Guess its resemblance to our housewarden isn’t just superficial. It’s serious about maintaining flawless skin!”

Vil says that he feels that the air in the Fairest City does wonders for his skin, and he picks up a gift set of the hibiscus and baobab mixed drink he tries during the Cloudcalling event, saying, “my skin deserves something special, too.”

Vil will often emphasize the importance of getting enough sleep, setting a curfew of 10pm for the VDC group during Book 5, saying, “You need a MINIMUM of seven hours of sleep a night to maintain lustrous skin and hair.”

As “sleep deprivation can lead to unhealthy skin,” he insists on ensuring that the members of the Film Research Club get a good night’s sleep during Vargas Camp.

Vil pressures Lilia for information on how neither his skin nor his grades suffer despite his late-night gaming, as “diet and study are lifestyle choices—they aren’t something one can simply bypass via magic.”

Vil is also often emphasizing the importance of moisturizing. When asked where he would transfer dorms to, he immediately rules out Savanaclaw and Scarabia for their harsh sunlight and arid environments: “I shudder to think what my life would be like in those places.”

Vil has Leona guide him to a shop where the royal family gets its cosmetics during the Cloudcalling event, commenting on the “unparalleled moisturizing power derived from local plants.”

Vil has crafted a special toner for himself that keeps skin moist for ten hours after application, but is assured by Azul that he can produce an even better toner.

Azul fulfills this promise, with Vil saying he has never encountered a more effective beauty product.

Vil is shocked by the revelation that there are members of the VDC team who “strip away (their) natural oils and then leave (their) skin gasping for hydration” due to a lack of a skincare routine.

We learn much about Vil’s various personal care routines in the game: in one example his post-shower routine is shown to include a cooling serum, face mask, toner, massage and treatment oil.

He also describes a routine during Tapis Rouge that included a bath to boost his metabolism, a lymphatic massage to promote circulation, skincare of base serum, toner, essences, and moisturizer (“all top-shelf products”), a scalp massage, oil and a silk cap.

He follows with, “And don’t think for a second I’m not applying lip balm, nail oil, or hand cream. I put gloves on after to let it all absorb. Then I pull on my compression socks to prevent swelling, give myself an eye massage to make sure the cream absorbs, and drift off to sleep.”

Vil brings his own skin and hair products—along with his makeup—to Vargas Camp, saying that he cannot neglect his beauty routine for even a day.

Vil gives a lesson in skincare to the VDC team in Book 5, incorporating facial cleanser, refining toner, moisturizer and milky lotion. He provides the group with facial cream, hair oil, and body milk.

Vil seems to own many beauty appliances, including a head massager, face steamer, back massager and neck massager (from Trey), and mentions a hair wax that he recommends to Sebek.

Vil lectures the prefect on the performance of nail care during Book 6, and Grim says that Vil made him take a bath for the third anniversary.

Vil seems interested in several different products in Leona’s hometown such as body lotion, oil, shower gel and lip balm, and we see him purchase a clay pack, body cream, skin lotion made from hot spring water, soap packed with hot spring minerals, and more, with Grim pointing out that his “souvenirs” are mostly for himself.