As a frequent or new traveller, you sometimes wonder how those beautiful air hostesses remain stylish and wonderful through the journey and after getting off the plane after a long-haul flight.
There is no ‘big deal’ or magic to it
other than that it only takes a little planning to step off a long
flight looking refreshed, and not like rumpled mess.
Apart from facial make-up that add to
the outer beauty, you might need to add some other things that will
renew your body and beauty internally in order to get refreshed and look
great after the journey.
The insider’s secret for perking up a tired complexion, according to jet-setting make-up artist Megan Lanoux, is ‘Dab on your cheek bones or under your eyes to brighten it.
If you can’t wait until you get to your destination, just duck in to the bathroom on your way to the luggage claim and swipe on.
And for weary, blood-shot eyes Lanoux
advises that you line the inner rim of your eyes with an eyeliner
pencil, in a peach tone or a shade similar to – but lighter than – your
skin tone to brighten it.
Then it’s time to load up on mascara,
open your eyes, apply mascara to top lashes, focusing on the centre and
outer corner. But skip the bottom lashes altogether, you don’t want to
add any more tired-looking the darkness there.
Lanoux’s stealthy trick for getting rid
of under-eye puffiness is to ask for an ice cube and a napkin, hold this
up to your eye for a minute or so, and the swelling will go down.
If you feel shy asking for just one ice
cube, you can always ask for a whole cup, the flight attendant will
leave you a napkin as protocol anyway.
As for your skin, keeping it hydrated actually starts at home, not on the plane, says dermatologist Marina Peredo,
“Exfoliating your skin is important
because it gets rid of the top layer of dead skin cells that prevent any
moisturiser from absorbing into the skin. Swapping out your daily
facial cleanser with a gentle exfoliating scrub with smaller granules
the morning of your travel date will do the trick,” she says.
Then moisturise the right way. Having a
moisturiser with ultra-hydrating hyaluronic acid is essential for a long
flight, but Peredo has a trick that’ll make it even more effective.
“Ask for a cool, wet cloth to pat onto
skin before you apply your moisturiser, the lotion will absorb and
retain better in the skin when your face is damp.”
As for eye cream, look for ingredients
like retinol to plump and smooth, peptides like amino acids, which help
produce more collagen in the skin, and antioxidants like Vitamins A, C,
and E that have significant preventive and repairing effects to the
skin.
You also need to sit up and ‘circulate.’
If you can handle it, avoid lowering your seat all the way back because
fluid may retain in your eyes, causing bags to develop.
And regardless of how you sleep, make
sure to take a stroll a couple of times throughout the flight when the
“fasten seatbelt” sign is off. The blood circulation you’ll get walking
around will do wonders for holding off bloat and keeping your skin rosy
and awake looking after you de-board.
As for your hair, prevent “Post-Flight
Flathead Syndrome.” One of the telltale signs that you’ve been on an
overnight flight is that deflated area in the back of your hair from the
head rest, says Daniela Schult, a stylist at Cutler Salon, who has
spent many hours on long plane rides to her native Germany.
To keep that section looking full, she
suggests a one-two combination of using an inflatable neck travel pillow
and pulling long hair into a low ponytail or messy bun.
According to her, ‘these styles also always travel well and are easy to touch-up in the bathroom.’
Then pump up the hair volume. When it comes to your locks, think big.
“Your hair will flatten a bit on a long
flight, so it’s helpful to get more volume when blowing out your hair
than usual,” Schult explains.
So, mist a light volumiser (any
favourite will do) at the roots when blow-drying. You can also work in a
bit of dry shampoo into the roots for extra body.
As per nutrition, drink up the smarter
way because every seasoned traveller knows you have to stay hydrated in
order to combat the dry plane air, but there is a way to get better
results than just guzzling water the entire flight.
Experts suggest picking up a coconut
water or giving your agua a boost by adding some electrolytes via
coconut water or by dropping a powder like Emergen-C ElectroMix formula
to your H20, it’s like an instant energy-infusing sports-drink.
To look and feel great after a long
trip, you may want to (excuse the pun) go nuts. Experts also suggest
bringing a baggie of walnuts with you to munch on – not only will
anti-inflammatory fats keep you feeling full so you won’t reach for
processed, packaged goodies, but the Omega-3 acids will make your
complexion glow.
But if you are not a nut fan, bring along some nitrate-free salmon or beef jerky instead.
Before landing is a good time to do a face-mask as it will re-hydrate the skin.
One good moisturising face-masks is
Energy’s Resonance Vital Renewal Face Masque. This organic face mask is
full of amazing ingredients such as broccoli oil for moisture and
Californian mineral earth to aid toxin removal. The best thing is that
you don’t need to remove it and can just allow it to sink into the skin.
So, if you’re going on a long-haul
flight this summer, make it your opportunity to do a bit of pampering
and start your holiday with glowing skin.
By: Sade Williams
