Skin Saviours
Poster: Armand 08/01/2006
The excessive partying of December catches up with us in January. Our “hedonistic” lifestyles can show in our face; skin becomes dehydrated from lack of water and excessive alcohol and dull from lack of sunshine exposure (producing feelgood glow vitamin D). Eyes appear to have had a full set of Louis Vuitton cases dumped under them, due to one late night too many! Well here are some skin saviours to brighten up your looks. If you've partied in some exotic location recently and over-exposed yourself to the sun, then you've probably got some excessive sun damage. Lancôme have come to the rescue with their resurface peel. This Glycolic peel gently removes dead skin cells, revealing soft, smooth glowing skin. This product contains eight per cent glycolic acid, which is sufficient to make a difference to your skin, yet gentle enough for most skin types. Some Glycolic peels can contain up to 90 per cent Glycolic acid - when using these products always use an SPF and apply frequently to protect from further damage to a sun worshipper’s skin.Eye treatments are a must at this time of the year and here is my top four:Creme de la Mer Eye Balm - for dry and lined eyes.La Prairie Extract de Caviar Eye Serum - for dull and puffy eyes.Sislya Eye and Lip Treatment - great for all-round maintenance on both of those delicate areas. Prescriptives Vibrant Eye Treatment - for shadows.With each of these products, apply only a small amount but you must use them twice a day.After skin treatments use Christian Dior Skin Flash Concealer to disguise any flaws around the eye area. It's light in texture and comes in different shades. My top tip for application would be to apply the product onto the back of the hand; using the hand as a palette, gently dab the product with your finger around the eye area. This way you can control the amount of product you put on because sometimes the Skin Flash pen can produce too much product in one application.One of my post-party essentials is Guerlain Midnight Secret; apply in the evening before bed and you'll wake up with a glowing complexion, even if you've only had a few hours sleep.Origins have formulated their own elixir of youth and called it “Youthtopia”. It contains a plant ingredient found in deepest, darkest Siberia and was Russia's secret weapon in the Second World War. It was boiled, and drunk to improve stamina, vitality and wellbeing. Origins now have this plant patent pending and have harnessed its age-defying properties to improve tone, texture and firmness.Most people go on a guilt trip in the New Year, regretting their indulgences over the festive period; gym memberships boom, as do sales of detox drinks! Now you can detox your skin with Sisley's Sero Botanique, which is a 10-day programme that really cleanses and purifies the skin. The results are amazing. However, you may have a temporary increase in blemishes at the beginning as all the impurities are forced out of the skin. Top Product Whisper“The Essence” was an exclusive to Harrods, but now Creme de la Mer have let it out of the capital. This is probably the most expensive skincare product I have encountered, at over £1,500 for a three-week supply. However, the promises with this product are as extreme as the price. It has been hailed as the elixir of youth and should only be used once a year, which at that price is a relief. The packaging is incredible and the three vials are magnetised, so once the catch is released they slowly rise up (very space age) - they should be kept in a prominent place and included on any guided tour of your house! This product is the ultimate status symbol, so who needs the latest Louis Vuitton handbag or Manola Blahnik shoes when you have this baby.
