Go with the glow
After two intense weeks of 5.45am starts, my skin has begun to unravel before my eyes. I guess they don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing.
My skin has become as sensitive as a woman with PMS. I feel like I need television-grade pancake make-up just to look normal, never mind achieve the current trend for glowing skin.
The glow is something as elusive as that Austenian concept of a woman’s ‘bloom’. When I think of the glow, I think of the actress Natalie Portman with her omnipresent luminescence.
Take this picture, for example; it looks like she’s walking around with her own personal lighting technician as she shines in the most flattering way.
It seems like Christian Dior make-up feel the same as she is the face of their new Diorskin Nude Skin-Glowing make-up collection. But it takes more than a lick of foundation to get that glow, as I discovered during my fortnight of sleep deprivation.
The glow starts from much deeper. French brand Darphin’s new Vitalskin range, hitting shops here next month, exists purely to replenish, rejuvenate and decrease the signs of fatigue.
The really cool part is they tested it on busy working mothers, probably one of the most tired demographics in the world.
The Anti-fatigue and Hydrating Serum (€60) is silkily light and dissolves immediately into the skin leaving it feeling comforted.
As with all Darphin products, it contains a lot of natural ingredients (96% from natural origin in this product) but the main draw here is its water-retention properties, which keep the skin hydrated.
Pair it with the new Energising and Hydrating Emulsion (€49), which has a pearlescent effect, and you get a radiant effect that feels gentle and soothing.
Oils and serums are a friend to those looking for the glow and one that gets consistent praise is L’Occitane’s Very Precious Regenerating Concentrate (€59.50).
A post-partum friend is scarily evangelical about this product and it’s easy to see why. It’s certified organic and intensely luxurious. Use at night to stimulate collagen and cell renewal.
Roc’s products are not glitzy, but like a lot of French skincare ranges they spend their money on science and research rather than packaging.
Their new Multi Correxion 5 in 1 Anti-Age Moisturiser targets wrinkles, sagging, dryness, dark spots and dull tone. Just the kind of power product you need for weary skin.
There are any number of products from the new ‘aqua’ beauty trend. I like Vichy’s Aqualia Antiox Deoxidising Fresh Treatment (€30.50), which helps boost a dull, tired complexion.
This is a 10-day treatment with active Vitamin C, E and a pure antioxidant. There are no preservatives so you have to mix it yourself like some sort of mad beauty scientist and keep it fresh in the fridge. The new skin effect it gives is well worth the bother.
You don’t have to fork out a fortune to revitalise your skin. I’ve yet to meet a product that can do better than 12 hours’ sleep and a few litres of water. Still, that’s not always practical.
Your local pharmacy is a good place to start. Boots’ new Botanics range, Radiant Youth Skincare, (€11.49 for day and night creams; €14.99 for their Super Serum) uses Ginkgo extract to protect skin and stem cell technology — seriously — to enhance the skin’s radiance.
After all that, your skin should be glowing and ready for your close-up!
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