Laura Bermingham
To make self-isolation a little more bearable, there are some beauty treatments to add into your regular regime that can make a real difference. While make-up bags are temporarily redundant, these skin, teeth and hair treats will boost your appearance and confidence. Give one or all a try. Radiance peel If skin is looking a little dull from a few weeks indoors, a light peel will give instant radiance and reduce the look of pores and wrinkles. An overnight peel that contains AHAs of lactic, glycolic or fruit acids will gently rid skin of dead cells, revealing brighter, fresher skin by morning. Try Embryolisse Night Peeling Cream (€20.95, pharmacies) with its added oils and nourishing shea butter.
Whiten teeth It can take as little as an hour to lift stains and whiten your smile. Laser and dentist options are out for now, but teeth whitening strips are easily bought online. These strips, for top and bottom teeth, will lift the colour by perhaps six to eight shades when used over the course of a week. Spotlight Teeth Whitening is an Irish brand with strips for both men and women. A two-week kit costs €39.95, available from pharmacies and online.
At-home hair removal If you use a razor, you won’t be thinking about hair removal right now. If you’re a waxer, however, you might. With salons shut, the only option now is to use wax strips or hair removal cream. Both are widely available in
pharmacies and supermarkets, Veet, Nair and Nads are the brands to look for. From depilatory creams to strips for face and body, all are reasonably priced and easy to use.
Two-week gel polish Gel nails are an essential part of some people’s beauty routine. If you are in need of gel removal right now, resist picking at the polish – instead, buy some acetone nail polish remover. Soak ten nail-size pieces of cotton pad and secure on top of the gel polish with some tin foil and leave to work for ten minutes. This should shift the polish. Then fix any remaining polish with some more remover on another cotton pad.
Top-up tan Having a golden glow makes us feel better in our skin. People who use self-tan may still be topping up with their favourite brand, but even a little layer on the arms, décolleté, neck and face might be the treat your skin needs.