COMING UP ROSY
Put a cheery glow in your cheeks this season
The wellness movement, with its emphasis on clean eating, minimal alcohol and plenty of exercise, has gone a long way to transform public perception of what it is to lead a healthy life. Arguably, though, it’s had an equally farreaching effect on our perception of beauty. These days, a post-yoga glow is what we desire; but the realities of modern-day living, work-related stress and skin-sapping pollution all too often get in the way. Fortunately, help is at hand even if your day didn’t start with 5am sun salutations followed by a turmeric shot. Chanel has promoted the idea of embracing natural luminosity since the 2013 launch of its Les Beiges collection, but the latest addition to the range takes that message one step further. Eau de Teint Water-Fresh Tint is a 92 per cent aqueous formula containing microdroplets of pigment that melt on contact for a fresher, sheer finish. ‘For me, it has always been about enhancing your skin with the help
of make-up, rather than using it as a mask to hide behind,’ says Ninni Nummela, the make-up artist and UK ambassador for Chanel, who created the looks on these pages. ‘This evens tone in an invisible way by acting like a “second-skin”, while letting your own shine through.’
Clearly then, the skin beneath should be in top condition; and perhaps this newfound willingness to bare (nearly) all is partly due to the fact that consumers are so product-savvy these days. Skincare is the biggest category in beauty on Net-A-Porter, with sales of facial-massage tools performing particularly well (up 189 per cent); and Kate Bancroft, the founder of the online retailer Face the Future, reports that searches for science-led, doctor-backed brands have increased by almost 150 per cent over the past year. While it might seem as though a new wonder ingredient is found every other week, today’s sophisticated customer knows that sun protection, brightening vitamin C and cell-renewing retinol are the building blocks of any effective routine.
‘With these three essentials you will have the basics covered,’ says the consultant dermatologist Dr Justine Kluk. ‘But to improve skin quality with little downtime, the best treatments include superficialto medium-depth chemical peels such as mandelic or glycolic acid, injectable hyaluronic acid-based skin moisturisation treatments like Profhilo, or a course of dermatologist-grade micro-needling treatments for reducing acne scars and stimulating collagen production.’
Consistency in a regime is key to beautiful skin, but so too is prepping it in the event you do choose to wear make-up. ‘Cleansing and moisturising with hydrating products is the most important step to create a glowing base, and massaging them in well will stimulate the blood flow,’ says Nummela, who favours Chanel’s Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream to soothe dehydrated, dull skin before make-up.
And finally, a light touch is needed to accentuate that postexercise sheen recreated on the catwalks. ‘Work the products into your skin, never cake them on,’ says Nummela. ‘Dab a natural highlighter onto the top of the cheekbones and down the nose, and blend a blush high onto the apples of the cheeks for a healthy flush.’