With the party season in full swing, it’s time to step up your beauty routine
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Now that our diaries are filling up with a marathon of parties, the holiday season also calls for extra backup when it comes to our skin. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to bask in the glory of an expensive post-facial gleam when catching up with friends, or using the occasion as the perfect excuse to groom unruly brows. But remember too that social events inevitably play havoc with our skin, so it’s worth putting in the effort beforehand for damage control.
Here, the top tips for breezing through party season without a hitch…
The week of the big event
- Turbo-charge your skincare routine
Alcohol is a diuretic so the days leading up to a party should be dedicated to flooding skin with hydration and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Step up your use of a hyaluronic acid serum to boost skin’s moisture content and a face mask such as Woods Copenhagen Intense Hyaluronic Mask, which combines hyaluronic acid with omega-rich sea buckthorn for an intense nourishing boost.
“Exfoliation is key for creating the perfect base for foundation,” says Dana Nell, skin therapist at Björk and Berries. “Whether you opt for mechanical or chemical exfoliation, it will eliminate dead skin cells, tighten pores and boost cell renewal.” Nell also recommends massage using a face oil and light strokes, working from the centre of your face outwards, to drain fluid and elevate skin’s glow.
Or try Copenhagen’s buzziest new professional treatment – the BB Glow Facial at the Vikesaa Studio. During the treatment, a serum packed with vitamins and minerals is applied before a dermapen drives the actives deeper into the skin. At the same time, the dermapen creates tiny injuries, which send a signal to get extra collagen and elastin to the site for long-term firmness. “The treatment evens out skin tone and improves the look of redness, pigmentation, enlarged pores, fine lines and dark circles,” says founder Kari Vikesaa, who likens the finished effect to deeply hydrated skin with a touch of BB cream on top. Results last up to a month after one treatment.
Turbo-charge your skincare routine
2. Invest in skin-brightening ingredients
Winter skin can already look somewhat dull and ashy. One culprit is increased pollution due to what the experts call ‘surface inversion’ — in other words, when smog gets trapped at ground level in winter. With a busy social life, a lack of sleep can also mean cortisol levels go up. Your fight or flight response kicks in and blood flow goes to vital organs and not your face, leaving you with a grey pallor.
The best vitamin C serums and creams remain a powerhouse skin-brightening staple. A potent antioxidant, vitamin C helps to neutralise free radicals, improve irregular pigmentation while promoting healthy collagen production.
Sensitive and rosacea-prone skin should also look to products spiked with azelaic acid. Made from grains such as barley and wheat, a slosh on the skin has the same effect as a mild, leave-on exfoliant. Additionally, azelaic acid has anti-inflammatory effects and it helps to block the enzyme tyrosinase, which causes excess melanin and uneven brown patches on the skin.
Brighten up
3. Invest in a microblading treatment on your brows
“Microblading is hugely popular at this time of year and allows us to correct, shape and fill out the brows to perfection,” explains Vikesaa. “Furthermore it can create a bushier, fuller brow, while also giving lift to the eye area, ensuring you look fresher.” For the uninitiated, microblading is a semi-permanent make-up technique. Unlike a traditional inking, where a tattoo gun drives pigment deep into your skin, with microblading it’s only etched into the top layers. “This allows us to create tiny hair-like strokes,” adds Vikesaa.
On the night
1. Don’t forget your neck
This time of year is the season of the slip dress so you’ll want your skincare to reach beyond the face. The skin on the neck lacks sebaceous glands, so it tends to be drier than the face. Another benefit is that a thin layer of moisture will hold the aromatic molecules in your fragrance better – a bit like using a primer under foundation.
Moisture up the neck
2. Drink plenty of water
It may sound like old-fashioned advice, but alcohol and salty party food are the perfect storm for causing dehydration. Any last remnants of moisture get diverted to your internal organs, which leaves your complexion parched and the skin barrier weaker. So be sure to drink plenty of water or herbal tea during the day then alternate between a glass of water and your cocktails during the course of the evening.
Find out: What exactly is the skin barrier