IN HONG KONG - Yours truly was recently in heady Hong Kong for a posh press pow-wow feting the global launch of DFS’ amusingly punny First Class Beauty campaign (get it?).
Essentially a gentle reminder of the awesome suite of travel-friendly services-plus-perks to be had at T Galleria locales the world over, the chi-chi affair also boasted its fair share of first-rate “passengers”.
There’s Aussie lifestyle blogger and globe-trotting good-looker Nicole Warne of @garypeppergirl, for one (she’s schmoozing with fashion folks at New York Fashion Week as we speak); and dapper Taiwanese dandy Perry Liu, stylist to the stars.
In the “flighty” spirit of said campaign, I asked Perry and Nicole for their top tips on travelling beautifully, both on and off the plane. Let’s nose-dive straight into it and get this off the ground:
ON THE PLANE PROPER
TIP #1. MASSAGE YOUR MIEN FOR A HAPPY ENDING! Perry says you should bump up blood circulation by kneading your face with the lubricating aid of a silky serum.
Use a fancy schmancy silicone massage roller if you have one, although bare hands will do nicely in a jiffy. Simply warm up a generous gloop of a hydrating essence; my obsession du jour is Guerlain’s gorgeous Super Aqua-Serum. Replete with restorative botanicals and re-plumping mineralised water, smoothing it on is akin to gulping down a tall glass of green tea for the parched plains of your face.
Right, then. Pumpful of serum in your palms? All set to go. Take it from the makeup master himself: “In terms of technique, all you need to do is clench your fists and press the knuckles against your face, starting from the chin and moving up to your cheeks in a gliding motion.”
Final flourish? Sweep outwards from your nose to iron out the kinks of your smile lines, then press under your eyes for speedy de-puffing. Oh yeah, if you’re a tad self-conscious, Perry says you can easily go through the motions in the relative privacy of the cabin restroom.
TIP #2 TAKE IT ALL OFF AFTER TAKE-OFF! Enduring a long-haul flight to nowhere? Save yourself from tears on a red-eye by removing your face paint with a quick swipe with a wet wipe: “Once your face is free of gunk, pat in a nourishing oil as a protective barrier against the dry cabin air.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, ad nauseum if need be: Topical oils are good for you. Try Sisley’s sumptuous new Black Rose Precious Face Oil that’s packed with a potent blend of botanical extracts shot through with a bouquet of Bulgarian black rose, magnolia and geranium essential oils, all of which work in tandem to sop up free radicals for petal-plump skin.
A drop is plenty for the entire face; follow up with your usual moisturiser if you’re extra diligent, then settle in for a transportive hour or two of in-flight entertainment.
20 MINUTES TO DISEMBARKATION
TIP #3. FAKE FAB SKIN WITH A FOUNDATION-SERUM BLEND! Challenged to spill a legit beauty secret that would actually surprise jaded journos like myself, Perry flinches not an inch. Here’s the recipe he says is used by intrepid industry folks to nail the nude skin sported in those “morning after” scenes you see on tellie.
Perry’s in good company here: Mixing different textures together for a tailored flesh-toned fit is a favourite trick of backstage pros, and it isn’t all that complicated to boot. What you do is to create a custom cocktail by swirling together the sheerest liquid foundie and your go-to serum in a rough 2:1 ratio.
Personal endorsement? Try Shu Uemura’s beyond buttery Lightbulb Fluid Foundation, jam-packed with what the posh Japanese brand dubs Multi-glow macadamia oil for a 12-hour sheen that’s glowy, not greasy.
Just a few sprinkles of this foundation-serum mixture in your palm will do very nicely indeed, which means you can easily decant this into flight-friendly flacons for stashing away in your hand-carry tote. Fuse this fluid into your face by patting it in with fluffy pieces of cotton.
Once you’re done, ditch the pads and switch to your fingers; the warmth of your digits will well and truly meld the makeup with your mien. The result is an incredibly intriguing, is-she-or-isn’t-she sheen that’s just right for the short jaunt between the airport runway to your limo pick-up!
TIP #4. SHOCKER! THE DEWY K-BEAUTY LOOK DOESN'T TRANSLATE WELL IN PHOTOS. Want a #wefie with your best bud once you've been given the go-ahead to use your cellphones in the plane?
Sadly, unless you have in-flight access to the glam squad assigned to a K-Beauty billboard belle, Nicole says that it’ll be (pun alert!) a rough ride pulling off the dewy look at the airport: “I look greasy in photos if my foundation’s finish is too satiny, which is why translucent powder is a makeup must-have for long-haul flights. Just a smidgen before touch-down is all you need for a pretty airport picture!”
Product recommendation? Nicole’s all about Giorgio Armani’s Micro-Fil Loose Powder, which boasts surpassingly soft powders for a filter-like glow.
TIP #5. A LIL HIGHLIGHT IS JUST RIGHT! Another top tip? Tamping down excess shine is well and good, but go too matte and you’ll risk flattening out your features. Nicole says a judicious dab of a luminising lotion ought to make “light” work out of the situation.
Here’s how. Dot on say, Benefit’s beyond sexy Sun Beam on areas which “pop” to erase telltale signs of flight fatigue: Inner eye corners, cupid’s bow, nose bridge and between your brows. You can also use warm fingers to sweep it around the droopy edges of the mouth, or spot correct a blemish to camouflage imperfections.
Another incredibly useful beauty tip: If you have paper-dry skin, avoid the crepey outer corners of your lids – highlighting formulas will quite literally highlight creases and crinkles. Easy-peasy. A semi-sheer finish that will leave you looking like you had the plane ride of a lifetime!
First Class Beauty is running now until September 21, 2014. For more information about First Class Beauty at T Galleria Singapore and the products featured above, visit www.dfs.com/firstclassbeauty and www.dfs.com/en/tgalleria-singapore.