DIY home beauty

STEP UP YOUR Beauty Routine

While spas and salons have begun to reopen across Australia, getting a booking is another matter – demand is high and spaces are limited. The good news is you can kick-start your beauty routine from the comfort of your home.

Get a virtual skin assessment At Onda (Naomi Watts is a co-owner), facilist Nicole Manning is one of Sydney’s most in-demand therapists. She has taken her services into cyberspace, providing 20-minute virtual consultations so you can discuss your skincare needs, concerns and goals, and walk away with tips on which products to use in your daily routine. Do up your face over FaceTime Beloved purveyors of beauty, Mecca now offers personalised consultations via FaceTime. Book in for a 15-minute makeup pow wow or a 45-minute skincare analysis, hosted by those normally offering advice on the store floor. Trust us – you’ll leave your screen looking completely fabulous. Create a customised skincare routine Australian-made, crueltyfree skincare brand ESK is all about tailoring products to your specific skincare needs, whether that’s due to age, pigmentation or fine lines. Head online to take the brand’s results-driven skincare quiz to get a customised beauty regimen delivered to your inbox in a matter of minutes. Pamper with a virtual facial No two formulas are the same at QED Skincare, where your prescription to incredible skin is customised right down to the last floral scent. And you don’t need hours to see results – the brand’s 20-minute facials are as effective as they are invigorating. Sign up for one via Zoom with owner Shosh Eisner.

Consult experts over the phone One of the world’s most luxe skincare brands, La Prairie, now has a team of beauty advisors standing by to take your call. The Swiss company’s complimentary bespoke phone consultations introduce you to the latest collections and innovations, while recommending products to add to your personalised

skincare ritual.

Glow from the inside out

Help your skin radiate from the inside, out, with a little help from top-of-the-range New Zealand manuka honey, shown to help support general wellbeing and immune function. This liquid gold is packed with antioxidants, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties, all ideal for giving you a glow this winter. Try it in this turmeric and manuka latte.

Ingredients (serves 1) • 1 heaped tsp turmeric latté blend • 1-2tsp Waimete manuka honey • Dash boiling water • 250ml oat milk • Cinnamon, to dust on top

Method Combine turmeric latté blend and honey in a glass/mug. Add a dash of boiling water and mix until it forms a paste like consistency. Top up with heated oat milk. Dust with cinnamon. Serve and enjoy.

01 Radiant skin © Shutterstock

It's time to

GET PERSONAL

Caring for your skin is personal. It makes sense that the products you use are tailored to your specific needs – in fact, there’s evidence.

Great skin is not simply a matter of DNA – your daily habits have a big impact on what you see in the mirror. As do the skincare products you use, which should be as individual as your dress sense. Enter Evidence Skincare (E.S.K), a range of Australian-made, evidence-based, cruelty-free products designed to target your specific skincare needs. “People are no longer looking for products that just smell nice and feel good,” says the brand’s co-founder Dr Ginni Mansberg. “The products need to work for individual needs. Users are becoming better informed and more confident, and expect tailored service and solutions, rather than the onesize-fits-all treatment of yesteryear.” To help clients discover what products best meet their needs, Dr Ginni developed a results-driven skin quiz – in a matter of minutes, you’ll have a bespoke beauty regimen emailed to your inbox. While no two remedies are the same, here are five common skin concerns and the E.S.K products that might work best for you.

ISSUE: Ageing After sunscreen, retinal is the must-have ingredient. According to the evidence, it’s the most effective, least irritating form of vitamin A, binding to skin receptors to stimulate collagen growth and cell turnover, both of which slow as we age. Vitamin C is known for repairing and protecting the skin from sun damage, which prematurely ages the skin. PRODUCTS Ultimate A, Smooth Serum, Reverse “C” Serum

ISSUE: Pigmentation This is one of the hardest skin concerns to manage. Two things that will improve the chance of getting good results are 1) patience (some ingredients take two to three months to start working) and 2) using ingredients that target multiple de-pigmentation pathways at the same time. Vitamins A, B3, C and 4-n-B all target one of the four pathways. PRODUCTS Enlighten, Ultimate A+, Reverse “C” Serum

ISSUE: Acne In order to treat acne most effectively, the actives should not strip, dry or irritate the skin, as this further compromises the skin barrier and sets treatment back. While vitamin A is the frontline ingredient for treating acne, most forms, except retinal, are irritating or ineffective. PRODUCTS Ultimate A+, Hydroxy Overnight Mask, Smooth Serum, B Calm

ISSUE: Rosacea There’s no cure for rosacea, only management options. First is the avoidance of the main stressors, which are often sun exposure, extreme temperatures, stress and spicy foods. Vitamin B3 has good evidence for helping manage some of the symptoms, as does vitamin A, which works particularly well for pimples and visible capillaries. PRODUCTS B Quenched, Ultimate A

ISSUE: Dry skin Concerns about dry skin increase as the weather turns cold and the amount of moisture in the air drops. Management tips include: avoiding soaps that dry the skin; protecting the skin from the cold and wind; avoiding long, hot showers; and applying moisturisers ASAP after showering. Vitamin B3 also has good evidence for repairing the skin barrier. PRODUCTS B Quenched, Hydroxy Overnight Mask