Who else is struggling to get into a new WFH routine? Me too. From resorting to setting alarms to remind myself to eat lunch at 1pm to muting all of my inbox notifications to help keep stress and anxiety at bay, it’s taken a while to get the hang of. However, I am enjoying the extra bit of time I can spend indulging in my favourite beauty rituals.
So, instead of only being able to designate a couple of hours on Sunday evening to treat my skin to an intensive treatment, I now have the time (and sly ability) to partake in these indulgences during my working day – even when I’m on one of the many Zoom meetings pencilled into my calendar.
The secret behind this? Picking treatments that are as good as invisible so they won’t go noticed over my fuzzy internet connection and my co-workers on Zoom will be none the wiser – although, I really doubt this kind of beauty behaviour would really be discouraged when I work for Cult Beauty!
Anyway, it’s now day 15 of quarantine for me so without further ado, here’s my tried and tested pick of treatments that work as hard as they hide away on Zoom:
PARCHED PORES
Drunk Elephant’s first-ever mask does not disappoint. The brand’s {F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial} is jam-packed with a blend of barrier-replenishing ingredients including the likes of niacinamide, sodium PCA, plant squalane, five forms of ceramides, omega fatty acids and powerful antioxidants. Plus, tiny suspended beads loaded with vitamin F soothing fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic) burst during application to deliver extra emollience and soothing hydration.
Usually described as a cooling overnight mask or pre-make up primer, I used this as a thick and generous daytime mask – it’s 100% invisible on skin, I promise. It worked wonders on my dehydrated complexion and also promises to improve signs of damage, uneven tone and texture.
LIP SERVICE
Found yourself bitting your lips more during isolation? Well, let me introduce you to SUMMER FRIDAY’s all-new {Lip Butter Balm}. A 2-in-1 balm and mask, this purse-friendly purchase is worth adding to your shopping basket, stat. The vegan formula is saturated with shea and murumuru (rich in vitamins and overflowing with moisturising oleic acid) butter, alongside plant waxes to deeply hydrate your lips: fending off dryness and the soreness of stress-induced cracks.
Perfect for multi-masking with another undetectable treatment, this silky formula forms a flexible barrier to heal and restore even your most parched lips. You can thank us later…
NOT GLOWING OUT
Charlotte Tilbury’s {Multi-Miracle Glow} is a multi-tasking, does-it-all wonder that works hard for its valuable place in your skin care collection. Not only does it cleanse superbly – melting every last trace of make up and everyday grime – but it also makes a gorgeous, skin-nourishing treatment that eliminates dry, scaly patches (try slathering it on knees, heels and elbows too), to restore elasticity and suppleness.
Perfect for days when your skin is looking and feeling a little lacklustre, this smooths, brightens and is a must for hands that have become far too acquainted with 60-70% alcohol-based hand wash at the moment.
EYES EYES BABY
Whether you’re consuming too much news, have successfully completed Netflix or you’re hunched over your laptop working way beyond the regularly scheduled 9 – 5 working day, Versed’s {The Fix Emergency Eye Mask} is here to help you to fake eight hours sleep. An instantly cooling gel mask, jam-packed with pro-vitamin B5, vitamin E, cucumber and caffeine, this nourishes and hydrates the delicate skin of the eye area to depuff and calm swelling and redness.
THE MEGA-WATT
Maybe one of the messier treatments that I have tried, Herbivore’s {Brighten Pineapple + Gemstone Mask} is a must-have mask for all glow-getters and is the ultimate selfcare-meets-skincare essential. It stars micronised Brazilian tourmaline gemstones to naturally illuminate, along with rice bran powder to brighten, soften and soothe. But it doesn’t stop there, it’s also laced with natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), pineapple and papaya enzymes, to gently exfoliate away dead skin cells, revealing fresh and healthy cells below and a super-smooth surface. Once again, it’s completely clear but can help you fake that enviable dewy, glass skin look.
PORE PATROL
Just before the UK went into lockdown and imposed stricter social distancing measures I temporarily moved in with my boyfriend and the first product I reached for was this: Allies of Skin’s {Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial}. One of my long-standing Holy Grails, it’s formulated with a powerful blend of alpha hydroxy acids, enzymes (including those from Manuka honey and pomegranate) and antibacterial colloidal silver. I gushed about this in my Cult Beauty job interview and it’s the first thing I recommend to new starters and there’s a reason why; not only does this clever treatment help prevent and heal hormonal acne each and every month it also… unclogs pores, regulates sebum production, fades old blemish scars, refines skin’s texture, brightens the complexion and strengthens the skin’s natural barrier. Phewph!
EXZIT STRATEGY
Have you noticed you’ve started breaking out while WFH? Omorovicza’s {Silver Skin Saviour} is another potent, targeted mask that harnesses the power of antibacterial and skin-healing colloidal silver as well as blemish-busting niacinamide and pore-purging salicylic and glycolic acid to reveal clearer, smoother and healthier skin – sans spots. Plus, like the 10 other products in this list, it’s completely undetectable on Zoom, or Skype – whichever you’re spending far too many hours on nowadays.
HYDRATION STATION
A firm favourite with Team Cult Beauty, Plenaire’s {Skin Frosting Deeply Hydrating Mask} is a must for extremely dry and dehydrated skin. It’s enriched with a blend of raw coconut oil and precious Japanese camellia oil, alongside cocoa and shea butter to encourage elasticity as it helps your skin recover from uncomfortable dryness. Infused with anti-inflammatory plant phytosterols and triglycerides, it also helps to soothe and calm the appearance of reddened skin while encouraging moisture retention. Similar to SUMMER FRIDAY’s {Jet Lag Mask}, this also applies thick and creamy white but can be applied sparingly for an invisible finish – I should know, I’ve forgotten I was wearing this and gone to Asda in search for plain flour (no, I wasn’t baking banana bread before you ask) and spaghetti without a single odd look from my fellow shoppers.
BABY FACE CLUB
Already missing your facialist? Or wishing you had one? Skin Design London’s {Designer Balm – Healthy Skin Peel} will have you looking like you’ve had an in-depth appointment with a skin specialist… all without leaving your house. Rich in age-defying retinol, hydrating hyaluronic acid, regenerating rosehip oil and moisture-locking soy protein, this transformative treatment peels, plumps, smooths and hydrates, imparting enviable, youthful glow in 15 minutes flat.
GLOWING SOMEWHERE?
A luxuriously ‘bouncy’, lightweight, gel-like sleeping mask (that can also be used as a ten-minute mask in daylight hours) Glow Recipe’s pillow-proof {Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask} stars watermelon extract, acclaimed by Korean beauty buffs for its ability to soothe irritated and inflamed skin with luscious, skin-restoring vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids. As well as flooding thirsty cells with watermelon extract, this miraculous mask features hydrating hyaluronic acid and exfoliating, pore-refining alpha-hydroxy acids that get to work clarifying and boosting skin so by the end of your working day you’ll be greeted with a baby-soft visage that exudes unrivalled radiance.
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