The filtered world of Instagram and glossy magazines means we're being constantly bombarded with images of 'flawless' celebrities, but what does that even mean and how do they get that glow? Award-winning beauty journalist Anita Bhagwandas reveals all.
Flawless. It’s a word that gets bandied around relentlessly in beauty, but it’s most commonly attributed to how our make-up looks. Which is weird, actually, because when we’re aiming for flawless, what we’re really after is that skin finish that looks like we’ve spent our entire lives mainlining green juices and avoiding dairy/gluten/sugar like it was actually Satan. This look doesn’t come from your make-up – no matter how brilliant your foundation is – it actually comes from a killer skincare regime.
Rehauling your skincare routine doesn’t have to be super complicated. Firstly, nail the right skincare kit for you and keep it simple.
Invest in a great cleanser that suits your skin – heads up, if you’ve used the same foaming one for over 5 years, that’s probably a sign it might be out of sync with your skincare needs. Use it once in the morning, if you need to. But use it twice in the evening to remove make-up, and then again to remove pollution, excess sebum and bacteria. That’s non-negotiable.
Next, apply an ingredient-packed serum that contains ingredients like caffeine, and antioxidants to rev up your skin’s renewal and target free radical damage from environmental pollution, stress and junk food.
Finally, finish with a small dab of moisturizer to target the upper layers of the skin and improve your skin’s barrier function. For daytime minimum – this is legitimately all you need. Really.
There are a few add-ons you might want too – for example, a nourishing eye cream, a chemical exfoliator used a maximum of twice a week (scrubs irritate the skin and stretch the pores – avoid), plus a potent night cream. Look for one that contains peptides, natural oils and actives to kickstart your skin cell renewal when your body is on its nighttime repair mode.
Above all – becoming your skin’s own expert is the difference between average skin and beautiful skin.
Keep it simple, work out what your skin needs (just by pressing the skin and feeling its texture every morning before you whack on a tonne of products it probably doesn’t need), a brief facial massage as you cleanse and tonnes of sleep. Flawless skin isn’t about make-up, it’s entirely about your skincare routine.
Anita has made her name creating thought-provoking, culturally relevant and agenda-setting journalism that’s real. Currently working as a freelance Beauty and Features journalist, she was formally at Marie Claire, Women’s Health, and Stylist.
