‘I love flying without children so much that my distraction at the prospect of naps, films and a wine trolley meant I neglected my face in the gross cabin air’
As I write, I’m four days home from my first visit to Australia. I love flying without children, so much so that my distraction at the prospect of 22 hours of naps, films and a free wine trolley meant I wholly neglected my face in the gross cabin air. I emerged from the airport grey-faced, about two dress sizes bigger (I inflate like a life jacket, even on a short hop to Newcastle – explanations welcome) and with skin like a worn emery board. An Australian colleague described my appearance as “haunted”.
So, for the trip home, I rejigged my hand luggage to avoid the same, and it worked a charm. This is what I did: a full skin cleanse in the airport loo, before massaging in L’Oréal’s excellent new Revitalift Filler Renew Hyaluronic Replumping Serum (£14.99; the inclusion of hyaluronic acid is important, for its proven ability to hold water on the skin), then Merumaya’s superb Overnight Recharge Night Cream (£33.50; the rest of this extremely good range is much cheaper). Before take-off, I smeared Clarins Extra-Firming Lip And Contour Balm (£31) around lips and eyes, which kept everything supple for the entire flight. Then, pre-landing, I freshened up with Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes (£5.99), which cleanse pretty thoroughly and give a nice glow, reapplied the serum, then restored more colour with Elizabeth Arden’s Pure Finish Mineral Tinted Moisturiser (£27), and dabbed my lips and cheeks with Becca Beach Tint in Guava (£20), both of which are superb.
With the exception of the wipes, all of these products are also wonderful used at home as part of your regular routine, but they’re especially impressive when airborne.