Beauty and airline travel don’t always go hand in hand. The very nature of air travel – hours in a cramped space while recycled air wreaks havoc on your skin and hair – makes it next to impossible to arrive at your destination bright-eyed and fresh-faced.
But wouldn’t it be great to touch down looking (and feeling) like you’ve just stepped out of a glossy travel brochure?
As summer nears and many of us prepare to board planes for faraway climes, we turned to the experts at Emirates Airlines for their secrets to long-haul beauty.
At airports around the globe, Emirates Airlines’ female flight attendants are easily identifiable by their red hats, white scarves, scarlet lipstick, and flawless skin.
This is by design: Emirates Airlines flight attendants are trained to maintain a fresh and composed look for work days that often run upwards of 21 hours.
Such training is compulsory for all of the Dubai-based airlines’ 19,000 flight attendants, male and female.
The following tips for long-haul beauty come courtesy of Marilee Vermaak, an image trainer for Emirates Airlines (such trainers are responsible for equipping flight attendants with the tools they need to stay well-groomed during long flights). Vermaak schooled journos from across the country at a #RedHatSelfie day event in Toronto earlier this year.
• Prep your lips for air travel by exfoliating off the dead skin before you leave for the airport.
• Lip balm is a traveler’s best friend, and if you can get your hands on Lucas Paw-Paw lip balm from Australia, you’ll have found your new BFF.
• Skin dries out quickly during flights. A couple hits of a mineral water hydration spray – like the TSA-approved 1.7 oz. one from evian – can revitalize a thirsty face feeling the ill effects of cabin air.
• Travel with hand moisturizer, and use a squirt of said moisturizer to tame dry, flyaway hair.
• A little bit of white shadow under the eyebrow brightens the look of the eyes.
• Avoid lower lid liner when travelling. It will only emphasize dark circles.
• Leave the waterproof mascara at home. It’s very drying, and takes eons to remove (especially after air travel).
• Use a zigzag motion when you apply mascara; this separates the lashes from each other and prevents unsightly (and uncomfortable) clumping.
• Scrub everything off at the end of the day. According to Vermaak, our skin ages 10-15 days each time we wear make-up to bed.
• Bronzing doesn’t look too good at 30,000 feet. When combined with unflattering cabin lighting, bronzer creates a drawn-down appearance.
• If you want a quick make-up fix right before you land, some blusher, mascara, and a peachy lip colour can wake up your face, says Vermaak.
