Ayesha Muttucumaru shares her top skincare saviours for the New Year and its treacherous weather...
If the aftermath of the party season has left your skin, well, partied out, then fret not as we’ve had a look for some of the best skincare SOS saviours around to give your complexion just the New Year’s pick-me-up it needs.
Whether you’re looking for a serious moisture surge, a touch of illumination, a post-festive facial or a post-party pore-unblocker, one of our tried and tested picks are sure to solve your current skincare crisis. No matter what your 2014 diet or fitness resolution, let these bathroom shelf essentials act as the perfect accompaniment for helping you step into the New Year with skin that glows from the inside out.
FOR DRYNESS
For skin that’s suffering the effects of the downright ridiculous windy and rainy weather outside, this beautifully floral-scented collection from Elemis provides just the plumping pep-talk that sluggish skin needs. Comprising of full size bottles of the brand’s hydrating Rosepetal Cleanser, invigorating Ginseng Toner and a handy handbag-sized Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, the set provides a 44% saving on buying the products individually so it’s not just gentle on our skin, but also on your January bank balance.
MORE GLOSS: How to deal with adult acne
FOR DULLNESS
Elizabeth Arden Skin Illuminating Collection , from £35
If burning the candle at both ends has caused your skin to lose its glow, then this intelligently formulated collection will help reignite the most sallow of complexions. Our particular favourites are the Gentle Foaming Smoothing Cleanser , £35, Smooth & Brighten Emulsion, £65 and Advanced Brightening Night Capsules , £65 containing a skin luminising cocktail of vitamin C, diamond powder, pearl powder and optical diffusers to reflect light, even skin tone and increase overall radiance, tone and texture.
FOR AGE DEFIANCE
Dr Lancer Skincare: The Method , from £48
As the dermatologist responsible for many an A-lister’s flawless complexion, Dr Lancer’s 3-step programme is built on the ethos that skin will begin to look younger if trained to follow a 28 day cycle. Our particular favourite is the Polish , £60 containing exfoliation beads and fruit enzymes to gently buff away dead skin cells and brown sea algae to stimulate collagen production. One look at clients Scarlett Johansson's, Victoria Beckham’s and Cat Deeley’s camera-ready visages is reason enough for us to pop down to Harrods during our lunch breaks.
FOR A FRESH-FACED FACIAL
The Éminence Youth Shield Facial at the Chi Yu Wellness Centre, from £85 for 60 minutes
With a range of products that count Megan Fox, Dita Von Teese and Jessica Biel as fans, you’d be hard pressed to find a facial that holds as much promise as this one. Designed for women in their 20s and 30s who aren’t quite ready for a full ammo of anti-ageing products just yet, this treatment gives skin the boost of spot-fighting and free-radical protection it needs in order to duke it out against those pesky early wrinkles. With key ingredients including redcurrant and a potent Antioxidant Complex, it poses a triple threat for winter weary skin in terms of hydration, vitality and elasticity. The fan club can count me as a member now too. My skin has never felt so soft after a facial and that was all thanks to the magic hands of Mami Tsang , the owner of Chi Yu Wellness Centre and GTG Expert.