Luminous, bright, radiant – 3 words on all our wish lists this season! At this time of year lights seem to twinkle brightly everywhere as we anticipate slowing down to relax with family and friends, enjoying delicious food plus a glass (or more!) of something sparkling and taking a well-earned rest.
December is also a significant month for celebration in many different faiths. This year Hanukkah – the Jewish Festival of Lights – begins on 22nd. Commemorating one of the greatest miracles in Jewish history and representing freedom and hope, the festival lasts for 8 days and nights. Combining prayer, traditional celebratory foods and the giving and receiving of gifts, the nightly lighting of candles on a special 9-branched Menorah candelabrum is what gives the festival its evocative name.
In fact there’s nothing quite like candlelight to give skin an ultra-flattering, ethereal glow, especially during the party season. Choose your skincare wisely and you can enjoy ageless, beautiful and luminous skin at any time of the day, week or year. Slow Ageing Essentials has all you need for an enviably translucent complexion as well as expert tips for lighting up your beauty regime throughout the festivities. Here’s how:
Keep it glassy:
After years of matte, stay-put makeup formulations, a dewy and flawless complexion is now officially a ‘must-have’. With ♯glassskin trending the beauty world, the ideal base for picture-perfect skin is a crystal clear complexion. Use Slow Ageing staples to transform skin from dull and winter-worn to flawless and light reflecting in 3 easy steps:
1. Cleanse. Thorough, nourishing and deep cleansing is the first stage to achieving a smooth, bright ♯glassskin finish. This growing trend begins with a double cleanse… but the depth of cleansing you get from using Essential Face Wash is so complete that you really won’t need to do it twice to see radiant results! Naturally hydrating thanks to skin-plumping coconut fatty acids and loaded with sebo-regulating, 100% pure ylang ylang essential oil plus microcirculation-stimulating rosemary, this one-of-a-kind foaming wash blitzes makeup and impurities without stripping your skin of much-needed nourishment making it super kind to even sensitive skins. Instead you are left with skin that feels fresh, ‘squeaky clean’ and cashmere soft. Your complexion immediately looks brighter, smoother and has an ageless glow.
2. Exfoliate. A silky smooth surface reflects light far better than an uneven one so exfoliation to improve texture is your important second step. Essential Exfoliating Polish has been carefully formulated to be gentle enough for use on face as well as body. An invigorating, revitalising botanical blend of zingy ginger, pomegranate and orange, it effortlessly buffs away flaky, dead skin and increases circulation for a burst of radiant brightness; nourishing natural coconut oil ensures skin looks plump and feels velvety too.
Top tip: Short of time? Mix 1/3 Exfoliating Face & Body Polish with 2/3 Face Wash, add a few drops of water then massage over face and décolleté for a speedy, turbocharged, skin smoothing cleanse.
3. Essence. Hydration is key to flawless, glossy skin… and our best-selling Essential Facial Essence is simply bursting with it! Radiance-boosting and vitamin-loaded, this energising elixir of 100% pure, potent anti-oxidant essential oils is super luxe. Intensively nourishing thanks to elasticising pure botanical hazelnut seed oil and omega-9 essential fatty acid, this ultra-glossing blend layers skin with nutrients for the perfect silken finish. Using our ‘hero’ Essence will also double the results of any products you apply afterwards so top it off by massaging in algae-rich, protective Essential Face Moisturiser by day and the trio of nurturing natural butters and waxes found in Essential Face Balm 2-3 times a week at night. Your skin will never have looked so luminous.
Wake up your inner glow:
We all know the perfect party accessory is skin that looks lit from within. Along with an effective, uncomplicated skincare routine, facial massage can dramatically improve the quality and appearance of every skin type, brightening your complexion and easing signs of seasonal fatigue. Incorporate our bespoke yet surprisingly simple ‘Skin-ergy self-massage' application technique into your morning and evening routine to reveal your skin’s inner light. This energising series of fingertip movements enhances your natural cellular renewal process whilst promoting elasticity and firmness. By flooding skin cells with nutrients and oxygen from increased microcirculation, Skin’ergy ensures the active ingredients are absorbed into your skin’s deepest layers maximising the absorption – and effectiveness - of Facial Essence.
Enlighten your senses:
As well as lighting candles to bring a warm, welcoming glow into your home, why not put an aromatherapy diffuser onto your gift list? In addition to delivering profoundly skin-balancing benefits, essential oils are also proven to work on your olfactory senses (sense of smell) to reduce stress, boost flagging energy levels and even improve sleep. Every Slow Ageing formulation is loaded with active, 100% pure essential oils so you feel the advantage of their mood lifting effects every time you use them.
For an extra wellbeing boost you could try a plug in or battery operated diffuser. These clever little machines offer a wonderful way to increase feelings of wellbeing as well as subtly fragrancing your home. Overdone the shopping or socialising and in need of re-energising? Choose an uplifting oil like sweet orange or festive cinnamon. Stressed out from trying to do too much and want to unwind? Lavender or rose are blissfully relaxing and calming. Simply add tap water along with a few drops of your chosen essential oil then plug in to slowly disperse the humidifying, divinely scented vapours. Ideal for helping to counterbalance the effects of moisture-sapping central heating, most new diffusers also light up to add a gorgeous ambient glow to your surroundings… as well as showing your complexion off in the best possible light!