1. Use the right products for your skin type
You can splash your cash on the most expensive serums in the world, but if what you select isn't suited to your unique skin type and skin needs, it's just money wasted. Whether dry, oily, combination, acne-prone or sensitive, there's a suite of products to suit. Dry skin types won't benefit from using oil-balancing products suited to a combination complexion, and vice versa. But once you've settled on your skin type, you can begin building a skincare routine to heal skin ails and reveal radiance.
2. Invest in beauty tech
Level up your skincare game at home with a high-tech beauty tool. From spiky dermal rollers and illuminating LED face masks to microcurrent toning devices and sculpting T bars, these clever devices have taken off in popularity for their ability to create mini moments of luxury in the comfort of your own home. The Facialist's The Sculpter, $129, is a daily massage tool designed to work with your preferred serum or oil to help lift and shape facial contours.
3. Give gua sha a go
According to Jo Lehndorf, founder and creator of local beauty brand Loveskin, the ancient Chinese skincare method is an excellent way to promote lymphatic drainage and circulate blood flow. Start by applying a serum, then use your stone to work from the centre to the left side of your face in firm but gentle strokes. Move systematically down the face in sections to your jawline and then up from your collarbone, before repeating on the other side. Complete the ritual 3-5 times per week with the Loveskin Gua Sha Tool, $25.
4. Never skimp on eye cream
Make the ritual of applying your eye cream a truly indulgent one by using the pad of your ring finger to lightly pat the cream around your orbital bone, from the inner to the outer corner of your eye. Try it with the Chanel Sublimage L'essence Fondamentale Yeux, $385, an innovative new serum that contains a high concentration of ingredients to smooth wrinkles and fine lines, while diminishing the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.
5. Prioritise peels
Depending on your skin type and concerns, in-clinic peels are an excellent way to supplement your at-home skincare regime. Varying in strength, light peels performed monthly are said to help smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and even out skin tone; medium peels every two to three months are said to minimise the look of deeper wrinkles and scars; while intense, resurfacing chemical peels penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin and can only be performed every few years. Can't make it into the clinic? Try the Glo Skin Beauty Hydra Bright AHA Glow Peel Kit, $159, which contains everything you need to perform this brightness-boosting peel in your own bathroom.
6. Smooth on a body oil after you shower
Nothing feels quite as luxurious as smoothing on a cosseting body oil. Applying body oil on wet or damp skin helps prevent moisture loss, locks in hydration and infuses antioxidants into the skin. Or if you prefer piping hot showers, slathering on your oil before you shower helps create a barrier between your skin and the shower water, which can stop skin from drying out. Linden Leaves Memories Body Oil, $64, is powered by plant oils and roses to leave skin soft.
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7. Give body slugging a whirl
If you've spent any time on BeautyTok (beauty's corner of the TikTok platform) then chances are you're familiar with slugging the process of applying an occlusive, petrolatum-based cream or ointment to the face overnight to seal in hydration. But this little beauty trick works wonders on the rest of the body too from lips to ankles and everything in between. Start by applying a hydrating lotion all over limbs (or where needed) followed by slugging with a thin layer of occlusive ointment like the Aquaphor Healing Ointment Skin Protectant, $10.
8. Get steamy in the shower
Too busy for a bath? Try a shower steamer. These convenient tabs boast all the same aromatherapeutic benefits as a bath bomb, but sit in the bottom of your shower to diffuse their scent. Viva loves Anihana Shower Steamers, $5 each.
9. Get your glow on with a primer
Harness the glow-giving powers of an illuminating primer; better yet, opt for one that acts as an extension of your skincare regime. Tom Ford's Illuminating Primer, $124, serves a dual purpose to neutralise redness and combat dullness, while prepping skin for the makeup steps to follow.
10. Set and forget with a brow lamination
The time-poor among us can attest to the benefits of regular brow tints, but brow laminations go one step further by shaping and setting brows in place for up to six weeks. This semi-permanent solution promises full, fluffy brows by setting them into a more uniform position to allow for greater flexibility when styling your brows. Off & On's Brow Lift service includes a lamination and tint, and is available from its salons across Aotearoa.
11. Smooth strands with an at-home Keratin treatment
When cared for properly, Keratin-treated hair can last for up to six months, but if you can't commit to poker-straight hair for that long, consider a mini-Keratin treatment that lasts up to four shampoos. The Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray, $56, promises silky, glossy hair on a variety of hair types, and uses a heat-activated polymer to seal strands and win the fight against frizz.
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Advertise with NZME.12. Wash your hair properly
A good hair day starts with a good hair wash. Use lukewarm water over hot, which can damage strands and cause them to become brittle. Ensure hair is fully saturated before you start shampooing, and, if time allows, shampoo hair twice. The first will remove build-up on roots or scalp, and the second is to cleanse hair. Apply conditioner from mid-lengths to ends, and leave on for at least five minutes before rinsing. Finally, rinse hair with a shot of cold water to help seal the hair cuticle, leaving a smooth surface and making hair look shiny and glossy.
13. Try a silk pillow slip
Face sleepers can attest to sleep creases that can crop up overnight, so if you fall into that camp, swap out your cotton pillow slip for a silk one. Silk is naturally smoother than other fabrics, meaning it creates less friction on skin or hair and is less drying on your complexion. The Penney + Bennett Beauty Pillow, $109, is crafted from 100 per cent responsibly sourced mulberry silk, and keeps moisture close to skin and hair to minimise creases.
14. Get regular trims
Nothing says "polished" quite like a fresh trim. It may sound counterintuitive, but trimming your hair regularly promotes healthy hair growth and restores luster to tresses. Book in for a trim every 6-8 weeks to maintain length and style, or if you're growing your hair, getting a trim every 8-10 weeks will help you sidestep split ends and the damage they can cause.
15. Prep your hair before you style
Many leave-in treatments replace the need for multiple products in your bathroom cupboard by also providing thermal protection, frizz control, strength, hydration and volume in one simple step. Cult favourite hair product Eleven Australia Miracle Hair Treatment, $39, does all this and more, promising 11 hair benefits in one lightweight leave-in treatment.
16. Ditch the dry shampoo for cleansing mist
Dry shampoos walked so cleansing mists could run, and expect to see a flurry of these new hair cleansers launching in 2022. Less powdery than their predecessors, cleansing mists work in a similar way by absorbing excess oils, but don't leave behind residue. Try KMS Conscious Style Cleansing Mist, $35, which refreshes hair in between washes and protects against pollutants.
17. Chow down on ingestible beauty
If you subscribe to a "beauty from the inside out" way of thinking, then you'll be familiar with the range of ingestible beauty powders, pills and elixirs which claim to support a healthy complexion and supplement topical skincare routines. Easily mixed into water, a smoothie or yoghurt, The Beauty Chef Glow, $75, is a bio-fermented, probiotic-rich daily beauty powder said to support glowing skin and a healthy gut.
18. Make time to tan
A faux glow can make anyone feel like a million bucks, so while applying a layer of ultra-dark tan seems redundant while limbs are hidden under shirts and coats, a little gradual tan can add a healthy-looking radiance to skin. Bondi Sands Pure Gradual Tanning Lotion, $25, couples tanning actives with hyaluronic acid and vitamins C and E to care for skin while lending a little colour.
19. Sweat it out in the sauna
Unlike conventional hot rock or steam saunas, which heat the air, infrared saunas emit near, mid and far infrared wavelengths of light that are absorbed by the skin and help to heat it from the inside out. Infrared saunas offer a multitude of mood-boosting health benefits, including the elimination of toxins, improving circulation and muscle recovery, supporting the immune system and much more. Hana offers 45-minute sessions in their infrared sauna for $65, with concession cards and monthly memberships available.
20. Dry body brush before you shower
Restore luminosity to skin and rid the body of toxic build-up by reaching for a dry body brush before you step into the shower. Dry body brushing is said to help exfoliate skin, unclog pores, increase blood circulation, and promote lymphatic flow and drainage to leave skin soft and glowing. Try it with the Salt By Hendrix Dry Body Brush, $29, starting with your feet and legs and brushing upwards towards your heart in short but firm strokes.
