Luxury beauty comes in many forms, whether that’s a five-minute skincare ritual or a $200 full-body massage. Here is the newest wave of products, treatments and techniques to make the ritual of applying your skincare, haircare, makeup or bodycare a truly luxurious one. The best part? It won’t cost you a million bucks to feel like it.
1. Switch up your skincare with the seasons
Winter is an excellent time to offer skin a little TLC (read: thick lotions and creams). While lightweight gels have their place during the balmy months, the cooler seasons are the perfect time to sub in rich, cosseting products. Changing cleansers is an easy switch, and the new Tom Ford Research Cleansing Concentrate, $155, is a conditioning cream cleanser that gently removes makeup, impurities and pollution to leave skin ultra-soft.
2. Spoil your skin with serums
Serums are a sure-fire way to spoil skin as they up the ante on active ingredients compared to other products in your regime. Consider serums as a concentrated helping of what your skin really needs, designed to target specific skin ails. Viva loves the new Shiseido White Lucent Illuminating Micro-Spot Serum Limited Edition, $259, which is designed to counteract the appearance of dark spots, dullness and uneven skin tone for a smoother, brighter complexion.
3. Try a hot cloth cleanser
If you're already a double-cleanse devotee, level up your nightly skincare regime by introducing a hot cloth cleanser to expertly melt away dirt, impurities and dead skin. Hot cloth cleansers are designed to pair with your face cloth, flannel or muslin of choice (just remember to use a clean one each day). Start by dampening skin with water before applying your hot cloth cleanser over your face and neck. Next, soak your face cloth with hot water and gently lay it over your face to allow the steam to open pores before removing the cleanser. Repeat until the product has gone completely. Try Ren Clean Skincare Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser, $33.
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4. Hydrate skin with an essence
As the cooler months beckon, consider incorporating an essence into your daily skincare routine. Hitting the sweet spot between a serum and a moisturiser, an essence hydrates and rebalances skin before the additional skincare steps to follow. Try the new La Mer The Treatment Lotion 100ml, $180, a watery lotion powered by La Mer's Miracle Broth technology to deliver a rush of all-day hydration to skin.
5. Slather on a bougie face mask
There's no simpler way to inject a little glamour into your day than with a fancy face mask. With a number of formats and formulas to choose from, there's a face mask for every skin type, concern and budget. Follow in celebrities like Margot Robbie and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's Louboutin-clad footsteps with the red carpet favourite 111SKIN Rose Gold Mask, $45, for an instant boost of glow before a big event.
6. Go for gold (plated skincare)
You can't get much more indulgent than gold-plated skincare, which not only looks great on Instagram but is also said to improve skin tone and texture. It may set you back a few gold bars, but La Prairie's Pure Gold Radiance Concentrate, $1370, is a luxury serum infused with the brand's Pure Gold Diffusion System said to restore radiance to skin instantly and over time.
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Advertise with NZME.7. Incorporate an application ritual for your moisturiser
The last step in your skincare routine is where you can go to town with some de-puffing massage techniques to stroke it into skin. Some massages can work their magic in as little as three minutes: trace the contours of your face, hollows of your cheekbones and jawline to flush out toxins and leave skin puff-free. For a truly luxurious formula to cocoon skin with during cooler evenings, try the new Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Crème, $176.
8. Indulge in a once-weekly soak in the tub
Show tired limbs some love with a relaxing 30-minute soak in the tub, which is as much a treat for the soul as it is the body. To relax muscles and loosen stiff joints, add 1 cup of Epsom salt into the tub, or treat yourself to the therapeutic benefits of the Bathorium Ancient Oat Hydration Crush Bath Soak, $13.
9. Smooth on a body serum
Boasting the same skincare benefits as their facial counterparts, body serums go one step further than the basic moisturising factors of body lotions and creams. Offer limbs multi-level hydration with the Necessaire The Body Serum, $77, which contains hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and ceramides to help skin retain its moisture.
10. Make it metallic
Precious metals like rose gold, bronze, copper and silver lend multi-dimensional sheen to eyes, and can be worn all over eyelids or as an eyeliner depending on preference. The new Aleph Beauty Hybrid Eye Pigment, $56, boasts a unique consistency that hits the sweet spot between a powder, crème eyeshadow and eye pencil, meaning you can line it, smudge it or blend it depending on the look you're after.
11. Pick out a pretty palette
Shop around and you'll see there's no reason to settle for a palette that contains one of those shades you'll never hit pan on. The Dior 5 Couleurs Couture Limited Edition Dioriviera Limited Edition, $136, was dreamed up by creative and image director Peter Philips, in homage to the sunset hues of the Mediterranean with golden coppers, white golds, peachy pinks, plum bronzes and velvety browns.
12. Fake a fuller pout with lush lipcare
Lip stains and tints are having a major moment, spurred on by the K-beauty movement and made popular via TikTok. The new Hermès Hermèsistible Infused Care Oil, $85, has caught our eye thanks to its 97 per cent natural formula, high-saturation shades and scent profiles. Like a Lip Smacker but more luxe, Hermès perfumer Christine Nagel developed six unique scents to correspond with each colour, making applying your lippie a truly sensorial experience.
13. Swipe on sculptural nail polish
For a nail polish bottle that's as pretty on the outside as the hue inside, look no further than Gucci Vernis à Ongles Nail Polish, $62, which comes in 10 of creative director Alessandro Michele's favourite shades. Each ultra-shiny nail lacquer comes housed in a 1920s-inspired vessel, with a ribbed handle and pear-shaped glass base. Viva loves Miriam Mint, a muted mint green shade sure to provide a pop of eye-catching colour.
14. Book in for a blow-wave
For a pampering treat, book in for a Friday afternoon blow wave and feel fabulous all weekend. Better still, book an appointment weekly or fortnightly should your budget stretch. Many salons across the country offer blow dry-only services, but few are as popular as Dry & Tea. Expect to pay anywhere between $45 and $92 depending on the seniority of your stylist, your hair length and the style you're after.
15. Use a hair mask once a week
Support the good work of your conditioner with a weekly hair mask, which promises additional nourishment and delivers dramatic results in the shine and strength department. Repair damaged or weakened hair with the Kerastase Resistance Masque Force Architecte, $67, which rebuilds the hair fibre leaving it softer yet stronger, meaning it's more resistant to split ends and breakage.
16. Invest in a do-it-all hair tool
Few hair tools leave people humphing and harring over whether to shell out just shy of $1000 quite like the Dyson Airwrap multi-styler, but what it lacks in affordability, it makes up for in versatility. The brush, barrel and pre-styling dryer attachments that pair with the device make achieving a multitude of styles easy whether you're after undulating curls or a smooth and sleek blowout. Keep your eyes peeled for the newest Airwrap innovation, which is priced at $999.
17. Spritz on hair perfume
If you've ever been tempted to spray your regular perfume in your hair, help is at hand many fragrance maisons are coming out with dedicated hair perfumes which are tailor-made to be sprayed onto strands without causing damage. Byredo, Diptyque, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Editions de Parfums by Frédéric Malle, Sachajuan, Balmain, Oribe, Juliette Has A Gun and Goldwell all offer lightly scented hair perfumes, but if you're after a locally made option, look no further than Chloe Zara Hair & Body Perfume Oil, $110, which moonlights as a heat protectant.
18. Settle on a new signature scent
Rich, comforting notes like vanilla, patchouli and tobacco are perfectly suited to cooler temperatures, so consider switching out your summer scent for one that adapts beautifully to the season. Maison Margiela Autumn Vibes 100ml eau de toilette, $194, evokes the crunching sound of leaves underfoot, with notes of pink peppercorn, cardamom, cedarwood and moss accord.
19. Discover the art of fragrance combining
Creative types among us will love dabbling in the art of fragrance combining, a term coined by Jo Malone London to describe the process of layering complementary scents to create a scent blend unique to the wearer. Perfect pairings include the fragrance maker's signature Lime, Basil & Mandarin with Wood Sage & Sea Salt, English Pear & Freesia with Wild Bluebell, or Peony & Blush Suede with Pomegranate Noir. Or try experimenting with a scent from its new Blossoms collection, including Sea Daffodil, Bitter Mandarin and Silk Blossom, priced at $204 for 50ml.
20. Try a fancy flannel or makeup-removing muslin
Makeover your manchester with an organic cotton or bamboo face cloth. Baina's range of chic face cloths are priced at $22 and come in a rainbow of shades to match its lush-looking bath, pool or hand towels. Each is crafted in Portugal from 100 per cent organic cotton from a GOTS certified manufacturer.
21. Apply cuticle oil before bed
Healthy cuticles equals healthy nails, so show yours some love before you hit the hay by applying a dot of cuticle oil to each nail and cuticle. The Kester Black Self Love Oil, $33, is a multi-purpose oil that can be used to soften cuticles, relieve dry lips and remove long-wearing makeup.
22. Try a medi pedi
Put your best foot forward with a medical pedicure that addresses a variety of cosmetic issues including hard, thickened or damaged nails, dry or peeling skin, overgrown cuticles or ingrowns. Auckland's Perform Podiatry is one of many clinics that offer the treatment, and use specialised podiatric equipment to achieve visible results.
23. Burn the good candle
Make every day a special occasion by burning your 'good' candle, whether that constitutes a three-wick burner or a XXL vessel. Glasshouse Fragrances Gardenia Inoubliable 380g limited-edition candle, $90, is one of the brand's most exclusive offerings yet, and boasts an unforgettable floral aroma that leaves a magnetic scent trail.
24. Book in for a relaxation massage
Combat the woes of modern life with 90 minutes of bliss at East Day Spa. Its signature Balinese massage, a full-body, medium-pressure massage that encompasses gentle stretches and acupressure, is nothing short of iconic. If you're lucky, you'll be left in the very capable hands of senior massage therapist and spa trainer Agung, who also specialises in Shanti and Veda massages to heal and rebalance the body.
25. Decorate your sink with a chic soap
Pump soaps will always have their place by bathroom and kitchen sinks, so why not select one that reflects your aesthetic? The design-led D.S. & Durga Wild Brooklyn Lavender Soap, $57, keeps things chic with its monochrome colourway and makes for a classy addition to any en suite.
This story was originally published in volume eight of Viva Magazine.
