For starters I used Clinique’s Pep-Start Eye Cream £24... like never before! It was a big ask but boy did it deliver. We put it on for flights, before make-up, for touch-ups during the day (when sometimes skincare is more important than actually applying make-up) and for the few hours sleep we were getting. Not once did I need to worry about puffy eyes or dark circles - even on PMT days!
Fake tan takes on a whole new importance for me on tours, especially in these colder months. It’s not that I want to look sun-kissed - just a healthy glow. When you wake up in a different time zone and you see a washed-out, exhausted face staring back at you in the mirror, it does nothing for one’s ‘joie de vivre’! So a little cheat I like is to mix in some Dr Sebagh Self-Tanning Drops £35 with a night moisturiser, the result being a lovely radiant complexion when you wake up in the morning. Its ingredients also help to shield skin against the ageing effects of High Energy Visible (HEV) light/daylight which is also in the light emitted by smartphones, tablets and laptops. And as my screen time was a whopping 10+ hours per day by the end of the tour I needed all the help I could get. (In my defence that included photography, video recording, film editing, mapping, radio, Face Time, What’s App and Instagram. I even research and write this column on my tiny iPhone!)
Now let’s talk about my absolute addiction: Aveda Chakra 2 Balancing Body Mist £30. This delicious fusion of pure essential oils is blended to balance the pleasure chakra (the centre of vitality and sensation, according to India’s ancient Ayurveda principles). Essence of sandalwood, organic orange and geranium always bring happiness to my work space, instantly lifting my mood and that of my client. If you’re stuck for a gift idea, trust me - this is perfect. I haven’t met one single person, male or female, who hasn’t adored this scent. Use it on the body and hair or as a room scent.