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It’s late… really, really late… Here are four tips to keep the short
night from showing in your skin.
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If
you know that you’re going to be up late, or if you’re up late frequently,
drink as much water as you comfortably can. Eight glasses may not be
enough to counteract the stress and fatigue that result from not getting
enough sleep.

Eat right and/or take a multivitamin. Poor eating habits (like
eating on the run) and a sleep-deprived lifestyle tend to go together.
Whatever you can do to boost your nutritional intake will help keep you
going and keep your skin radiant. Antioxidants like vitamins B, C and
E are especially helpful when you’re burning the midnight oil. One line,
found in luxury salons and select Sephora stores, is I/O—which
was designed around this concept.
I/O—Inner Resources/Outer Results is a skin care
and nutrition line with a synergistic approach to beauty that really delivers
the goods. Vitamins, minerals and botanical extracts are used to formulate
highly effective skin care products and herbal-based nutritional supplements—to
nourish inside and out. It turns out that taking care of the body involves
the same steps as taking care of the skin—cleanse, restore and energize.
The I/O product line is built around CPLeX—a system that unites
vitamin C (in three forms) with other antioxidants and immune-strengthening
components like licorice root and green tea.
The supplements—called amRENEW, proACTIVATE,
and pmCLEAN address the nutritional needs of your body throughout
the day—while their full line of skin care does the same for your external
features. Supplements are formulated using the methods of Chinese herbal
medicine, Indian Ayurvedic medicine and the latest advances in phytonutrition.
For more information on I/O and to locate a salon near
you, visit their web site at http://www.ioskin.com
or visit the Beauty and Spa section of SelfCare.com online boutique at
http://www.selfcare.com.
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Invest in a good ENT—Emergency Night-time Treatment. This isn’t necessarily
the product you’ll want to use every night, but it’s a treatment that
we might need some time. When you get home late and you know it’s going
to be an early day, use a product that’s a bit more hydrating then you
usually use (especially if you’ve had alcohol or been around smokers),
and an ingredient to increase cell turnover, such as AHAs, BHAs or retinol
(vitamin A) derivatives, to give skin a boost while you sleep.
The most tailor-made product for preventing fatigue
from showing up in the complexion has to be Midnight Secret. The
active ingredient in Midnight Secret, Hydronoctine, allows the skin to
recover at an incredibly accelerated pace. In addition to stimulating
micro-circulation and cellular oxygenation, it inhibits free radicals,
and instantly moisturizes and decongests. Though there are now several
lines claiming the same results, Guerlain was one of the first companies
to combine the revitalizing effects of Ginkgo Biloba, Lactic Acid and
Vitamin E.
For more information, visit Guerlain’s new site (currently
in French only) at http://www.guerlain.com,
or go to Sephora’s online store at http://www.sephora.com.
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Blue Heron’s resident make-up
artist Kathleen Mabon’s favourite ENT is Yves Saint Laurent’s Night-time
Revitalizer Creme, a super-hydrating, rich gel-creme that contains camellia
oil, lactic acid, vitamin E and loads of humectants. For her everyday skin
care routine, she uses YSL’s Visible Énergie Lotion (oil-free),
which has an enzymo-magnesium complex to keep her skin radiant and protected
while she dashes from appointment to appointment.
Another favourite ENT product, especially among æstheticians,
is Payot’s Crême Liposome. As the name suggests, it contains
ceramide liposomes with vitamin E, amino acids that stimulate cell metabolism,
and licorice extract to soothe the skin. Payot has a web site (still under
construction) at http://www.payot-paris.com
and products are also available at the luxury spa Harmonie’s online store,
http://www.eharmonie.com. |
Never,
never sleep in your make-up. There are products on the market, like
Lancome’s Eau de Bienfait, Lierac’s Cleansing Water for Face and
Eyes, and Shiseido’s Pureness Cleansing Water that all work as
face cleanser, eye make-up remover and toner—all in one, so it takes very
little time and effort. This is especially popular for those who travel
extensively. The old skin care adage that you age your skin seven days each
time you sleep in your make-up isn’t far off. Night-time is the best time
to pamper your skin since that’s when your skin is most able to use active
ingredients. So save your face, and your pillow cases—don’t skip this before-bed
ritual.
Information about Lancôme and Shiseido products
can be found at their respective web sites, http://www.lancome.com
and http://www.shiseido.co.jp.  |




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