Inside a Beauty Junkie's In-Flight Skin-Care Routine

Roxanne Adamiyatt
Updated

Credit: Stocksy

Flying can be a real drag. First, it can be stuffy and a little cramped. Another notable downside? It can do some icky things for your skin. But over many years of being skin-care obsessed, I have developed an extensive routine that not only keeps my flight entertaining, but also ensures that I de-plane looking fresh.

Remove Makeup

This past weekend, I hopped across the pond to the UK. I went to the airport straight from work, and obviously, with a full face of makeup on. And that, my friends, brings me to my #1 cardinal rule: Never fly with makeup on. I waited until we boarded and took it all off with the most divine makeup remover wipes on the planet, This Works In Transit No Traces ($31; net-a-porter.com). They are infused with rose water and mint, but don’t induce any stinging or irritation because they work like micellar water. They will get everything off without making you feel stripped.

Tone

Next on deck? Acid tone made simple because Pixi now makes their cult classic Glow Tonic in pre-soaked toning wipes, AKA Glow Tonic To-Go ($18; pixibeauty.com). Done and done. Following this, a dose of hydration, which to be honest was repeated more than a few times throughout the flight. First, I spritzed on the First Aid Beauty Vitamin Hydrating Mist ($16; sephora.com.) I followed up with a sheet mask with an animal face on it (why not?) for concentrated hydration. My jam? Animalz Tiger Moisturizing Sheet Mask ($4; target.com.)

Apply Face Mask

Last step before bed was another concentrated dose of moisture in the form of a super coddling and gentle mask by Avene called the Soothing Moisture Mask ($26; dermstore.com.) To ensure that I got the full benefits, I put on pretty thick layer of this fatty-acid rich treatment to ensure that my skin was not so stressed upon arrival, and then I went to sleep for a few hours.

By the time I woke up, the mask had fully absorbed, but my skin felt very comfortable and not dried out or tight.

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Repeat Steps 1 and 2

I repeated with my This Works cleanse and Pixi Tone and then proceeded to use my serum of choice of late, purely because it has cleared up a pretty brutal hormonal acne outbreak that I had made significantly worse by picking, literally in a matter of days. What is this magical item? Oh, just my mini-sized Sunday Riley U.F.O Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil ($80; sephora.com).

A Little Makeup

Next up was glow factor. I am obsessed with the Estee Lauder Genuine Glow Priming Moisture Balm ($38; bluemercury.com) because it does everything you want it to do. It blurs imperfections, it smoothes your skin texture, and infuses the face with light with shimmer. It doesn’t have a tint to it, but it really does make your skin look blooming gorgeous. I popped on some Beautycounter for Target Nourishing Eye Cream ($32; target.com), which really comforts tired eyes and make them hydrated without irritating them, and a few swipes of W3ll People Expressionist Mascara ($22; target.com).

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I finished with some cream blush on the apples of the cheeks and a little Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Bebe.

Substantial? Sure, but I felt fresh-faced, pretty, and confident walking through customs. That’s a feat in and of itself when you’re running off of three hours of sleep.