Tired of seeing pictures of George Clooney and Brad Pitt looking impossibly perfect from every angle, while you can’t seem to find a decent angle for a selfie? Wondering how you can look more like them? You may not be able to afford their $1,500 per session personal trainers and private chefs, but there are some incredible products on the market that can give you more of that je ne sais quoi that makes celebs so … Instragrammable.
The first step is extremely simple and completely affordable: water. Roughly 60% of your body is composed of water and every cell, tissue and organ is thirsty for it. Most people should drink close to a dozen cups of water, or roughly eight glasses a day, but there are times when you should increase your intake. Do you find yourself perspiring because of warm temperatures, vigorous workouts or illness?
If the answer is yes to any of those, drink more. Water before and after exercising is vital and especially good when you’re feeling thirsty or hungry. (Many mistake the sensation of thirst for hunger, which can lead to overeating.) Staying hydrated can curb your appetite, help you to get a better night’s sleep and stabilize your overall health. Kylie Jenner also recently pointed out: “The key to good skin is more than just slathering on moisturizer and staying out of the sun. Water is so important to keep your skin glowing from the inside out.”
More Content from MetrosourceGetting a good night’s rest can also play in important role in looking your best on any given day. The National Sleep Foundation recommends both young adults (18-25 years old) and adults (26-64 years old) sleep seven to nine hours a night, while those age 65 or older should sleep seven to eight hours each night. Stockholm’s The Karolinska Institutet recently did an experimental laboratory study supported by the Swedish Sleep Research Society, the Swedish Society for Medical Research and the Stockholm Stress Centre. According to the team, results showed that “sleep deprivation affects features relating to the eyes, mouth and skin, and that these features function as cues of sleep loss to other people. Because these facial regions are important in the communication between humans, facial cues of sleep deprivation and fatigue may carry social consequences for the sleep deprived individual in everyday life.” Having a difficult time getting to sleep? Dr. Carmela Alcántara, Associate Professor at Columbia University School of Social Work recommends “creating an environment that encourages sleep by making sure the place you sleep is dark, quiet, comfortable and cool.” In addition, she recommends “if you’re unable to get to sleep, get up and out of bed. Try going into another room until you feel tired again before returning to sleep. Repeat this if necessary.”
Find LGBTQ-Friendly ResourcesSkin care and grooming can also play an important part in raising the bar toward looking and feeling like a star. We went in search of a range of products you may want to add to your regimen to step up your game.
Since the line has celeb fans like Zoë Kravitz and Mandy Moore, we took a closer look at Arcona (arcona.com) skincare products. Arcona offers a unique Eye Dew Plus ($95) featuring ultra corrective with an anti-aging formula offering intensified concentrations of cutting-edge Retinol and Neodermyl to reverse the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and a loss of elasticity. Arcona also has a Bronze Tinted Self Tanner that’s a light and oil-free way to get a movie star glow without catching too many rays.
Release impurities and prime the skin each morning with Molton Brown Deep-clean Face Scrub (moltonbrown.com). This deep cleaning face scrub with African whitewood extract will tighten pores and dissolve any excess oils, while jojoba wax beads send dead skin scurrying from your personal red carpet. Be sure to rinse that face with cold water to close those pores after scrubbing!
For a gentle cleanser safe to use anytime of the day, look to MALIN + GOETZ (malinandgoetz.com). As a real-life gay couple, Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz know how to make gay men look like a million bucks. The MALIN + GOETZ Grapefruit Face Cleanser is good for all skin types and will gently cleanse without stripping skin essentials or leaving a film. The refreshing grapefruit scent will not only wake you up, but also leave you feeling fresh and ready to tackle your day (or head out for late-night adventures — we won’t judge).
Joyome (joyomeskincare.com) has two products that work well to balance skin while addressing/preventing the visible signs of aging, the Illuminating Day Serum and Intensive Overnight Repair feature a combination of ingredients including Argireline (which diminishes expression lines), Eyeseryl (which reduces the under-eye puffiness) and Matrixyl (which provides a smooth hydrated appearance) — all of which do some serious deep facial work while you do things celebrities do.
LABSERIES (labseries.com) offers an ultra-hydrating moisturizer, MAXELLENCE The Singular Cream with an out-of-this-world extract that will revive, replenish and recapture your skin’s youthful brightness. Safe to use morning and night, this game changing cream is used by models who need to look camera ready – on and off the runway. Put your best foot forward with its infusion of galactic meteorite extract pulled from the heart of an actual asteroid. Plus, the cream starts out thick and black but will absorb into your skin almost immediately and lose its color. Far out, right?
Plenty of top male and female models including Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Evandro Soldati, Jesus Luz, Pablo Morais and Gisele Bündchen hail from Brazil. Could it follow that their beauty secrets are found in the rainforest? Possibly! If you want to take a truly age-defying leap, experiment with BRZLNSKIN (brazilianskin.com), which incorporates a variety of ingredients discovered deep in the heart of the Amazon. BRZLNSKIN Skin Facelift Kit is a great choice for a fast tighten and tune-up. The kit features the company’s three age reversal products: Bratoxin (for daily use), Bratoxinsta (for when you’re on the go), and the Açai Triple Stem Cell Sleep Mask (a nighttime treatment). The combination of ingredients in BRZLNSKIN’s anti-wrinkle serum include Acmella Oleracea, a plant extract found to have similar effects to Botox; Açai Stem Cells, known to slow down aging while breaking down the building blocks of wrinkles and fine lines; the skin superfood Camu Camu; Acacia Gum, known for fighting wrinkles with firming and plumping action; and Snail Mucin to improve texture while leaving the skin smooth and tight. Who wouldn’t want to look and feel like the boy from Ipanema?
Celebrity makeup artist Spencer Barnes put out the Spencer Barnes LA Neck, Chin & Jawline Sculpting Wand (spencerbarnesla.com) to visibly tighten these areas which are so often in need of tightening. The product is 100% vegan and includes ingredients like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and a peptide formula. Meanwhile the Spencer Barnes LA Facial Instant Sculpting Wand allows you to address areas of the face that are prone to show signs of aging: eyes, brows, forehead, lips, cheekbones; it delivers healthy skin peptides with what Spencer refers to as “copycat technology.” Actress and host Brooke Burke says Barnes “pulls magic out of people.”
More Hot StoriesWhat’s going on south of your chin? Emma Hardie Lift and Sculpt, Firming Neck Treatment (shop.emmahardie.com) is a rich, hydrating, collagen boosting neck serum that helps to lift, sculpt, firm and tighten the skin of the neck. Squeeze a little on its roller and move across the skin from the chin to the base of the neck, allowing the cooling serum to improve skin density and firmness. It contains a rich omega 3, 6 and 9 complex of Inca Inchi Oil and Raspberry Seed Oil to give the skin protection while retaining moisture. Infamous among the British elite (including Lily James, Jourdan Dunn and Poppy Delevingne), Emma Hardie is also starting to gain a following on this side of the Atlantic.
In need of a lift below the face and neck? Incorporate JUARA Ginger Coffee Firming Treatment (juaraskincare.com) into your daily routine. This lightweight gel cream (a combination of ginger, coffee, peppermint, red algae, avocado, unroasted shea butter, bentonite clay, rice bran and candlenut oils) is designed to smooth, tone, firm and refine skin all over. Another option, Osmotics Blue Copper 5 Anti-Aging Body Lift (osmotics.com), is a three-in-one anti-aging body treatment that visibly lifts and firms problem skin on the bust, belly and behind. Massage into the skin to tighten and smooth stretch marks, overhang or any spot that could use extra support. Osmotics Cosmecuticals was one of the first to harvest copper peptide, an ingredient that rejuvenates skin cells while boosting the production of collagen and elastin.
Surely you’ve heard RuPaul promoting the brand Anastasia Beverly Hills (anastasiabeverlyhills.com) on recent seasons to contestants on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Well, if you’re not ready to embrace the salt and pepper in your beard yet, a little insider tip for covering unwanted grey hairs is their Tinted Brow Gel ($22) which comes in seven different shades including espresso, brown, auburn, and caramel. This gel sets and tints for a maximum flexible hold. It even features light-reflecting pearls for a touch of natural-looking shimmer. You can also use it to add dimension and even out the color in your brows, beard, mustache, or even a touch of gray in your temples.
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And if you really want to be ready for your closeup, don’t forget to properly nourish your hair. Philip Kinglsey was the man who coined the phrase “bad hair day,” and he made a point of bridging the gap between science and beauty throughout his 65-year career. The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Pre-Shampoo Hair Treatment (philipkingsley.com) delivers a rush of moisture into the hair’s cortex before washing. It was originally designed for Audrey Hepburn, and we hear that the Royals swear by this invigorating conditioning treatment, which is also a treat for the senses with its fragrances of rich pomegranate, sweet cassis and warming spices.
Lastly, even if you can’t make it to the spa, you can treat yourself to a little at home spa treatment at the end of the day with the Golden Door Peel-A-Way Masque (goldendoor.com), an all-natural deeply hydrating masque that will instantly refresh your skin by lifting away impurities and dead cells through botanical extracts and sugar enzymes. Applying, setting and then peeling this fierce combination of Multifruit BSC (Bilberry, Sugar Cane, Sugar Maple, Orange and Lemon), Yogurtene, Licorice Extract and AcquacCell may not make you look like Ryan Reynolds or Liam Hemsworth, but it’ll definitely help you look much closer to your best self.
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Last modified: August 23, 2019
