My friend B is from Korea, but she works as a cabin crew in Dubai, and most of her flights are long haul flights. I think we all know what jetlag, dry cabin air, and sleep deprivation can do to your skin, but B’s skin looks great. What is her secret? I was curious to know, so we met last week to talk about frequent flyer skincare routines, and the beauty products that make you look superfly in several time zones: 

My skincare routine

In Korea, girls usually start using skincare products when they are 10-11 years old. Many Koreans use a lot of products, but I try to keep is simple and I only use four different groups of products for my daily skincare routine: Facial wash, toner, essence and cream. 

First I wash my face to remove makeup, and to have a clean sheet to work on. I use the cleansing foam gel from Darphin, which is an old favorite of mine. Then I use the Rose Floral Toner from Fresh, which provides lots of hydration and helps my skin better absorb the essence and cream. After the toner I apply La Roche-Posay Effaclar and then I continue with either a day cream or a night cream. I currently use the Fadeout Advanced+ Vitamin Enriched during the day and La Roche-Posay Cicaplast for the night. 

Of the K-beauty brands, my favorites are Imnisfree and Nature Republic, but in Dubai, most of the K-beauty brands in Dubai are for teenagers and people in their early twenties, so since I moved here, I have mostly been using international brands.

What are your best makeup and skincare tips for a long flight:

The air on board can dry out your skin, so when I am flying, I often opt for a very rich night cream under my makeup instead of the light day cream that I use when I am not flying. 

On long flights, the crew go to rest in special rest compartments on the plane. After resting, some of my colleagues would apply a full make-up all over again, but I usually just touch up with some loose powder. I use the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer to make sure the makeup stays in place, and especially for eye makeup, a good primer is crucial.

On layovers, I always bring a sheet mask, and before I go to bed at the hotel, I put the mask on, so when I wake up, my skin is plumb and completely moisturized. It is like a miracle! 

Here are the makeup products that travel with me on layovers:

With the world as your shopping mall, which are the best places for beauty and makeup shopping?

For skincare products, France is the best. I love the French pharmacies and the French skincare brands are really cheap, so I always make sure to stock up on skincare products when I have layovers in France. For makeup, I do most of my shopping in the US. Urban Decay is a really popular brand among cabin crew and it is so cheap in the US. The Australian brand Becca is another great make-up that I often buy when I am abroad. 

About eyebrows

In Korea, eyebrow tattoos are very popular, as it saves you the hassle of using an eyebrow pencil each morning. Though I do not want to commit to one eyebrow shape, so I have decided not to get brow tattoos. Right now the straight Korean brows are very popular, but I also like the classic arched brows once in a while, so I prefer to use my pencil. 

The biggest Korean skincare trend that has yet to hit Dubai?

Sun sticks! Last time I was in Korea, I went to buy sun lotion, but it was nowhere to be found. Everybody was using sun sticks instead! And those sticks are so convenient! Instead of carrying a bottle around, you just bring your stick. It is much easier to apply and it is not as messy as sun lotion.