Before the Springtime Comes
During the winter and the much anticipated spring, your skin should be nourished and pampered. How? We asked Fabienne Rea, a make-up artist and beauty consultant
French-born, but Italian by adoption, Fabienne Rea is one of the most famous Italian make-up artists. Her professional career began in Rome, next to the famous Gil Cagné, and continued in Milan, where she now works in the publishing and fashion industry, alongside the most important Italian and international head make-up artists. She is a personal assistant to many private clients for tailor-made and unique make-up looks.
Who is better than Fabienne for getting advice on how to care for and nourish our skin in preparation for the spring?
January and February are the complicated months for the skin: we have to endure the cold but, at the same time, prepare for the arrival of spring. What are the cosmetic remedies that everyone can apply to protect the face from the cold temperatures and the rain?
It is true, the cold of the external temperatures slows down the activity of the skin. It causes some negative affects by which we all suffer: sensitivity to temperature change; redness; widespread dryness, especially for fair and thin skin; and around the eyes and on the lips, which are perpetually subject to cracking. It is important to protect your skin with moisturizers that have richer formulations, nutrients or multi-active face creams made from vegetable oils and butters, in order to restore the hydro-lipid film that covers the surface of the skin.
What are the consequences to facial skin from exposure to extremely low temperature and how we can soothe it?
Redness, dryness, and in cases of sensitivity, severe irritation of the skin are the consequences. Today, fortunately, in the market
there are specific treatments of cleansing, moisturizing creams, and masks, which exert a soothing effect that is capable of immediately countering the thermal shock.
In addition to those suggested by the cosmetics, which play an active role in the prevention of damages from the external factors, which remedies and solutions can you offer for everyday make-up?
Even the daily make-up with its most recent formulations, encounters the hardships of the winter season. The light foundation, more suitable for springtime, suiting your skin tone should be replaced with texture rich formulations for dry skin, or soothing agents preceded with anti-redness bases which will prepare the complexion. An illuminating powder will complete the brightness of the skin in the days when the light is dim.
Let’s go into detail: which foundation is best to choose for the winter?
It is better to choose mineral based formulations which help the performance of the make- up during the extremely cold and wet periods.
In a few weeks it will be spring, the skin will, therefore, be nourished and “reinforced”. Can you give us some advice for the care and beauty for this lovely upcoming season?
I think it is fundamentally in the nutrition. Use seasonal fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C, which helps the immune system, along with natural anti-oxidants, for example pomegranate or cranberry juice, which also provuseful for stimulating microcirculation.
Interview: Paolo Salerno
