A modern party look, a facial massage that’s worth the wait, and balms to soothe.

Simplicity. That is what this look from Valentino AW21 embodies. Except there is a lot more going on than you would assume. That said, it is not impossible to achieve. A finely milled face powder that gives you a matte finish without deadening the skin is essential. Brows need a clear gel run through them (or you can cheat with a microblading or a brow-laminating treatment for a fuller, fluffier look). A little highlighter wouldn’t go amiss in the corners of the eyes and along the nose. And then, the piece de resistance, a winged eye. A modern party look, if ever there was one.

I can’t do without… A facial massage and treatment to revive skin

At social occasions, people, even those I know well, always want to have long conversations with me about beauty. It’s not so much a ‘conversation’ as it is a Q and A where they do all the questioning (what’s the best type of sunscreen?) and I do all the answering (anything that doesn’t leave you chalky, sits well with makeup, and won’t clog your pores or the environment). I recently attended a dinner where, for once, I came away with someone else’s recommendation: Sophie Carbonari. This Parisian facialist is the secret weapon of fashion’s glitterati and models. Unsurprisingly, it is notoriously difficult to get an appointment with her. Fortunately for me, though Sophie is primarily based in Paris, she now comes to London every month and recently had a last-minute cancellation. There is no menu or list of facials presented. You simply go in, and she looks at your skin in a very kind, upbeat, non-judgmental way, which is just as well as my skin – following a punishing work schedule and minimal sleep – was not in the harshest health.

While she does all the usual things you should expect in a facial – a deep cleanse to unclog pores, a mask to loosen debris, resurfacing and brighten – the magic really lies in her incredible deep massage technique. It makes a slightly disconcerting clicking sound – she is basically smoothing out the tension in your face – but it wakes up the skin so that everything – lymphatic drainage, collagen production, circulation – begins working much better. Your now tension-free face looks less angry, and your skin looks clearer, healthier, and less dead. Weeks later, I can still see the benefits. The downside is trying to get another appointment. It’s not cheap, but it’s a waiting list worth getting on.

Funmi Fetto Guardian