SQ Stewardesses Reveal Their Tips and Tricks to Great Skin

Ladies suited up in their kebaya uniforms; striding down the departure halls with porcelain glass-like skin, crimson lips and bunned up hair, you know who they are. The representing faces of The World’s Best Airline (for 4 years). How much do you know about the work that goes behind maintaining their delicate skin on and off flights? With dry cabin air and irregular sleeping hours, it definitely takes effort to maintain their good-looking skin — we spoke to some of them to round up the best tips the air stewardesses have to offer.

ON FLIGHT

1. A Lightweight But Long-Lasting Foundation

The myth of SQ stewardesses wearing many layers of foundation is finally coming to light. We talked to a few of these ladies and they revealed to us that “less is more”, since wearing thick makeup would more often than not clog your pores. “The trick is to go for lightweight but long-lasting makeup, and to choose a moisturising foundation to keep skin from drying out” A good old moisturising foundation with SPF prevents dry skin and gives your skin that extra radiant glow. 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation, $70

The foundation that everyone raves about has proven its worth with the SQ stewardesses as well. With SPF 30 and a water-like texture, it glides over your skin for an airbrushed finish, and is said to last up to 16 hours too.

Clarins True Radiance SPF 15 Foundation, $56.95

Clarins True Radiance SPF15 Foundation aims to deliver 24-hour hydration and coverage. The moisture-rich formula provides flawless results and will brighten up dull-looking skin. It conceals and simultaneously nourishes your dry patches. It also does a good job at blurring out your other imperfections, making it a great balance of both hydration and coverage

Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Foundation, $125

Feeling a little luxurious? The Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Foundation is a proven worthy investment. This medium coverage foundation contains Advanced Hydro-Sensing Polymer technology which adapts to the humidity of your environment, providing you with a dewy finish all day long.

2. Moisturise Without Ruining Your Makeup — With A Face Mist

Avène Thermal Spring Water, $20.30

How do you think you can hydrate your dry skin without removing your makeup? These ladies got us covered! They revealed to us that they bring along face sprays (below 100ml) on board to hydrate their skin amidst dreary long flights, battling the dry cabin air. “I have acne prone skin and acne is a huge no no for us. My crew members recommended this to me and so far it has not failed me!” Avène is their go-to brands for face mists; it has minimal mineral content so it works well for most skin types.  It helps with hydration and also calming sensitive skin.

POST FLIGHT

3. Remove Makeup Thoroughly: Double Cleanse

The makeup removal process is also very important for these air stewardesses. Double cleansing is no new concept  to their trade (Sometimes they even triple cleanse!) to remove all the excess makeup they had on throughout their flight. Here are some recommended double cleansing combinations that you can try out yourself!

For Dry/Acne Prone Skin: Milk Cleanser and Cleansing Balm

  1. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Milk, $52
  2. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, $55

This Clinique Take The Day Off double cleansing combination is recommended and SQ-approved for those with dry and acne prone skin. First, start off with this milky makeup remover that gently dissolves makeup and sunscreen. On top of not stripping away your skin’s essential oils, milk also contains lactic acid which helps unclog pores and fight off microbes that are responsible for acne. Next, you can scoop up some of this creamy, lightweight balm, which transforms into a silky oil when you apply it, thoroughly lifting dirt and leftover makeup.

 

For Most Skin Types: Cleansing Oil + Gentle Conditioning Cleanser

  1. Shu Uemura Anti/oxi+ Pollutant & Dullness Clarifying Cleansing Oil, $55  
  2. Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, $38

The shu uemura Cleansing Oils have a huge cult following and we can assure you, it is indeed worth the hype. The latest among them is this Anti/oxi+ Pollutant & Dullness Clarifying Cleansing Oil. The formula targets pollution damage to remove impurities and makeup, leaving a youthful radiance. Follow up with one of Glossier’s best-selling product (Be quick as they are always sold out!), the Milky Jelly Cleanser. A strong but mild cleanser that helps to nourish your skin with moisture, it contains Comfrey Root Extract which helps to heal dry and stressed skin. This combination will be sure to leave your skin clean and nourished!

4. Pamper Your Skin With Sheet Masks

“We have a strict skincare regime. After makeup removal and washing up, we do not miss a single step when it comes to toning etc. — it goes a long way. Then slap a sheet mask onto our face to add moisture!”  So ladies, do not forget to apply your toner, serum and moisturiser! After those, you can throw on your sheet masks to lock in that extra moisture! Sheet masks should have a permanent place in your makeup routine if you have dry skin, while they are also great to bring on flights and when you travel. These are some masks that SQ stewardesses swear by.

Dr Jart Rubber Mask Moist Lover, $18

I am sure everyone has heard of the legendary Dr.Jart. It is of no surprise that this mask would be on holy grail list, the ampoule pack that accompanies the mask packs a ton of serum, and the jelly mask creates a great occlusive barrier to trap the serum in and prevent it drying out. Wear it for a good 20-30 minutes and your skin will be packed with hydration.

MediHeal IPI Lightmax Ampoule Mask EX, $39 (Pack of 10) 

MediHeal has made a name for itself in the Korean Beauty industry, so if you’re into the glass skin trend, hop on board! This is a brightening regular sheet mask that contains arbutin and sodium hyaluronate and some other brightening ingredients such as vitamin C and grape fruit extract. This mask holds a lot of essence that helps lock in moisture and keeps your face glowing. Leave it on your face for a good 30 minutes and let it work its magic.