8 Flight Attendants Share Their Rigorous Pre-Flight Beauty Routines

Being a flight attendant for a luxury airline equates to being its frontline ambassador: you must embody the airline's prestige image immaculately. Despite the serious jet lag and drying cabin air, there's still an expectation that flight attendants look perfectly polished - even at the end of a tiring long-haul flight. So how do they do it? We take you inside the beauty cupboards of some very chic cabin crew members, revealing their grooming secrets and must have products for always looking their best, even at 35,000 feet.

ANASTACIA, PRIVATE FLIGHT ATTENDANT

The solution to combatting dry skin…

The Payot Hydra 24+ Crème Glacée is my ride or die to combat dehydration. It leaves the skin smooth, imparting a beautiful radiance.

Silky, frizz free hair is possible on long flights…

Bumble and bumble Bb. Colour Gloss is amazing for refreshing and maintaining hair colour in between salon visits. It also gives my hair a nice, glass-like sheen.

I rotate between two shampoos…

I use TIGI Dumb Blonde Shampoo every time I need to get rid of brassiness. But my everyday go-to is the Bumble and bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Shampoo – it gives my hair lots of volume and keeps my mane frizz-free.

A must have if you use heat styling products…

I always use Catwalk TIGI Salute Iron Spray before heat styling – it’s insurance against heat damage.

Dry lips be gone…

Clarins Hydra-Essentiel Moisture Repairing Lip Balm is an absolute lifesaver for flaky, chapped lips.

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VICTORIA KISS, HAINAN AIRLINES

The foolproof base product…

Bioderma Sensibo BB Cream gives me a flawless finish: fresh and dewy with zero grease. It’s an amazing product that requires virtually no touch ups.

A mascara that never runs…

Kiko Luxurious Lashes [Ed. note: not available in Australia] is my favourite mascara. It gives me long and luscious lashes, holds a curl and never transfers. There’s no panda eyes with this long-wearing gem.

The lipstick facelift…

The right lipstick can brighten up your face. I love MAC Kinda Sexy – it’s super natural.

The SOS solution to my hair loss and dry skin…

When I relocated to China, I started losing lots of hair and my skin was very dry. I consulted a Chilean woman based in China, who custom makes natural skin, hair and body care. Her concoctions have honestly saved me – my hair became stronger, and skin irritation disappeared. I also love Bioderma Micellar Water for taking off my makeup and Bioderma Sensibo to boost hydration and keep my skin naturally glowy.

CONSTANCE LG, AIR FRANCE

I rely on this product to keep my makeup smudgeproof…

For makeup that lasts throughout flights, I love the Clarins Fix Makeup Spray. I do a spritz right after I’ve finished my makeup, but it’s also great for refreshing makeup on board.

Not all face masks are created equal…

For hydration, I love Korean sheet masks, as they give you that instant luminosity. My favourite ones are from Innisfree – particularly the My Real Squeeze in green tea. It’s my ultimate glow-getting secret.

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BLIYS, KOREAN AIR

The solution to uneven skin…

eSpoir Be Silk Foundation is my holy grail: it covers my uneven skin tone, is very silky and not at all drying.

The ultimate secret to clear skin…

I love the rice toner from Tony Moly, because it removes any flakiness and helps prevent clogged pores.

MATHILDE, AIR FRANCE

The product that does it all…

The one product I would bring with me to a desert island is Nuxe Oil. After every flight, I bathe my face with this oil. It absorbs instantly and never feels greasy. It’s never caused any acne – in fact, it actually helps soothe my skin and clear up small bumps. This multi-functional oil is perfect for repairing dry hair or damaged cuticles.

The classic French trick to whiter teeth…

I use an old French toothpaste, Email Diamant – it’s red in colour and makes my teeth pearly white. The cosmetic brightening effect is noticeable immediately, so I know I can always rely on this. An at home tip for whitening your teeth would be baking soda – it really works to remove stains.

The ingredient that helps with bloating…

Hot or cold, water infused with mint is as comforting as it is refreshing. Mint has digestive virtues – it stimulates the production of bile and helps eliminate toxins. Because of the detoxification effects, I also notice that I’m less bloated and my skin is more luminous.

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YURI, FORMER EMIRATES AIRLINES

The skincare regimen for maximum radiance…

I use the Clarisonic Mia 2 and triple cleanse my face at night with Sidmool Kakadu Amino Cleanser. My skin is sensitive and reacts to almost every ingredient, but nothing from the Sidmool line irritates my skin. I also sleep with a face mask on 2-3 times a week to hydrate my skin. My favourite is the Sidmool Waterfull Pure Essence Mask – it’s instantly plumping.

Dewy skin in a flash…

The IOPE Air Cushion is legendary in Korea. It keeps my skin moisturised and gives my skin this translucent, glass-like glow – it’s like airbrushing in real time.

JULIA, AEROFLOT AIRLINES

The perfect pick me up…

The Glamglow Gravity Mud Firming Treatment is my favourite mask; it perks the face right back up. I use a mask at least twice a week.

The truth is…

Every woman is beautiful. There’s so much pressure on women to look a certain way, but I truly believe that whether you want to look polished or not is your choice. No one should dictate how you feel about yourself. If you want to wear makeup, that’s great. If you don’t want to doll yourself up, that’s fine too.

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밤비, KOREAN AIR

The secret to a fit body is hard work…

I do pilates every day, even on the airplane and in hotel rooms.

Long-wearing makeup is as easy as one spritz…

I always set my makeup with Ground Plan 24 Hour Secret Mist to prevent any creasing.

Recipe for dewy skin that looks natural…

It’s easy to cake on the foundation but perfecting naturally glowing skin is a tricky skill. I prep my face with Benefit Porefessional Primer and use Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream on any dry patches. I mix MAC Strobe Cream in Pinklite with all my foundations, to achieve that dewy freshness.