Life & Style | Beauty & Fashion
Anastasia Achilleos' skincare tips
Skincare guru Anastasia Achilleos - who worked wonders on Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss - tells us what it takes to get gorgeous skin.
- By Manjusha Radhakrishnan, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:52 September 15, 2008
- Anastasia Achilleos often finds herself fielding celebrity calls demanding instant gratification.
- Image Credit: Prasad Nair/Gulf News
Here are some skin-essential products you should look out for when buying care products.
More than skin deep
You are born with it or you are not. Celebrity facialist and skincare guru Anastasia Achilleos - who worked wonders on Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Moss - tells us what it takes to get gorgeous skin.
If first impressions are anything to go by, celebrity facialist and skincare guru Anastasia Achilleos could easily be mistaken for a gypsy fortune-teller with her loose flowing vintage white dress, untamed brown hair and hands that seem to have a life of its own.
Even the manner in which she floats towards our table at the Epicure restaurant in Desert Palm and peers into your face makes you feel as if you have been transformed into a crystal ball which houses untold skin secrets.
Uncomfortable at the prospect of being placed under a scanner and slightly wary of being arrested for voluntarily skin damage (using soap on the face and forgetting to slather sunscreen topping my crime list), Achilleos goes for the jugular right away.
"No soap and no sunscreen... Well, you are lucky that you have good skin. But, right now you may not realise the extent of the damage done. But wait another 10 years and you will wish that you had done things differently," were the prophetic words of a woman whose hands have worked wonders on celebrities including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law and Kate Moss.
Dressing down
Fortunately, I was not the only one to come under fire. There were dozens of others in Dubai who were treated to a gentle dressing down by Achilleos during her 90-minute facial at the Lime Spa last week.
"I have travelled all over the world. But when it comes to my Dubai clientele, they have a tendency to take things to the extremes … Either they over-exfoliate or they don't ex-foliate at all, either they use harsh sunscreens or none at all," says Achilleos, as she gestures to one of the waiters to lower the air conditioning.
"This is my third day in Dubai and my skin is struggling to get used to the harsh air-conditioning. The first few days I actually wore boots and full-sleeved clothes ... So it's no wonder that people tend to go overboard with cleansing. I think the indoor air-conditioning and the heat outside makes the skin bone dry," says Achilleos.
But not the one to blindly bombard you with magic potions, aromatic oils and gravity defying creams, Achilleos, 33, has no qualms about shattering some of the beauty myths. From the looks of it, she is clearly an advocate of telling a child there is no Santa even before they've outgrown their cradles.
Misconceptions
"No amount of expensive creams or lotions can make your skin blemish, acne or pimple free. Either you are born with it or you are not. All I can do is improve the existing skin texture with a blend of oil or cream massages," says Achilleos.
Though, this may sound like a death knell to many who eye the rows and rows of anti-ageing and fairness creams as a hope in a jar, the celebrity facialist takes another nick at another widespread misconception.
"Expensive creams need not necessarily guarantee results. I spend hours at a departmental stores trying out creams, oils and masques. And after 13 years of experimenting, I have realised it does not matter if it's £5 or £500 (Dh32 or Dh3,291) product. Very often, the cheapest cream can work wonders. Brand loyalty is just not for me," says Achilleos.
But isn't this in direct conflict with her being the brand ambassador for Oil of Olay products?
"I became the brand ambassador for Oil of Olay because it would ensure maximum reach. But, I still maintain that one brand does not have it all. The trick is to find the right blend," says Achilleos. Incidentally, her workstation is filled with thousands of bottles and jars and is for the plucking for clients who visit her for a facial session.
A regular fixture behind movie sets, ramp shows and advertisement shoots Achilleos also often finds herself fielding celebrity calls demanding instant gratification. Giving facials that inject life into their tired and sleep-deprived skin is her specialty.
All clients are equal
"I have worked with many celebrities and all of them have the same plea – Make my skin glow. But my answer is, I can only work on the outside. But what goes on the inside, like the food you eat or the exercise or lack of it, is your call entirely," says Achilleos, who swears by client-confidentiality.
Declining to dig out the dirt about her celeb-clients, Hollywood's well-being guru prefers to treat all clients as equals.
"In my experience, most celebrities have the same problems as the rest of us. The only difference is that that they have a team of experts working on their skin and make-up every day. Under such circumstances, all of us can look picture perfect," says Achilleos.
But rather than opting for the superficial sheen and scrub routine, Achilleos prefers to play the role of Dr House and treat skin problems with a differential diagnosis. If troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, who was recently voted the celebrity with worst skin, were to be her client, Achilleos would try to find the root cause of her acne-ridden skin.
"She has one of the hardest skin conditions ever. But, I would never opt for harsh treatments such as laser treatments or steroids like Retinol. Instead, I would try to find the root cause of why she has an acne break-out and learn more about her lifestyle and diet first," says Achilleos.
With such deep-rooted passions for solving skin break-outs, it's little wonder that Achilleos has extended her trip in the UAE by public demand.
"I have back-to-back appointments for the next three days. But I am loving every minute of it."
Perfect skin
Rachel Weisz is a classic case of perfect genes. Weisz's skin has a magical quality to it. "I would not dare do anything to porcelain perfect skin. She is one of the few celebrities who hardly need any work," says Anastasia Achilleos.
Your No-fail plan
With Eid break around the corner, travelling long distance for a well-deserved vacation is a definite possibility. Here are a few tips to ensure that your skin is not a casualty during the long haul. Achilleos handpicks her favourites:
Kuush
It's non organic and contains 24 carat gold which has rejuvenating properties.
Available: Desert Palm.
Olay Stretching cloth mask
All you need to do is use it like a wet towel and see the difference.
Available: At all major cosmetic and drug stores.
Urban Retreat
- The Cleanser
Best for people with dry skin. Contains aromatic oils and hydrates your tired skin.
Available: Desert Palm.
Nude Miracle Mask
This gentle exfoliant containing probiotic supplements is a must-have.
Available: Buy online from www.nudeskincare.com
Ila Face Oil
Slather this on your face and neck for an instant face-lift.
Available: Buy online from www.ila-spa.com
Aveda Tea/The
This soothing concoction of licorice and peppermint is the herbal equivalent of modern day Red-bull.
Available: Buy it online from www.aveda.com
Enrich Body Serum
Perfect for those with dry skin.
Available: At all major cosmetic and drug stores.
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