It seems the sigh of collective heartbreak that rippled through the world this weekend is nowhere near its end. After all, when the hottest bachelor on Planet Earth is taken off the market, the universe shifts irreversibly.
Add in all those Oscar de la Rentas, Alexander McQueens and Giambattista Vallis, stir in a healthy portion of celebrity guests and then layer everything with some magical Venetian sunsets and you have the wedding of our deepest fantasies.
Another thing of our deepest fantasies? The bride’s glowing, flawless, needs-no-makeup complexion that outshone even George Clooney in its gorgeousness.
Fortunately, even though we can’t get Amal Alamuddin’s fairytale nuptials, her Hollywood royalty husband or her superwoman brains, we can partake of some beauty rituals from her homeland that may make us just as radiant.
After all, the brand new Mrs. George Clooney is hardly the only woman from Lebanon who comes in a flawless package. In fact, La Prairie’s research shows that these pretty ladies have the healthiest and youngest skin in the world.
Think Razane Jammal, Shakira, Jenna Dewan… the list is endless. Even Salma Hayek has gone through reams of interview crediting her family’s links with Lebanon for her inherent attributes.
What’s their secret? Goat’s milk. Yes, seriously.
Why? Goat’s milk is chock full with lactic acid, which works as a gentle exfoliator by breaking down and sweeping away dead skin cells. It’s also packed with essential fatty acids, which makes it super-moisturising and a potent weapon against skin inflammation.
Then there are precious skin minerals and vitamins, including vitamin A—essential for repairing damaged tissues and preventing premature ageing. AND it has strong anti-bacterial properties that make it great for controlling acne.
But why goat’s milk rather than the more usual cow’s milk? It’s because the former has a unique pH that’s very similar to the pH of the human body, which means it’s less irritating and more easily absorbed by our skin.
Lebanese apple & goat milk face mask
Hooked much? There’s this easy, DIY face mask that Lebanese women swear by for glowing, flawless, touched-by-fairies complexions. I tried it this weekend and could literally hear my skin singing. It adds antioxidant-rich apples to goat milk to keep skin looking smooth and sexy, sans wrinkles, dark spots and the dreaded dullness.
You will need
1 green apple
1/3 cup goat’s milk
The method
1. Mash the apple, then blend it with goat milk to form a paste.
2. Apply this paste all over your face and neck; let it sit for half an hour, then wash off with plain water.
3. Follow with your regular moisturiser.
4. Glow.
Anubha Charan is a powerhouse in the luxury beauty industry, with over 15 years of expertise shaping the global beauty narrative. As the former Beauty Director at Marie Claire, she worked with the magazine's French headquarters to craft cutting-edge beauty content for international audiences.
Anubha's bylines have appeared in some of the world’s most prestigious publications, including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Travel + Leisure, WebMD, and Architectural Digest. She is also the co-author of Paris Bath & Beauty, a Simon & Schuster book on French beauty rituals.
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