Yep, it’s unmistakably the silly season when a beauty editor can do a cocktail making class and call it work. And so it was that I spent yesterday afternoon celebrating the launch of Crabtree & Evelyn’s delicious, botanically-blended Naturals Solutions for Men range at the Hilton in Sydney. A hard day in the office it was not.
But I assure you that while learning the finer points of mixology, including that the model Martini is stirred rather than shaken and served at -7 degrees, I was also thinking about the beauty behind the bottle…
No, I’m not going to try to sell you on the benefits of cocktails for your complexion (though a Cosmo is admirably soaked with antioxidant cranberry). And I’m aware we discussed boozy beauty just last week (I’ve not got a problem, really). Today, I toast the beauty of beer.
It sounds like one of those old wives’ tales, but even hairdressers swear it’s true: a post-shampoo rinse with a warm, flat brew gives your locks extra lustre and manageability. Hurrah for hops, which contain protein to fortify hair fibres, and beer’s gently acidic action, which removes residue and seals the cuticle to let volume and natural glossiness shine through.
Some say you should dilute one cup of amber ale with three cups of water, massage it through and then rinse with tepid water, but purists insist straight up is best – just allow your beer to de-fizz and let it flow. No rinse required. After a blow-dry, that pub-on-a-Sunday-morning stale smell should completely disappear.
Not up for a beer bath? Maybe Beauty & the Bees Tasmanian Beer Shampoo Bar ($9.95) or the hops-infused Matrix Biolage Hydratherapie Daily Leave-in Tonic ($24.25) is more your poison.
If you’ve already got an opener in hand, you’ll be doubly delighted to know that a schooner might also be good for your skin. At the Esperanza Resortin Mexico, the spa menu recommends a Corona Beer Face Lift for ‘lifting the spirits’, refining pores and tightening the face. Hic!
Fancy popping a cork on something more top shelf? Champagne is said to also make a fabulous hair rinse. But, if pouring a flute of French down the drain feels a touch too close to sacrilege for you, may I recommend Madame try RPR Hair Care’s My Revitalising Champagne Cocktail Shampoo and Conditioner ($15.95 each) and Champagne Bliss Multivitamin Treatment Mask ($17.95).
Cheers!
