While on holiday I read in the paper that the holiday feeling lasts for one week after you’ve returned home. However, the blues of no longer being on holiday lasts for four weeks. I immediately put the paper to the side and jumped in the pool once more.
I’ve been back in Berlin for a week now and, kids, don’t believe everything you read in the papers. I could be grumpy because my desk is as full as it was before the holiday. I could’ve spontaneously capitulated at the state of my inbox. Could’ve found that the daily I-should-have-done-that-yesterday-lists are stupid. But Majorca has had an effect on me. The calm that comes with sitting in front of a small house in the middle of nowhere, watching the shadows grow longer every evening, is lingering. Suitcase still unpacked? Who cares! 50 new e-mails? How fun! Letter from the tax office? Ahahaha! I might be crazy, but I’m going to try to hold on to that one-week-feeling for as many weeks as I can.
Before I boarded the plane back home, Steffi said to me: wear a white t-shirt every day to show off your tan! I’m wearing black right now, as all the white stuff is of course still in the suitcase, but I did get a very nice tan for having such pale skin, and I still have it now. A few days before I went to Majorca, I was sent a product from Berlin beauty store Belle Rebelle, which promised to do exactly that: prolong your tan even when you can’t prolong the holiday. „V6.8 tan prolong” is from a skincare series by Sepai with a name that makes me think of motorsports rather than beauty – „tune it”.
First thought when I opened the box: Interesting. Am I now old enough to be recommended injections?
But, no, you don’t inject yourself with the „V6.8” concentrate, you add it to the accompanying lotion. Before Majorca, I had been to the lakes a couple of times, not quite enough to prepare my skin for 33 degree heat and burning sunshine. The concentrate was going to do the preparation for me. It’s supposed to accelerate the skin’s melanin production, a natural protection against UV rays, and result in a lasting and even tan. Besides, „tan prolong” would also work as aftersun. All of which already sounded good. I like beauty products that are uncomplicated, even more when they promise to have multiple effects.
I used the lotion every day before going to bed. Fine, almost every day. I was on holiday after all. My verdict: It smells delicious. Which has nothing to do with the effect, but it doesn’t hurt either. Secondly: I tanned slowly during this holiday, but still faster and more evenly then ever before and without burning even once. And, thirdly: a week after coming back, I can still very clearly see my tan lines. Which, if you’re me, doesn’t ever happen.
The nice thing about being back in front of the computer now is that I could send some questions to the woman behind Belle Rebelle, Corinna Mosler-Jakobsohn.
| After sun and saltwater comes fall. How do I best prepare my skin for the fact that its no longer on holiday?
I’d start with a peeling to exfoliate dead cells. Sepai do a fantastic peeling mask called „peel mud” that leaves the skin looking refreshed and glowing. To repair the skin after the summer sun, I find the Sepai serums pretty unbeatable too, specifically the „V3.1 Booster” for the face and the „V6.1 Body Secret” for the body. They wake up tired skin and combat signs of aging. A personal favourite is the „Nutritive Mask”, also from Sepai – nourishes, hydrates and shapes up the skin.
| You discover new products for Belle Rebelle all over the world. A current favourite that you’ve brought home with you from your travels?
„Violett Fumee” from Mona di Oria, a smoky and very elegant scent.
| What do you always take with you when getting on a plane?
Lip balm from Zenology with beeswax and peppermint. A hand lotion like „Healing Hands” from Face Stockholm. And a face mist. I love the „Refreshing Tonic” from Spagyrics.
| A tried and tested beauty tip you’d give all your customers?
Simply a good lipstick, worn with a smile, looks beautiful on everyone.
| What’s your never-known-to-fail lipstick?
„Creme smooth lip color” by Laura Mercier in Portofino Red. A name like a holiday.
Belle Rebelle is as pretty a store as the name suggests and great for products you won’t find everywhere. Bleibtreustraße 42, 10623 Berlin. The newly opened online shop is here.
P.S. And a tip from me. My skin is so fair that I don’t dare meet the sun without wearing at least SPF 30. Unfortunately, sunscreen with a high SPF often has the consistency of engine oil and feels as heavy on the skin. This one from Kiehl’s for the face is very light. A duty free discovery that I love. The lotion isn’t available online at the moment. But I’m sure you can find it at the airport before your next holiday.
