International BAZAAR Editors Share Their Global Beauty Secrets
Florencia Bidabehere, Harper's Bazaar Argentina
Local Product: I love Fueguia fragrances and Dermaglos sunscreen.
Local Spa Treatment: The face deep cleanse at Velia Lemel Piel & Laser is the best. It's a very old technique, but it leaves my skin looking absolutely radiant.
Beauty Ethos: In Argentina, we use less makeup than American girls. We have a more natural look in the way we wear our hair. We also get regular waxing done at a young age and care a lot about our bodies.
Diet Tricks: Right now, there are a lot of people going for a more organic diet and trying to cut down on wheat and flour. Argentinians normally don't follow one trendy diet, but instead are constantly trying to use low fat products and follow a healthy diet regimine.
Fitness Fads: The most popular workout is Cross Fit and running has had a surge in the last three years. The constants are yoga and pilates.
Eugenie Kelly, Harper's Bazaar Australia
Local Product: The quintessential Australian product everyone swears by is Lucas Papaw Ointment. It's an all-purpose salve you use on everything from sunburns to scrapes. It's pretty basic though: a more glamorous version of it is Lanolips, a lanolin-based range that produces everything from a 101 ointment to lip moisturizers and hand creams. Lanolips' new Banana Balm is fast acquiring cult status. Jurlique and Aesop are other local skincare brands I love.
Local Spa Treatment: Any of the body wraps and polishes that Sydney's The Darling spa do in their amazing hamam are memorable. They use Li'Tya, which is a unique mixture of indigenous Australian plants utilizing wild-harvested botanicals and organic ingredients. Their desert salt scrubs and aromatic oils are sublime.
Beauty Ethos: Australian women are extremely savvy about skincare. We have to be because of all our premature aging resulting from sun damage, an effect of growing up in a harsh climate. We would rather invest in great anti-aging treatments than spend exorbitant amounts of money on makeup to cover it up. Everyone wants a healthy glow and an even skin tone. As the weather is constantly sunny, we favor light, creamy formulas when it comes to makeup. For example, tinted moisturizers and BB creams are just as popular as foundation. In direct sunlight, every grain of powder and every streak of foundation is so much more noticeable. Australian women want to look effortlessly stylish, but hate looking like they're tired or too hard.
Diet Tricks: Australia has one of the worst obesity problems in the world, but despite that, BAZAAR's readers are incredibly diet conscious. Paleo, vegetarianism and veganism are having a moment, along with the 5:2 diet. Everyone is investing in a Vitamix and whipping up green smoothies every morning, diligently adding in their superfoods. We're also skipping our 3 pm coffees (we are major coffee connoisseurs here) in favor of grabbing a green juice from our local juice bar.
Fitness Fads: In 2013, the hottest workouts were outdoor-fitness bootcamps, but in 2014, we've headed back indoors and are embracing high-intensity functional training. Australian women are all about burning fat and building muscle, hence why we're big believers in interval cardio and strength training. A chain of studios, F45 Training, is fast growing in popularity. Hot yoga is another massive trend. A lot of women are still into running, but there's a growing awareness that weights and eating clean will give you a lean and sculpted physique, which is why women aren't so hung up with clocking up the k's like they were a few years ago. Following fitspo Instagram accounts is another massive trend. I believe that Australian girls do the best when it comes to 'fitspiration.' We love to follow: @basebodybabes, @aussiebodydiet, @freeleethebananagirl, @stylerunner, @ljclarkson, @mishbridges, and @the_upside.
Iris Wong, Harper's Bazaar China
Local Product: I swear by Herborist, which is a blend of classical beauty and modern biological technology. It's herbal prescription reflects the essence of ancient Chinese culture and mirrors the philosophy that refreshing, natural and healthy beauty stem from the root.
Local Spa Treatment: Per FACE is one of Hong Kong's largest spas in the beauty business, and it has been ranked as the world's eighth most popular medical spas. My favorite treatment from there is a GP cell renewal that wakes up skin cells. Every time after I have it done, my skin looks bright and refreshed.
Beauty Ethos: Chinese girls strive for clear skin. We want our complexions to look healthy and beautiful, so we are always looking for new beauty products to help give us a flawless glow.
Diet Tricks: Many people do regular detoxes, drinking various fruit and vegetable juices to stay healthy.
Fitness Fads: For workouts, we love doing a series of planks and squats with mild cardio.
Lucie Janotova, Harper's Bazaar Czech Republic
Local Product: We love Mcely Bouquet because we swear by the origin and bio quality of the products. They have the most gorgeous hand creams that are comparable to Helena Rubinstein's.
Local Spa Treatment: The thermal springs in Moravia is unbelievable. Another local spa recommendation would be a classical thai massage in Sabai.
Beauty Ethos: I would say the Czech girl is very simialr to the American girl; we value fashion, health and beauty, and are always trying to implement new products into our lives.
Diet Tricks: The most fashionable diet in the Czech Republic is Metabolic Balance. It's a metabolic program designed to regulate your body weight. With it's help you can individually change your eating habits towards balanced and healthy meals, as well as adapt your eating plan to your metabolism.
Fitness Fads: Over the last year, pilates on reformers has become very popular. In Prague, the studio 'More Than Pilates' is one of the best. People also still love to run and value cardio.
Franziska Marr, Harper's Bazaar Germany
Local Product: I live off of Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair oil, it's perfect for dry ends.
Local Spa Treatment: I really like the pedicure treatment with basic salts at Susanne Kaufman Spa. It's almost like a detox for your feet and leaves me feeling great after. Let's face it, heels always take a toll.
Beauty Ethos: Many German girls do a peel once or twice a week, which always leave the skin looking refreshed and luminous.
Diet Tricks: Many people here try and eat low carb, which definitely helps keep a svelte figure. I also try and never eat any late-night meals, sometimes even skipping dinner.
Fitness Fads: A combination of yoga pilates, and jogging is the perfect fitness regimine because it includes cardio as well as strength excercises to tone.
Alva Chung, Harper's Bazaar Hong Kong
Local Product: All locals here love the SK-II Facial Treatment, as well as La Mer La Creme and Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. For makeup, many women YSL lipsticks and Cle de Peau Beaute Stick Concealer & Foundation. Some Korean skincare has also been getting quite popular in Hong Kong, such as Innisfree and 3 Concept Eyes.
Local Spa Treatment: Sulwhasoo Spa and L’Occitane Spa are two to of the best places to go for various treatments in Hong Kong. I love traditional Chinese treatments, like reflexology and accupressure massages.
Beauty Ethos: For girls in Hong Kong, using a Clarisonic cleansing brush to wash your face everyday is an integral part of the typical beauty regime. American girls may not use this device everyday, as their skin is much thinner. The weather in Hong Kong is very humid compared to the USA, so our faces tend to get oily and need to be cleansed and exfoliated more frequently.
Diet Tricks: Many people in Hong Kong take diet supplements and try to skip out on carbohydrates during meals. Juicing has started to become very popular here as well, especially in the summer time.
Fitness Fads: FigureRobics by Korean artist Jung Da-yeon is very popular among people here. People also love running, cross-fit training and yoga classes to stay in shape.
Vasudha Rai, Harper's Bazaar India
Local Product: People in India swear by distilled Vetiver water that can be spritzed on the face. It’s very cooling in the Indian summer, and works better than other thermal water sprays.
Local Spa Treatment: The Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage is absolutely incredible, and is done by slathering large amounts of warm oil on the body. The oil is infused with herbs to target specific health conditions. It is sometimes done with two masseuses to get that four handed effect. It works to detoxify the body by working on the lymphatic system.
Beauty Ethos: We are more aware of natural ingredients. Indian girls love using natural products on their face and hair, be it massaging the hair with virgin coconut oil, using freshly plucked aloe vera as a face mask or making gentle exfoliates out of ground lentils.
Diet Tricks: Even though many are staying away from pure ghee, it is one of India’s healthy fats. It lubricates joints and strengthens bones as well as immunity.
Fitness Fads: Yoga in all forms is very popular, however, it is the traditional hatha form that most of us practice.
Yumiko Kizu, Harper's Bazaar Japan
Local Product: I swear by THREE, which is made by a subsidiary of Pola, a famous Japanese cosmetic company. Their skincare and hair care products use natural Japanese ingredients, and their makeup products are designed by Rie Omoto who is a Japanese makeup artist based in NY.
Local Spa Treatment: One of my favorite spas is the Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo, which is a heavenly space in the sky since it is located on the 37th floor. Whenever I get a treatment done there, it feels like an escape.
Beauty Ethos: Because of the hot and humid climate here, I wash my face twice a day using cleanser, toner and lotion.
Diet Tricks: Low-carbohydrate and enzyme diets have always been very popular in Japan.
Fitness Fads: I do everything from yoga and Pilates to Kaatsu training and jogging; Various workout routines come and go, so now it seems like women are trying to find the right plan that works for their own fitness objectives. There is no “most” in these days.
Brenda Diaz de la Vega, Harper's Bazaar Latin America
Local Product: I love Pai Pai Cosmetics and Vitacilina Ointment from the pharmacy.
Local Spa Treatment: The Rita Hayworth Facial at Hela Spa in Mexico City is amazing, and the Temazcal, which is a Mayan ritual.
Beauty Ethos: Latin American women love the sun, even though we know it’s not the best for your skin, but we spend a lot on suntan products and self-tanners.
Diet Tricks: People swear by the juicing detox, superfoods and eating organic.
Fitness Fads: Pilates, cross-fit and yoga are staples in Latin America when it comes to fitness.
Maroesja de Ruyter, Harper's Bazaar Netherlands
Local Product: We have two local beauty brands that we are proud of and have become our go-to’s. The first, Ellis Faas, is a makeup collection with professional quality. We like Hot Lips in Bright Orange, which puts a smile on our face every time we put it on. The second brand, Marie Stella Maris, started as a natural mineral water brand and has recently added a skincare line. We love the organic shea butter, which is an unscented, multi-purpose cream with exceptional healing properties for the skin. Another plus to the brand? Proceeds from their product sales go towards promoting safe drinking water worldwide.
Local Spa Treatment: Although it’s not a typical Dutch treatment, Thai Yoga massages are becoming very popular in Amsterdam. This holistic massage helps to restore and balance the body’s energy system and always gives me that healthy glow. Especially when you live in a busy city, where people are always on their bikes, regular massages help keep you grounded.
Beauty Ethos: I think the biggest difference between women in the Netherlands and the American girl is probably how we take care of and style our hair. I never blow-dry my hair and to find a blow-dry salon where you can easily walk in without an appointment is very rare here. So I just let my hair dry naturally with a few drops of serum for the perfect ‘wind-swept’ look.
Diet Tricks: Eating healthy, organic and local products that are sustainably grown and if necessary, sustainably packaged. Vegetarian (and vegan as well) is a popular way of life, but the so-called ‘Flexitarian’ that makes healthy conscious choices and also enjoys the tastes of life is the most popular diet lifestyle here.
Fitness Fads: All sorts of yoga are still on-trend, but yin-yoga has become increasingly popular. Also, short, high-intensity workouts, like the 7-minute workout people do at home, are a staples in the fitness world.
Ilona Rechnio, Harper's Bazaar Poland
Local Product: I swear by Natural Olive body lotion by Ziaja. It intensely moisturizes, smoothes and softens the epidermis. Ziaja is a Polish company that produces cosmetics based on natural ingredients for the face, body and hair. It’s also family owned, so people really love it here.
Local Spa Treatment: My favorite treatment is a session in the salt cave. Built from natural salt blocks that come from a salt mine in Wieliczka, it contains rich minerals and microelements that aid in natural healing for many illnesses. The microclimate formed acts to relax and relieve, making it the ideal place to rest after work.
Beauty Ethos: I don’t think there is necessarily a “Polish beauty regime.” We really value our skin, and always try to apply natural and effective products to the face.
Diet Tricks: We are crazy about gluten-free food, making it a number one diet trend in Poland.
Fitness Fads: Ewa Chodakowska is a fitness guru that Polish women swear by. At any time of the day or night, around 190,000 women exercise with her on YouTube. Her method is a combination of high-energy exercises, with an emphasis on core strengthening and breathing. It’s more Pilates than aerobics, and is extremely taxing.
Ioana Vasile, Harper's Bazaar Romania
Local Product: I use Ivapur exfoliating gel, which is a product created by a local brand called Ivatherm. It contains very small particles that clean all the dark spots and glycolic acid that penetrates and cleans deeper surfaces. I’m quite sensitive to products, but this one is suitable for sensitive skin.
Local Spa Treatment: Skin needs purifying, so one of the best local spa treatments, and my favorite, is the mud wrap that leaves skin feeling soft and smooth. Romanian mud coming from the southeast part of the country is full of minerals and only takes 15-20 minutes of treatment to demonstrate its benefits. Whenever I do the treatment, I leave wearing a smile on my face because it’s that good.
Beauty Ethos: I keep my face away from the sun and I don’t tan, so my skin is rather pale during the year. I use SPF products on my face everyday, as well as on my legs and arms even when I’m not by the seaside. Sometimes, you can get more easily tanned by just walking the streets.
Diet Tricks: Avoid bad carbs. Romanians tend to eat a lot of bread and pastries, so when they reduce this type of consumption from their daily meals, the results are immediately visible.
Fitness Fads: Jogging is very accessible, and a lot of Romanians frequent the parks or take to the treadmill. In the past few years, functional training and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) have gained more and more fans because they offer quick results. Both types can be taken in group classes or individually. The difference between this and old fitness training is that it not only raises muscular mass and helps people lose weight, but it also improves flexibility and accelerates metabolism.
Amelia Chia, Harper's Bazaar Singapore
Local Product: I love Skin Inc. ‘My Daily Dose.’ It’s a customized serum based on your skin needs (whether it be hydration, brightening or anti-aging) and the results are amazing after just a week of religious usage.
Local Spa Treatment: I swear by Lush Spa’s Lush Retreat, which includes a floral foot bath, a steam bath and a full body massage. It fixes all the knots in your back and melts away all types of stress from the week.
Beauty Ethos: To be honest, I don’t think the Singapore girl’s beauty regime isn't that different from the American girl’s. We probably do layer on more skincare products, but that differs from woman to woman. On a daily basis, I use gentle cleanser and toner, followed by a serum, eye cream and gel moisturizer for the day and cream moisturizer at night. Twice a week, I use masks at night and I alternate between a lifting mask and a hydrating mask. As for makeup, I’m all about looking natural, so I usually just slap on some foundation, blush and mascara and I’m good to go.
Diet Tricks: Juice cleanses are huge un Singapore at the moment. These are 3-5 day juice cleanses that help detoxify the body. Some popular ones in Singapore are ‘Lucky You Cleanse’ and ‘Hic Juice and Sana Cleanse.'
Fitness Fads: Yoga, pilates and spin classes pretty popular at the moment, with many fitness junkies flying to Bali or Sri Lanka for extended yoga boot camps.
Clara Buedo, Harper's Bazaar Spain
Local Product: I love Archangela Phyto-Aromatic Fluid of Rare and Precious Oils. It’s a bio product made in Spain by Dr. Fernandez Caballero, who has knowledge in traditional Chinese medicine. It’s light, but also very concentrated with antioxidants and tensor actives. It’s perfect for all occasions. I also use the brand Sepai, which has potent anti-aging formulas in all of their products. The Nutritive Instant Mask is a miracle for stressed skin because it recovers the natural luminosity of skin and revitalizes it.
Local Spa Treatment: I like the signature treatments at spas, which work with local ingredients. My last discovery was Olive Activator and Citrus Siesta, both signature treatments of La Residencia Spa Mallorca containing local olive oil and lemon essential oil.
Beauty Ethos: Spanish women take care if their hair. American women are very pragmatic with a natural look. Both types of women have different styles and don’t have very long beauty rituals like Asian women, for example using a lot of products. All-in-one products are perfect for the Spanish woman.
Diet Tricks: Detox, detox and detox! This is the new type of diet, including raw food and super foods like goji berries, chia seeds and wheatgrass. Juicing and smoothies are also elements to a new style of nutrition, hopefully ending all crash diets.
Fitness Fads: Bye bye aerobics, the new madness is electro-fitness or EMS Technology (electric-muscle-stimulation). It’s an interesting vest with electrodes that fit to your body perfectly. The electronic impulses impact the muscles, decreasing fatty tissues and cellulite. It also helps improve posture and treats flabby muscles. The best part is that you only need 15-20 min for the workout, making it very practical for a busy lifestyle.
Vicky Chen, Harper's Bazaar Taiwan
Local Product: I love Dr. Wu’s Special Treatment Intensive Renewal Serum with 18% Mandelic Acid. It really refreshes my skin!
Local Spa Treatment: Nuance Privee is a spa that we love splurging at. Their classic oriental massage is unbelievable.
Beauty Ethos: I think women in Taiwan focus much more on skin lightening and whitening. We love having a milky looking complexion and a bright smile.
Diet Tricks: A diet trick here for many women is keeping a boiled diet and using little oil. Also, no eating after 8pm is essential (or not having dinner), as well as trying to avoid any late-night snacking.
Fitness Fads: Night runs are a great way to end the day and end up making me much more relaxed before bed. Cycling is also very popular here.
Pelin Hascalik, Harper's Bazaar Turkey
Local Product: I love using Atelier Rebul products. The brand was founded in Beyoglu, Istanbul’s most popular neighborhood, in 1895. I especially prefer the brand’s classical Eau De Colognes that associate with our culture deeply. Rebul Lavender Eau De Cologne is one of the most exclusive one among other collections.
Local Spa Treatment: My favorite local spa treatment is a traditional one, Hammam, which is a special ritual. After having the treatment, your whole body is exfoliated from the dead skin cells and looks more polished than ever. Four Seasons Hotel Bosphorus has a great package called ‘Citrus Hammam by Natura Bisse.’
Beauty Ethos: Turkish women use Aegean herbs and vegetables that are made with olive oil. Olive oil is good for digestion and is helpful for the overall beauty regime. In addition, we also like to drink Turkish coffee, Turkish tea and mineral water after meals. These all help with digestion and are also calorie and sugar free.
Diet Tricks: The Mediterranean Diet us very popular in our country and consists of healthful nutrition. The diet includes various kinds of fruits and vegetables, which gives an array of useful vitamins and minerals. Olive oil, cheese and fish are also essentials to this type of eating.
Fitness Fads: Turkish women don’t find organized exercise programs in gyms very attractive, for we instead prefer outdoor sports. Our climate is suitable for walking or running along the seaside throughout the whole year. We also like pilates and yoga because they are good for releasing stress and feeling more powerful.
Sophie Bloomfield, Harper's Bazaar UK
Local Product: I love the aromatherapist and facialist Alexandra Soveral’s products; they are all fantastically effective and natural, and are blended in her magically chic boutique therapy rooms in London W9.
Local Spa Treatment: A massage-based facial always works wonders for my skin and my soul. As per the above, Alexandra Soveral does wonderful facials that leave my skin glowing. With the focus on lymph-drainage, the massage seemingly manages to reshape my bone structure. Nichola Joss is a favorite with the models and celebrities for the very same reason. Her facials are similarly transformative at eliminating puffiness and bringing out those cheekbones.
Beauty Ethos: I think the UK girl is very similar to the American girl, but with a more European influence. My routine tends to mix high-tech with low-fi organic and have an emphasis on massage.
Diet Tricks: The popularity of raw, cold pressed juices is at its zenith in London; more relevant, I feel, to juice diets is to drink alkalizing green juice alongside a healthy diet rather than a substitute for food. Also, the 5/2 has replaced Atkins as the most favorable mainstream way to lose weight.
Fitness Fads: Speaking for London, classes inspired by SoulCycle are popular, such as Psycle and Boom Cycle. Similar to Physique57 and Exhale in New York comes barre fitness classes such as Barreworks.
Elena Sagun, Harper's Bazaar Ukraine
Local Spa Treatment: A lot of women prefer honey massages because it detoxifies skin, helps to combat cellulite and improves skin tone. As for me, I like manual massage techniques in Spa Natural, which is a salon in the Hyatt Regency. There are a lot of fabulous techniques from deep sportive, to gentle, to gentle relaxing. Also, they are all very personalized. Clients can choose specific oils and music for the session.
Beauty Ethos: In my opinion, Ukraine girls really take care of their skin. They try to protect it from premature aging or use effective anti-age creams if they already have wrinkles. Also, our girls devote a bit more time for daily makeup than for daily skincare. Concerning body care, Ukraine women rely more on in-salon and at-home slimming treatments than on sport.
Diet Tricks: Lately, Dukan’s Diet has become very popular. At the same time, girls who attend yoga classes often adopt herbivore-like principles of nutrition and become vegetarians. And of course, low-calorie diets are very popular. There are a lot of girls who install applications on their phones to count the number of calories they are consuming.
Fitness Fads: Yoga and jogging are very common. Bicycles have also become very popular, as well as dance classes thanks to the Ukrainian version of So You Think You Can Dance.
As Executive Editorial Director of HarpersBAZAAR.com, Joyann King has ushered America's first fashion magazine into an era of digital excellence. A decade overseeing the website, social media and video platforms, and special product launches like Bazaar Bride and digital covers has garnered her and her team critical recognition. In 2015, she was named one of Adweek’s New Publishers to Watch. King can be seen on ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS discussing trends and the ever-changing relationship of technology and fashion. She was previously an editor at InStyle.com, ELLE.com, Glamour.com, and SELF.com. When she's not plugged in, the Texas native can be found relaxing with her family in upstate New York.
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