The morning I woke up and realized I was now in my third decade of life I remembered being 8 years old and asking my mother how old she was; when she replied she was 30, I exclaimed out loud: ‘ but mum, you’re so old ! ’. This number seemed like something ancient and fragile then and yet, here I was; in my 30s now, yet ironically feeling as if my life had truly just begun. My mind whirred with ideas and creativity while my age was a traitor that had inexplicably creeped up on me and now it stood behind me with a decayed knife, waiting to plunge it into my still youthful skin and laugh as it turned papery and lined. Or so it seemed in my panicked mind for all of a sudden I started thinking about anti aging potions, wrinkles and sun spots whilst shaking an embittered fist at my new invisible enemy.

The following summer I travelled to Croatia for my annual holiday. After unpacking I ran down old stone stairs to the little beach for an afternoon swim in golden sunshine and lay my towel next to all the old grandmas basking by the water in their high waisted swimsuits, shimmering gold chains and oversized sunglasses. They chatted about their daily routines so I looked at their animated faces, laughed with their amusing anecdotes and all the while felt a happiness radiating through my body while a realization slowly formed in the back of my mind : age is truly only a number and happiness is the number one reason people look youthful.

In the days that followed my obsession with age disappeared. It wasn’t as important to me anymore to look young but for my face to reflect the glow of my inner health and positivity. My aim became more about cultivating a peaceful outlook and aiding my body in functioning well so that my skin glowed. When I would work late or my child was sick, I would no longer berate myself on my dark circles and deep crevices; I would know that it was but a reflection of my current lifestyle so I’d concentrate on holistic ways of making my whole being happy; exercise, vegetable juices, sleep, cutting out gluten and eating a mainly organic diet. That is not to say that I forgoed skincare all together, because I understand that care of the skin is important, just as it is important to service a car - it’s just that I stopped obsessing about it and using a time consuming myriad of peels, acids and multi step procedures to reverse the passage of time. My skincare routine was simplified: a great cleanser, a beautiful skin oil and an exfoliant once per week. That was it.

When SK-II approached me to do a review of their star products, I was intrigued for I had heard about their incredible ingredient. As the story goes SK-II was developed by Japanese scientists who were looking into using more naturally derived ingredients for their products. While observing workers at a sake brewery, they noticed that elderly workers had lines on their faces yet their hands were smooth and younger looking by being submerged in the fermenting sake. After much research and development, the strain of naturally-occurring yeast was isolated for use. This magic ingredient was called Pitera and it is an intrinsic part of SK-II products, in particular the ever popular Facial Treatment Essence. My package contained this product and a new product to the range- the Facial Treatment Oil. Now, I am kind of obsessed with facial oils so I was dying to try this product: not only does it contain 6 types of exotic oils such as Latin American jojoba oil, South African avocado oil, Mediterranean olive oil, Japanese Riceterol Ester, rice bran oil and squalane but it also contains Pitera for an added anti aging boost.

After showering, I applied the Facial Treatment Essence which seemed to refresh and firm the skin and then applied the Facial Treatment oil to my face with fingertips, warming it slightly in the palm of my hands , then pressing it in - it felt soothing and comforting as it melted into my skin and carried a delicate scent of citrus and lavender to boot.

All in all the SK-II program took me less than 5 minutes to apply and my skin felt smooth and moisturized instantly; for me the simplicity of the routine and the way my skin glowed afterward was the real winner of this exercise. As for the unlined skin and anti aging benefits? Well, we will see. Since the routine is so simple to implement I will continue using the product for the way it makes my skin feel - the anti aging effects can only be a bonus.

Wearing: Calvin Klein robe, Karolina Couture lingerie set, Jordan Askill x George Jensen diamond necklace 

photographed by Ana Suntay- Tanedo