Gwen Flamberg, January 2023. Courtesy Gwen Flamberg
A golden opportunity! When the invitation came to attend the Golden Globes on behalf of Eisenberg Paris, a beauty brand that sponsored the official 2023 swag bags for the event, I jumped at the chance. After 15 years as Executive Editor of Beauty & Style for Us Weekly covering the red carpet beauty prep of nominees behind the scenes, it was finally my turn to get glowing!
I had three weeks to prepare. First, I amped up my skincare routine. Enter skin cycling, where active ingredients are rotated to give cells “rest days,” preventing inflammation. For my before-bed routine, I immediately started alternating my Shani Darden Retinol Reform and Lactic Acid serums, adding in Retrouvé priming pads twice a week. Augustinus Bader The Cream followed by a dab of Furtuna Due Alberi Biphase Moisturizing Oil to seal in hydration finished the regimen before I hit the sheets, next to my Canopy Humidifier — which plumped up cells throughout the night.
Always a devotee of “big gun” anti-aging devices, I put myself on a steady schedule. Every other day I used the ZIIP device, an app-based gadget that emits a mix of micro- and nano-current to carve and firm facial contours, layering treatments including Sculpt & Lift, Instant Gratification and, my fave, Jowls. Every evening, while watching Netflix, I dutifully spritzed on LYMA oxygen-based Mist, frosted my face with the brand’s Glide and stroked the LYMA laser (which claims to boost collagen and elastin deep in the dermis) in vertical swipes along every section from neck to noggin.
Luckily, I’d visited NYC plastic surgeon Dr. Amy Lewis’ office in mid-November for a Sofwave treatment, an ultrasound technology purported to lift and firm while smoothing fine lines. Results are meant to kick in after six weeks — perfect timing! My DIY efforts would surely help maintain the effect.
Of course, the skin below the neck needed love, too. I chose a tank style gown by eco-friendly brand Reformation for the big night, which meant my decolletage would be on full display. Once a week, I smoothed on Eisenberg’s Firming Remodelling Mask to brighten and firm my chest complexion. 111 Skin sheet masks every few days helped fill in fine lines. For a touch of sculpting, I added the 15-Minute Seated Arm Series W/ Weights to my daily Lia Bartha B The Method workouts.
About a week before the Globes, I headed uptown to celebrity esthetician Georgia Louise’s Atelier for a facial. Since Georgia was already in Hollywood, tending to the complexions of actual celebrities and nominees, elite esthetician Helia Wilcox treated me to a micro-current lifting protocol that literally carved my jawline and cheekbones while leaving me with a glow akin to dewy baby skin. Almost red carpet ready!
With just a few sleeps before my flight to Los Angeles, I scheduled a gloss and blowout at celeb and model-frequented Soho hair salon Jenna Perry and a mani and pedi at JINsoon. But late the night before my appointments, I tested positive for Covid. Yes, dear reader, Covid.
After the “wtf?” “why me?” and “how could this happen??” horror wore off, I was quick to realize that like many who came before me since March 2020, often under much worse circumstances, my plans would have to pivot.
With Golden Globes night upon Us, I did a DIY blowout with my Dyson Airwrap and polished my nails in Olive & June’s CV. With no paparazzi in sight, I slinked into my dress and sat in front of the makeup mirror. Putting many years of celeb makeup artist how-to learnings to use, I carefully beefed up my brows and brushed on a bronze smokey eye. I was camera ready in about twenty minutes. The finishing touch? A gorgeous, velvety ruby lip — Eisenberg’s J.E. Rouge Lipstick in Rouge Opera.
After all that, I celebrated the Globes myself, at home, but happy. It may take a village to prep like a celebrity, but when sh*t happens, you only have your own resilience to shift the narrative. A killer red lipstick helps, too! The takeaway: Choose to make lemonade out of lemons (but serve it warm, with honey, lots of ginger and star anise.)