Sophie Foster, Deputy Travel Editor for Mailonline
June 24, 2024 at 3:48 p.m., updated June 24, 2024 at 4:33 p.m.
Flight attendants have shared their top tips for travelers looking to emulate their chic make-up – and revealed how they can look flawless for hours despite their punishing work schedules.
On an anonymous Reddit forum, they weighed in with their best tips and advice in response to a curious vacationer.
Reddit user ‘TinaTina8’ asked: ‘Can flight attendants share their beauty and makeup routines?
“I’m not sure if I’m the only one who thinks flight attendants have the most amazing makeup! Even on long-haul flights, I’ve always seen them looking flawless.’
They continued: “I caught the last flight of the day yesterday and the flight attendant looked as fresh as a daisy with perfect foundation, perfect lipstick and a glamorous highlighter.
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“I couldn’t ask about her routine though. Please share your secrets – and real products – for long-lasting beautiful makeup.”
The crew members were happy to oblige.
One flight attendant revealed how long flights forced her to change her make-up techniques.
“Kathernemay” poster said: “I used to work long haul and the main things I would say were different from my normal makeup was that I used powder, especially around the eyes to keep the eyeliner in place throughout. time.
I used Bobbi Brown’s gel eyeliner (I found it lasted better) and then brought a liquid to cover the faded edges.
“Then I would use a face mist every hour or so to refresh my makeup so it doesn’t look cakey.
“For lipstick, I’d go with Fenty’s liquid lipstick, which literally lasts all flight long, even after eating and drinking.”
Good to know!
Other cabin crew also offered their advice, with “Flamepintbros” stating, “I personally have never worn foundation or powder because of the dry air on the plane.
“I was more concerned about the health of my skin, so I was constantly layering my face with occlusive moisturizer.
“At the end of the day, no makeup is going to look good after 16 hours in a desert air tube that sucks moisture out of every pore.”
Flight attendant ‘Viskel43der’ advised: ‘Bring a little hair spray or gel and a coil [a mascara wand with no product] to tame unruly hairs.’
Another crew member admitted that not everything was as it seemed.
‘Wontshowyoumyface’ commented: ‘It really doesn’t last all day, we do our hair and make up multiple times a day.
“Sometimes when the makeup looks cakey because of the dry air in the atmosphere, we take it off completely and redo it.”
The flight attendant looked fresh as a daisy with flawless foundation, perfect lipstick and a glamorous highlighter. Reddit user ‘TinaTina8’
Meanwhile, ‘smalltown_dreamspeak’ explained that it doesn’t just matter what you use.
They said flight attendants are “religious about drinking water, moisturizing their skin and using sunscreen.”
The poster added: “You know those big bottles of water on many years? A ton of flight crew try to drink at least one or two of these a day and take leftover bottles on layovers.’
They continued: “A lot of flight attendants will use the downtime on the plane or between flights to apply their make-up. It’s not all at once, it’s sustained throughout the day.’
In addition, they noted that a flight attendant can acquire beauties that are inaccessible to most people.
The crew member added that they “can fly to other countries to obtain products and procedures that would otherwise be unavailable or unaffordable.”
Some airlines have strict requirements that flight attendants must follow when it comes to applying make-up and styling their hair, which may be one of the reasons flight attendants are often so well-groomed.
British Airways cabin crew rules say: ‘Women need to have a stylish look, hair and make-up that is appropriate in a professional environment and complements our uniform.’
Emirates even offers flight attendants living in Dubai access to its ‘beauty centre’, where they can see ‘an in-house team of consultants… to learn about make-up application, nutrition, fitness, skin care and hair care tips’.
United Airline’s policy states: “Apply makeup sparingly to achieve a natural look and in shades that are compatible with individual skin tones.
The rules state that “extreme colors are not appropriate and may not be used”.
Some airlines have decided to update these requirements, such as Virgin Atlantic, which has dropped its mandatory make-up rule. But almost all flight attendants have to meet a certain job standard when it comes to their appearance.