Fashion week sashayed onto the scene of the Empire State, awakening the style savants from their social slumber. Fashion’s elite and VIPs braced themselves for the week-long, sprinted marathon—packed with designer runway shows, elaborate presentations, and swanky soirées scattered across the city. Dodging swarms of street-style paparazzi like flies, virtues are also tested and by some stroke of divine luck–during rush hour traffic–they arrive at their next show across town before the doors close.
Between fighting for the perfect shot at alice + olivia’s maximalist ‘60s Pop Art presentation to frantically avoiding being marked absent for Sally LaPointe’s back-to-school session, Cetaphil and Highsnobiety invited fashion enthusiasts and New Yorkers alike to destress, connect, and immerse in much-needed self-care amid the madness.
“Change clothes and go. You know I stay fresh to death, a boy from the projects and I'ma take you to the top of the globe ...” bumped through the speakers as dual DJ and model, Tia Mobley casually swayed to the iconic aughts Jay-Z classic.
In true NYC style, the line for the “Backstage by Cetaphil” pop-up—at haute wellness hotspot, the home of the city's most coveted facial, massage, mani/pedi, and infrared sauna experience, Chillhouse–snaked around the corner like eager fans queuing up for the latest Palace merch drop. Some committed to the three-hour wait, unbeknownst to what lies behind the doors.
The energy was high and in perfect alignment within the spritely peach-colored space, complete with candy-colored lighting and pastel millennial accouterment.
Dewy-skinned guests perused Cetaphil’s revered and newest products, while fashion week itineraries were exchanged between sips of steamy blue matcha lattes quaintly etched in cinnamon with “HS” initials, rivaled by refreshing OM juices in the café.
Sanity aside, the main barrier that takes a blow from the cycle of non-stop fashion week action, frigid temperatures, espresso martinis, little-to-no-sleep, and caffeine overloads with surmounting amounts of actual work…our skin. Escorted to an otherworldly, deep purple lowly lit private room, tranquility and utter relaxation reign supreme. Skin sensitivities like dryness and irritation were noted, and the essential Mini Hydration Facial ensued, as the Chillhouse esthetician, Shelby Israel, explained the regimen. The creamy Gentle Skin Cleanser was massaged into the face to cleanse the skin while providing continuous hydration, followed by a soothing warm towel wrap.
Cetaphil’s Healthy Renew Face Serum formulated with peptides locked in moisture and boosted the skin’s luminosity. The Hydrating Eye Gel-Cream secured the bags (and we’re not talking about Birkins), brightening and smoothing the skin.
“My favorite product from the line is the Cetaphil Deep Hydration Skin Restoring Water Gel,” says Israel as she applied the featherlike moisturizer. “It’s so easy to layer and extremely hydrating. I highly recommend adding it to any skincare routine.” Revived like Sleeping Beauty with an ice globe massage, and sealed with an SPF moisturizer—the end result? A sensitive skin-approved, luminescent glow as seen on other guests posing in the photo booth and indulging in high-gloss manicures and deep hand massages.
The pop-up’s 360 approach to beauty wasn’t complete without an exclusive one-on-one skincare consultation with a Board-certified dermatologist about personal skin goals. The cardinal rule prescribed for sensitive skin is to avoid harsh ingredients that extract moisture. “It’s so important to keep skin super hydrated,” shares Dr. Kiran Mian. “Avoid ingredients like surfactants, alcohols, and formaldehyde, and stick with cleansers that Vitamin E and glycerin that will add moisture as they cleanse like Cetaphil’s Hydrating Foaming Cream Cleanser which leaves the skin supple and soft.”
Dr. Mian’s most vital piece of advice comes in clutch: “Wash your face before you go to bed [even if you don’t wear makeup], New York City is so dirty and filled with pollution!”
Indeed, New York is the gritty city that never sleeps. Rich in culture, poor in quality of life, the overlord of this fashion capital forges a new testament that may inflame the inner Miranda Priestley. Our skin—on the contrary—remains chill.
