La Compagnie airlines is on a mission to redefine luxury (yes, it’s still a thing, even if you’re flying commercial) air travel, offering business-only class—think big, lie-flat—seating, complete with massage chairs, movie-stocked personal Samsung Galaxy tablets, Caudalie amenity kits and really, really good airplane food (evidently, also a thing) between its Newark and Paris route.
The flight attendants are also living examples of the above, and could easily fall into the TWA ads of yesteryear, even as they make their way through the cabin making sure everyone is happy and settled in and stay on call for the duration of the eight-hour flight.
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I met attendant Sophie Capobianco on the leg over and was instantly in awe. How could someone be so on-their-game when I was stressed from taking a short Uber from midtown to the airport? Sure, it’s kind of glamorous to bounce between New York and Paris, but it cannot be an easy gig to stay rested and look flawless when you’re on your feet for that long in the recirculated air during the middle of the night.
As she shared with me, her secret to prepping for any flight starts 24 hours prior. “I avoid alcohol and fatty foods and instead drink plenty of water and eat vegetables and fruits in order to hydrate for the next day. I also do a hydrating mask the day before to properly care for my hair. [She swears by Kérastase.] I always use face hydration cream by Avène.”
While she says the dry air is really hard on any complexion, she does make “replenishing” during any flight a priority, by drinking a significant amount of water and eating a light salad and vegetables to protect her skin.
Her coworkers also share that sentiment, although she (admittedly) isn’t as diligent en route. “I know one flight attendant who, at mid-flight, removes all of her makeup and puts fresh water on her face and then reapplies her makeup in order to avoid either hours in a row with makeup.”
Capobianco does say she always removes all of her makeup, takes a hot shower and does a hair mask post-flight. “It enables me to refresh and feel rejuvenated.”
Even if you didn’t start your beauty prep 24 hours pre-boarding, the plane is so comfortable and the crew is so accommodating, that it’s hard not to relax as you cruise at 30,000 feet. Plus, the airline’s got your back—the Caudalie products in the amenity kits are full-size, and, if you’re lucky, you might even be able to book a pre-flight facial in the lounge prior to your journey across the Atlantic.
As cliched as the Sex and the City line sounds, you really do “arrive looking stunning and impossibly fresh-looking.”
