Fashion Week is not known for its leisurely pace or a focus on relaxation. In fact, quite the opposite is true throughout New York City this week on runways and backstage. Still, there are a few shows that find space for a bit of bliss. I was invited to see the Skyn Iceland skincare prep backstage at Rachel Antonoff. Each step was focused on calming skin so it looks and feels its best under makeup and under the bright lights. While backstage, founder Sarah Kugelman offered to stress test me. Curious, I took the quick test. She used a Cocoro Meter to measure the levels of alpha-amylase, an amino acid that is a known indicator of stress. The levels vary from 0 to 91+, with stress registering on the low end as “Totally Chill” and “Busy But Calm”, in the mid-range at “Energy’s Pumping”or “Starting to Freak Out”, up to the highest level “Operating at a Fever Pitch” and “Total Stress Meltdown.” Anxiously awaiting the results, I was thrilled to learn I registered on the lowest end of the stress spectrum, a 10 and comfortably in the “Totally Chill” zone. Somehow I managed to be cool as a cucumber in the middle of New York’s most notoriously hectic event.
There are even more ways fashion and beauty insiders chill out during Fashion Week. So, stay tuned for more of the beauty trends and wellness tidbits we discovered.