Barbara Palvin's face — plump lips, lifted and arched eyebrows, smooth skin without a single forehead wrinkle — hints at a good plastic surgeon with an airtight NDA. But in reality, Palvin — and her crew of 2018 Victoria's Secret Angels — credit their sculpted glow to A-list esthetician Mzia Shiman. The veteran skin expert has been working with the Angels for almost a decade, and her miracle non-invasive 30-minute facial might just be the show's best-kept secret. Here, she breaks down the exact treatment she gives the models before they hit the runway, how it works, and why it's universally effective. The following interview was told to Megan Decker and edited for length and clarity.
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The Model Treatment
"A few days before the taping of the live show, all the girls come in at some point between rehearsals for a facial that combines oxygen infusion and LED light therapy. It takes around 30 minutes, and the results are amazing, and most importantly, stable across the board. After the treatment, all the models walk out of the office with lifted eyebrows and cheekbones, plump lips, and that gorgeous glow. In all my years of using this technique, since I started with the Angels in 2010, there has never been an instance of skin irritation, redness, or adverse reactions, because the approach is focused on de-puffing and hydrating the skin — gently."
"A few days before the taping of the live show, all the girls come in at some point between rehearsals for a facial that combines oxygen infusion and LED light therapy. It takes around 30 minutes, and the results are amazing, and most importantly, stable across the board. After the treatment, all the models walk out of the office with lifted eyebrows and cheekbones, plump lips, and that gorgeous glow. In all my years of using this technique, since I started with the Angels in 2010, there has never been an instance of skin irritation, redness, or adverse reactions, because the approach is focused on de-puffing and hydrating the skin — gently."
First Comes Light...
"We start with LED light therapy, which is designed to reduce inflammation and boost the collagen in the skin. At this point, right before the show, the girls have been working out a lot, and many have a little residual inflammation and usually some redness. We have a blue-light system that treats acne, and a red light to treat normal skin — but I only use the red one on all the models. That's primarily because they don't have any acne, because they've been taking very good care of their skin up until this point.
"We start with LED light therapy, which is designed to reduce inflammation and boost the collagen in the skin. At this point, right before the show, the girls have been working out a lot, and many have a little residual inflammation and usually some redness. We have a blue-light system that treats acne, and a red light to treat normal skin — but I only use the red one on all the models. That's primarily because they don't have any acne, because they've been taking very good care of their skin up until this point.
The light treatment isn't just for their faces, but the whole body, too. We have a 40-minute full-body light treatment that gives the girls immediate relief from any joint and muscle pain and reduces puffiness everywhere. Just yesterday, Barbara Palvin came in and did the full-body LED light treatment, then the LED facial treatment, followed by the oxygen infusion — and that’s the full treatment."
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...Then The Oxygen
"While the LED light portion of the treatment reduces any inflammation, giving the skin its best structure, the oxygen infusion really boosts the glow. I use a few different serums on each model, depending on her specific skin condition. Most of my favorite formulas come from the Intraceuticals line, specifically the vitamin C- and hyaluronic acid-rich ones. Then, I use oxygen power to insert those vitamins and nutrients deep into the skin so that they really penetrate. It’s not invasive at all, but more like blowing those serums straight into the skin."
"While the LED light portion of the treatment reduces any inflammation, giving the skin its best structure, the oxygen infusion really boosts the glow. I use a few different serums on each model, depending on her specific skin condition. Most of my favorite formulas come from the Intraceuticals line, specifically the vitamin C- and hyaluronic acid-rich ones. Then, I use oxygen power to insert those vitamins and nutrients deep into the skin so that they really penetrate. It’s not invasive at all, but more like blowing those serums straight into the skin."
The 72-Hour Glow
"Every girl who walked out of my office before the show noticed that her cheekbones were lifted, her eyebrows were lifted, she had this crazy facial definition; these incredible results that we could see after a 30-minute facial. The important note is that those instant effects only last about 72 hours. I will say it's one of the healthiest things you can do for your face, because it's essentially feeding your skin nutrients, and will make your skin look its best before a big event — like walking around in your underwear in front of millions of people, for example."
"Every girl who walked out of my office before the show noticed that her cheekbones were lifted, her eyebrows were lifted, she had this crazy facial definition; these incredible results that we could see after a 30-minute facial. The important note is that those instant effects only last about 72 hours. I will say it's one of the healthiest things you can do for your face, because it's essentially feeding your skin nutrients, and will make your skin look its best before a big event — like walking around in your underwear in front of millions of people, for example."