Travelling can make it more difficult to keep up with a skincare or beauty regime, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t look and feel fabulous while you’re away. If you’re planning a trip, here’s the ultimate guide to holiday style and beauty.
Embrace the capsule wardrobe
The key to successful styling on the go lies in creating a capsule wardrobe. The aim is to pack a few items, which you can mix and match and dress up or down to create an array of outfits. This is ideal for simple, hassle-free travel style when you have limited time and space and a baggage allowance to bear in mind. Tailor your wardrobe to suit the destination, your itinerary and the weather forecast.
If you’re spending a long weekend in a European city, opt for style and comfort. Pack a pair of shoes you can walk miles in without worrying about aches and pains or blisters and go for lightweight materials if it’s going to be hot. Throw-on midi and maxi dresses and skirts are ideal, as are soft denim shorts, jersey jumpsuits and linen trousers. Pair with vests, camis and well-fitted plain tees. Add oversized denim or linen shirts, a cardigan or a blazer for the evening. For a beach holiday, mix and match bikini tops and bottoms, add cover-ups and use accessories to go from the pool to a beach club, bar or restaurant. Take a basic black maxi dress, for example. By day, you can keep things casual with flip-flops, sliders or flat sandals, a cross-body bag and aviators. By night, add wedges or block-heeled sandals, a clutch bag and statement earrings.
When you’re packing for your holiday, it’s a brilliant idea to try some outfits on and see what goes. If you’ve got some looks in mind when you arrive at your destination, this will save you time and effort when you’re getting ready.
Simple, sun-safe skincare
It’s hugely beneficial to take good care of your skin no matter where you are or what the weather is doing, but it’s particularly important to be mindful of skin care when you’re on holiday. Harmful UV rays are a common cause of premature ageing and sun exposure can also cause sunburn and increase the risk of skin cancer. If you’re heading out for a day of sightseeing, or you’re hitting the beach, make sure you apply sun cream. Choose a high factor if you burn easily or factor 30 if you tan well. Wear a sun hat and try to avoid the midday sun when the rays are at their most powerful. Reapply regularly, especially if you’re swimming.
When you’re on holiday, it’s important to remember to keep up with your skincare regime. Take the time to cleanse and remove makeup before you go to bed and apply your usual serums. Look for miniature versions or similar items if you’re only taking hand luggage and you’re restricted to 100ml bottles.
Moisturising is essential when you’re travelling, especially if you’re exposed to extreme heat or cold. Use hydrating, nourishing lotions or facial oils and moisturise your whole body using aftersun if you’ve been sunbathing. Always look for products that suit your skin type.
If you experience sunburn, apply aftersun and avoid direct exposure until your skin has healed. If you carry on trying to tan when your skin is burned, your skin will get worse and it will take longer to heal.
Hassle-free haircare
We often think about the effect of being in the sun on our skin, but sunbathing and swimming in the pool or sea can also impact our hair. You might have noticed that your hair feels dry when you’re on holiday or perhaps you find that it breaks more easily. It’s essential to take good care of your hair while you’re abroad. Wear a hat, such as a cap or a wide-brimmed straw hat, during the day, or tie your hair up using a bandana, head scarf or cotton turban. Shop for products designed for summer before you head off on holiday. Leave-in conditioners, hair masks and ultra-hydrating shampoos and conditioners are great options.
We all want to look amazing on holiday, but it’s best to avoid over-styling if you’re visiting a hot country and your hair feels dry or brittle. Reduce the use of heated rollers, straighteners and curling tongs. If you do use them, always spritz heat protection spray on your hair beforehand. Watch some tutorials for simple natural hair styles and embrace the laid-back, natural look. Beach waves, plaits and loose curls are perfect for summer nights. Use your holiday as an excuse to try new looks and experiment with trends. If you don’t usually wear your hair up, for example, use social media and magazines to get styling tips and ideas. It’s often more comfortable to have your hair up, especially during the day when you’re in the pool or lying on the beach catching rays.
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Holiday makeup
Many of us choose to wear less makeup on holiday, but being away also provides opportunities to be a little bolder and more adventurous. If you’re planning parties, nights out or romantic dinners at fancy restaurants overlooking the ocean, add products to your core makeup selection to cater to low-key and more special events. Keep your daytime look simple and understated and focus on skincare and protection. If you feel more confident wearing foundation than bare skin, consider swapping to a liquid foundation or using BB cream or tinted moisturiser. Add a pop of colour with blush or bronzer and a slick of mascara. For the evenings, you can be more daring. Why not try new shades of lipstick, or go for a bright eyeshadow, for example? Dewy skin looks amazing on holiday. You can create a healthy glow using lightweight foundation, cream bronzer and iridescent highlighter. Set your makeup using a hydrating setting spray.
For low-maintenance holiday makeup, try multi-use products. These will save you time and lots of space in your makeup bag. Look for foundation sticks that provide coverage as well as contouring and highlighting benefits and choose blushers and bronzers that can also be used for your lips and eyes. It’s an excellent idea to practise a 5-minute routine at home and decide which products you love best to avoid packing too many items. You can get tips from beauty magazines, blogs and social media feeds.
If you tan easily, it’s worth remembering to take two shades of foundation or buy drops to make your existing product slightly darker. This will enable you to blend your makeup seamlessly as your skin changes. You can add definition and create a stunning bronzed glow with cream or powder bronzer and shades of gold, bronze, mocha and copper eyeshadow.
Accessorising tips
Accessorising is a brilliant way to make the most of your holiday wardrobe, embrace new trends and create cool outfits on a budget. Once you have your capsule wardrobe, you can elevate simple outfits and add interest with finishing touches. From huge hoops, statement necklaces and stacking bangles to embellished belts, bright bags and eye-catching shoes and shades, you can use details to transform any ensemble. It’s particularly useful to stock up on accessories if you’re short on space in your case. If you’ve got a simple vest dress, for example, you can swap trainers, sunglasses and a satchel or backpack for a chic, fitted jacket, bejewelled sandals, a clutch and a collar necklace for the evening.
Holiday season is here, and many of us will soon be busy creating packing and shopping lists. If you’re keen to look and feel great, use these holiday style and beauty hacks. Create a tailored capsule wardrobe and add accessories to design an array of stunning looks in an instant. Take care of your skin and hair by sticking to beauty regimes and buying products to nourish and protect them from the sun. Prioritise hydration, stick to simple makeup by day and be open to trying new things with bolder shades and colours by night.
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