Need to make some space in your holiday suitcase?
Firstly, here’s a tip: you do not need two more pairs of skinny jeans. Or those gigantic nudes wedges. Secondly, this incredible list of only six beauty essentials will fulfill all your holiday beauty needs, so no need for a bulging cosmetics bag.
SKIN
Coconut Body Shimmer
A friend of mine takes weirdness to the next level with her incessant smelling of my person when I wear this moisturising butter. It blends over the entire leg with only a small amount and gives a gal the shiniest, healthy-looking legs. Pop some in a small pot for hols. Done.
Buy The Body Shop, €17
HAIR
Kérastase
Heat Activated Reconstructor Milk has changed my life. This product is wonderful for your flyaway follicles. This is what I call ‘miracle-shizz’ for unruly manes and tails. It fixes those unqualified strands and stops breakage. It’s my best inanimate friend.
Buy In any Peter Mark hair salon, €28
FACE
Clarins
Anti-Rides Visage (or beautifying, protective, amazing-ness with added suncare) to you and me. This little bottle is also under the size of the recommended allowance through any airport and really stays in place. Always apply suncare as a veil over the face. Spread between the hands and press onto the skin.
Buy The Loop at Dublin Airport, €20.80
Caudalie
The Polyphenol broad spectrum SPF 20 anti-wrinkle mini-tube of perfection is like a lemon Starburst for your face. Kindof. It smells like lemon Starburst anyway. The zestiness makes you think of fruit and ice and… cocktails. The cream is hydrating and non-oily under a further protection factor and one of our oil-free foundations suggestions. I even love the smaller size option. It is a very long tube and doesn’t take up valuable space in my away-bag where the shoes should reside. Good stuff.
Buy Lloyds Pharmacies, €42
LIPS
Vichy
If you are a cold-sore sufferer like me there is no way around this baby. You need it. What I often do is get an empty vessel, perhaps an old lip salve pot and go for gold. Pop in one part favourite lippy shaving and two parts Vichy factor 50 shaving. This mean that you will still see your lips underneath the vital protection. More importantly you don’t look like your lips melted off in the sun with beaming white cream spread in their place.
Buy Boots, €10.20
FEET
Peaches and Boo Boo
Save my feet Blister Elixir is one of the best finds I have ever had. At the Galway Races in 2010 I was the last girl standing still in my red (killer) Kurt Geiger shoes. I had not reverted to the complimentary unattractive and impossibly neon flip-flops provided at the Ballybrit exit – I had found bliss. Two and a half hours earlier with a generous amount of this strange gel-come-cream consistency applied, I was altogether dubious: The ridiculously high court shoes were not creating pain or chaffing, and I was smiling. Seriously, it really works.
Buy Amazon €20. Don’t ever forget blister plasters though if your holiday is more than a weekend away.
Note: If individual products are not available in a smaller size simply pick up some empty containers for €4 from Boots or €2 at Penneys and label them before you head away. Simples. Happy hols loveens!
