What to do and when to do it
Sorting your pre holiday prep shouldn’t be stressful. From tanning tips to shaving woes, here’s everything you need to know to make sure you’re beach-ready beautiful before you fly…
Holiday Prep 101
Exfoliate
Skin Smoothing Body Scrubs
The week before flying, it’s important to give your bod a good daily scrub. Slough away dead skin cells and boost circulation with Sister & Co. Coconut & Matcha Green Tea Scrub, £24. Or treat yourself to an in salon exfoliation with Elemis Intensely Cleansing Salt Scrub, £50 for 30 mins. [elemis.com/spa-locator]
False Tanning
Time To Tan
If you’re planning on fake tanning before heading away, plan to do this the day before you fly, making sure you leave enough time after hair removal. The darker your tan, the longer it will last – so it might be worth going a shade deeper than usual – as plane journeys can dry out your skin and make your tan fade quicker.
Sienna X Spray Tans available in salons nationwide, from £20 [sienna-x.co.uk]
Tan-Luxe The Water Hydrating Self Tan, £33
Nails
Mani Pedi O’Clock
Whether you head to the salon or DIY your mani/pedi, pop your chosen colour in your luggage to top up any chips whilst you’re away. Show off your tan with a pop of neon or keep things classic with Nailberry’s Summer Edit of nude and red hues.
If you’re heading to a country where you’ll be wearing a strong bug spray (50% deet) then opt for a gel manicure, as the ingredients in mosquito repellent can melt off your mani, leaving you with sticky nail beds.
Le Mini Macaron At-Home Gel Manicure Kit
All About The Eyes: Brows & Lashes
Brows
If you get your brows threaded, waxed or tinted – try and get this done around the same time you plan in the rest of your hair removal. Tint can sometimes do with a couple of days to tone down, and ideally you want to give your skin enough time to recover after hair removal to avoid redness or bumps.
Benefit Brow Wax available at Benefit stores nationwide, from £14.50
DIY it: ‘Since I was about 15 (way before brows-on-fleek ever became a thing!) I’ve used Colorsport 30 Day Brow Tint, £8.25, to tint my own blonde summer brows and lashes at home. It’s honestly foolproof and great if you can’t get a last-minute appointment.’
Chloe Burcham, Deputy Beauty Editor
Lashes
If you’re a fan of falsies, but don’t want the hassle whilst you’re away, it’s worth booking in for a Nouveau Lashes LVL Lash Lift, from £45 [nouveaulashes.com]. A combination of a semi-permanent lash lift and tint, you’ll be able to forgo mascara and liner for the duration of your holiday – without worrying about getting your lashes wet.
Love lash extensions? Try Blink Brow Bar Semi Permanent Lashes, from £150 for a flutter you can totally rely on
Hair Removal Myths Debunked
“Shaving will remove my tan”
Myth! Natural tans result from melanin production deep within the skin. Shaving only exfoliates the very top layer of skin, meaning it absolutely won’t remove a tan.
“Shaving will make my hair grow back thicker, darker and faster”
Myth! Scientists at Gillette have conducted extensive testing on the effects of shaving on hair growth, texture and colour. Results prove that shaving does not affect hair in any way! Shaving may alter the way hair initially feels after removal, because it has altered the tip shape of the re-growing hair. However, if hair is left to re-grow, it will return to its normal soft state.
“Laser hair removal is permanent”
Myth! Although laser hair removal is very effective, you’ll still need a course of treatments to see a decrease in your hair growth. And even after a full course of treatments, you might still need maintenance sessions every now and again. It’s better to think of laser as permanent hair reduction as opposed to complete hair removal.
The post This Is Your Official Holiday Prep List appeared first on Look Magazine.