Holiday season is here, finally. I’ve already been lucky enough to see in my first trip (if you can call a hen a holiday), and at the time of writing this, I have four days to go until I am sipping Aperol Spritz’ in Italy. But despite my excitement for another getaway, there is one thing I’m not looking forward to, packing.
What you may find surprising is that I’m not referring to packing clothes, I find that easy; it’s packing my makeup that’s the struggle. Give me a dress and a pair of sandals, and I’m good to go, but take away my makeup collection, and I’m lost; I want every lipstick shade, every foundation finish and eyeshadow at my fingertips. So, how do I overcome this when I only have one makeup bag? I pack products that I love; that are versatile, and of course, are heat proof. Here are a few I always make room for…
#1 The Second-Skin Foundation
Shiseido Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation in Neutral 3
Most people write home about lighter textures on holiday, but here I am telling you to pack a medium, but buildable foundation with a matte finish; trust me, I do so with good reason. Synchro Skin is a must-have for me when I travel because I never tan my face – I plan to steer clear of fine lines and wrinkles for as long as possible! But despite the positive effects of this, there is one negative: my face is always a different colour to my body. Synchro Skin is my easy solution for this though; it offers generous coverage, but it feels weightless once applied, and the best bit, it has advanced sensing technology, which makes the foundation sync with your skin to help it adapt to your environment – so whether you’re in a tropical heatwave or tropical storm your skin will look flawless! My only advice if you buy this and go away with your friends is, keep your eye on it; all my friends couldn’t get enough of it on our last trip!
Read more about why I love Synchro Skin so much here.
#2 The Quick Glow Fix
Lancome Custom Highlight Drop in Golden Glow
If there’s one place you can get away with copious amounts of glow, it’s on holiday. And, that’s what you get with Lancome’s Custom Highlight Drop. It was the first product I packed for my last trip; it was a hen, so I knew I’d be having plenty of late nights and cocktails – a recipe for dull-looking skin! And I can confirm that I reached for this liquid highlighter every single day of my trip. During the day I applied it to my cheekbones for a quick glow fix (the warm-toned bronze hue blends into a beautiful sunkissed golden sheen), while in the evening I mixed it with my foundation for a dose of dewiness; I even used it on my decollete and in the centre of my legs. It’s incredibly versatile, which is terrific when you’re tight on space!
#3 The Sun-Kissed Stick
Benefit Hoola Quickie Contour Stick
Hoola is bronzing royalty, nothing contours quite like it, so there’s no wonder why I never travel without it. Despite its warm tone, the bronzer never applies orange, and if you opt for the cream stick like me, you’ll always achieve a matte, sun-kissed glow that mimics the look of a natural tan – no one will know you’re faking it!
The clue is in the name with this contour stick too; it’s makeup at it’s easiest. A swipe of this under your cheekbones, on the tip of the nose and dabbed around the hair-line equals a post-holiday glow like no other. And another one of my top tips: use it as a cream eyeshadow to cut down on what you need to pack.
#4 The Jet Setting Spray
Urban Decay All Nighter Summer Solstice Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray
All Nighter comes second on my holiday packing list, missing out on a first-place spot to my passport – yes it’s that important. It’s essential because my skin gets oily on holiday, which affects the longevity of makeup, and I’m not one to spend ages on my base to only see it slip away before I sit down to dinner!
A quick spritz over my finished look and I can feel confident that everything from my foundation to my eyeshadow won’t budge (until I want it to). And this summer, I have a new All Nighter as a travel partner: the limited edition Summer Solstice spray. It’s the same iconic formula, but it has a delicious coconut and pineapple scent – I won’t lie I’ve been spraying it all over – it smells that good!
#5 The Summer Red Lip
GIVENCHY Encre Interdite Lip Ink in 05 – Solar Stain
When I’m packing lip colours for a holiday, I try to keep myself in check. I can quickly start adding every shade, undertone and texture, because who knows what mood I’ll be in. That being said, this year, I’ve tried to pare back my lip wardrobe when I travel. I’ve allowed myself only two: first, my trustee nude, bareMinerals BarePro Lipstick in Spice because it’s so easy to throw on, comfortable and lasts no matter what I eat or drink (which I plan to do a lot of holidays); and secondly, a vibrant lip, because an orange-red is like my coat of arms. This season, it’s GIVENCHY’s Encre Interdite Solar Stain that I can’t get enough of; it ticks all of my orange-red boxes (it’s a fiery tangerine red), it’s incredibly hydrating thanks to its water-ink texture, plus it’s waterproof and applies creamy and bold colour in just one swipe.
See all of my favourite lip colours swatched here.
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