The Vacay Vanity (Summer)

When it comes to a successful summer holiday look the key is to appear serene, effortless and sun kissed. Sounds pretty simple, and it is, if you excercise your brain cells in the packing process and leave the glowing for later! So before channelling your inner beach babe, plan ahead, pack right and then let loose!

Pictured here is my beach holiday make-up kit. I photographed it 5 minutes before leaving for the airport and I have to say, I planned well. I did not feel in want of anything throughout the whole trip, it took me from casual to formal, it nurtured my parched skin and enhanced my glow. Before outlining the multi tasking contents of this bag , however , a quick word to the wise. Think beyond the make-up. Don't be the person who is forever trying to straighten their hair for example, adapt your look to the beach. Try cute buns with pretty accessories, let it dry wavy by twisting it in to spirals, use cute hair bands. Apply extra anti frizz, go armed with a good clarifying shampoo (gets rid of chlorine) and a heavy conditioner. Get a mani/pedi before you go, your feet and hands are on display a lot so why not go for a fun splash of colour? Buy white clothes with a good cut, they are cool in the day and formal at night. White also looks great with a tan. Make sure you are armed with a proper sun block, shake and reapply as often as directed. Sunburn robs you of days of fun. If you do burn, hydrate with a thick moisturiser and avoid the sun till the redness disappears. Go with a good book and always travel with a good set of medications. (ok, so not all strictly beauty related but important nonetheless!)

So on to this bag and its useful contents:

1)Take a really dark foundation along with your normal one...keep darkening your normal one as your skin gets darker to get a foundation that continues to match throughout the various stages of your tan.

2)The tiny Stila compact was a giveaway at some department store. Always hang on to dinky sized freebies for when you travel. The less weight you go with, the more shopping you can afford to do!

3)Always remember that your skin is going to get dehydrated in the sun. There is nothing more irritating (and unattractive) than chapped lips. Keep a trusted brand at your finger tips. (I use Vanilla flavoured Chap et, though i rarely find it). A gentle moisturiser is a must too.

4)The Body Shop Tea Tree concealer- zit zapping while zit covering. For those pesky sun block break outs!

5)A nice peach lip stick...... let it double as your blush too!

6)A beautiful glowy, golden-peach eye-shadow. I used the aptly named "Gleam" by M.A.C. For lids and brow bone plus a little on the upper cheekbone, cupids bow, nose......in short wherever you want to gleam!

7)I used a dirty jade green cream eyeliner and just smudged it with my finger for a night time look. I threw in a little brown pencil and with a fresh tan, it looked the business!

8)Following my instinct to shun black (too much cleaning up the next day, even then risking raccoon eyes in the pool and too harsh with a tan), I took a brown mascara. This gives you the definition without looking too harsh.

9)A brow defining kit (you look pretty washed out when you are all shimmery without a little eye brow help). As important as mascara in terms of framing your eyes.

10)A travel size perfume.....again, hang on to any freebies that you may have.

And thats that. The dinky, multi tasking, day to night, intelligent, summer travellers make-up kit. Hope it helps!

( The resort pictured here is "Aditya" in Sri Lanka. It was exactly as magical as it looks, there are no effects whatsoever on these pictures. They have been used with the kind permission of H. Madani, who was also kind enough to take us there in the first place!)