From ultra-light SPF mist to post-swim hairspray, here are the essential beauty products to see you through the summer months
There is nothing like holiday prep. Shopping, packing, buffing – I plan this stuff for months in advance because I find it so very delightful. Below, find eight essentials that have made the edit (and one must-have treatment at the end).
These are a must because they really do work. I know a tan is unfashionable but I’ll never not want one. And if you’re someone who slaps on the SPF and still hopes to get sun-kissed like I do, these are for you. Containing vitamins C and E (the latter a powerful antioxidant), lycopene (from tomato extract, protecting you from free radicals – ever wonder why you want to eat tomato salad in the sun so much?) and beta-carotene, these pills seem to optimise every droplet of sun exposure and somehow produce an even glow that seems to come from within and lasts way after the flight home. I don’t understand it but I love this voodoo magic.
George Northwood Wave Holding Spray
A must for post-swim or post-shower waves. Comb in a little leave-in conditioner and spritz on this Wave Holding Spray for not-at-all-crispy, natural-looking kinks. Offering such an appealing price point, George Northwood, the master of undone hair, is doing the lord’s work.
Garnier Ambre Solaire Over Make-up Super UV SPF50 Spray
When I see this on offer I buy it in triplicate. An ultra-light SPF top-up mist you can spray over make-up (or a bare face, of course), it’s a true beach bag essential (or handbag essential, actually). It’s cooling, soothing and hydrating even for hyper-sensitive skin and, unlike so many other beloved facial SPFs, doesn’t make my eyes run.
Comme des Garçons ERL Sunscreen
I have a lot of suncream-inspired perfumes, ranging from milky, through coconut, musk, sea salt and white flower notes to recreate that most evocative sunned-skin smell – it’s a wide-ranging genre I have a special enthusiasm for. But nothing compares to this one, an eau de toilette designed in collaboration with Californian designer Eli Russell Linnetz. There’s a flat plasticky tone that I associate with some of Comme des Garçons’ best synthetic-inspired perfumes, which here recalls pool floats and crackled plastic wine glasses. Then there’s a slightly sweet peach, which adds a fizzy-drink spark, warm coconut and lily of the valley for a girlish, going-out floral note. Somehow all of this childlike nostalgia is rounded into an addictive, chic and creamy grown-up perfume.
I believe in very minimal make-up when on holiday because it epitomises the easy-breezy energy I’m forcibly channelling while by the beach. But bronzer is essential – for adding polish to the day’s tan or lifting the complexions of those slapping on the SPF50. Saie’s creamy bronzers are renowned (powders are no-go for sea-parched skin) and its Glowy Super Gel liquid bronze in Sunglow goes all over the face and just lifts – it can be used as blush or highlight, too. The brand new Rose Glow shade has a delicious pinky hue, too.
Summer smells like Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse d’Or to me. My best friend takes the delicious tiaré-scented (that’s another creamy white flower – Tahitian gardenia) After Sun with her everywhere, and whenever she puts it on I get jealous. So, I’ve stocked up on that, and the divine shimmery pink Florale body oil too. But, fantastic news: the brand’s all-new super hydrating haircare range – including a pre-wash oil treatment, Le Masque, and a leave-in La Crème conditioner as well as shampoo and conditioner – comes with the same intoxicating fragrance, out in September for a late summer getaway.
I wear this facial SPF all year round as a glow-giving tinted moisturiser. If I want barely there coverage I combine it with an SPF50 [see Mecca Cosmetica], to top up the protection factor and also thin out the tint. But it gives a glorious sheen and veil of healthful colour that just evens out the skin tone without requiring an exact colour match (though it comes in four shades).
Mecca Cosmetica Lip De-Luscious SPF20
Don’t forget to protect your lips. This has a super cute soft pink, lip gloss feel that moisturises, protects and tastes like sweets. The To Save Face SPF50+ needs a shout-out, too, though – it’s a super luxe facial sunscreen with a mid-market price tag. It has a chemical formula (without the aforementioned eye blur), with a light, non-greasy finish that still feels hydrating, and with no white cast, it’s a no-brainer product.
This is in the pre-trip pampering department but it’s a new addiction that will require topping-up just days before take-off. A gel manicure that protects your nails (from nearly anything, truly), without dehydrating and destroying the real thing underneath. I’ve never had such long, un-chipped nails in my life. And Sweet Candy Breath, a sheer milkshake pink, is the ultimate in holiday-high-maintenance. Book here or via the Ruuby app.