Looking for the best beauty products to keep you feeling great on your next beach holiday? We reveal all the budget-friendly travel must-haves you should take along that’ll have you covered.
Best beauty products for body
Tan it, tone it and love it – look after yourself with these money-saving beauty products.
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Perfect for in-flight
The Body Shop Vitamin C Energising Face Mist, R180 for 100ml, is a beauty product that refreshes tired skin, and makes it look dewy. Travel-sized, so pop into your handbag; ideal for the plane, hot days, and the beach.
2-in-1 shower must-have
Check out NIVEA In-Shower Body Moisturiser Skin Conditioner (for dry or for normal skin), R49,99 for 400ml, to keep you feeling soft straight after rinsing off in the shower.
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For a natural glow
Avoid hours of sun exposure, rather opt for a self-tan to get that glorious golden colour. Caribbean Tan Cream Body Bronzer Shimmer, R180 for 200ml, washes off and suits most skin tones.
Or try Skinny Tan Instant Tanner, R179,99 for 125ml. It’s a moisturising cream that builds a beautifully natural-looking tan in under two hours.
The best beach pedi
“To ensure your at-home pedicure lasts your whole holiday, I recommend using an enamel with super-strong staying power,” Revlon Nail Ambassador Jenny Longworth. “I love Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy Longwear Nail Enamel, R135, which performs like a gel, and remains chip-free for up to 11 days. Plus, reapplying a topcoat every other day can help prolong your colour by giving it another coat of armour, and helps avoid any discolouration or fading caused by the sun.
Beach sand can also dry out the soles of your feet. I love to slather my feet in rich lotion and put on my socks before going to bed, forcing my feet to absorb all that moisture.
Your hands also age at the same rate as your face, so it’s important to look after them. My top tip is to use a hand cream with added SPF daily to help prevent wrinkles and the classic giveaway… sun spots.”
Try Revlon De-Ageing Hand Cream, with SPF 10
ALSO SEE: How to get healthy, happy feet
Beach to bar hair
From windswept to glossy waves, holiday hair needn’t mean ungroomed with these saviours…
An easy styler
“I always keep a hair oil in my kit,” says hair stylist Nick Peters. “It’s a great way to smooth out ends, tackle frizzy hair, and give shine to dull, lifeless locks.” Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Oil Elixir Serum, R114 for 100ml, is ideal for this. It’s affordable and gives impressive results!
To boost volume
“I really love John Frieda Luxurious Volume Thickening Mousse, R115,99 for 200ml; it’s a great base for any look,” says Nicola Clarke, creative colour director at John Frieda.
A great sun shield
Hair stylist Samantha Hillerby says, “For anyone with brittle or dry hair, do what I do: smother your hair in a thick hair butter, comb through, rinse out, then wind your hair up tightly in a bun to air dry. When I let it loose, it has a natural wave that’s nicely conditioned, but not over-styled.”
Try it with Pantene Pro-V Intensive Mask Colour Protect, R84,99 for 200ml, which also protects your coloured hair from the sun.
Hair repair must-have
If hair gets damaged by the sun, sea salt and chlorine, start rehydrating it with Vichy Thermal Spa Water, R158 for 150ml. Then coat the ends of your hair with a repairing, nourishing oil. Leave it on for 20 minutes to an hour before shampooing. Your hair will become supple and shiny.
Try natural waves
“Try my Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray, R119,95,” says Lee Stafford. “On wet or dry hair, you can blow-dry it or leave to dry naturally. Whatever works for you, you’ll get tousled, beachy hair with body to die for!”
Go glossy
Dry oil for hair is the secret to getting, and keeping, that luxurious healthy-looking finish. OGX Argan Oil Of Morocco Reviving Dry Oil, R149,99 for 118ml, is excellent between blow-dries, since it helps add shine and makes hair smooth. “To refresh dry hair, warm dry oil in your palms, sweep a blusher brush over the oil and use it to tame flyaways. Or comb through just-washed hair and let it air dry or style as desired,” says stylist Danilo.
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Super summer skin savers
Condition, cleanse, cover and colour… these summery skin basics are essential, whether you’re at home or travelling abroad.
To whiten nails
“For my nails, I got this tip from my grandmother: never throw away a lemon after squeezing. Instead, rub it on your nails. It has an instant whitening and smoothing effect.” Aliza Jabès, Nuxe
Simplify your skincare regime
The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil, R220 for 28ml, is a non-greasy skin treatment with nourishing wheatgerm oil. It leaves skin with an amazingly smooth texture and helps replenish the moisture levels stripped away by cleansers and the elements.
A quick soother
“Kept in the fridge, aloe vera can help treat puffy skin, and calm the skin if you’re prone to rosacea, or if your skin has been over-sensitised by harsh products or the elements,” says facialist Nathalie Eleni. Try Simply Aloe Bitter Aloe Gel, R84,95 for 50ml. “Apply a generous layer to skin, patting it on gently, and allow it to absorb like a mask. Leave to dry, then remove with a lukewarm muslin cloth.”
Dry skin repair
Lanolab Balm, R89 for 19g, is enriched with healing paw paw and is a saviour for any patches of dry skin that are in desperate need of hydration, including lips and hands.
Your holiday skincare regime
“Complex cleansing regimes, overuse of exfoliators, and ‘hopping’ from product to product can lead to dull-looking, confused, sensitive skin,” says dermatologist Sam Bunting.
“Gentle cleansing is key to treating skin that’s misbehaving in this way – I’m a huge fan of Bioderma Sebium H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution, R179,95 for 250ml, which is well-tolerated and effective. I don’t know a make-up artist who doesn’t have it in their kit.”
Get dewy skin
“Olay Regenerist Microsculpting Cream SPF30, R314 for 50ml, is perfect for slightly mature skin,” says make-up artist and Olay ambassador, Florrie White. “As we age, our features become less well-defined, so after prepping the skin with this, fill in and elongate eyebrows; define eyes using soft browns and taupe; curl and coat lashes; then finish by brushing blusher into the hairline and a little on the chin. Use a natural-coloured lip pencil, filled in with a creamy lipstick. Skip the powder step – it sits in fine lines and is very ageing.”
Stay day and night
Mel Arter, Max Factor ambassador and make-up artist, says, “Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer [R175 for 30ml], has a Velcro effect on the skin so that make-up sits and stays perfectly on top, yet it’s delicate and silky in texture, too.” Caroline Barnes, also a make-up artist and Max Factor ambassador, agrees: “Primer prepares the skin, allowing foundation to sit effortlessly, helping us get a more natural-looking make-up look.”
Keep cool and fresh
For an excellent herbal toner, try Back 2 Nature Witch Hazel Toner, R125 for 200ml. Apply it using a cotton pad to refresh tired, dull skin, cleanse the pores, and restore the natural oil balance to leave your skin looking bright, healthy and radiant.
DIY solution
“To rescue lips, I gently exfoliate them in the evening. In my palm, I add a spoon of sugar to lip balm, and apply to lips in circular strokes. I then rinse, apply lip balm in thick layers, and leave on overnight,” says Nuxe’s Aliza Jabès.
Give your skin a break
Free from parabens, silicones and colourants, and including coconut and jojoba oil, Hey Gorgeous Creme de la Creme Olive & Vitamin E Night Cream, R209 for 100ml, is a must-have.
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Multitasking musts
It softens, it smooths, it calms… why pack two or three products when one will do?
Super balm
If there’s one product you need, it has to be Eucerin Aquaphor Soothing Skin Balm, R185,99 for 110ml. It contains essential ingredients that create a protective, breathable barrier to accelerate skin’s healing. It’s great for dry cuticles and elbows, chapped lips, scaly knees, cuts and grazes, and even to shape brows.
For a flawless fix
Want to cut back on all your skincare? Try L’Oréal Age Perfect Anti-Ageing Radiant Foundation in Golden Ivory, R249,95 for 25ml. This foundation has anti-ageing benefits thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid and collagen, plus gold micro particles that give skin a gorgeous glow. It’s a fab choice for a summer foundation. It has a light, dewy, texture that glides over the skin, without the feel of a foundation.
Do-it-all-oil
“My top must-have to take on holiday or in-flight is coconut oil,” says Ariane Poole, make-up artist. “It’s great for everything – as a moisturiser, make-up remover, and hair conditioner. When I’m on the beach, I mix it with a bit of sand and use it to exfoliate my feet.
I also mix it with sugar as a face and body scrub. It’s great on cuticles and lips, too. And it doesn’t irritate sensitive skin. I even use it on my daughter’s eczema.” Try Native Child Raw Coconut Oil Natural Hair & Skin Oil, R56,95 for 400ml
Colour balm for the beach
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm in Chunky Cherry, R320, is long-wearing, has a comforting texture, and is so easy to use thanks to the thicker pencil. Plus, there’s just enough colour to give lips subtle definition for beach days.
SPF for lips
Sunscreen Lip Balm By Simply Bee, R29,95, protects and soothes the lips at the same time. It’s all natural and infused with coconut and honey to provide extra moisture.
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By beauty expert Jo Glanville-Blackburn
