Bon voyage!
I’m finally getting a grip on summer style (denim cut-offs and plain white t-shirts are my uniform right now), but summer beauty? WELL, that’s a whole different ball game. I’ll forever have Marissa and Summer in my head as my ultimate makeup icons (I HEART SETH 4EVZ), and so there’s something about a bronze eye, tanned skin and a nude lip that no matter what the current trends are, that I think I’ll always love and forever look back on.
Whereas the winter is my favourite season for buying clothes, the summer is my season for beauty. Instead of eyeing up a purchase of yet another pea coat, or a cashmere jumper, or a leopard print pair of boots, it’s a bronze cream eyeshadow, a sheer lip balm and a new tanner on the market, that catches my eye. So today I’m rounding them up – along with my top packing tips for your holiday makeup bag – and giving you the deats on my summer beauty edit. There’s something old, something new, a few tips borrowed and nothing blue, because it’s all about the BRONZE…
FACE
With the weather being currently being a delightful mix of hot and clammy, I’ve found myself wearing base products even less than usual. However the Glossier Skin Tint in Light or Medium (or a mix of the two) provides a glow to my face and is something that I reach a lot for when I’m holiday. Obviously I need to give a nod to the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream (I use Fair in the winter and Light in the summer), which is more something I use for evenings or events when I fancy more coverage. Although I love using cream products, I’ve found that a powder bronzer is what I need right now as it stays in place a little better on my dehydrated skin (NICE!) and works almost as blotter on areas that are a little too shiny. The Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronze Coconut Perfect Tan is my favourite right now and although pricey, it’s absolutely massive. I still enjoy using a creamy product for highlight though as I find that powders can sometimes sit on the skin and look a bit patchy; the Glossier Haloscope in Quartz and the It Cosmetics Hello Light Radiance Creme Luminizer are the two that I’m flitting between. I apply them with my fingers for ultimate melting – in a good way.
For colour on the eyes, it’s back to bronze. My ultimate bronze cream eyeshadow with just the right balance of glimmer and colour will always be the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise in Bette, which is what I wore on my wedding day (tutorial of that here). I have a lot of matte shadows in my collection through, and if I fancy tuning up the sheen I’ll add the Dior Fusion Mono Long-Wear Mirror-Shine Eyeshadow in Meteore over the top and it makes me feel flippin’ fab whenever I use it. For lips I keep it easy. Either I smoosh a matte lipstick into my lips, or use a little liner and a balm to blend it in, or I like to use one of those pinky ‘turns into your own unique shade’ balms. The Dior Addict Lip Glow does exactly that, although can be a little hard in it’s tube, so I find it’s better to use when my lips are feeling hydrated already. Something that has a similar effect, but with a little more lip lovin’ nourishment is the NARS Afterglow Lip Balm in Orgasm, which has the tiniest amount of gold sheen in it, which plumps things up in the lip department.
BODY
I fall into the category of people who just feel better with a tan. The faux type of course, but having a bit of a tint to my limbs just gives me a bit more confidence when it comes to getting my psoriasis-littered limbs out. I still get about 15 ‘Your legs look so painful!‘ comments on Instagram a day, but it’s decidedly less if there’s a bit of tanner evening them out a little. I have very much enjoyed my two recent Tan-Luxe purchases and although the Wonder Oil is FAB, The Gradual pips it to the post by an inch for the fact that it’s a gradual tanner that goes on in a sticky-free serum way and applies streak-free no matter how quickly I slap it on. If I want to add a bit more oomph to it, I add a couple of the Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops in Medium to the formula. Once I’ve got a bit of a base filter on, I add extra oomph in the evenings with the NARS Body Glow Oil, which is basically a seaside holiday in a bottle.
In terms of protection I LOVE the Coola SPF Sprays; one because they smell FAB and two, I’ve never burnt whenever I’ve used them. They’re effective and don’t leave you feeling greasy and picking up every bit of fluff that’s within a one mile radius of you. Instead you feel nice and moisturised, but never oily. On the rare occasion that I do feel a little burnt (usually because I’ve forgot to use SPF in a certain spot because I’m a fool), the May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon works wonders as an after-sun treatment. I always make sure that I have a little pot of this decanted with me whenever I travel.
HOW TO PACK YOUR HOLIDAY MAKEUP BAG
Pack it early. I hate doing my packing early. Having take a hairbrush out of my suitcase and remember to put it back in five times, means that I’m going to end up on holiday without a hairbrush. However, when it comes to makeup bits, it’s a little different. These days, especially if I’m packing carry-on only and I’m trying to streamline, I’ll pack my makeup bag two-to-three days before I leave and have it out on my dressing table to use in the run-up exclusively. If I haven’t used a product before I go then I ditch it and if I’ve missed something I add it in.
Mini! Mini! Mini! You know all those deluxe travel size beauty bits that you swoon and coo over and then never end up using? Yes those! NOW IS THE TIME! These days I actually keep them in a separate pouch and pack them in my small suitcase ready to be deployed whenever I travel. If you too are a bit of a makeup hoarder then why not have a pre-packed makeup bag ready to go; filled with mini’s and dupes of your favourites? It’s one less thing to think about when it’s time to pack.
Less is more. You’ve heard this one before, but it’s a rarity that you go away and use every single that you’ve taken with you, right? I always end up wondering why the hell I packed glitter eyeliner and a red lip. It’s been about three years since I used either. So learn to be your own editor and refine your collection down into what you actually need. Packing a huge palette because you think you’ll have time to experiment? Mate if you’re anything like me, you’ll be getting in a pre-dinner nap instead of mastering the perfect eyeshadow blend.
Multi-tasking miracles. You know those contour sticks that double up as eyeshadow and cream blushers that could easily dab on your lips to add a touch of colour if you need it? Take them. Now is their chance to shine. Not only will it help with the ‘less is more’ thing and be handy if you’re restricted with liquids, it will make the whole process of putting your makeup on even easier and quicker, which means more time at the all you can eat evening buffet.
Photos by Emma Croman
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