Beauty: Travel tricks

Living Nature Radiance Night Oil, $90. Photo / Babiche Martens

Beautiful holidays come from feeling - and looking - carefree and confident. Forget packing piles of products and keep your beauty routines simple. Stick with sunblock, moisturisers for face and body and minimal makeup.

Add in a few easy-to-pack moisturising cloth or paper masks to combat drying in-flight air and, if you're going somewhere sunny and salty, vials of hair treatment or Moroccan Oil.

To make sure you're ready to hit the beach on arrival, paint your toenails before you head away (glitter is having a moment, try Orly or Zoya's polishes) and spend several days building skin smoothness and a gradual tan. (Olay or Dove won't eat into holiday spending money).

Pop a couple of Colgate's Wisp disposable toothbrushes with a bead of paste included into your hand luggage and you'll be good to go.

1. Becca Mineral Primer SPF30 $79
Clever oil-free product equally at home on the ski slopes or the beach. Provides good sun protection while smoothing the skin for a bronzer. I prefer this approach to using a tinted moisturiser as you can apply colour where you need it. For those who want slightly more coverage, make sure your tinted moisturiser is a good skin match and that it minimises flaws. I'm often left feeling dark, but not disguised. If that's a problem with a tint, then try mixing a little of your regular foundation with your normal moisturiser for a lighter holiday look. (From Glamorpuss, Newmarket and the Department Store, Takapuna.)

2. Clarins Delectable Self Tanning Mousse $55
The light-as-air texture and even colour application makes this mousse, infused with moisturising Mirabelle Oil, one of the nicest self-tanners you'll come across.

3. Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid $78
A golden gleam is guaranteed from this runny little pottle of product. Apply liberally for a sun-kissed sheen.

4. Revlon Perle Eye Shadow in Violet Starlet $23
Suede-smooth texture and rich colour in these new easy blend shadows with a gently sparkling look from Revlon. There's five Perle colours and another five in the Satin smooth finish range.

5. L'Oreal Quad Pro for Hazel Eyes $27.99
Don't let the description rule you out, these gentle golden brown shades would suit most eye colours. Travelling with a palette cuts down carrying clutter.

6. Hourglass Superficial Waterproof Bronzer $84
Active types or those enduring high humidity will appreciate this waterproof bronzer which even withstands swimming. In a smart swivel compact from an innovative US company run by a young woman beauty entrepreneur. (From Mecca Cosmetica, Ponsonby Rd, meccacosmetica.co.nz)

7. Clinique Long Last Glosswear SPF15 in First Blush $38
Barely there pink tone that, while it's light on the eye, will linger on the lips. Wet and forget!

8. Shiseido The Makeup Accentuating Colour Stick S2 Peach Flush $46
This radiance enhancing stick glides smoothly on for a healthy glow. Use it like powder bronzer on places the sun strikes.

9. Dr Hauschka Makeup Palette in 01 Cool Breeze $79
For those who suit cooler colours, this is a perfect multi-purpose palette for eyes and lips. It includes a little sea-green kohl pencil. Warm Breeze is the limited edition offering for warmer skin tones, with a golden brown pencil. The Summer Impressions makeup range is impressive.

10. Bobbi Brown Lip Crayon in Posey $48
A moisturising lip crayon like this is a rare find and a good way to get easy and long-lasting colour. Enliven with a topping of gloss. You can dab a little crayon on your cheeks and blend well to save space rather than taking a separate blush, or use a creamy lipstick to the same end.

11. Lipstick Queen Pop Art Gloss in 15 Minutes of Fame $36
Carmine red adds a high-wattage touch to the ease of gloss.

12. Neutrogena Tone Correcting Daily Moisturizer with SPF30 $36.99
Not only does this moisturise and offer broad spectrum sun protection, its retinol base works to even skin tone over time, so you're blocking future pigmentation from forming while assisting the skin's own internal recovery.

13. Living Nature Radiance Night Oil $90
A plant-based oil offering intense moisturising and antioxidant properties. Use instead of a heavier night cream. Other light, effective skincare options are Elizabeth Arden's Ceramide and Intervene capsules, offering individual daily doses of serum.

14. Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Fuchsia $27.99
Ramp up the colour with a swipe of Revlon's new moisturising lipstick. There's a stack of shades to choose from, but it's always fun to have one bright lipstick on holiday.

15. Chanel Aqualumiere Gloss in Canari $51
This high-shine gloss is less saturated colour-wise than it looks, offering a sheer, pretty peach tint.

16. Kiehl's Creme de Corps Lightweight Body Lotion $59
This moisturising lotion nourishes skin and leaves it looking silky. Ideal for when you're uncovered. (From Smith & Caughey's, Queen St.)

17. Burt's Bees Milk & Honey Body Lotion $36
Nurturing lotion that smells and feels naturally good.

18. Fudge Dry Shampoo $22
Why muck about washing and drying hair if it just needs a quick zhuzh? Spray and comb through the roots to mop up any oil and give a styling lift to limp locks. (Stockists ph 0800 456 426.)

19. Napoleon Perdis Natural Kohl Eyeliner in Raw Denim $27.50
Vivid eyeliner is a quick makeup trick that delivers maximum impact for minimum effort. These new soft pencils come in 10 colours, and for maximum impact Perdis recommends using white pencil on the inner rim of the eye to reduce redness and really make your chosen colour sing.

20. Nivea Sun Light Daily Face Veil SPF30 $10.29
One of the handiest-sized sunblocks you'll find. Keep this in your purse for day trips and touch-ups.