Be more carefree during your summer travels with some beauty prep. Photo / File
Be more carefree during your summer travels with some beauty prep. Photo / File
As the cold wet winter sets in, many Kiwis are packing their bags and heading to the northern hemisphere to enjoy summer in Europe or America.
If you’re one of the lucky travellers heading somewhere warm, we’ve rounded up the key treatments to book before you depart, so you can arrive beach-ready and avoid wasting precious holiday time in your hotel bathroom.
Get some colour
Few things single one out as a tourist like alabaster skin that glows like a beacon among the tanned locals. If you’re keen to add a little colour to your skin before getting those sunny days under your belt, consider a quick and easy spray tan and a proper salon or, for something more gradual, pick up a slow tanning lotion such as Dove’s Summer Glow Gradual Self Tan Body Lotion.
Even a little colour on your face can work wonders, with products such as Bondi Sands Self Tan Drops or Mecca’s Sunless Goddess Self-Tanning Drops.
If you prefer to wax instead of shave, hair cycles tend to be 14 days long, so book these appointments as close to departure day as possible.
The same goes for getting eyebrows shaped and tinted (essential for anyone who usually does brow makeup, which you’ll want to ditch during hot beach days); just ensure you don’t swim or use a sauna for 24 hours after tinting so the colour can set.
An eyebrow wax and tint can keep you sorted all summer holiday. Photo / Unsplash
Hair removal isn’t just for the ladies either; days before departure is the best time for men to pop into a salon or barber to tidy up their brows, beard or nose hair.
Personally, tweezers are a packing essential for me, as it’s beyond irritating to have an ungrown, scratchy or rogue hair I can’t whip out.
Hopping in and out of the ocean, or even getting sweaty in the heat, can make mascara a pain to deal with. Ditch the mascara and eyelash curlers for the summer trip and consider a lash lift and tint before heading abroad, so you have full lashes every day without needing to fuss with makeup.
This is easily booked at a beauty salon or you can tint your lashes at home using a special eyelash and brow dye kit.
Nail your nails
If you love having painted nails but don’t get gel or shellac, now is the time. These treatments cost a little more than normal polish but are far more likely to last your entire trip without chipping or fading. Remember, a summer destination means lots of time in jandals or barefoot on the beach, so consider a mani-pedi while you’re there.
Those who prefer a natural nail, including men, can pop into a salon for a quick cuticle cut, buff and shape, or DIY it at home with a nail buff and a cuticle cutter.
Shellac or gel manicures are much longer lasting. Photo / File
Prepare your hair
Days of sun, salt and hard water can cause a fair amount of damage to one’s hair. Plus, washing, blow-drying and straightening my mane in the bathroom each night before going out isn’t exactly how I want to spend my precious holiday time.
One easy solution is a keratin treatment, which uses ingredients that make hair smooth, silky, straight and far easier to manage. Keratin treatments take between one and three hours and last about three months but salt water will shorten this. If you do invest, also purchase shampoo and conditioner that don’t contain sulphates or sodium chloride, which counteract the treatment.
Meanwhile, a hydrating shampoo and conditioner can do wonders for your hair, as well as a leave-in hair mask such as the K18 Molecular Repair Hair Mask.
Be sun smart
If you follow the expert advice of skincare specialists, you’ll already be applying sunscreen daily during the New Zealand winter. However, it’s extra important when you’re spending days in the sun.
You want something that is SPF30-50 (anything higher is only marginally better) and protects against UVA and UVB rays.
For the face, you might prefer a light, oil-free option such as the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen or Cetaphil Daily Oil-Free Facial Moisturizer with SPF35. Meanwhile, for the body, nothing gets me in a summery mood like the smell of Le Tan’s SPF50+ Coconut Sunscreen.
Sunscreen is always a summer essential. Photo / 123rf
Smell like summer
Nothing gets you in the mood for a tropical getaway more than the smell of guava nectar, orchid and coconut water. But nobody wants to take heavy and fragile perfume bottles in their bags when travelling overseas.
TikTok famous So de Janerio has a lighter option with its Cheirosa 48 perfume mist in a plastic bottle that is light and easy to transport and comes in a travel-friendly 90ml size, meaning it’s also carry-on friendly.
Another deliciously fruity option is Soap & Glory’s Smoothie Star mist, with an almond, hazelnut and vanilla scent – but coming in a 110ml container means this one’s for checked baggage only.
Hydrate your face (and lips)
While we all know how important hydration is internally, it’s equally as important externally with your face and lips the first to take the hit under the summer sun.
Make sure to prep and pack with a good moisturiser such as Emma Lewisham’s Brighten Your Day Creme which hydrates and brightens while leaving a subtle glow. The Kiwi brand also has a handy travel essentials pack with a selection of its most popular products for you to dabble in and then refill your faves each time you go away.
When it comes to lips, Gisou’s Honey Infused Lip Oil in coconut frost is sure to get you in the mood for fresh coconuts by the pool. Its scent is delightfully delicate while enriching your lips with a blend of nourishing Mirsalehi honey and bee garden oils. Chuck this one in your carry-on and apply mid-flight to avoid those dreaded chapped lips from the plane’s low humidity.
