We pretty much spend the whole year counting down the days until our summer holiday, where we can finally escape to warm, sunny climes and spend our time relaxing, enjoying sun, sea and surf.
Want an amazing holiday look in mere minutes? Don’t we all? We’ve teamed up with Nice’N Easy and presenters Gabby Logan and Andrea McClean on a series of useful videos featuring their top quick-fix beauty hacks for a variety of situations, from getting ready for date night to beauty time-savers in the early morning rush.
In the third video of the series, presenter and mum-of-two Gabby opens up about her top summer holiday beauty hacks, revealing the beauty buys she packs in her suitcase, her tips for taming summer frizz and how she gets her feet sandal-ready.
Looking for other tips and tricks to help save your skin on holiday? Here are some of our favourites…
Go easy on the eye makeup
With summer’s heat and humidity – not to mention spending most of our time in a swimming pool or the sea – heavy eye makeup just won’t work. Eyeshadow will melt and crease unless you enlist the help of a primer, so you’re better off embracing clean skin and finishing off your look with a slick of colourful, waterproof liquid eyeliner. Go bold with one of summer’s aquatic hues and choose a teal or sapphire eyeliner (purple works well, too). A flick of liner is also all you need to take your look from beach to bar.
Skip the moisturiser
You may have spent the cold-weather months slathering on body lotion, but summer skin in hot, humid climates has very different requirements. In fact, not only will rubbing body lotion on make skin look greasy, it could also cause you to sweat more. Skip the gloopy cream entirely, or, if your legs are going to be exposed to some serious sun, pick an ultra-lightweight, quick-absorbing sunscreen mousse. It offers you sun protection and won’t feel heavy on the skin.
Choose a long-lasting manicure
For perfect-looking hands (and feet) on the beach, all day, every day, consider getting a gel manicure before setting off for your hols. Quick and easy, a gel manicure is available in all your favourite summery nail polish shades – unlike acrylics (a mix of powder and liquid), gels turn hard after exposure under a UV lamp. The best part? They last two to three weeks, which covers you throughout your holiday – and beyond.
Touch up your hair colour before you go
One thing you don’t want to worry about on holiday? Those pesky grey roots coming through. If you don’t have time for a visit to the hairdresser for a touch-up before you go, home dye kits like Nice’N’Easy are quick and easy to use. Nice ‘N Easy Root Touch-Up gives you four weeks of root coverage in one simple 10-minute application. With 17 shades to choose from, you’ll have no trouble finding the right colour to blend effortlessly with your hair.
Make your own bronzer
Need a DIY bronzer on the go? Using one of your broken gold or bronze metallic shades that’s been lying around since the Christmas party season, mix your eyeshadow with a facial or body moisturiser and use as a shimmery, summery glow or as an illuminator/highlighter on the cheeks. Perfect on nights out.
Baby powder is a fab double-duty product
A must-have in your summer beauty makeup bag? Baby powder. And no need to bring any under-twos – it works wonders for adults. Baby powder doubles as a dry shampoo and also helps remove wet sand from your skin on the beach.