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With the warmer months come some very specific beauty challenges, so we asked our beauty editor for some tips. Here are the travel beauty products you need this summer, from achieving the perfect beachy wave to the must-have hydrating lip balm.
Travel beauty products you need this summer
The best face SPF for summer
Looking for an excellent all-rounder? Garnier Ambre Solaire SPF 50 Super UV Invisible Face Serum truly feels undetectable on the skin, whilst La Roche-Posay MelaB3 Anti-Dark Spots Corrective Moisturiser SPF30 Cream is designed to help target sun damage, dark spots and discolouration as it protects. Dry skins should rejoice in Vichy Mineral 89 72H Hyaluronic Acid Daily Fluid SPF50+ Sun Cream, which helps to hydrate the skin, whilst Pai British Summertime Glow SPF30 isn’t just for summer; it’s sensitive skin soothing prowess makes it ideal for year-round protection.
For an SPF that makes an excellent make-up base, then Mecca Cosmetica To Save Face Brightening Sun Serum SPF50+ uses skin-boosting niacinamide to help increase firmness, and imparts a pearly glow to the skin. For a little extra glow Ultra Violette Queen Screen SPF50 Glow Bronzing Super GlowDrops, combines a hint of a skin-brightening tint with high sun protection - ideal for when you’re going make-up less.
For skin needing maximum protection, try Eucerin Actinic Control MD Sun Cream SPF100. It was formulated to prevent actinic keratosis (a pre-cancerous skin disease) as one of the leading causes of the condition is sun-induced UV damage (SPF 100 protects against 99 per cent of UVB rays.) It’s also surprisingly lightweight and very easy to wear, should you want or need this level of SPF protection.
For anyone who favours a mineral SPF (many with sensitive skin find these easier to tolerate), Murad Correct And Protect Broad Spectrum SPF45 is by far one of the best on the market. This 100% mineral sunscreen is unbelievably lightweight, works on all skin types (including oily) and reflects light using carotenoid technology, doubling up as a protective antioxidant. Most mineral SPFs will give a white cast due to how they’re formulated, but this one left very little on my dark skin.
And finally, every beach bag needs a spray SPF. Coola Make-Up Setting Spray SPF 30 is ideal as a top-up SPF spritz that helps keep your make-up in place while protecting your skin. It does have a fairly strong alcohol scent like setting sprays often do, but if you can look past that, it’s a brilliant way to re-apply SPF on the go. Make-up wearers and those with oily skin should pick up Kate Somerville Uncomplikated SPF50 Make Up Setting Spray, which helps to set your make-up and tops up your SPF, too.
The best summer products for your hair
Our hair goes through a lot during the warmer months. Chlorine, seawater and sun exposure can damage our strands, so it’s vital to protect them against the elements. Phillip Kingsley Swimcap protects against chlorinated and salt water, helping to reduce breakage, dryness and protect your colour. Simply comb it through your hair and leave it on as a guard for when you’re in the sun, then double shampoo to remove it. You’re left with silky hair afterwards as a result of the plant oils in the formula.
Just like SPF on our bodies, our hair needs protection from the sun too, and Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil is a cult product for a reason. It’s a lightweight and water-resistant UV-defence mist that forms a protective screen on the hair for up to 16 hours. It helps to protect your colour from fading and damage, and it’s also a brilliant detangler and smells incredible. Just spritz it onto dry or damp hair before and during sun exposure.
If your scalp is prone to oiliness, try a dry shampoo like Amika Perk Up Ultra Oil Control Dry Shampoo, which uses tapioca starch to absorb oil and sea buckthorn to prevent dryness. Or to restyle and clean your hair without washing, then spritz Bumble & Bumble Pret-a-Powder Active Dry Spray through the roots and style as usual.
And finally, if that beachy wave look never happens quite as naturally as you’d like, try Hair by Sam McKnight Sun Daze Sea Spray for a helping hand. It adds a beachy, matte texture to the hair, but without looking dry or crunchy, because it uses nourishing ingredients, which also help protect against sun damage.
The best summer make-up products
Even as a beauty editor, I’ve made the rookie mistake of forgetting waterproof mascara when travelling to warmer climes. It’s not just a necessity for swimming in the pool or sea – I’ve found that my regular mascara tends to become sticky on my lashes in the heat and ends up all over my face in hotter temperatures. The Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara is one of my travel favourites because it does everything. The wand helps separate and define my lashes; the glossy black waterproof formula never makes my lashes dry or crispy as some waterproof mascaras do, and it adds length and volume too.
One of my ultimate summer travel buys is Ultra Violette’s Sheen Screen Hydrating Lip Balm, SPF50, which comes in six shades that add a moisturising glossy tint to the lips and protect them from the sun. They’re so good they’ve become a year-round must-have for me. For a skincare-based lip boost, try Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola The Tinted Balm to add a creamy hint of moisturising colour to the lips that’s more matte.
An all-in-one palette is a travel essential, and NARS Laguna Ultimate Face Palette contains shadows, highlighters and bronzers that can be used all over the face to create a multitude of looks without sacrificing precious carry-on space. For cream-based make-up fans, the Made By Mitchell Curve Case has a mix of contour and blush shades that can be used on lips, cheeks and lids too.
Another summer essential is an SPF powder. Supergoop! ’s (Re)setting 100% Mineral Powder SPF 30 is ideal for SPF touch-ups when you’ve already applied your make-up, and the formula is skin blurring, mattifying and isn’t cakey at all. If you’re worried about the white cast from the mineral SPF, I can report that the translucent shade works fine on my dark skin (but if you’d like a tinted one, Colorscience has great options in different skin tones.)
The best body SPF for the beach
I’ve dabbled in all manner of protective creams and SPF lotions. But I invariably return to Vichy Capital Soleil Solar Protective Water SPF 50 as my go-to body SPF. It feels utterly invisible on the skin, so it’s perfect for those who hate the feel of sun cream and isn’t greasy at all. The tan-enhancing version is ideal for those looking for some extra glow with added beta carotene that helps enhance your tan's look. Both formulas are enriched with antioxidants and contain Vichy Mineralizing Water formula for optimal hydration.
If you have sensitive skin, check out La Roche Posay’s Anthelios Ultra Light Body Mist, SPF50+, designed precisely with this in mind. This high-factor SPF is light on the skin and easy to apply during sport or even over your make-up, and the added thermal spring water also helps to soothe the skin.
And finally, there’s a reason the Shiseido Clear Suncare Stick SPF50 is a cult beauty hero. It’s invisible, so it works on all skin tones and is sweat and water-resistant, which is excellent news for sports fans. It’s great for tough-to-reach places like ears and partings, and its size means it’s handbag-friendly, so there’s no excuse not to have it with you at all times.
The best bodycare for summer
Applying moisturiser to your body when it’s warm outside isn’t particularly joyful, but L’Occitane’s Lavender CBD Relaxing Bi-Phase Body Milk makes the process stress-free with its ultra light, hydrating formula that also contains calming lavender and CBD. You could even ditch the body moisturiser entirely with Dove Advanced Care Deeply Nourishing Body Wash, which has been formulated to lock in moisture for 24 hours and helps repair the skin’s barrier to improve water loss from the skin. For those looking for extra soft skin, then Ameliorate Exfoliating Mitt works wonders on dry skin, as does Necessaire The Body Exfoliator Eucalyptus, which uses chemical exfoliators like glycolic and lactic acid alongside mechanical ones like bamboo charcoal and pumice to give your skin a total overhaul.
Finally - there are three beauty essentials your travel beauty bag needs. Razors are easy to forget when you’re travelling, but a subscription to Estrid saves the hassle of having to buy blades or disposable razors that aren’t quite so planet-friendly. They also come with a hand travel pouch and an assortment of fun colours. Suffer from acne on your body? Then pick up the Breakout Patch Classic XL, which uses hydrocolloid to absorb oil and speed up healing. Lastly, slather on Self Glow By James Read Endless Summer Everyday Tan Lotion to help repair the skin with soothing shea butter and add a gentle gradual glow to the skin that builds every time you use it.
The ideal scents for this summer
Summer scents tend to fall into three categories. There are the bright uplifting scents like Cartier Pur Lilas with rose, magnolia and fresh wild lilac that combine for a bright, crisp hit. For a big citrus boost, Acqua Di Parma Mandarino Di Sicilia is an exceptional homage to the Sicilian summer with bergamot, lemon and bright red-orange, while Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Parfum is the Italian Riviera bottled with bergamot, blood orange and jasmine sambac alongside invigorating clary sage.
For a sweeter spritz Jo Malone London Red Hibiscus Cologne Intense fuses fruity red hibiscus, soft jasmine sambac and sweet vanilla (and comes in a travel-friendly 50ml size, too). Or choose from Charlotte Tilbury Collection Of Emotions Fragrance Set, which contains six vials of scent to pick from, all designed to boost your chosen mood.
For a lighter way to wear scent, try a hair mist that can be worn anywhere for a gentle coat of scent. Lalique Soleil Vibrant Hair Mist combines Corsican clementine, orange blossom and cedarwood that compliments more humid climes, as Narciso Rodriguez for her Hair Mist leaves a veil of rose amber and sandalwood wherever you spritz it.
Looking to upgrade your home scents? Fill your room or your Airbnb with Bamford Geranium Diffuser that embodies the fresh green scent of the British countryside. And for the ultimate luxury multi-tasker pack a Diptyque Citronnelle candle; it captures the mood of a warm Mediterranean night with its lemongrass notes that are also known to repel bugs.
