Have we ever been more excited for a summer holiday than now, after a year of pandemic restrictions?! We’ve got our fingers crossed that summer holidays in the sun will be able to go ahead. Whether you’re hoping to venture abroad or planning a staycation, a huge amount of the anticipatory fun comes in the beauty prep. But how do you know which beauty things to prioritise before your holiday? And how do you fit them all in when we end up scooting into our holidays even busier than usual?

Holiday beauty prep – your timetable

We’ve created a ‘Beauty Timetable’ of things to do before your holiday, so that you can enjoy the holiday build-up, fit everything in with ease and feel absolutely glorious when it comes to departure. Our pre-holiday beauty tips even include the best beauty products to pack too.

A month before your holiday

Yes, you can honestly start our holiday beauty prep as much as a month before, so that it’s not too frantic as your trip draws closer. We recommend you focus on two areas here: hair and teeth. We also recommend you make a start on your packing list.

1. Hair colour

Book yourself in to have your hair coloured well in advance of your proposed holiday dates. Not only will this save you time in the hectic week before you go away, it’s the best thing to do in terms of ensuring excellent colour and amazing condition. The sun (and sea and pool!) can be quite brutal on coloured hair. It may particularly affect the colour of your hair if you have intense sun exposure in the week immediately following colouring. If you’re fortunate enough to have lustrously fast growing hair, you can always touch up your roots about 1 week before departure.

2. Check your teeth

Looking for a dentist in a new town or city isn’t just daunting it can be expensive and detracts from valuable holiday time. Time your check-up for around a month before your trip so that any looming problems can be spotted and fixed before you go.

3. Make a beauty packing list and shop

We’ll leave it up to you what to include in terms of clothes, jewellery and holiday reads. But now is also a good time to buy the best beauty products for your holiday. If you’re flying or have limited packing space, we recommend decanting liquid beauty products into containers holding less than 100ml.Take with you: face wash/cleanser, toner, make-up removal pads, serum, moisturiser, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, razor, body lotion, deodorant, make-up, tweezers, make-up brushes, hair ties, hairbrush, any hair styling products you use and nail polish remover (in case you need it!).Most importantly, don’t forget high SPF sunscreen, as well as SPF lip balm, face and body scrub, Aloe Vera gel, bronzer (to maximise your holiday glow!) and UV protection hair mist.

A fortnight before your holiday

A fortnight before you go, it’s time to up your routine and switch to holiday mode.

1. Exfoliate

Are you ready to bare your skin? It’s time to buff away the dead skin cells to leave your skin silky smooth. 

2. Hydration

Follow up after a good exfoliation session with moisturiser and serum. We are often guilty of neglecting our hair in our pre-holiday preparations. Make sure your hair is well-nourished with a deep conditioning treatment once a week. Your goal is to hydrate your skin and hair ready for the challenge of sun and water.

3. Start the fake tan

If you aren’t planning to have a professional spray tan before you go, now is the time to start applying fake tan at home. It’ll give you a good base layer so that you don’t look so pasty.

4. Pack your products

Ideally you’ll have your holiday beauty products ready by now. One of our best pre-holiday beauty tips is to pack these before your main packing. It’s always more time consuming than you think it will be. So do it early, before you get too busy.

A week before your holiday

The anticipation is building and you may be getting very busy with work as you get ready to take time off. Therefore, be organised and schedule in any appointments you need. Have beauty appointments at home to maximise your available time. 

1. Have your hair cut

It’s time to have a trim so that your hair is in tip-top condition and won’t be prone to split ends in the sun, pool or sea. You can have your pre-holiday haircut at home to make things easier.

2. Sort your lashes and brows

Similarly, book a home appointment or two to get your lashes and eyebrows in holiday condition. Another of our pre-holiday beauty tips is to opt for eyelash tinting. It’ll make your holiday make-up low maintenance and there’s no risk of panda-eyes from even the best waterproof mascara! If you’ve got fair hair or light eyebrows, consider a brow tint. The sun is likely to make them even lighter.

3. De-fuzz

Book in for at-home waxing to ensure you’ll be hair-free in the way that you want whilst you’re away. Do this at the beginning of the week if you’re having a spray tan, so that your skin has a few rest days.

4. Have a spray tan

A spray tan will ensure you feel holiday ready, and provide a good bit of colour before you get the chance to get it naturally. Plus, it won’t age or damage your skin like the sun will!

The day before your holiday

You’re nearly ready to go, but there’s one last beauty treatment to tick off the list: a mani-pedi. Make sure you have this appointment booked in advance. Again, have it at home and you’ll have a less stressful start to your holiday. 

1. It’s nail time

Now’s the time to really feel the holiday excitement bubble through you with a holiday manicure and pedicure. Your pedicure will ensure you look fabulous in your sandals or simply relaxing barefoot by the pool. And for your hands, it’ll be one of the rare times you get to enjoy a manicure away from the rigours of daily life. Bright colours look fantastic in the sun and against a tan. If you’re going away for over a week or planning a more active holiday, opt for a gel treatment so that your nails last longer.That’s it, you’re holiday ready! All that’s left is to wish you a wonderful time.