I’m delighted to welcome, our guest blogger, makeup artist, Nicola Downey. She has put together her recommendations for your essential holiday makeup. Nicola specialises in a natural look when it comes to makeup, so you are in safe hands!
Over to you, Nicola…
My Top 6 Holiday Make-up Basics
We’ve all been there. The excitement of the long-awaited holiday being overshadowed by the dread of packing the suitcase. So much to take and so little space! Well let me help you free up valuable room for all those wonderful clothes and accessories Styled by Susie has no doubt tempted you with, by just taking the make-up basics.
1. Tinted Moisturiser / BB & CC Creams
The summer is finally here so you can pack away those foundations! It’s the perfect time of year to embrace your naturally beautiful skin with the lighter coverage of a tinted moisturiser, which is also less likely to slide off your face in hot weather. Choose one with an added SPF and you won’t need to add a layer of sun protection first. Bonus.
TOP PICKS
- Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF 20 £41 – Fenwicks / John Lewis / Feel Unique (highly recommended for mature skin)
- Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20 £34 – Fenwicks / John Lewis / Feel Unique
- Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF 30 £30 – Space NK / Fenwicks / John Lewis
- La Roche-Posey Rosaliac Anti-Redness CC Cream SPF 30 £20 – Boots (great for skin prone to acne and rosacea break outs)
- Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream SPF 30 £7.99 – Amazon / Feel Unique
- e.l.f BB Cream SPF 20 £7.50 – Superdrug (vegan)
2. Concealer
If you feel you need extra coverage, particularly under the eyes, take a lightweight concealer with you. Waterproof concealers are really useful for holidays.
TOP PICKS
- IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Waterproof Concealer £23.50 – Boots
- Smashbox Studio Skin 24hr Waterproof Concealer £20 – Boots
- e.l.f HD Lifting Concealer £4.50 – Superdrug (vegan)
- Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £4.50 – Boots
3. Eyebrows / Eyeshadow / Eyeliner
A compact eyeshadow palette with a good range of both matte and shimmery colours, is perfect for multi-use make-up application. One palette can give you everything you need for eyebrows, eyeshadow and eyeliner, reducing the amount of products you need to take with you.
Choose a palette that contains a matte shade closest to your natural eyebrow colour, a matte cream which is very useful for adding definition to your brow bone for evenings out, some darker shades for eyeliner and some shimmery shades to add a bit of glam to your evening make-up. Some eyeshadows even work well as a liquid liner if you dip your brush in water first!
TOP PICKS
- Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette £49 – Fenwicks / Charlotte Tilbury
- MAC Eyeshadow x 9 Palettes £26 – Fenwicks / MAC Cosmetics
- Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Palette £26 – Feel Unique
- NYX Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette £16 – Boots
- Maybelline The Nudes £11.99 – Boots / Superdrug
- MUA Eyeshadow Palettes £4 – Superdrug
4. Mascara
Waterproof is essential (just make sure you pack suitable eye make-up remover). Apply it first thing, go for a swim, melt in the sun…and feel confident it won’t move.
TOP PICKS
- Urban Decay Cannonball Waterproof Mascara £16.50 – John Lewis / Feel Unique
- No. 7 Lash Impact Waterproof Mascara £13.50 – Boots
- Bourjois Volume Reveal Waterproof Mascara £10.99 – Superdrug
- Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara £5.99 – Boots / Superdrug
5. Blusher / Highlighter / Bronzer
There are some great multi-use cheek and lip products out there. You can even use them on your eyes, which is great for packing light. Choose a shade that will maintain that summery glow and is easy to apply.
TOP PICKS
- Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick £31.95 – John Lewis (blusher, highlighter, bronzer and eyeshadow/liner)
- Nars The Multiple £29 – John Lewis / Fenwicks / Space NK (blusher, highlighter, lips and eyeshadow)
- NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick £7.50 – Boots (blusher, highlighter, bronzer)
6. Lipstick
Lips can become dry in the heat, so keep them moisturised as much as possible. A simple lip balm works a treat, especially if you choose one with a hint of colour. For evenings out, you might prefer a bit more of a statement lip and it’s a very quick and easy way to turn a daytime look into evening.
TOP PICKS
- Dior Addict Gradient Lipstick £26.50 – Fenwicks / Dior
- Bobbi Brown Art Stick £22 – Fenwick / Bobbi Brown
- MAC Little Lipstick in Ruby Woo (all-time classic shade which suits most) £10 – Fenwicks / MAC Cosmetics
- Bourjois Rouge Velvet Lipstick £8.99 – Boots
- The Body Shop Matte Liquid Lipstick £7 – The Body Shop
- Dr Paw Paw Tinted Ultimate Red Balm £6.95 – Feel Unique
Extras
There are a few extra items you could take with you which aren’t essential but might prove useful.
- Translucent pressed powder to take away excess shine – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish £33 – Fenwicks or Collection Primed & Ready Illuminating Setting Powder £2.99 – Boots
- Clear mascara to groom and set eyebrows in place – Collection £1.99 Boots
- Setting spray to keep your make-up in place all day – Urban Decay All Nighter £8 John Lewis or e.l.f. Matte Magic Mist & Setting Spray £5 – Superdrug
Top Tips
- Keep your make-up application light for the daytime and simply add more on top for the evening.
- Choose a slightly darker shade of tinted moisturiser if you tan easily.
- Don’t forget to enhance your eyebrows and apply some mascara – very quick and effective ways to open up your eyes!
- Useful brushes to take with you include a small angled brush for eyebrows and eyeliner, an eyeshadow brush, small blusher brush and lip brush.
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