Holiday Prep: Skin and Hair

If you follow me on Twitter, you will know I've been very excited about going on holiday with my boyfriend. The time is finally here! We fly at 7am tomorrow morning, so today has been a day full of pre-holiday prep... I've packed, checked I have my hand luggage essentials, printed my documents and of course I've prepared my whole body ready for a week in the sun. 

As women we like everything to be perfect: our hair, our nails and our skin. With this in mind, I've compiled a few of my favourite products and pre-holiday beauty routines for this post, so we can all look great on the beach. 

I like to use a body scrub on my legs and arms for around a week before I go on holiday, not only will this ensure silky smooth skin, but it makes shaving a lot better. By using a body scrub you are removing dead and dry skin cells, this means when you shave your legs the shave is closer. Anything that gives me a longer lasting smoother shave I will try! I always find shaving my legs such a chore, I'm 5 ft 11 so you can imagine how long my legs are! 
I love this Soap and Glory scrub, it really is the 'Scrub of Your Life' without feeling too harsh and scratchy.

After all that scrubbing and shaving, you will need to moisturise! My all time favourite is the Body Shop butter: it smells amazing and works wonders. There are so many flavours (yes, that is the right description!) to choose from its hard to pick a favourite. I tend to use the nutty ones such as almond, brazil nut or coconut. They still smell great without being over-powering to any perfume you might want to wear. However, I also love the blueberry one too. Some of the flavours are in the Body Shop sale right now, for only £5 ! Perfect time to invest and stock up.

 











The last thing you want when getting bikini-ready is shaving rash or in-grown hairs. Germolene antiseptic cream is the perfect cure. Stops any irritation and gets rid of any redness, what more do you need? My Nannan used to use this on me when I was younger, I was so clumsy I would fall and cut myself all the time. She called it magic cream.

When it comes to looking after the skin on my face, I love Temple Spa. My boyfriend's mum let me use her foaming Temple Spa cleanser just once and I was converted! I have combination skin; it can be dry but also it can get oily. The 'Good to Go' cleanser solves all this! As for moisturiser, I use Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser. It doesn't clog my pores but keeps my skin looking glowy. 

The sun and pool water tends to dry hair out, so before I go away I always use a hair mask. Lately I've been using an Argan Oil mask I bought in Home Bargains. Yes, really. I'm not even sure what brand it is! But you can find it on amazon here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Argan-Oil-Hydrating-Hair-220ml/dp/B00DT41ZB2. It leaves my hair so shiny, soft and bouncy. It's also really lightweight so doesn't leave any unwanted residue. The perfect hair pick-me-up. 

Before using the hair mask, I use a clarifying shampoo. The humidity abroad wreaks havoc with my naturally wavy hair, making it incredibly frizzy! To tame this frizz I use a lot of product. So to make sure my hair is completely clean before I go away I use TRESemme Deep Cleansing Shampoo. It cleanses away product build up which may weigh hair down, so I also use it when I get home too. 

I've also had my eyelashes tinted this week before I go. I have pretty decent eyelashes, but they are very blonde at the ends. The lash tint covers this and gives a subtle hint of mascara. I don't wear much make-up day to day anyway, but when I'm on holiday I usually wear even less. I've never been a big fan of waterproof mascara so a lash tint seemed like the obvious second choice and so far I am impressed. Unfortunately I couldn't really catch a good picture of my eyes  to show the results but I would recommend it. 

As I go away tomorrow, I won't be posting until next Sunday, 6th July. However, when I get home there will be lots of exciting posts to look forward to including a holiday look-book and a couple of book reviews. Orange is the New Black seems to be everyone's guilty pleasure at the minute, but did you know it based on a real-life memoir? Well, I've bought the book to take on holiday with me.. Should be an excellent read! 

Do you have any pre-holiday beauty rituals? What is your favourite moisturiser? Leave a comment and let me know! 

Fifteen Summer Holiday Essentials

Next week my boyfriend and I are going on holiday to Turkey and I'm so excited! We booked it back in September and it's finally here, I can't wait to escape to some sunshine. I've never visited Turkey before so I'm extra excited to explore. I've been preparing for this holiday for months... by buying lots and lots of holiday clothes! For this post I've picked my favourite fifteen essentials everyone needs to pack for a beach holiday...

1. Of course, a bikini is an obvious essential for any beach holiday, but make yours a little more interesting with a pretty print and stand out by the pool. This one is from H&M, I love the studs on it as well as the paisley print.

2. The floppy hat. I'm not usually one to wear hats, I'm all about my hair, but when I go on holiday I always take one. A floppy hat will protect your hair, your parting and your face from sun damage. I got mine in Primark for only £4!

3. A beach bag is a necessity when on holiday: nobody wants their handbag ruined by sand and chlorine! I got this particular bag last year when I went to Spain. It was around 4 euros. I don't want to spend too much money on a bag I'll probably use only once a year. This one is straw but its lined. Also, it's big enough for both mine and my boyfriend's stuff. 

4. Baggage limits can be such a pain so I like to take items away that have a double wear option, hello day-to-night playsuit. This gorgeous chiffon one is from H&M and it can easily worn for a walk along the beach during the day, or out for a nice meal at night. At only £19.99 I couldn't resist!

5. Summer 2014's must-have shoe: the slider. These shoes are a bit like marmite, you either love or loathe them. I am a huge fan! The embellished pair are from H&M and are perfect for adding a bit of sparkle to your beach look. The silver sliders are from River Island and are literally the comfiest shoes I've ever worn. Ever. Even comfier than trainers! You need some.

6. I love all things high-waisted so of course I love crop tops. This tropical print crop is from New Look and is perfect for holiday wear. 

7. Maxi dresses are the ultimate summer item. Even if you aren't going on holiday you need a maxi dress: day to night styling and so easy to wear. I love the pops of colour on this Primark dress, very summery.

8. This black lace kimono from H&M is a very versatile item, it can be worn as a beach cover-up, or a cover-up for evening. The lace will add an extra detail to any outfit. 

9, 10, 11. When on holiday, hairstyles should be relaxed, easy and quick. Invest in some hair scarves, salt spray and hair oil and you should be good to go. Salt spray tames and styles beachy hair into evening-appropriate waves in just a few squirts. Macadamia or Argan oil will not only nourish dry hair but will add shiny an bounce to sun-dried hair. Hair scarves are the easiest way to embrace beach styling, these are great if you have a fringe that needs pulling back! Both head scarves here are ASOS.

12. The co-ord is this season's must have. There are soooooo many around right now it's a little hard to choose just one to buy! I had been searching for literally months for one I really loved, then last night I found this beauty from Pretty Little Thing. I am obsessed! The print is very cute and definitely holiday appropriate. Also, the great thing about a co-ord is it's three outfits in one. You can wear the top and shorts either together or as separates. Bargain!

13. I tend to over pack and I like to carry a lot of stuff with me on holiday that I perhaps don't need. Because of this I have invested in a large cabin bag. It comfortably fits everything I will want on the plane including snacks, my Nook e-reader and some layers (I get cold because of the air con when flying). This bag is from Storm, its a summery color and has thick straps so is comfy to carry around.

14. A few months ago my iPhone tragically died of water damage. I now have a new one and I will be taking no chances when I'm by the pool in Turkey! This handy little pouch and many other variations can be picked up from Amazon for around £3. Trust me, it's so worth it. Rather be safe than sorry!

15. My last holiday essential is a good book. There is nothing better than relaxing by the pool reading. I would definitely recommend a Kindle or the cheaper Nook e-readers for holidays, saves so much space! I had six books on my Nook last year and I read them all in a week. You wouldn't like to carry six books in your hand luggage! This Summer I plan to read 'The Notebook' and 'The Fault in Our Stars'. I love the film version of 'The Notebook', but I have never read the book! Also, since 'The Fault in Our Stars' film comes out this week, I think I need to finally read the book version after much persuasion from my sister. 

Are you going on holiday this Summer? If so, where? Do you have any other essentials? Leave me a comment!