When I was younger my parents had the mantra that you could have a lovely holiday in the country that you lived in and you didn't need to go abroad to enjoy a vacation. As much as I love the sunshine of Spain, I have fond memories of the days spent by the British coast. This weekend Lewis and I are off to Whitby, a small seaside town, for four days, three nights. We are staying in an apartment by the sea, with a balcony that overlooks the water. I cannot wait and after months of coursework deadlines this little trip away is much needed.
I have never been able to pack lightly. I still take a suitcase away even if it's just for a weekend and I am known to consistently over pack for everything. (You have to prepared though right!!) I thought I would talk about some of my make up favourites for going away. Make up is something I love and I take a lot of time deciding which product will work best normally coming to the conclusion that I need three of each thing. It is a good idea to make sure the weather is right before choosing products - I will definitely be needing waterproof mascara this weekend - hello rainy days!
The most important part of any summertime holiday for me is the tan (whether it's real or fake is an entirely different thing!) The Hoola Bronzer by Benefit and my Barry M contour kit are my go to for a pretend golden shimmer. It's nice to have a touch of tan and I find the Hoola brings a beautiful golden glow to my skin, leaving it radiant but still natural. I absolutely love Benefit products (the high beam highlighter is beautiful) and the Hoola bronzer is my go to summer staple. The Barry M contour kit is so affordable but is absolutely brilliant at chiselling my invisible cheek bones. The quality of the product is beautiful, with a banana powder to highlight under the eyes.
Clinique are my go to for skincare but they have fantastic make up too. I went along to a make up day at the Debenhams in Nottingham and had my make up done by the Clinique team. As a gift I received this beautiful palette. It has two eyeshadows 'Smoke and Mirrors 09' that are highly pigmented and bring out beautiful silver and navy shades, meaning you can make them subtle or intensify them for a dramatic look. The 'Precious Posy 10' blush is beautiful. I am not really a blusher person and tend not to wear it as most blushes leave too much of a pink cast over my face that isn't too flattering. This blush is far more subtle and leaves a stunning shimmer on the cheeks that isn't too overwhelming. I take this palette everywhere with me as it's so easy to carry around. It's great for little touch ups during the day.
Mascara and brows are one of the most important steps in my make up routine. The MAC pro long wear eyebrow gel in Quiet Brunette is my all time favourite brow product and it looks stunning over the top of my powder from Urban Decay (the Brow Box in brown sugar) leaving my brows structured but still natural. I am taking the Maybelline Falsies Push up Mascara because of the volume it adds to my lashes and the colour pay off to each lash. Both of these products are waterproof and last all day long. I always feel secure wearing these products out. Trustworthy!
My Naked 2 palette is my holy grail and I wouldn't leave home without it. It is a very much loved product, allowing me to create both smoky and shimmery looks. This palette is perfect for holidays, both for night and day looks. The shadows are so pigmented but most of all they last all day. This is my favourite of the Naked palettes and it has been a staple in my collection for a long time.
My final and most surprising staple is the MUA undress your skin highlighters. I own two of these but my favourite is the Iridescent Gold shade. These highlighters are the best I have tried. They are pigmented, blinding and beautiful at such an affordable price (£3 I think.) I bought these after watching a YouTube video by sophdoesnails and was so surprised by the pay off of the product I just had to try! I absolutely love them, wearing them all the time. This particular shade looks stunning with a tan.
Holidays are a time to let your hair down, relax and enjoy life away from the normality of busy life. I am so excited to be by the sea for the weekend and enjoy the quaint streets of Whitby and I am secure in the knowledge that my make up will be simple, flawless and durable.
What are your make up staples for vacation? Let me know. Enjoy your weekend and I will be uploading lots of snaps from my holiday in a number of posts over the weekend. Much love to you all.
Kate x
