Preparing for a summer holiday is always an exciting time, but it can be stressful as well – especially when no amount of sitting on the top of the case will compress it enough! With only a limited amount of space, it can be difficult to pack everything you’d like to, without compromising on your beauty essentials. Below are four beauty ‘must haves’ that every woman should consider when packing for summer fun in the sun:

A suitable mirror:

Often overlooked, a sturdy travel mirror is a sound investment for those venturing on holiday – particularly when staying in a hotel. Every woman wants to look fabulous on holiday, and having a quality mirror to apply makeup with can make all the difference. Hotel mirrors are often mounted flat on walls, making it difficult to apply and check makeup. Occasionally they can reflect a distorted image. An acrylic pedestal mirror is ideal for taking on your travels, as it will be lightweight and durable. Alternatives would be an easel style mirror which will fold completely flat, or a jointed hand/stand mirror which will give the best of both options. This type of mirror has a jointed handle for using as a hand mirror and for packing flat. The handle can then be adjusted to form a base which can be angled to the position appropriate for your use. Look for one that is double-sided -with both true image and a magnifying side.

Makeup bags:

Being select in choosing what makeup to take on holiday is essential. You shouldn’t be taking all your makeup, rather a few versatile items which can be packed in a smaller makeup bag. Dependent on your personal makeup style, chose items that you would tend to wear in the evening, keeping makeup to a bare minimum during the day. Especially if in a very warm climate, as eye makeup will smudge in the heat of the day, and waterbased activities will play havoc with mascara! To keep skin looking its best, it is crucial to use a high SPF on the face to prevent premature ageing – as such foundation should be kept to a minimum during the day as it won’t offer protection from the sun, and will slide off if applied over a sun lotion product. Instead pack a light foundation or tinted moisturiser for evenings. A subtle bronzer is another holiday beauty ‘must have’ to show off tans, and also can be great to hide any hints of sunburn on the face. For poolside glamour and to prevent panda eyes during the day, invest in waterproof mascara, which will stay put even when cooling off in the pool. Instead of lipstick, chose a tinted lip balm which will add a dash of colour to your lips while preventing chapping, and usually providing an SPF too.

Once culling your makeup stash to the essentials, choose a gorgeous makeup bag to keep them safe in! Put the majority of your products into a main makeup bag, but it may also be worthwhile to take a smaller, more compact makeup bag that you can pop into a handbag. This is an excellent buy if going on long flights – keep a small supply of makeup in hand luggage where you can easily access it and sneak to the toilets so that you can keep yourself looking perfect whilst everyone else looks worse for wear! Make sure that you keep volumes under the specified maximum, according to current flight regulations. Small travel-size pots and bottles are available as sets that you can decant into if necessary.

Manicure set:

Nails tend to grow more in the summer months, so they will need more frequent trimming and shaping. Investing in a high quality manicure set is not only practical for summer, but all year round, and should last you a lifetime! Sun and salt from the sea can be especially damaging to nails, so a little more care than usual should be taken when cutting nails on holiday. Ideally a manicure set should contain nail scissors, nail clippers, a cuticle shaper and a nail file as a minimum.

Perfume atomiser:

To save weight and space when packing, purchase a perfume atomiser. You can decant a little of your favourite perfume into it for your travels. Perfume atomisers will spray a fine mist of scent, providing a subtle aura of perfume. Some retailed bottles of perfume spray larger drops of perfume, making isolated but strong areas of scent where sprayed. A handbag atomiser would be ideal for taking on holiday, as it will be small, lightweight, neat and durable, rather than risking a disaster if a delicate perfume bottle breaks during travelling.