BEAUTY BAY Staff Share Their Holiday Beauty Essentials

Summer-holiday season is fast approaching, and here at BEAUTY BAY HQ, the only thing on our mind is what beauty must-haves we’re taking away with us. Whether it’s skincare, makeup, bodycare or haircare, best believe we’re making space in our hand or hold luggage for these essentials.

From travel-friendly facial SPFs and dewy, tinted moisturisers, to protective lip balms and tanning accelerators, the BEAUTY BAY staff know a good holiday-beauty find when it comes their way, and they’re always willing to share their top picks.

Wanna know what beauty products our staff can’t live without on holiday? Scroll to find out.

My go to when tanning in Summer is The Fox Tan’s Jet Setter Bundle. Not only does it give me the best result, it smells unreal and leaves a shimmering glow. I also won’t go a day without the Dermalogica Oil Free Matte SPF30. It’s perfect for my combination skin and doesn’t dry my skin out. It leaves a smooth, even finish on my face, perfect to wear under makeup or without. Lastly, my all-time favourite MAC Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in shade Velvet Teddy, is my go to nude lip for Summer. I always have this to hand, it’s the finishing touch to my makeup, day or night.

When I’m on holiday there’s usually only three things I care about when it comes to beauty, not including SPF of course. One is hydration, my skin gets super dry in the sun and after applying sun creams all day and dipping in and out of the sea or pool, my skin is desperate for some moisture. I am obsessed with the MAC Cosmetics Hyper Real Serumizer Skin Balancing Hydration Serum as it keeps my skin feeling super hydrated and silky, and actually sinks in for long-lasting hydration. The second thing I care about is keeping cool at all times. I don’t deal well with the heat so the Contour Cube Mini is an absolute must-have, and I would definitely recommend you pick one up if you haven’t already. You literally just fill it with water and let it freeze, then you have an on-the-go ice block ready to cool down your skin, and de puff it at the same time. Please be careful when using this in the sun though, and always apply extra SPF once used. The last thing I swear by on holiday is The Fox Tan’s Rapid Tanning Elixir, as a very fair skinned girl, I didn’t expect much when I first used it but it definitely did give me a little natural colour!

Let me put you onto that effortless, glowy it-girl look – summer edition. First things first, sunscreen. If you’re not getting your SPF on, what are you doing? Ultra Violette’s Supreme Screen Spf50+ Hydrating Skinscreen™ has me covered all summer, without the grey cast, which is an essential feature for my darker complexion. This bad boy gives me a glow for the gods, by melting into my skin, hydrating it and leaving it looking luminous. As a certified blush babe, it would practically be a crime to go through the summer without my By BEAUTY BAY Liquid Cream Blush in the shade ‘Reef’ for that perfect peach glow. All you need is a dot or two on your cheeks or lips (that’s right, it’s multi-functional) because this baby is pigmented. Pat or blend the product onto your skin with a brush or your fingers and viola, a healthy flush in seconds. I rock with my Brushworks Eyelash Curler HEAVY. Especially in the summer when you want long, fun and flirty eyelashes, without it turning into a melting, mascara mess. So, dramatise your lashes naturally this summer with this curler.

On holiday I’m all about the glow – and as I’m usually slathered head-to-toe in the highest factor SPF, I need a little help faking it. The Sol De Janeiro Glowmotions Body Oil is my ultimate cheat product, I like to use it before heading out in the evening to give that ‘just stepped off the sun lounger’ illusion. I also like to keep my makeup minimal if I’m somewhere super hot, so the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum is the perfect solution for wearing either alone or under makeup (saving on space in my suitcase too)! My last holiday essential is the Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray. As someone who is both sensitive to heat and has sensitive skin, this spray is a lifesaver. It’s scientifically proven to reduce your skin temperature by -2 degrees and reduces skin sensitivity. I keep one on my desk for when we get our small window of warm UK weather too!

On holiday I’m all about the glow – and as I’m usually slathered head-to-toe in the highest factor SPF, I need a little help faking it. The Sol De Janeiro Glowmotions Body Oil is my ultimate cheat product, I like to use it before heading out in the evening to give that ‘just stepped off the sun lounger’ illusion. I also like to keep my makeup minimal if I’m somewhere super hot, so the Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum is the perfect solution for wearing either alone or under makeup (saving on space in my suitcase too)! My last holiday essential is the Avene Thermal Spring Water Spray. As someone who is both sensitive to heat and has sensitive skin, this spray is a lifesaver. It’s scientifically proven to reduce your skin temperature by -2 degrees and reduces skin sensitivity. I keep one on my desk for when we get our small window of warm UK weather too!

In the hot weather I’m all about hydration and minimal make up. The Laneige Lip Treatment Balm is the ultimate lip balm, I am never without a lip balm or gloss in my bag, there’s nothing worse than dry lips! This is the ultimate travel friendly option with the little spatula. I’m also obsessed with having gorgeous glowing skin, on holiday I need a nice breathable thin layer instead of sweating off my foundation. The Danessa Myricks Yummy to Go Kit is perfect for this. The glow serum provides a lovely subtle coverage and still allows my freckles to come through and then the blurring balm helps to reduce the amount of oiliness while still allowing me to shine! Finally, the perfect summer perfume is an essential, I want my scent to match the vibe. The Bain De Midi perfume from Maison Marine is the most gorgeous bright and floral scent.

SPF is my top skincare priority all year round, but never more so than when I travel somewhere hot. I’m off to Palma in a few weeks and have already packed my sunscreens. For my face, I’m taking Coco & Eve’s new Daily Water Gel SPF50. Facial sunscreens have really improved in the past couple of years, and now there are tonnes of formulas like this available – light, dewy, and hydrating. Perfect for people like me who are breakout-prone. Of course, reapplication of SPF is so important, but no one likes the feeling of thick, sticky sunscream all over their hands… I’ll be taking ISDIN’s Fotoprotector Transparent SPF 50 Spray since it’s perfect for topping up, no rubbing in required. What’s more, the mist feels really cooling and soothing so you can actually enjoy applying it, and it’s great for hard-to-reach areas like the back of your neck or your scalp. I’ve also purchased Sol de Janeiro’s Bom Dia Body Wash for my trip too – it’s available in a 90ml size so perfect for popping in my hand luggage. It’s fragranced with Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa ’92 blend which is one of my favourite scents ever – it’s warm and sweet, perfect for summer.

I won’t go a day without SPF and the Supergoop! Glowscreen is a favourite. It leaves the most beautiful finish on the skin, it has a soft shimmer that makes the skin look even, fresh and hydrated but not glittery. It’s definitely a must-try! The Danessa Myricks Dew Wet Balms are an absolute unsung hero, a tiny touch of this on the cheekbones makes skin look glazed – an elevated version of healthy skin highlight. The Dew Wet Balm comes in 6 shades, Sweet Water being a bright peach shimmer shade with a sheer finish, super flattering on all skintones and the perfect shade for summer. I love a self tanning mist for the face, and a hydrating tan for the body, so the SOSU Cosmetics Liquid Luxe Tan & Facial Mist Duo is perfect for the summer season. Self tanning mists are the easiest way to add a little colour to the face and neck without applying anything too heavy. While the Liquid Luxe for the body is hydrating, nourishing and dries down to a natural finish.

I have the fairest of skins, so when I go on holiday my first priority is to always protect my skin (as we know there is nothing more uncomfortable than getting a sunburn on your first day at the beach), so I always make sure I wear the highest SPF sunscreen. It’s not only my skin that’s very prone to sunburn but so are my lips – I was really struggling before I found about lip balms with SPF in them! Now when I go on holiday a lip SPF is the first thing I always invest in – the Hello Sunday The One For Your Lips Lip Balm has factor 50 protection and it feels really nice on the lips. As I will be lathering on the sunscreen to prevent sunburn I rarely even try to tan when I go away, so fake tan before the holiday is also a must for me. I always opt for one that I know will stay on for ages and fades a way nicely – I’ve found the Loving Tan 2 Hr Express Deluxe Bronzing Mousse to be the best one so far. The colour is gorgeous and with right maintenance it will stay on for full 7 days! Speaking of maintenance, to keep my tan nice and to help my dry skin, I always go for a super hydrating body moisturiser. The Kopari Beauty Guava Ultra Restore Body Butter is amazing at nourishing my skin and to top it all off it smells absolutely incredible!

I’m a girl who’s big on blush and there’s nothing I love more than a summery ‘sun-kissed’ look. I simply take my By BEAUTY BAY Liquid Cream Blush (my fave shades are Spring and Peaches), dot it on each cheek, then blend across my nose and cheeks… I even swipe it across my lids for a quick flush of colour! If I’m feeling extra fancy, I pop some of the Half Magic Glitterpuck Multi-Use Pressed Fairy Dust on my eyes, end of my nose and cupids bow for a sheer glisten. I’m also a big K-Beauty fan and Korean beauty brands sure know how to make a damn good SPF. Recently I’m using the Dr Jart+ BB Beauty Balm SPF50 as it not only protects my skin, but also adds some coverage so I don’t need foundation on top! 

During the summer months there’s nothing I love more than a natural and healthy glow that doesn’t feel heavy or make me look sweaty! To get this I start with my all-time favourite summer moisturizer the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream, it is so light and silky and sinks straight into my skin. It is super-fast drying so doesn’t feel sticky or tacky in the summer heat but still leaves my face feeling super moisturised. On top of this I look for a light product that blurs any imperfections but without being thick or cakey – for this I use the Ultra Violette Daydream Screen SPF50 Tinted Veil which gives me just the right amount of coverage. Even better it has the essential added benefit of SPF50, making it particularly PERFECT for those sunny days out! To finish off the look I want that radiant summer glow, which I achieve with my last summer fave, the ICONIC London illuminator. This is a summer MUST-HAVE when looking to create that gorgeously luminous sunshine look!