Staycation Beauty
With British summer time set to be mostly ‘domestic’, many of us will embark on the great staycation. As we have all been stripped of spontaneity for so long, the yearn to throw a few clothes and a couple beauty must-haves into a bag and head off on an adventure, is mighty.
Whether it’s wild camping, soundtracked by the clinking of morning tea mugs and unzipped tents, road trips to the seaside in search of feeling that crunchy sand under foot and salty spray on our cheeks. Or perhaps it's escaping London to a country house, shaking out old picnic rugs and rambling the English countryside, before dressing up to eat on a still dusky evening under a star flooded sky.
The great escape is all about feeling natural and free and the same should apply when it comes to beauty. So with the promise of such staycations on a blurry but bright horizon it is time to ask ourselves, am I an efficient beauty packer, or do I normally throw every balm, cream and lotion under the sun into a tightly zipped bag that weighs more than my suitcase?
Having a minimal routine is not only beneficial travel wise but lets our skin and bodies breathe, reset and take in the much needed vitamin D that we all crave in summer time. Just reach for products that are versatile, effective, multi-use and work to hydrate, protect and add an all day glow. A simple balance of light gels and dabs of colour are there to keep us looking healthy, while we are running around in the sun.
To lend a helping hand, we have curated a PIBE approved list of staycation makeup, skin and hair essentials for when you escape the city this summer. It's time to streamline and channel your inner beauty minimalist - this summer is all about travelling light.
Miller Harris Rêverie de Bergamote EDP, £115 for 100ml
It makes sense that British fragrance house Miller Harris would have the perfect British summer scent ready in the wings to add into your staycation beauty bag. This new EDP is described as a ‘bright soulful scent for a slow Sunday morning’ which could not be more suiting. The hero note is zesty bergamot, this summer’s scent trend. This is blended with playful citrus notes of tangerine and earthy tones of patchouli, moss and vetiver to create a fragrance that warms on the skin as the scent develops- think of this as sunshine, bottled. You will feel like you are in a perpetual summer when you spritz this and step out for a day adventuring.
Gucci Beauty Fluide De Beauté Fini Naturel Foundation, £46
Escaping on holiday means letting your skin breathe, however sometimes for those special nights you still want to calm your uneven skin tone caught out by the sun. This Gucci foundation is the master of the second skin effect, a lightweight, versatile and buildable base product that you can apply easily in the backseat of a car while driving a coastal road, if really needed. It applies like a serum, with such ease and blends into thirsty skin to give you a veil of natural colour and a barely-there finish. The formula is vegan and the packaging is as pretty as they come, you truly won’t need to pack any other makeup layer with this in hand.
MILLER HARRIS
GUCCI BEAUTY
Givenchy Rose Perfecto Lip Balm, £28.00
One staycation product that must not be forgotten is the perfect lip balm, as parched lips, dried out by the summer breeze, always cry out for something soothing. These Rose Perfecto Lip Balms are practical as well as pretty, and take up little to no room in your night away case. With a 95% natural origin formula, signature rose oil and hyaluronic acid are blended with pink pepper and shea butter to comfort and plump lips, while adding a soft touch of colour. Keeping you looking fresh and put together wherever you are.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Aquagel SPF 30, £34.50
Whizzing around the country on a staycation calls for a skincare hybrid that does it all. This new moisturiser combines the technology from La Roche-Posay’s best-selling Hyalu B5 serum and their award-winning sun protection range, to create a refreshing all-in-one gel. The cooling texture and hyaluronic acid packed formula helps instantly refresh dry skin, while SPF30 offers much needed UVA and UVB protection. The gel is non-greasy and fast absorbing, and glides on like water to leave your skin supple and fresh- this will become a suitcase staple you won’t leave home without.
GIVENCHY
LA ROCHE-POSAY
Percy & Reed All Lathered Up Cleansing Shampoo Bar, £10
When it comes to the art of hair washing, packing heavy shampoo bottles that will most likely leak, is always a fuss worth avoiding. This Percy & Reed Shampoo Bar is a zero-waste and eco-friendly alternative to liquid shampoo. The bar is SLS, paraben and silicone free, yet infused with avocado oil (rich in vitamin E) to really cleanse hair from root to tip, leaving a glossy finish. This pocket sized product will become your new hair care go to when on the move, just add water, massage and then rinse out, easy as that.
John Masters Organics Hair Milk with Rose & Apricot, £29
The combination of ducking in and out of salty waves and basking in the sun really does dry out your hair, so packing a conditioner is essential to keep locks hydrated and healthy when away. This John Masters Hair Milk is a lightweight leave-in treatment and perfect for when you are on the move. The formula is silicone-free and packed with organic rose water and apricot oil to soften and hydrate dried out strands. Run a generous amount through your hair and leave it to add lost moisture back in, with no need to rinse. Then back to the ocean we go.
PERCY & REED
JOHN MASTERS ORGANICS
Sculpted By Aimee Cream Luxe Blush, £16
For those balmy evenings when you want to give your cheeks an extra pinch of healthy colour, these cream blushers, housed in sleek compacts, are a makeup must-have. Offered up in a coral tint or a flushed pink hue, these blushers are versatile and multi use, while adding a guaranteed illuminating effect. Applied with fingers, the buttery formula blends into skin with ease. Pat over the apples of your cheeks and centre of your lips to enhance that glow you have already caught from being outside.
Brushworks HD Reusable Makeup Remover Cloths, £11.99
Needing to cleanse away that build up of SPF and rouge after a long summer day out? These Brushworks Remover Cloths are super soft to the touch and just need water to effectively wipe away excess oil, makeup and even smudge-proof formulas. A definite eco-friendly and chemical-free alternative, these cloths come packaged as a handy three and are perfect to pack, wash and reuse when away. Not to mention, each remover pad can replace a total of 1500 single-use pads, so you can protect both your skin and the environment.
Scientia Peachy Clean Milky Oil Cleanser, £24
Just because we are wearing less makeup on a staycation, doesn't mean that our skin should go uncleansed. This Scientia Milky Oil Cleanser, not only looks summery in the bottle but is kind to skin that is perhaps a little tender from sun exposure. The soft milky texture helps melt away dirt and impurities, while skin-loving ingredients like baobab, peach and jojoba oils nourish and rehydrate skin, giving your bare face a glowy sheen once again.
SCULPTED BY AIMEE, BRUSHWORKS
SCIENTIA
This PIBE Beauty exclusive has been produced by:
Words by Beauty Editor / Sarah Barnes
Beauty Photography / Iakovos Kalaitzakis
Model / Merry Mae @MiLK
Still Life Photography / Studio PIBE