Sun holidays require an entirely different bag of make-up, writes Phyl Clarke
Passport? Check. Tickets? Check. Knitting that only comes out when I'm going on holidays? Check. Yoga DVD for those early morning workouts? Ha ha, I'll pop it in anyway, it doesn't take up much space. I seem to have remembered everything except the fact that I will be in a swimsuit tomorrow, and despite my best-laid plans, I will not be the lithe, toned, satin-skinned creature that I was hoping to transform myself into before my holiday in Marbella. So it's a last-minute, all-guns-blazing campaign to make myself presentable and not disappoint my public too much.
If, like me, you haven't managed to get along to the waxing salon, invest €3.79 on the new Johnson's Shower and Shave, which is a moisturising shower gel and shaving cream in one.
Body brushing will seriously get the circulation going and slough off the last vestiges of winter. These little gems come in a variety of shapes and sizes, available at pharmacies and the Body Shop. These brushes are abrasive, so don't get carried away and try to condense months of neglect into the first session, or you'll end up like a raw prawn. Start at your feet, using a circular motion and work all the way up to your heart, then repeat with your arms. You can use the brush on wet or dry skin and then follow up with moisturiser.
Elizabeth Arden has expanded its famous Eight Hour range into a thick, textured body cream that quenches parched skin. It costs €28 and has a beautiful fragrance, too. Or you could kill two birds with one stone and have a bath with a personal favourite of mine - L'Occitane's Verbena Body Salt Scrub, €34.95, which is Mediterranean salt in a verbena-infused oil, resulting in silky soft skin with a reviving scent. Rub it on before you get into the tub.
Ahh, now I feel ready for a little colour. The choice of tanning products is huge, yet more people get it wrong than right. Thank you Christian Dior, for it was he who had the genius idea of tinting self-tans so we could see where we were putting it. That was 10 years ago, and now Dior has a new range of tanning products for face and body priced from €29.50.
Chemist Franz Greiter was inspired to call his suncare range after the mountain where he suffered severe sunburn back in the 1930s - and so the Piz Buin range was born. It has a new product called Tan Intensifier, which I will be trying out. It's SPF 15, but it also has a tan-accelerating ingredient and costs €24.
The St Tropez range has an olive base, which will never make you go tango, but worse, will make your skin look dirty brown if you overdo it. Dilute with a little moisturiser and you will be rewarded with a subtle, natural glow. Remember, you can always add more tomorrow and build up gradually. Other brands to note are Clarins, which has an extensive range, and Lancome Flash Bronzer, a transfer-resistant tinted gel that won't stain your clothes, available in natural or shimmering for €27.
I won't be taking much in the way of make-up. The new Dermalogica Sun Defence range will give me skincare and sun protection in one. Instead of foundation I'll go for a three-in-one Extra SPF 25 Tinted Moisturising Balm from Bobbi Brown. It's ultra rich and ultra luxurious and comes in four shades (€50). My Nars Multiple stick, €40.50, will take care of eyes, cheeks and lips, finishing off with Chanel Inimitable Mascara, €25, in brown instead of my usual city black. Now, did I remember to pack the phone charger, vitamins, camera, books, hat, Earl Grey teabags . . .