My 5 Beauty Must-Do’s Before Jetting Off For Some Winter Sun

It’s officially the worst time of the year. Christmas is over, it’s cold and after Christmas everyone is skint. January also happens to be my birthday month (yay!) which means no one is ever up for doing much. This year, my birthday falls on ‘Blue Monday’ –  the last Monday before payday and penned as the ‘most depressing day of the year’. Fab.

So, to cheer myself up, I’ve been desperately searching for cheap deals on some Winter Sun. I hate the cold, so how better than to just escape it to somewhere warm? I’ve had my eye on some last minute European deals, though in an ideal world I’d jet off to the Caribbean for a few weeks… I guess I can dream!

 I always have a list of things I try and do before jetting off somewhere warm, as I let most of these things slide in the winter. So, here are my 5 beauty must-dos before jetting off for some winter sun!

Toenail Painting

Okay so I’ll be honest, I’m pretty awful at this. I live in trainers most of the year including the summer so I don’t tend to get my toes out much. This means, painting my toenails isn’t exactly a priority of mine. However, when I’m in a hot country I’ll spend a lot of my time barefoot/in sandals or open toe heels, so having painted toenails is a must! I hate people touching my feet so you’ll never find me going for an actual pedicure though… I always go for a gold toned polish as I find it goes with most things. I’m loving the rose gold tone of this Essie polish.

Hair Removal

Obviously, personal preference. But for me, I definitely need to be hairless for a holiday. In the winter I never get my legs out so I really don’t bother with shaving them unless I’m going out, and then I end up with cuts all over them. Clumsy me! I can’t deal with the thought of waxing, but recently have been looking into epilators. There’s nothing sadder than tanning all week, then shaving your legs and taking off your tan. Epilating lasts longer, so is perfect for before a holiday. The Wet and Dry Epilator from Panasonic is on my wish list, as it also exfoliates and you can do your heels with it. Perfect for someone like me who hates pedicures!

Hair Conditioning Treatment

The sun destroys hair, so it’s super important for me to go away with my hair in the best condition I can. I like to do a conditioning treatment on it before to ensure it’s as healthy as it can be before I subject it to sun damage, salt water and chlorine.  I love this oil masque, which I use once a week and try to leave in for at least 5-10 minutes. If I have hold luggage I always make sure to take this with me, to keep my hair shiny throughout the trip and stop the sun from drying it out too much.

MOISTURISE  

Okay, so this one is SUPER important. The sun dries your skin out so much, so you have to make sure that it’s as moisturized as possible before going away. Again, it’s a bit like your hair. But in the winter, I’m pretty slack at moisturizing my body as I don’t tend to get it out much as I’m always in jeans! So, my legs are usually pretty dry. On the other hand, the cold weather means I have to moisturize my face much more and look after my skin, so you have to keep this up when visiting a warmer climate too – and LOTS of SPF! In a British winter the chances are your skin hasn’t seen much sun in a while, so it’ll be super sensitive and not have any type of base tan like it would in the summer. Make sure to cover yourself in a high factor sun cream and ease your skin back into the sun – no one wants sunburn or to damage their skin!

Eyelash Tint

This is something I always try and do before going away, as I hate wearing mascara at the best of times, let alone in a hot country when I’m constantly in and out of the pool/sea. I’m not a girl to lie by the pool with a full face of make up on and do the occasional length with my hair up and keeping my head above the water. You’ll find me in the pool the majority of the time, diving in and splashing around. So, the last thing I want is to have panda eyes! I find getting my eyelashes tinted is great for me, as it’s a natural looking alternative to not wearing mascara. Especially good if you’re on a bit of a party holiday/an abroad festival.

I used to get eyelash extensions but I personally just really don’t get on with them. I find I rub my eyes too much, find them itchy and uncomfortable and end up picking them all out till I have no natural eyelashes left. Tinting is much kinder to my lashes than extensions, and an easy alternative to wearing mascara!

What is your routine to get ready for a holiday in the sun? Let me know in the comments below!

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