How To: Get Beach Ready
Packing and prepping already takes up so much time before a holiday and that's before you even get yourself ready. I feel like I live in a salon just before I go on holiday (not a complaint I'd happily live there) because getting holiday ready is not as simple as packing a suitcase. So I have put together the few things that I do before I go away on a sun holiday. Most of things I do on a regular basis but I feel you gotta up your Boujee game before a sun holiday.
The Wax War
It isn't pretty and it can be 60 mins of hell but it needs to be done. They say with each wax it gets easier but I really don't think that is the case at all because when the strip is ripped off my shin and pelvic bone I always end up asking myself why am I doing this when I can just veet? It is painful and there is nothing pleasant about a full leg & Hollywood wax but it really is worth it because you get 3-6 weeks of not having to even think about unwanted hair which to me is a godsend. I have learned over the years that 30 mins before your appointment if you take 2 ibuprofen and eat a banana that it really takes the edge off the pain. You may find it perfectly fine and bearable like for me it really is just the pelvic bone and the shin that kills but the rest is manageable. So woman up and book in your wax for before you leave, eat a cake after when you are feeling sorry for yourself, use alovera gel for 48 hrs, and enjoy the silky smoothness and being bald from the lashes down. I had mine done on Saturday at 'Beautiful Salon' in Archway and it was pain free because the girl who did it was brilliant at what she does and knows her stuff! Always check the reviews and get a technician with experience!
Head Hair
I always have my hair cut, coloured & treated before I go on holiday. If it was a mini break I would just get a blow dry so it lasts the few days but when I am going on a sun holiday then I have everything done. I was due my colour to be redone about 7 weeks ago but I pushed it until I was going away and even though I looked a bit tacky I am glad I waited. I don't make any major hair decisions before a holiday because I know I wont have time to learn how to manage it so I just stick to what I know cut wise but I am all for changing up my colour a bit. I would recommend a treatment so your hair is in the best condition before you start jumping into pools and baking yourself in the sun because your hair will dry. I will always have a moisture or hydration treatment done before I leave and I bring another one with me on holiday. I only wash my hair twice a week so the change in routine has alwayshas an impact.
Lashes
If you are a lash type of human then I would suggest getting your semi on and forget about strip lashes. I have been abused over the years by the glue melting and scalding my eyes so its just easier to get a full set of lash extensions done. They are (or should be) waterproof so once they are done they are done and for your whole holiday you will have all the extra volume and barely any make up is needed. Lash extensions can take a few hours because its strand by strand that the lashes are applied so be prepared to lie back and be still for quite some time. I will be having my lashes done today and the thought of not having to worry about glue and strips is giving me life.
Tan
I wish I was a girl who didn't have to tan before a holiday but I am so pale it really is a must. I'm talking Twilight Vampire level of pale - like I am one long winter away from sparkling in direct light. So before I go away I have a spray tan done and then I maintain the glow through out my holiday by using a gradual tanning moisturiser. Luckily tanning products aren't what they used to be and they now fade gradually so no one has to end up looking like a piebald pony or like Ross in Friends (Mississippilessly?? ha!). The Garnier gradual tan is fantastic so after my shower or before bed I just apply it all over and that is all I have to do. I would be moisturising anyway so why not use one with a little tint in it and have a light glow while you tan for real underneath it.
Nails
My nails are always done as it is so this was just a routine trip for me but if you aren't someone who always has their nails done then I say treat'yoself for your holiday and get a mani & pedi done. I always opt for the shellac option so that it doesn't chip or lift from constantly being in the water. If you can't get your nails done or don't see the point then just go bare and remove any residue from the last time. I don't think there is anything worse then a 6 month old pedicure and bits of polish just lingering about. We all love the sun but it comes at a price and that price is an entire Facebook feed full of people in their back gardens with their skanky feet up on their kitchen chairs - it annoys the s**t out of me! So for your holiday just get a pedicure done/maintain your DIY polish/just go bare. I had a deluxe pedicure done yesterday and it really is something that is needed before a holiday or at the start of the summer because your feet need a little TLC after spending 6 months in boots and heavy shoes.
Body Scrub & Skin Care
In the run up to your holiday I think a body scrub is a necessity so that any dead skin will be removed and you will have a fresh glowing layer ready to be tanned. I pop to the salon for this to be done but you can also buy a scrub and mitt to do it yourself. Have it done the day before you leave (before the tan is applied - obvs) so its freshly done. I also do a facemask every night for a week coming up to the holiday so my skin is in a good condition. This is not a vanity thing its because I know ill be siting in direct sun for long periods at a time so need to give my skin that little bit extra treatment so its minimal damage being done. A I mentioned before if its a long flight then pack a hydration mask for the plane coz your skin WILL dry out really badly and really quickly and then you are just adding to it by sitting in the sun all day. I use the Garnier hydration masks which is a cloth type mask not a cream so I can just pop it on and off during flight.
Detox
I have been doing 'no carbs before barbs' for this holiday but also I have upped my water game massively along with my vegetable intake so that I am getting everything I need and flushing out any toxins. I do not and will not eat healthily on holiday just like my water intake will be replaced with rum so I really do try and be as good to myself as I can before I leave and have my insides in peak condition. My outside may not be runway worthy but I know I could be a model for internal scans and colonoscopy's right now - I'm like a surgical dream these days! But after this holiday if someone checks my insides I'll probably have about 3 months to live. So ill be straight back on to another cleanse and doing the sequel 'no carbs after barbs'.
So that is pretty much what I do before a holiday to get myself beach ready and in my best condition. It has nothing to do with size or shape its all about enhancing what I already have and looking after myself. I get that a lot of what I have listed can be spenny but try and budget it into your holiday fund if you can - if not there is always a way to be Boujee on a Budget by just picking up the products yourself and doing it all at home with a YouTube tutorial - what a time to be alive eh?
Stay Boujee xx