Heading
off on a hen do and want to get gorgeous before you go? Here are our
tips for the best budget beauty buys.
Legs
Before you jet off, your pins must
be in optimum condition both for bikini beauty and when they’re
poking out of your favourite bodycon dress. For silky smooth skin,
you could try Origins’ gorgeously rich Salt Rub which comes in at
over £25, but we prefer Sanctuary’s Daily Spa Escape Salt Scrub,
which is a more purse-friendly £11.50 for 650g.
Fake It
Before you slap
on the fake tan, every girl knows that moisturising is key. Every
teenage girl’s favourite Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lotion still
smells as gorgeous as you remember and rubs in no problem for
gorgeously shiny legs. And it’s just £3.75 from Superdrug!
For that
all-important pre-tan, it’s beauty’s worst-kept tanning secret:
St. Moriz! Cheap and cheerful, this tanning mousse provides you with
an even, golden tan for as little as £2.99. Even experts swear by
this product, and you can pick it up at Bodycare or Home Bargains on
your way home from work. Perfect! Just make sure you use a mitt as it
has serious staining power on the palms of your hands.
Beach
Babe Hair
You can’t
always rely on the power of the sea... if you want to fake the look
we definitely recommend Umberto Giannini’s Glam Hair Grunge Glamour
Tousled Salt Spray, which is pocket-friendly too at just £5.61.
Perfect
Pout
Make-up looks
for long days and nights. For ultimate sticking power for big nights
out this year’s hot lips are matte. With Valentine’s Day coming
up there’s no better time to go for ultimate-drama red lips.
Revlon’s “Really Red” is just £7.49 and works with most skin
tones, but looks especially gorgeous with beach babe hair and a
golden tan.
Perfect Peepers
Waterproof mascara is a must for any holiday. Whether it’s for swimming in a lovely warm sea or getting hot and sweaty on the dance floor, Maybelline’s Volume Express Colossal Waterproof Mascara has serious staying power and costs just £6.99. Team it with Collection (previously Collection 2000)’s Illuminating Touch Concealer (a budget alternative to YSL’s ubiquitous Touche Eclat, at just £4.99) for beautifully bright eyes with absolutely no bags – no matter how late last night was!
Post-Party Lifesavers
Those late
nights and boozy days can really wreak havoc on our skin! For
post-party beauty it’s important to detox your skin and revive your
complexion, so you can look calm on the outside and keep the inner
struggle with last night’s cocktails a well-kept secret!
It’s obvious
really, but the best thing you can do to detox your skin is to keep
hydrated. Water, water, water. The juice of half a lemon squeezed in
will help to flush toxins and can make skin appear brighter. But if
you need a more aggressive approach, Liz Earle’s Instant Boost Skin
Tonic is a bit pricey (it retails at around £16 for 200ml) but it’s
a product that genuinely works. When your skin feels a bit flushed,
this tonic stops it from overheating with essential oils like
rosewood and lavender and calming botanical aloe vera and cucumber,
for maintaining that perfectly calm exterior.
Skin
Saviour
Finally, but
most importantly, the best beauty product on your shopping list if
you’re heading somewhere sunny is, of course, sun tan lotion. We
recommend Aldi’s Lacura Moisturising Sun Spray (SPF 30) which
contains an anti-ageing formula and at £2.79, it’s cheap enough to
apply liberally! So there’s no excuse not to stay sun-safe.
