Ultimate Summer Holiday Prep Countdown

Summer is almost here, and whether you’re lucky enough to be jetting off to an exotic destination or you’ve played a lovely staycation in the beautiful British sunshine (or showers!), you’ll want to look your best on holiday. Don’t know where to start? We’ve put together a countdown for you, so you can plan you perfect pampering treatments around your busy lifestyle. You can look stunning in your holiday snaps and feel fantastic from the moment you arrive with our carefully crafted schedule!

Ten days to go – Pamper your paws: Step straight off the rainy streets of England onto the beach with beautifully nourished feet. After a cold, wet winter, our feet can take a battering, leaving us with a build-up of dry skin. If not treated this can even become callused or cracked. Show your feet some TLC before your holiday with an at-home treatment such as Footner Exfoliating Socks. They are specially formulated to rid your feet of dry and dead skin, leaving them baby-soft and beach-ready! Alpha-hydroxy acids in the socks encourage natural peeling of the skin for between 7-10 days after application, so use these more than a week before to guarantee gorgeously soft feet from the first day of your holiday.

One week to go – Book your Brazilian: Waxing will leave your skin baby-smooth for around 2-3 weeks, as it pulls hair from below the root, so it’s a great solution to staying hair-free all holiday long! Give yourself around 7 days before your holiday for your waxing treatment, especially if you’re headed to a sunny destination. People will very sensitive skin can incur some redness or blotchiness in the first couple of days following a wax, not the ideal holiday look! Its recommended that you don’t go swimming or sunbathing for the 24 hours after your treatment and try to stay away from saunas, activities you won’t want to miss when you’re away.

If you opt for an at-home wax treatment, ensure skin is well moisturised before your treatment to reduce any chance of nasty skin tearing. Wax in a warm room as the cold can tighten up your skin pores, making it more difficult to remove hair from the hair follicles. If you want to target sensitive areas, such as your bikini line and underarms, its best to leave it to a trained professional to avoid any accidents!

Five days to go – Get the glow before you go: Start your holiday with a beautiful tan from the very first day. Many of us are aware of the dangers of UV exposure, so rather than risk it while lying by the pool, why not opt for a fake bake instead. Whether you prefer self-tanning in your own home or booking yourself in with your local tanning salon, its best to plan this properly to achieve the perfect glow pre-flight.

A false tan will typically take around 24 hours to develop, and the initial colour may be a little alarmingly orange for your taste, so allow yourself a few days (and a couple of showers) for it to settle into a natural sun-kissed glow. If you’ve planned a hair removal treatment such as waxing, its best to leave 24 hours between this and your fake tan. This will give skin irritation a chance to settle and prevent a streaky look when tan settles in open pores. Chlorinated pools and salt water can make a tan fade quicker. So, if you’re worried about coming home paler than when you arrived, try packing a moisturiser with gradual self-tan ingredients to top up while you’re away.

Two days to go – Nourish your nails: Going on holiday is the perfect opportunity to treat yourself to a manicure and paint your nails a bright summer colour that will add sparkle to your holiday wardrobe. Unfortunately, traditional acrylic nail extensions or nail polishes often leave nails vulnerable to damage. Your hotel swimming pool and changing rooms is the perfect place for fungal infections, which can cause yellowing, thickened and foul-smelling nails, definitely not a souvenir you want to take home with you! Opt for a manicure with a difference by choosing a nail polish with added benefits, such as Nailner Breathable polish. The formula is designed to allow oxygen to get down into the nail bed, helping to prevent infection while covering any dryness or damage with a gorgeous rosy red colour.

The night before- Protect your tresses: Relax! Your holiday is almost here. When you get home from work (and putting your out of office on!) Why not have a nice long bath and apply a deep conditioning treatment to your strands to leave hair follicles smooth and better able to reflect light. This is what gives that shiny appearance in your holiday pics. A good conditioner will also leave your hair better protected against the damaging effects of the sun, salty sea and chlorine, helping to keep your locks in tip-top condition even after you return home.