Your Vacation Beauty Survival Guide

Whether they are for a week or weekend, lots of vacations happen over the summer. Although they are great and well deserved, they tend to beat up your beauty routines. But there is no reason not to look and feel your best through all of them. It just takes a little know-how and preparation.

The gesture may be nice, but hotel products are usually brutal on your skin and hair. Picking up and labeling airplane-ready travel bottles for all your favorite products are essential and will likely only have to be done once a season. Make sure your toiletries bag is leak proof, just in case, and separate your makeup supplies into their own bag to avoid moisture sneaking in. 

Make sure you pack facial products and makeup that is appropriate for the climate you are visiting. Heat and humidity can make your daily look turn muddy very quickly. Your base, if you even use any then, should be light and breathe, and daytime eye makeup should be minimal. A stroke of a gold eyeshadow across your lid, a bit of mascara, and a berry lip gloss is all you need. You may want to invest in a good waterproof mascara, or even eyelash extensions for the ultimate in low maintenance lashes, to avoid raccoon eyes too.

You should also leave room in your suitcase for your styling tools. Again, although it seems convenient, the dryer at hotels tend to do more damage than good and cause more frustration than they are worth. And you certainly can't count on the dryers or irons at a rental place. Climate can be enough of a challenge when styling, so at least you will better know what you are getting with your own tools.

Have your color done a week before you go away to allow it time to oxidize, and get a hair mask treatment to fight off beach damage. Using leave-in sprays, such as Sebastian Halo Mist (filters UV rays) or Wella Brilliance (keeps color from fading) every morning will help protect your hair, its color, and your investments too. (Don't worry, if your color does fade from the sun, surf, or chlorine, getting a glaze done will boost its radiance back to how you'd like it.) Bringing a great sun hat will not only protect your hair and skin but also cover up an inevitable bad hair day. 

Get waxed, and not just in the obvious places. Doing an underarm and entire leg wax to complement the typical bikini area means you can leave the razor at home. No knicks. No irritation. No fuss.

Finally, get a spray tan before you go and pack plenty of UVA & UVB blocking sunscreen. This will keep you from being tempted to bake in the wrinkle- and skin cancer-causing sun while giving you the bronzed look you want on the beach. No sunburns to ruin your holiday. No aftermath to ruin your skin. 

With these simple guidelines, you will be the star of your vacation and can leave the beauty routine stresses at home. Bon voyage, gorgeous!