If it weren’t for all my lotions and potions, I reckon I could do even a long-haul holiday with just a carry-on bag. It’s the suncreams, the cleansers, the moisturisers, the foundations and all the rest of the beauty armoury that bulks up the baggage. So I’m always looking for ways of figuring out what earns its keep.
First, there’s that holiday essential: mascara. The stars of stage and screen, when asked for their desert-island beauty aid, always cite mascara, and one can see why. With eyes looking big, bold and beautiful, one can get away with a bit of neglect on other fronts. Several of the beauty giants have been rethinking mascara – most particularly waterproof mascara. For waterproof mascara is what one needs on any holiday, even if not going near a beach, for it means that it doesn’t run whether there’s snow, sweat, rain or sea.
Two years ago Givenchy came out with Phenomen’Eyes, with its tiny round brush, which meant that each lash could more easily be coated in a deep, rich, eye-enhancing liquid. It was an instant success. Hitting the counters now is a new version (first picture). The brush is still there, but the formula has been changed to make it waterproof. It has a light, gentle feel, and comes in black or brown, as well as a limited-edition turquoise for summer (£19.50).
Then there’s Guerlain, which has developed a little mascara brush that rejoices in the name Le 2 de Guerlain Waterproof mascara (£24). One end of the wand is a regular brush, while the other end sports a very small angled brush to get at the lashes at the sides and on the bottom of the eyelid. The formula has liquid polymers to make the lashes look lusher and keep their curl. It comes in black, brown and, for summer, in a limited-edition blue.
Then we come to By Terry (beauty connoisseurs will know that Terry de Gunzburg developed Yves Saint Laurent’s beauty line and is most famous for coming up with its Touche Eclat). Her waterproof mascara (Mascara Soyeux Waterproof, second picture, £23) has just gone into all Space NK stores. She has used plant waxes, which condition and protect the lashes and flexible gums to thicken them. It comes only in black. Those who feel that the sultry eye look is key to their holiday beauty armoury could also pick up her Ligne Blackstar (£28), a waterproof eye-liner which has a “tattoo” finish – ie, it stays in place. It comes in black, brown or a deep sea green.
And don’t forget you’ll need a really gentle but effective eye-make-up remover. I like Caudalie’s Eau Démaquillant (second picture, £14.50, from its website, Space NK and good beauty departments), which I use for face and eyes when travelling.
