I’ve had quite a few requests to give some info about my holiday wardrobe (goodness me, how I love to shop!) and my holiday top tips. I’m always spouting top holiday tips at home and away to just about anyone who’ll listen … I just can’t help myself! So you’re not getting away that easily either … here goes …
My Holiday Top Tips
- Mosquito countries – If you’re flying to countries that have lots of mozzies, I’m told taking garlic capsules at least week before you go, helps with bites (although I haven’t tried this yet, I’m assured that it works). Also taking anti-histamine tablets is meant to stop the blighters – I haven’t tried this either but it’s worth a go. I don’t use mozzie spray any more cos I still get bitten even when I’ve sprayed and I can’t stand the smell. I didn’t get bitten as much this time, I think it was due to the amount of champers floating around my bloodstream, but when I do, I use boots anti-histamine bite cream to stop the itch.
- Keeping to your luggage allowance – Don’t bother packing your toiletries … buy them at the airport … there’s always a ‘Boots’. I take a little wheelie bag with me and fill up on toiletries including suntan cream once I’m through customs at the airport (plus my duty free of course!). I can’t understand why you’d use your luggage allowance for toiletries when you could fit in at the very least a couple of extra pairs of shoes!
- Don’t peel – for a couple of weeks before you go away (in fact I do this all year round); use exfoliation gloves (about £2.99 in Boots or the Bodyshop) in the shower. They are gloves that are used with your shower gel to remove dead skin cells. Just pop them on, squirt on some shower gel, shower as usual, then moisturise, moisturise, moiturise! Take the gloves away with you and they help to get rid of all the slimy suntan lotion, sand and general grubbiness at the end of the day and leave your skin nice and soft … I guarantee if you use them before, during and after holidays, you won’t peel!
- Aftersun – I haven’t found any aftersun lotion that works anything like as well as the Bodyshop’s coconut body butter. Used in conjunction with the exfoliation gloves it is superbly moisturising, sinks into the skin well and leaves it feeling soft and silky
- Keep your locks in good nick – If you’ve got long hair, run some extra strength conditioner through your hair daily, don’t rinse out and tie it in a knot on top of your head. I love Ojon oil from www.qvcuk.com. It doesn’t come out until you wash it out and stops sun/sea/chlorine penetrating the hair. I usually need lowlights when I come back from holiday as the sun bleaches my hair even more, but this time I didn’t as the sun didn’t penetrate the conditioner.
- Don’t upgrade, buy extra leg room – On long haul flights I used to always upgrade, however, on one flight I couldn’t so I bought extra leg room instead. What a revelation! Even more room that I had on an upgrade … especially if you bag a seat next to the doors.
- Don’t feel the burn – For skin that’s sunburned, the very best thing I’ve ever seen or heard of (besides pure Aloe Vera) is Hawaiian Tropic After Sun Cooling Gel with Cool Aloe available at www.amazon.co.uk and, I think, Boots. It is amazing. I’ve never seen anything work as quickly as this on even quite nasty burns (not on me you understand, I try my damnedest never to burn! Brown is a much better colour than red!). It’s always worth having some of this with you, especially if you have a family.
- Keeping your tan without going orange – No sooner are you home than your tan seems to disappear – I’m reliably told that it’s something to do with the fact that you blood goes to the surface of the skin to cool down when you’re in a hot country making you look browner, but does the exact opposite in a cold/cooler climate. The king of all tan prolongers (and I’ve tried them all) is definitely Xen Tan Transform Luxe – you can get it from Selfridges or more cheaply on line. Fab smell (not foul like St Tropez etc), wonderful deep bronze colour. Their full on fake tan are about the best too. They stay on much longer than other brands and have a much more realistic colour without the pong.
Yum, Yum … Clothes!
I’m really fond of maxi dresses at the mo. I especially like those created by the American designer, Gypsy 05 – their strapless silk ones are perfect for holiday (I got 7 of their dresses for this holiday a mixture of daytime and evening) and you can’t go wrong with Next for the more affordable, but fab maxis.
There’s only really one place I’ve found in the UK that sell Gypsy 05 dresses, www.spoiledbrat.com – I like clothes that are a bit different and if you wade through the sea of Jordan (aka Katie Price) type clothing, you can find some really different stuff on this site (I recently bought a lovely little leather – very different - Muubaa (move over Cheryl Cole!) jacket from them that was reduced by £100 … bargain) Alternatively I ordered the dresses from either the Gypsy 05 website, www.gypsy05.com or another fab American website that sells oodles of new up and coming American designers, www.shopthetrendboutique.com. Top tip for The Trend Boutique, order their super quick International delivery and it isn’t held up at customs, nor do you pay a customs fee. You also can’t go wrong with ‘www.asos.com’ for holiday clothes … they have everything from high street to designer and everything in between.
I also ordered a couple of the most beautiful kaftans from swimsuit designers www.Zeugari.com, however, when they arrived, the embellishments were so heavy that I couldn’t take them away with me … they weighed too much - 2KG for the 2!. Still they’re super gorgeous and I’ve worn them as dresses at home with little slips under … another top tip there.
My bikinis are a mixture of designer and high street. I love Peruvian designer, Aguaclara, www.aguaclara.co.uk, however, their bikinis aren’t always practical for tanning (too many lines in odd places!), but you cannot beat River Island
Day dresses are a mixture of Juicy Couture, more Gypsy 05, French Connection, Accessorize, All Saints and locally bought sarongs. I love a good sarong, you can do so much with them. In fact, I gave the girls at work a demo the other day with my scarf … I can be so sad sometimes!
Anyway, that’s it for now. If I can think of anything else, I’ll let you know.
Have fun and be even more fabulous than usual!
Jx
PS. Boys, sorry if I bored you with this one!
PPs. Sorry for the Italic text ... can't seem to remove it!
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