Our Partnerships Director has been in the beauty, wellness and fashion industry for 15 years. Here are her tips on how to elevate your wellness from skincare products to self-care heroes.

Holidays! Is there anything better than the anticipation of a holiday and actually taking some time off work to spend with your friends and family? Taking time off is the perfect opportunity to destress and boost your sense of wellbeing. We all know taking a break is essential for our mental health, and I can’t think of a better reason to jump on the internet and immediately book some time away. These are some of my travel essentials I enjoy on my much needed breaks.  

MIND

When we became parents, I totally accepted that we would have to make a few changes; from our relaxing weekend mornings with James Martin to spontaneous long pub lunches with friends and travelling with a kid is no different. While travelling with children is a challenge and far less relaxing, these are a few of my go to items which can make the journey and holiday that much easier… aside from snacks.. You need lots of snacks! 

My ultimate travel companion is The Yoto Mini. Not only the best portable audio device, but also an incredible alternative to screens. My son would easily sit in front of Hey Duggee for an entire journey ( giving me huge mum guilt). But there is no mum guilt with The Yoto Mini. My son is 22 months and just loves to listen to the various stories, especially with the simple icons bringing each tale to life. Not only is it a great way to entertain, it is amazing how educational it is in supporting their speech development and to spark their imagination for creative play. The stories are so sweet (my current favourite is The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter) and I can’t wait for him to be a little older to listen to the classic Roald Dahl stories, perfect for road trips for the whole family. I think next on my list is The Yoto Player for home, as apparently, it can guarantee a bit of a morning lie in. 

My other travel essential for little ones is the totally amazing SnoozeShade. I honestly could not rave about this more. Rollo has always needed a lot of sleep (and I am not complaining) but ensuring he always gets a decent amount of rest would be impossible without the SnoozeShade. It is quite literally a portable black-out blind for the pram or travel cot. Since he was little I have used the SnoozeShade on the pram for naps on the go, so we could enjoy long lunches out and not disrupt his sleep routine, and its perfect while travelling. The benefits of the amazing  SnoozeShade don’t stop there. It is also your best friend while you are on holiday and sharing a room with your little friend. Instead of tiptoeing around and stubbing your toe on the foot of the bed, you can keep the lights on while keeping it dark for your little one with the SnoozeShade for your cot. Totally life-changing ( if only it could cancel noise out as well.. I mean how cool would that be).  It is Made from better-than-breathable fabric that allows air to flow freely, so you can safely block out the light to help your little one switch off and sleep, resulting in a well-rested toddler and a much nicer holiday for us all. 

BODY 

Part of my holiday prep is always a good manicure and pedicure to make me feel polished ( see what I did there) and put together. However, there is nothing I hate more than when the polish starts to chip during the holiday. While shellac lasts, I am that impatient person who picks off the polish, totally ruining my nails.. so  I was super excited to be introduced to Manicurist. Manicurist is a vegan and cruelty-free brand that prides itself on swapping harsh ingredients for natural, eco-friendly alternatives that promote glossy, long-lasting manicures and healthy nails. Their Green Flash Pro Kit is an at-home, LED gel polish system which looks like gel but is a lot gentler on your nails. It actually lasts and is easily removed like ordinary nail varnish. Now I can have salon-worthy nails for the duration of my holiday and for my next vacation I am vibing the Terracotta colour which is “like scorched red earth”. 

SOUL

Being a work-from-home mum I rarely have time to wear makeup, so I love to indulge in a little extra time for myself when on holiday. My go-to brand is the iconic Bobbi Brown, who creates gorgeous products to give a natural flawless finish. For me, Bobbi Brown pioneered the natural-look makeup and here are some of my hero buys I always have in my makeup bag that are perfect for holidays and on the go.  The Skin Foundation Stick is the perfect lightweight, moisturising foundation which easily evens out complexion anytime, anywhere. The Pot Rouge For Lips and Cheeks is my multi-tasking favourite to give my cheeks, lips and even eyes a touch of colour with a stain-like finish that lasts.  And then to add a little drama to my look the Luxe Defining Lipstick in Rococoa is my absolute all-time favourite lipstick, which goes with everything and every occasion. 

SKIN 

There is nothing that makes me feel better than when my skin looks great and during holidays the change in my daily routine from diet to exercise and possibly (likely) a few too many glasses of wine, always impacts my skin. 

Pre-holiday I love to give my skin a boost and there is nothing like a Hydra Facial at The Clinic (Dr Maryam Zamani) to get an immediate holiday-worthy glow and that wow factor (the comments from my husband alone make this facial totally worth it).  The Hydrafacial is perfect to rejuvenate skin with a three-step process to deep cleanse, exfoliate with a light fruit acid peel then (in my opinion) the exciting part; a vacuum technology, which gently extracts the impurities from the skin (what comes out is really something to be seen) and then hydrate with gorgeous active serums tailored to your skin. It really is the ultimate way to boost your skin and feel and look your best pre-holiday. 

Alternatively, you could try MZ Skin’s Hydra-Boost Ampules for the most gorgeous 5 day at-home intensive hydration treatment designed by Dr. Maryam Zamani to rehydrate, firm and plump the skin. Just pat on your face, neck and chest each morning and night until the course is completed and feel an immediate burst of hydration and reveal gorgeous glowing skin. It really is an easy way to show your skin some love anywhere as the convenient vials are easy to pack to take away with you on holiday. I recon the Pigmentation correcting ampoules would be the perfect antidote for post-holiday sun damage. I also never go away without my trusted MZ Skin LED Mask which is my best friend and beauty must-have to keep my skin glowing. I use it nearly every day and It really is a game changer to boost my skin’s radiance, so of course it never gets left at home.

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