After months (or years) of planning and prepping for your big day, it's exciting to think of finally getting to pack for your honeymoon. Whether you're jetting off on a long-haul flight to somewhere hot and exotic (check out our tips for how to arrive looking fresh and radiant here!) or a quiet villa in the South of France, it's essential you bring the right honeymoon beauty products to keep you protected and gorgeously glowing for those all-important honeymoon photos. From sunscreen to fragrance, great bases to travel minis and even the best duty-free buys, we have the perfect list of skin, hair and makeup essentials to pack in your honeymoon bag.
Suncare Must-Haves
Regardless of whether you're heading somewhere sunny or not, sunscreen is a must-have for your honeymoon bag. It's a beauty staple but why not go a little bougie with what you buy, and opt for luxurious textures and scents. You will need a face SPF of at least 30, but we recommend SPF50, especially if anti-ageing is on your mind.
Our favourite buys:
- YSL's Airthin UV Defender SPF 50+ (€51) for its clear, weightless formula and chic packaging.
- Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defense Anti Pollution SPF 50 (€47) for its everyday effectiveness and super-thin formula.
- Skingredients Skin Shield Moisturising + Priming SPF 50 PA+++ (€47) has a gorgeous peachy tone and a water-resistant texture.
Tan Extenders
After a day by the pool or on the beach, your skin will thank you for a decent aftersun lotion. There are lots to choose from, but a lotion with a tan-extending formula or added gradual self-tan will help maintain your natural tan.
Our favourite buys:
- Lancaster's world-famous Golden Tan Maximiser After Sun Lotion (€39.50/400ml) is a cult buy for extending a tan for a month, but also cooling and repairing over-exposed areas.
- Ultrasun's After Sun Tan Booster (€27.95/150ml) has a sneaky little gradual tan inside, so it soothes, hydrates and tops up any natural tan you get, it's perfect for the honeymoon bag if you don't like to sunbathe.
- French beauty brand Caudalie's Vinosun Tan Prolonging After-Sun Lotion (€33.90/400ml) is enriched with aloe vera, coconut oil, and organic grape water. It cools, soothes and hydrates for a longer-lasting tan.
Tips For A Relaxing Flight
- Pack a hydrating mask and a silk eye mask so you don't get lines.
- Carry a decent lip balm to avoid dehydrated lips.
- Check out some how-tos on facial massage to depuff eyes and skin.
- Pack a mini face mist for touch-ups during the flight - airplane air is very dehydrating.
- Hand sanitiser will keep your hands free from germs, especially if you want to remove contact lenses.
Hydration Heroes
Long days by the pool followed by late nights and cocktails can zap the moisture from your skin. Counteract dehydration with a few hydration heroes in your honeymoon beauty bag. Single-use sheet and eye masks are super small to slip into your case and are gorgeous to use in hot weather. A sheet mask for the face will drench the skin in moisture and leave it feeling totally refreshed.
Our favourite buys:
- Dr Jart+ Dermask Water Jet Vital Hydra Solution (€7.95), for its triple-hydration complex and paper-thin quality.
- Patchology Serve Chilled Bubbly Eye Gels (€12) are pumped full of brightening ingredients like orange extract, niacinamide and resveratrol to add radiance to the undereye area. There are five pairs in the €12 box.
- For those who prefer something fast and instant, Charlotte Tilbury's Dry Sheet Mask (€24), is a classic. The mask has peptides, vitamins, floral extracts and oils that infuse the skin with hydration and radiance.
Honeymoon Hair Heroes
The biggest complaints about hair on holiday are colour fade, parched hair, and chlorine damage from the pool resulting in a green tinge, not good! The best products to pack in your honeymoon beauty bag are protective and restorative and should definitely be on your list.
Our favourite buys:
- Philip Kingsley's Swimcap (€23.45) is a hair hero. The water-resistant masks shields hair from chlorine and salt water, the effects of UV rays, and boosts moisture in your locks.
- For a mid-week treat, Seoulista's Glossy Locks Mask (€12), is great for deeply nourishing all hair types frazzled by sun, sea and swimming. A unique cap design, it contains keratin, camellia oil, pomegranate and bran to restore and replenish your hair.
- Lastly, Wella's Invigo Sun UV Hair Colour Protection Spray (€18), is the perfect lightweight UV spritz for fine to medium hair. Non-oily, it is hydrating and scented with orange blossom. Spray a few times per day, every day to keep your colour clean.
Extra Essentials For A Problem-Free Honeymoon
- Pack disinfectant pads for any cuts and grazes.
- Ditto, for plasters and a healing balm like Aquaphor or Eight Hour Cream by Elizabeth Arden.
- Mosquito bites are zero fun and unsightly, equip yourself with repellent and afterbite lotion.
- Travel cubes are great for storing and carrying medication and beauty separately.
- You may not need it, but pack a safety pin and mini sewing kit for any fashion emergencies.
Hot Weather Skin Tints
A skin tint is the ideal complexion product to pack in your honeymoon beauty bag. Light coverage that evens out the skin tone with a little heat-resistance looks fresher for nights out and it's simple to apply.
Our favourite buys:
- Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer (€53.50), because it contains SPPF30 and comes in 20 shades.
- For dull skin, NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (€33.95), gives instant radiance and protection of SPF30, 14 shades.
- Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint (€55.37), is great for dry or dehydrated skin and gives the skin a dewy glow, 18 shades.
All-In-One Complexion Palettes
Travelling light in the makeup department means leaving those eyeshadow palettes at home and packing something more functional. A combined eye and face palette is the best idea, with just a couple of brushes it offers all the cheek colour and highlight plus tonal shadows. Compact and easy to use, they are a super glam addition to your honeymoon bag.
Our favourite buys:
- (Top left) For an exotic honeymoon abroad, we love Kevyn Aucoin's The Art of Sculpting and Defining Volume III (€54.45). A contour fan's dream palette, its three tan shades sculpt, shape and can be used as shadows. The blush and highlighter powders are sublime to use.
- (Top right) Bobbi Brown's Moonglow Eye and Cheek Palette (€67.45), is a beautiful combination of eyeshadow shades and a celestial gold highlighter running down the middle.
- (Bottom left) Diego Dalla Palma's Tribal Queen Face and Eyes Palette (€23.95), is one for fans of the sun-kissed look. The five shadows come in satin and metallic finishes and work beautifully with the blush and pearly highlighter.
- (Bottom right) Natasha Denona's Glam Face Palette - Light (€62.95), which also comes in Dark. A plush palette with five matte and shimmer finishes with buttery highlighters, perfect for glowing skin and smokey eyes.
Tips For Duty-Free Shopping
- Before flying check out, the duty-free offers and deals on makeup, hair and skincare.
- For products you already love, use Click 'n Collect to pick up your purchase coming home.
- Look for bundle buys and jumbo sizes to save money.
- Peruse the fragrance section for a new scent and treat yourself - you could pick up great deals!
- If you have forgotten anything, stop into an airside pharmacy for travel minis.
Sheer Lip Colour
Lip oil and glosses have been all the rage lately, and one or two are enough for your honeymoon. Hydrating, glossy and so comfortable to wear, their sheer finish looks put-together and modern because they don't look too over-the-top. We have our favourite brands, so try one of these glam buys.
Our favourite buys:
- (Top left) Shiseido's Shimmer Gel Gloss (€26), comes in nine shades and it's a non-sticky, shimmery lip treat. Filled with naturally moisturising ingredients, you will want more than one colour.
- (Top right) What can we say, Dior's Addict Lip Glow Oil (€41.50), is a stunner and comes in nine shades, too. Handbag and beach bag worthy, the colours range from clear to coral, raspberry and cherry.
- (Bottom left) Clarins Lip Comfort Oil (€24), is a 10-piece line up of delicious shades and great glossy finishes. Packed full of nourishing ingredients, this comfortable lip oil is essential in a honeymoon bag.
- (Bottom right) MAC's cult classic Lipglass, (€26) is the gloss everyone loves and comes in a whopping 36 shades. There is a colour for everyone, from the sheer glosses to ones with a little more colour punch.
Cheery Nail Colours
Your bridal mani and pedi might have classic wedding day shades, so for your honeymoon bag why not have some fun with colour? Coral, warm pink, apricot, cherry red and anything neon looks great against tanned skin (fake or real).
Our favourite buys:
- (Top left) Chanel Le Vernis (€32), is a chic and glamorous polish. The shade 121 is a pretty and vibrant hot coral, top left.
- (Top right) CND Vinylux Carnation Bliss Nail Varnish (€9.95) is a great buy for gel lovers. All of CND's at-home Vinylux shades match in colour to its Shellac salon colours. If you get a Shellac mani or pedi in-salon make sure to buy the nail varnish in case it chips.
- (Bottom left) Essie's 27 Watermelon nail polish (€8.45), is the Mary Poppins of honeymoon nails, it's pratically perfect in every way. A poppy pinky red, this looks brilliant on all skin tones and is very resistant to chipping.
- (Bottom right) Mavala's Nice Nail Colour Cream (€5.95), is a great budget buy but also a nice size for your honeymoon bag as it's smaller than most.
See more honeymoon inspiration posts here including the Best Luggage Luxury Luggage to Treat Yourself to!
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