The season has arrived for road trips, baches, festivals, BBQs, outdoor adventures and beach days, and there’s nothing us Kiwis love more than a low-maintenance holiday. However, some of us would love to do it all while staying gorgeous, glowing and confident, and there’s no harm in that! It’s easy to prep for a carefree summer while still looking and feeling glam in your sundress and jandals, just book in these pre-holiday treatments with your favorite clinic (while there are appointments still available!) to help you look and feel your best.
Deep cleanse your skin with a professional facial or peel
A deep cleanse and exfoliation is a great way to get radiant, clear skin within the hour, although put the more powerful peels on hold until after your holiday, as you may be in for a bit of sun exposure. The O Cosmedics Pomegranate Enzyme Peel or Pumpkin Enzyme & Fruit Acid Peels are perfect for peel beginners, working to transform the skin and achieve cell optimization with natural fruit extracts and high performance actives.
Get glass-smooth skin with a Dermaplaning treatment
Ever notice that you can’t quite get your makeup to sit right due to the “peach fuzz” texture on your skin? This can appear above the lips or over the cheeks, and can be frustrating if you’re after that dewy look, or if you’re trying to add a touch of contour with a bronzing powder that ends up sticking to those tiny hairs.
Say hello to Dermaplaning, a simple and pain-free treatment where your therapist will use a sterile surgical scalpel to gently scrape away dead skin cells as well as peach-fuzz hairs (and don’t worry, these thin vellus hairs won’t grow back thicker!). This will not only mean your summer makeup looks more flawless, it will also allow your active skin serums to absorb properly, making them more effective.
Get those brows groomed to frame your face
You don’t want to be spending any part of your summer holidays plucking pesky stray eyebrow hairs, or be noticing them last minute in your car rear-view mirror as you head off on a road trip. Brow shaping is a quick and easy treatment to frame your face and get that groomed and polished look without makeup, with your therapist using tweezing, waxing or threading to create symmetry and a perfect shape (which you might struggle to achieve at home in your bathroom!). With eyebrow tinting, you can also skip the need for an eyebrow pencil, and darken brows that have become lighter or thinner over time to create a bolder brow.
Get those brows groomed to frame your face
You don’t want to be spending any part of your summer holidays plucking pesky stray eyebrow hairs, or be noticing them last minute in your car rear-view mirror as you head off on a road trip. Brow shaping is a quick and easy treatment to frame your face and get that groomed and polished look without makeup, with your therapist using tweezing, waxing or threading to create symmetry and a perfect shape (which you might struggle to achieve at home in your bathroom!). With eyebrow tinting, you can also skip the need for an eyebrow pencil, and darken brows that have become lighter or thinner over time to create a bolder brow.
Get beach-proof, luscious lashes
Unlike the stick-on “falsies” from the 1960s and the early 2000s, modern, long-lasting eyelash extensions can look incredibly natural and give you glamourous, fluttering lashes without the inconvenience of smudged mascara or lash curling. These semi-permanent lashes are individually attached to your natural eyelashes, to create thicker, longer and darker lashes that will fall out naturally with your own natural lash over time. It’s worth noting this treatment can take some time (a few hours) and you won’t be able to swim right after application, so it’s best to get it done at least a few days before a holiday. If you’re not sure about the full extensions, opt for a lash tint and perm, a quicker treatment to darken your eyelashes for up to two months and get a permanent curled look for a few weeks. Beach to BBQ and #nomakeup selfies just became a whole lot easier
Feel fuzz-free and smooth all summer long
Here at Diamond , we’re a fan of advanced treatments, so we love IPL and Laser Hair Removal methods for a more permanent solution. But if that’s not what you’re after, or if you’ve left it a bit late (these treatments need a few sessions over a period of weeks), waxing is always a great option. It can be a little painful in the moment, but just think about how smooth you’ll feel, with no prickly shaving stubble or ingrown hairs, not to mention all the time you’ll save in the shower trying to shave away regrowth. This can be a messy and difficult at-home treatment, so save the fuss and visit a beauty salon to take advantage of their quick band-aid approach, hot wax and cloth strips for an easier, more efficient, cleaner and smoother result that won’t leave residue on the skin. Waxing is ideal for removing thick, dark hair on the legs, underarms and bikini area, and the results can last week
Beautify your hands and feet with long-lasting gel polish
If the frantic pre-Christmas season has had you running around a lot, a luxurious gel mani-pedi is a great way to ease into holiday mode. Your therapist will transform those dry hands and rough feet to leave you with silky smooth skin, plus tidy, shaped nails and a glossy colour to ensure your nails pop (bring on the compliments!). We all know the best part of a gel manicure and pedicure is that they’ll stay strong and chip-free for up to three weeks, meaning you won’t have to worry about the admin of touching up your nails between trips to the beach! Our go-to gel nail lacquer brand is Gelish and CND Shellac.
Add a touch of faux bronze
By now you should know better than to lay out in the sun for a golden tan (skin cancer, leathery skin and wrinkles – need we say more?). Fake it instead with a gorgeous spray tan, and if you haven’t had one in a while, just know they’ve come a long way since the orange hues of 2005!
Modern spray tans such as moroccan tan are all about deep bronze tones with green or purple bases, and nurturing natural ingredients.