Get your skin and hair beach-ready with our Beauty Editor’s top tips

Thankfully, the beauty world is working hard to help make it look like you’re made for beach life – clever shortcuts that let you look effortless by the sea to pep up your suntan, tone your hot spots and control locks so you look more mermaid than sea monster.

Humid weather and windswept conditions mean that carefree, beach hair is, ironically, a bit elusive in sunnier climes.

Keep fly-aways in check with Label.m Anti-Frizz Mist (£17.50; labelm.co.uk).

Formulated for finer hair, the lightweight mist will de-fluff and make hair more manageable. Use it on towel- dried damp or dry hair for smoother tresses.

Keep your colourist happy while you’re on holiday (and avoid rapid fade-out) by using Rita Hazan Lock+Block Protective Spray (£21; selfridges.com).

Hair colour hates extreme sun and this dry, weightless mist used prior to sun exposure will lock in your colour and block out humidity and UV rays so you get healthier-looking summer hair.

Thought the sheet mask craze had peaked?

Not yet it seems – it has simply moved from faces to bodies, right on time for holiday season. Palmer’s Coconut Oil Body Firming Sheet Mask (£7.99; boots.com) is packed with Brazilian guarana, which has twice the potency of caffeine and the mask promises to tighten skin and eases fluid retention on your targeted zone.

Apply to your chosen swimsuit hot spot for 10 minutes then massage in any excess product using circular motions.

If that hasn’t soothed your bikini angst, amp up your body-care before your getaways with Elemis Targeted Toning Body Moisturiser (£69; elemis.com).

The combination of plankton extract, red algae and nigari salts – teamed with targeted daily massage, which is key – aim to reduce puckering.

For a double cellulite attack, commit to daily dry body brushing to boost your circulation – it really makes a difference.

Nothing disguises lumps and bumps better than bronzing, so forward-plan your tan (yes, it’s a thing).

Imedeen Tan Optimizer tablets (£40; lookfantastic.com) work from the inside out to prime skin for sun exposure and protect cells from oxidative stress.

Packed with carotenoids and natural plant extract lutein, take one tablet daily for a month before your holiday (and during) to get a glow that lasts beyond the holiday blues.

You’ll still need to use an SPF while you’re away, though.

For an external glow booster, try Evy Daily Tan Activator (£22; spacenk.com).

Used on face or body, the mousse stimulates the production of your skin’s melanin so you get a deeper tan for longer (again, SPF is still a must).

To reach your optimum glow, start applying one week before you hit the sun lounger and pack it to top up on your travels.

If you’re full of good intentions but never really get your pre-holiday regime under way, take Bondi Sands Protect & Tan Oil SPF 15 (£14.99; boots.com) with you. Combining self-tan ingredients with sun protection, this non-greasy oil is a bronzing multi-tasker.

A subtle golden glow will develop as you read your bestseller – just avoid light-coloured beach towels…

Applying gloopy aftersun can be a chore when you just want to be enjoying a sundowner, so for speedier hydration try Yes to Coconut Moisturizing Coconut Oil Stick (£10; beautybay.com).

Slick on to your face, body and hands to nourish sun-parched skin in seconds.

It absorbs quickly so you can go from beach to bar with minimum downtime.

Finally, nothing ruins the look of a summer outfit more effectively than bug bites.

Spritz on Mrs White’s Unstung Hero Anti Mosquito (£15; roullierwhite.com), a summer-fresh eau de cologne that also happens to make you invisible to mossies and midges for up to four hours.

The uplifting lemon tea fragrance is unisex, so the whole family can enjoy bite-free, aromatic holiday skin.

Beauty Counter

Add a splash of colour to your cosmetics routine with the Spectrum Malachite Brush Set (£49.99; spectrumcollections.com).