Help me not look shit on holiday ....please

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Hi all i am off on holiday in 3 weeks!! Yay. This will be my first beach holiday in years and i am taking both kids and DH.

I always look a sweaty mess on holiday but pre kids i at least had slimness and youth on my side! So i have been low carbing and am almost a size 14 - so at least some of my dresses might fit.

I have bought a hat - a panama, which i am very taken with. I have jaw length hair which looks lank and a mess unless done, so that should cover the beach hair thing.

I wont do a bikini but have a swim suit and a tankini and a cover up. I have nice prescription sunglasses.

How do i look a bit put together?

Shall i fake tan before i go? what sort of make up do i need (never really wear any but have tonnes). Any other tips to make me feel fab? I want to feel nice to get the most out of the trip - i know its shallow.

TIA

I never wear fake tan before a holiday as it will go patchy after a few days, especially if you are swimming a lot, and look terrible. I have used after sun with tanner in it successfully though - the Clarins one is expensive but was lovely on my pale skin.

I would go for minimal/no make up at the beach. Good waterproof mascara (or get your lashes tinted) and lip gloss. Melting foundation is not a good look. For evenings I like a light BB cream, cream blush & highlighter, mascara & lip gloss. I find my skin looks naturally better with a bit of colour so I don't need as much 'help' as normal.

Hope you enjoy the break

Thanks Cait for the fake tan tip - patchy is not a good look. Might look for some after sun with tanner in - i am very pale and dont really go brown, i also wear p20 and a high factor spf so rarely look like i have been on holiday!

I wasnt going to bother with make up during the day as i will be in the pool or sea with the kids. I dont have any BB cream but love my bare minerals. I will be taking a pinky lip gloss, eye liner and mascara and maybe a bit of bronzer.

Anyone got any clothes tips? I really need help!

Make sure your swimwear fits properly and that you have a effortlessly stylish kimono/wrap to slide into......

Capsule wardrobe.....
Think of a main colour ie navy or black and accessorise.
Black 7/8 trousers
Black maxi skirt
Black shorts
Black dress
Cream/red tshirts, tops, cardigan
Jewellery
Or something like that.......😀

Good sunglasses
Lip gloss
Tie up hair.

Have fun!!!!

Clothes wise limit your packing to 2-3 colours so everything mixes and matches. What colours are your swimsuit/tankini?

Popular colour combinations I've seen this year are red/navy/white, yellow/navy/white - but it depends on what colours you like/suit you. I'm sticking to brown/khaki/beige (although swimwear is navy so breaking my own rules there!).

I'd take 3-4 dresses, 2 pairs shorts, 2 skirts, 4 tops plus beach/pool coverup, a nice beach bag, big sunglasses and decent hat.

This thread is active on here at the moment and should help

I am blonde and fair so i have a lot of navy as my staples. I also have a pair of shocking pink shorts - that i love, with a white wrap blouse type top, topped with my panama i think i look a bit glam (totally unlike me usually- please dont pop my bubble!)

I have for the first time ever bought 2 maxi dresses one in black and one in cobalt blue. I have blue shorts, and white 7/8 trousers. A couple of slightly more dressy tops in blue and white and one with orange accents. I also have a navy day dresses and a navy beach cover up - with embroidery at the neckline. Nude and tan sandals.

I am not sure about my swim wear, i have a red (old) swim suit but it isnt underwired and as i am very busty it doesnt really give me the support i need - so on the look out for a replacement. I do have a wired tankini but i have the little pants with it so there is midriff of display (i have had 2 c secs). Might get a good control type black swim suit with underwires, thinking about it my swim wear isnt really up to scratch!

Might need another beach cover up as my one is more hotel to pool - its far more like a proper dress ifyswim. I think i need a floaty colourful Kaftan - any suggestions (on the cheap)?

ps thanks all

Primark have loads of kaftan type top/dresses.

Sounds like you have a capsule wardrobe nailed - navy, white & blue with pops of colour

H&M have some cheap kaftans e.g. http://m2.hm.com/m/en_ie/productpage.0378121001.html

Oops just realised that link doesn't fit your 'colourful' request!

I also saw Benefit Bathina recommended on here - I love the idea of this for evenings but it's a bit too dear for me. I am going to check out the Soap & Glory version

My swimwear is from Elomi - they do swim bras that you can wear on its own or under a tankini top. Less ££ there are navy tankini/swimsuits in sainsburys at the moment.

So i have just ordered some new swim wear, wired tankinis (BHS) and will head into primark this week looking for a kaftan/ cover up thingy.

I am getting my hair done tomorrow so that will be nice for when i go away.

Later this week i will start getting all my clothes out and putting outfits together. Getting very excited, thanks for all your help.

Nice feet! I always feel better if my toes are painted and I've removed as much hard skin as possible!

Lucky not to suffer from scaly trotters (Yet!!) but will be doing a pedicure before i go. I have a lovely taupe /mushroom colour that goes with all my sandals and have booked an eyebrow and tache threading session.

Just need to actually start packing now, uurrggh.

Hi I have been posting on the other thread.
Curtains, I like your suggestion of going for a colour combo and sticking to it. I am fair with pale skin so find black is a bit harsh, navy is better I think. Looking at what I already have it seems the colours I should stick with are navy, blue, white and red.
Princess - something else to consider is the plane journey. When you leave the UK its often freezing, and the air conditioning on the plane makes it cold too. Then you step off the plane and its boiling! My solution is to wear some cotton trousers (7/8 ones seem to be fashionable now), a nice vest top and a cardigan. You can wear the cardigan in the UK and on the plane, but take it off once you arrive.

I also struggle with fake tan. I got a proper tan in a salon once but because I was in the pool a lot it went patchy, and I hate the way it comes off on the sheets and towels. Also I am naturally fair skinned so I actually seemed to get paler through the holiday as the fake tan wore off! The after sun with tanner sounds better.

J&J Holiday Skin was my saviour during all the wet summers in the UK. A few days use gives a gentle colour that doesn't make you look bleached. And although it doesn't smell wonderful, it's not disgusting. And it doesn't require a mortgage.

The Dove body lotion with gradual tanner is excellent.

FLUP - yes its been so long since i have been abroad i had forgotten about the hot/cold thing. I usually wear my jeans on the plane and then sweat my bum off at the other end. I will have to pinch your idea. I need to find a suitable outfit for the kids as well.

I intend to pack light as i have a 2 and 4yr old with me, we are staying in a lovely villa with a washing machine. I am mad in taking half the amount of clothes i think i need and then sticking a wash on half way through?
I have previously always taken far too many clothes and only worn a few items repeatedly or lived in my swim suit and a dress, so might not even need to do any washing.

The weather is relatively good here so i am getting my legs out - they are glow white but i am trying to get them used to the sunshine after a yr in jeans.

I have been losing weight and toning up but didnt start soon enough grr. All my nice summer dresses are a size 14 and from my honeymoon 5 yrs ago when i had money to buy nice things, currently i am a size 15 with a very wobbly saggy belly and they are all just too tight to be flattering. I have been scouring charity shops and i have a few bits but i am really worried i wont have anything to wear ( i will but not the nice dresses i planned) - big sob. 18 days to go so trying to keep my carbs low, do lots of weights and hope for the best! Also wearing all my sandals around the house as i have very sensitive feet and they need toughening up as i hate having sore feet when away.

Sorry I've only skim read, but I would seriously, seriously consider taking a bikini, however insecure you feel about it now. Control swimwear maybe fine for a swimming pool in the UK, but will be really uncomfortable in hot weather. Added to that, unless you a are going somewhere almost exclusively populated by brits, everyone wears bikinis, young, old, fat, thin doesn't matter.

I speak from experience. Four years ago, I remember sitting on the beach in the med and literally being the only women in a one-piece. Watching size 18+ , 40+ yr old french women with scars and cellulite wearing bikinis, having a great time with their family and not giving two hoots about their figure is a liberating experience.

Loulou - yes i always swelter in a one piece and i have never worn a bikini even in the days when i could of (but still thought i was fat!) - would love to be that thin now.

Whilst i agree in principal- everyone on the med does indeed wear a bikini, i just couldnt. My stomach is so so wrinkled - top and bottom, as i have lost weight it has gotten even worse and i have such an obvious c sec overhang, on top of it all being very large. I am 5ft 5 and 14.5st, i dont look toned just pale and wobbly. I think i would feel too self conscious to be able to enjoy myself.

I KNOW no one would give a shit, i dont care what anyone else looks like. Saying that i am going away with my dad and he is very fattist, my whole family are really (my gran suggested a get a gastric band the other day in front of everyone - the cow! she has form for saying shit like this - everyone did point out she was v rude)and whilst i would love not to care i just would. I dont consider myself vain in any other way and i would love not to care but i know if i packed one i wouldnt wear it. Sadly.

Oh you poor thing! I would have thrown a massive wobbly at that, that would stop the nasty comments. You were well within your rights to completely lose your shit. If your dad says anything I would do the same, everytime until they get the picture.
Ok ! Sorry I got really cross on your behalf then. In terms of swim wear would you look at a crop top style bikini or tankini ?

I just bought some vita liberata for me and dh to use now so we are not totally white and I have to say my belly looks a whole lot better ! Try it you might be pleasantly surprised what it looks like nice and brown.

Just back from swimming with the kids and checked out all the women, loads of women wearing bikinis (holiday type place) and none of them size 2 supermodels (maybe a few) and i am MAYBE starting to come around. It made me think of what signal do i want to send to my DD, that there is only one idea of perfection? - certainly not. Will head to town and try on some supportive bra type ones and big pants.

My gran has that thing older people get where she just sees it as telling it how it is. I just laughed at her and it did upset me but that is what she does. There would have been no point in losing my shit with her as it just makes my whole family think i am a high maintenance pita (i am most certainly not)- but they are a whole another thread! But thanks for your anger on my behalf, she was well out of order. Even my family were shocked as it was esp blunt even for her!

I have ordered a tankini top with a skirtini bottoms - the top is underwired which i need as i am very busty and droopy after breastfeeding 2 DC.

I have another underwired tankini top and i have ordered some shorts type bottoms all from BHS and they should be here in the next few days.

In all fairness i wont give a damn when i am there i would much rather be in the pool or sea playing with the kids than worrying about what others may think. I also have terrible eyesight without my glasses so i couldnt see any "look at her looks" unless they did it right up in my face!!!

Thanks for everyones help. I am so excited about this holiday and cant wait for some fun in the sun with DH and DCs.

How about trying a bikini with a sarong around your hips? It will hide the 'mummy tummy' and some wrinkles and you can whip it off when you're feeling brave and want some sun.

I am an 18/20 and struggle with wearing a bikini but swimsuits aren't supportive enough and I have massive boobs meaning if I bought an underwired one I would need a 24/26 for my boobs alone and it would be saggy and gaping at the other end. So I'm always dreading having to wear a bikini but usually just go for it (good supportive bikini tops are easy to find for less on ebay) and wear some poplin shorts with it so my mummy tummy is hidden but then I open them up and fold them over when lying down sunning myself when I don't look as fat!

Some good tips on this thread, I'll have to take note of the capsule colours and try that this year coz I take way too many things every time we go away.

I'm sorry to read the comments your family made, and I can totally understand why that would add to your insecurities, how rude of them - and as a size 14, not even remotely true (although to make comments about a person of any size or even presume they have a right to voice an opinion is never acceptable).

I was just thinking you wouldn't want to get there and feel more out of place, hot and uncomfortable if all you had was a tummy-sucking stiff one piece to wear. Definitely try a few bikinis on and find a cheap one to suit your shape, then chuck it in your suitcase as a just in case. As PP said, I'd concentrate more on a few lovely cover ups, some nice flip flops etc, so the walking about bit where you might feel more on show won't be so much of an issue.

I'm glad you're looking forward to your holiday, I think we all have these wardrobe anxieties, and they nearly always melt away when we arrive and get on with the business of relaxing and having fun!