Duty free can be a treasure trove for brilliant beauty products, offering everything from luxury skincare and makeup to fragrance – as long as you know where to look.
To help guide you through the airport, these are the duty-free beauty products that our beauty editor always gravitates towards before she flies; from exclusive Estée Lauder serum sets that you can’t get anywhere else, to the Jo Malone London fragrance that has become her signature on summer evenings.
A makeup artist friend once told me that she adds a new lip colour to her kit everytime she goes through duty free, as an opportunity to try something new. I love this idea, especially as holidays can be a chance to escape your day-to-day makeup look. For something you'll still love when you return from your trip, try this longwearing lip colour from MAC.
I can't be the only one that has realised mere hours before a hand-luggage only trip, that I don't have a cleanser under 100ml, but the experience did teach me that you don't have to compromise if you find yourself shopping at the airport. I discovered one of my current favourite cleansers – Sisley's skin nourishing makeup remover – as a pre-flight treat.
Spend some time looking through World Duty Free and you’ll realise you don’t need to compromise on your beauty routine if you find yourself shopping at the airport.
I was first introduced to this Jo Malone fragrance via a fellow beauty editor who always picked up a vial at the airport. She was totally right when she recommended it for summer travels; its warmth and depth is emphasised by humidity, draping you in a warming veil of scent that doesn't overwhelm like some heavier colognes. Pick it up if your next holiday involves an elegant evening event.
If you're the sort of person who just picks up the first sunscreen you see at the airport pre-trip, let me direct you to Lancaster. The beauty editor loved brand is a fuss-free formula that will suit those who find applying sunscreen a chore, while offering the effective broad-spectrum protection you need this summer and beyond.
Sol de Janeiro's shampoo and conditioner are summer sunshine bottled meaning if you need to pick up haircare at the airport, the formulas will start your holiday off early. The super hydrating set – which has an incredible tropical scent – keeps your hair soft, smooth and clean, while ensuring your hair colour stays vibrant all summer long.
Estée Lauder’s iconic Advanced Night Repair serum is like ‘beauty sleep in a bottle’ and it’s particularly good for frequent flyers, leaving your skin hydrated and protecting its overall condition overtime. This travel exclusive set means you can try the same technology tailored for your eye area too, which is great for jet lag-related puffiness.
Look after your skin during your next flight and throughout your holiday by picking up products that hydrate and soothe your complexion.
This list could be filled with many, many fragrances: Duty Free stocks almost all the designer fragrances you can probably dream about. But, for daytime wear, Tom Ford's Soleil Blanc is the summer scent that still gets my heart racing. A single spray will transport you back to happy summer memories, and help you dream of the ones that await you once you board your plane.
As a beauty editor, I probably get asked 'does La Mer actually work?' at least once a month. The answer: it's a lovely moisturiser if you want a luxurious price tag to match, and it's one of many formulas that I trust for locking-in moisture when I'm flying long-haul. At duty free you can try it at a discount too, meaning your next trip is the perfect time to pick it up – for you or as a gift.
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