If you thought that duty fee shopping was about little more than a mad dash about WH Smiths, grabbing the obligatory Toblerone for the office, emergency fags and bottles of water that weigh you down for the rest of the journey (side note: why do they only serve water bottles in super sizes?) then think again.
Loads of beauty brands have started making exclusive products just for departure lounges – and, as you're buying them at an airport, any money you spend on them doesn't really count. Right?
Here's what to add to your jumbo-sized plastic bag. (That inevitably won't fit inside your carry-on when you board your Sleazyjet flight...)
Miniature nail varnishes for perfect manicures
If you were to enquire about our favorite holiday nail shades of all time, we’d almost certainly name-check the OPI Cajun Shrimp coral, the chic nude Tickle my France-y and the midnight purple Lincoln Park After Dark (for post-beach drinks). Rather conveniently OPI’s Passport to Colour Nail Collection is exclusive to duty free and contains miniature versions of all the aforementioned, plus three further shades – and it's only £15.90.
Eye-opening stuff from Elizabeth Arden
Long-haul flights make not for fresh, wide open eyes. Apply** Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Eye Gel,** £29.17, regularly in-flight to make for a far more hydrated airport exit. Especially useful after you've necked a few of those free glasses of vino.
The all-in-one palette
Cheap the** Givenchy Glamour On The Go Three Step Makeup Palette**, £49 is not, but bloody amazing it totally is. Yes, this item blew our beauty-addled mind, for tucked away in its three-layered stack are the brand’s famous Le Prisme Face Powder, Prisme Blush, no less than SEVEN Le Prisme Eyeshadows, a miniature Magic Khol, Gloss Interdit and Noir Couture Mascara. Try getting through all that on a week in Ibiza.
**Something that'll protect you in those hours of sun worshipping you're going to do **
It's packaging is unassuming and perhaps a little lacking in the chic stakes, but a recent trial of this sun-protector had us racing to buy more. Ultrasun SPF 30 100ml, £24.60, is designed with the most sensitive of skin in mind, is unscented, genuinely non-greasy and prevents the dreaded ‘prickly heat.’ There’s no going back…
And something that'll make it worth it when you get back to rainy old Britain, too
Every beauty editor worth their weight in gold raves about the benefits of Lancaster Tan Maximiser because it soothes and softens sun-exposed skin like none other, deepens your glow without fake tan and makes it last for weeks as well. The only, yet much-moaned-about problem is that the bottle is way too small. But in duty free, you can load up with enormous 250ml tubes of the stuff for £21.50.
**A piece of YSL you can actually afford **
Can’t afford to buy a YSL purse? Then look out for the** Extremely YSL For Eyes Makeup Palette**, £51.90, exclusively in duty free. It’s patent blue and very expensively finished form will certainly pass for a designer wallet, while nestled inside you will discover a zip-up coin pocket, mirror, two brushes and an eye shadow palette made up of ten on-trend eye colours that can be removed to transform to the aforementioned purse.
Happy shopping!
All products available at World Duty Free stores.
Photographs by Daniel Barnes
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.