Intelligent Beauty

Perfect your poolside flatlay with 6 Insta-worthy picks

If you holiday isn’t on Instagram, did it even happen? And no get-away spam would be complete without the obligatory poolside #flatlay – an artfully arranged collection of sunshine make up and skin care essentials, designed to spark the envy of your friends and showcase your exemplary taste. Just whack on the ‘Amaro’ filter, to up the hazy, sun-soaked vibes…

So, want to up your #flatlay game? These beauty beauties look amazing on your beach towel.

TAN-LUXE is the best-styled tanning brand we’ve come across and in keeping with the theme of judging books by covers, its minimalistic white tubes are deserving of covetous ‘oohs’. Granting a glow to exposed, sun-drenched shins and shoulders after-hours, {The Gloss} is perfect for transitioning from beach to beach bar (and beyond)…

No smug summer photo is complete without a chilled glass of the palest pink rosé, and no beach bag should be without OUAI Haircare’s {Rose Hair & Body Oil} – with its beautiful ‘Miraval hue’, this chic bottle is infinitely portrait-worthy and it nourishes both skin and strands en vacances. Coming very soon to Cult Beauty, join the waitlist to ensure you compose your most-liked still life.

Putting luxury into protection, {Soleil Toujours} high-end range of sun filters transforms the mundane into the sublime. A joy to apply, these broad-spectrum sunscreens marry performance with desirability… we recommend the {Organic Sheer Sunscreen Mist SPF 30} to instantly upgrade your Insta-game.

When it comes to creating ‘ridiculously good-looking’ make up confections, {BY TERRY} leads the charge. Their limited edition {Sun Designer Palettes} are to die for! Almost too gorgeous to use, the chic zig-zagged contents let you blush, bronze and highlight with ease – and did we mention that they’re both ridiculously photogenic? Forget scenery!

Sandal-clad toes must be suitably dressed, and a quick coat of ‘basic’ red polish won’t cut it. Purveyors of the quirkiest nail lacquers we have ever had the privilege to gaze upon, {Smith & Cult’s} confections look delicious when applied… and even better in the bottle! The best way to accessorise your snap, we’re besotted with {Beat Street} (it’s a ‘Hockney pool’ blue), or try {Plastic Beach} – a bright, Malibu pink.

And for sophisticates, few things exude chic like Klaer Weis’s gorgeous range of super-natural cosmetics. The weighty, silvered compacts ooze discerning make up taste, and are stylish when posed beside sun-bathing must-haves. We adore the {Cream Blush} for its sheer, dewy finish – try ‘Happy’ to make your cheeks ‘pop’, or opt for ‘Blossoming’ to channel pared-back, pinched-your-cheeks prettiness.

SHOP SUN & TRAVEL >>



Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...