Carry on applying

The seasonal influx of covetable travel kits and holiday-friendly products is getting well under way, as skincare companies vie for space in your suitcase.

Do-it-all kits

A ready-made set, such as Molton Brown's New Age Traveller Kit, £59, is an easy and stylish option. Available in June for men and women, the kit contains ten products in a swish leather case.

Also at the luxury end of the market is LA facialist Ole Henriksen's Travel Essentials, £60, a compact selection of products from his cult skincare line. A sleek, suitcase-friendly option for men is The Refinery's gift set at £40, while King Of Shaves' no-frills kit, £9.99, is a good budget buy.

For luxury portables you can mix and match with essentials such as Vaseline and waterproof mascara, look for travel-sized versions of core products, such as Kiehl's and REN. Or decant regular products into space-saving containers. Muji sells a wide range of miniature plastic bottles and palettes from 50p.

Look for multi-taskers. Shu Uemura's fantastic cleansing oils, £19.50 for 150ml, for example, can be used to remove eye make-up and to shave. Another range worth noting is Nirvana Naturals. The rosemary and peppermint shampoo, £5, doubles as a shower gel, and the orange blossom and chamomile conditioner, £5.10, is an excellent hand cream and after-sun lotion.

Cosmetics, too, can be streamlined. Mascara, lip gloss and a shimmery bronzer, such as NARS Multiple, £26, are all you need to see you through the sun-kissed weeks. But for a wider range, opt for Red Earth's limited-edition palette, Metal Numbers, £20. It packs 14 colours for eyes, lips and cheeks, four concealers and a selection of brushes into a box the size of a pack of cards. A holiday is just the excuse you need to buy it.