Our beauty guide to getting race-day ready

Gorgeous frock? Check. Striking headpiece? Got it. With racing season at its peak, there’s nothing more exciting than planning out every detail for a day at the races. You may have your outfit sorted, but it’s just as important to consider your makeup, hair and skin for the special day, too. Follow these tips for completing your look from head to toe. 

Get: Super-shiny nails

You need: Forget booking in for a nail appointment; this racing season, get the same results at home with an all-in-one polish that works as a base coat, colour and top coat.
Try: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - it also boasts additional benefits: it protects your nails, promotes nail growth, adds a shiny gel-like finish, prevents chipping, and strengthens your nails with its special keratin complex.

Get: Glowing skin

You need: While it is possible to use makeup to instantly illuminate your face, you can save yourself the time on the day by achieving a lit-from-within glow with a face mask, applied the night before. Look for key ingredients to restore radiance, such as AHA’s (like glycolic acid) to gently lift dead skin cells from your face to reveal younger-looking skin and hyaluronic acid to boost moisture.
Try: philosophy renewed hope in a jar mask

Get: Beautiful glossy hair

You need: You know to apply sunscreen on your face and body daily, but what about for your hair? A protective hair spray that features UVA and UVB filters is just the thing to protect your tresses when you’re spending time outdoors. Plus, they’re usually loaded with hydrating ingredients to keep hair feeling soft and looking shiny throughout the day.
Try: Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil

Get: A perfect canvas

You need: Sure, a long-wearing foundation is a must-have when it comes to getting ready for the races, but a mattifying primer is just as important to set your makeup in place so it can handle the outdoor elements like sun and humidity. Prevent shine from appearing around your cheeks or T-zone with a layer of mattifying primer before your foundation.
Try: Rimmel London Stay Matte Primer

Get: A sun-kissed tan

You need: A tanning mousse is your best bet, as they can give you a believable glow all over without looking streaky or patchy. The best part is that they’re pigmented so you can see where you’ve applied it and any areas that you’ve missed. For best results, use a tanning mitt and work one to two pumps in circular motions, concentrating on one area of your body at a time.
Try: St. Tropez Self Tan Classic Bronzing Mousse

Image credit: Getty