I'm balancing in a swan dive with something on my mind: every time my Pilates teacher Natasha, who happens to be a close friend, turns up, she looks immaculate. Almost annoyingly so. She should be dishevelled. Like me she has two small kids, and she spends her days running from house to house squatting, side-kicking and planking. Yet somehow each week she arrives looking consistently polished, seemingly unfazed by the chaos.
The secret, she tells me now in downward dog, is investing in high-maintenance beauty treatments that make her low-maintenance day to day. By that she means those that don't wash off at the end of the day. They may be on the expensive side, or may require multiple sessions, or may take longer than the average beauty slot, but they are worth it because they dramatically cut down the everyday faff.
For the time-poor or the lazy (me!) or people who simply like the idea of being effortlessly pulled together à la Tash, these treatments are a no-brainer especially before a holiday.
Yes, she tells me — now in a sumo squat — that she ramps up her high-maintenance appointments in the weeks before she goes away, so she can avoid packing her entire beauty cabinet and can feel that little bit more carefree while away.
The trolls are hammering away at their keyboards at this point, aren't they? "You're on holiday! Who cares? Just enjoy!" Good for you if you feel that way, but I know lots of you will be intrigued at the thought of less beauty chores and more confidence in being able to wake up and go.
Some treatments on this list will be familiar if you've been reading my column for a while. But I'd like to think I pick up readers along the way, so if you're new here, hello, welcome!
SARAH JOSSEL — Style's beauty guru is here to share her expert advice
I hate having to fuss with my beauty routine when I'm on holiday. Have you tried any semi-permanent treatments that mean I can do less while I'm away? Fi, 48
Let's get made up with the semi-permanent beauty treatments that I believe are worth the investment.
Korean Lash Lift & Tint
Natasha's impossibly good lashes are the kind an eyelash curler can only dream of achieving. They're perfectly separated, elegantly curled and richly pigmented. Not in a "see you on the dancefloor" kind of way, but in a doe-eyed, naturally defined finish. If you want this effect, study before-and-after results carefully.
She swears by Stylashlee in north London (£90).
Lymphatic Drainage
A body treatment designed to help tackle bloating and water retention. I booked in with Soph London, whose clients include Sienna Miller and Elle Macpherson, to try the Body by Soph Method (from £140), which features massage and sculpting techniques.
It was far from a relaxing massage, but I left feeling less puffy, more defined and generally lighter.
Brow Tint
A brow tint is another treatment I swear by. A good tint picks up all those tiny blonde hairs you didn't even know were there and makes brows look fuller, more defined and helps frame the face.
Blink Brow Bar (£21) completely transformed my brows.
Keratin Blow-Dry
Semi-permanent smoothing treatment that reduces styling time and fights humidity. The result is sleeker, smoother hair that behaves on holiday.
At Sixty8 Hair Atelier in west London, the Protextem treatment starts from £200.
“Less time in the mirror, more time living.”
Gel manicures! Laser hair removal! Spray tans! I swear by all these for helping me spend less time in front of a hotel mirror.
On the subject of tans, Natasha’s secret glow is Bali Body Clear 1 Hour Express Tan (£2.99). "Use it once a week," she says as she clocks my dull complexion — while in a cat-cow pose.
Have a beauty question you need answering? Message Sarah at asksarah@sundaytimes.co.uk or DM @sarahjossel