Do you ever find yourself packing for an overseas trip and realize that your toiletries alone take up almost 50% of your luggage allowance? I use to pack a separate wash bag for shampoos, conditioners, treatments, oils, moisturizers, scrubs – you name it, whatever was in my shower caddy would be packed away for the trip. This would follow with two large make up bags (god knows how I think I’m going to find the time to use everything each day) and another bag of other “essentials” like nail clippers, filers, tweezers etc. That’s pretty much half your damn suitcase gone!
Thank heavens I’ve been able to refine my packing down to just two bags now – one for toiletries and the other for cosmetics. I’m going to share with you today the bare essentials that I always bring with me when I travel and have found these products to be the most space saving and multi-functional. So here are my top beauty essentials for travelling that you need to get for yourself the next time you travel!
What’s even better is that everything here is under $100 (hoorah)!!
Top Ten Beauty Essentials for Travelling
This came as a recommendation from a friend of mine who use to work for Mecca who suggested that I use them in place of make up removal wipes. The beauty of this is that even though the pads are small, they seriously do the job for removing everything from eyeliner to mascara.
These pads are infused with rosewater and mint – so not only does it remove all the impurities but it also hydrates and soothes the skin simultaneously. You can literally open and have these for months and they won’t dry out either! I don’t think I’ve switched to anything else since 2014.
I’ve always packed 2-3 sheet masks on my travels regardless of how long I’ll be away for because you never know when you’ll need the pick-me-up. Having these handy on long haul plane journeys is almost a must because of how dehydrated and stressed your skin becomes from the dryness of the recycled air.
These masks contain lactic acid, coconut and soy milk which work together to dissolve any dead skin cells whilst soothing and hydrating your skin in the process. This may be a 5-minute mask but you can leave it on for longer (I always fall asleep with them on) to really let it set in.
Affordable and great for travelling, the GinZing moisturizer is perfect for brightening and hydrating your skin. The caffeine and ginseng extracts work together to revitalize whilst the Vitamin B protects it. It smells fresh and the best part of any Origins product is that it is incredibly affordable too.
A new addition to the list that I just couldn’t bring myself to leave off the list but essentially this lightweight and absorbent turban is your solution to using those medieval hotel hairdryers. The absorbent aquitex fabric allows the hair to dry quickly without the damage of split ends and hair breakage.
It virtually folds itself into nothing and can be squeezed into any nook in your suitcase to take with you anywhere. It’ll change your life when you don’t need to wear heavy towels over your head whilst you wait for your hair to dry!
You can essentially use this for your hair, skin and nails – see why I love multi-tasking products so much?! Argan oil is amazing for nourishing, hydrating and balancing your skin because it’s loaded with Vitamin E. I like the light version because it won’t leave you feeling gross even if you’re in tropical climates.
Use it as a night treatment before bed if it’s too heavy for day use for both your face and scalp. You can also use it as a leave in shine product for the ends of your hair as well as taming any frizz. This stuff does a lot if you want to get creative.
Ok – so the important thing to keep in mind is that this product isn’t God. It’s not going to banish pimples from your face with a click of a finger or tapping together of your shoes. As with most spot treatments, they take time to work. The benefit of the blemish dots is that it treats your pimples but it does so unnoticeably.
The dots have been formulated to contain the pore-purifying salicylic acid and tea tree. So if you’ve got a monstrosity of a blind pimple then you’ll want to have these dots on for two days discreetly to treat for it without being burdened with obvious creams showing up in your photos!
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LUSH, Herbalism Fresh Cleanser
I’ve fallen in love with the concept of solid cleansers and Herbalism is a personal favourite because it works to both cleanse the skin and leave it bright and balanced. The almond and rice granules are so gentle that you can use it as both a daily cleanser and exfoliator – another multi-tasker, perfect.
As with all of Lush’s products, the packaging is made from recycled pots that are small and light. The cleanser is solid meaning that you can easily bring this on the plane with you without having to worry about limits or leakage.
Travel means you need to get anything that can multi-task in your beauty bag and I discovered this baby last year and have found that it works as both a moisturizer (for your make-up free days) and a primer if you’re looking to give your skin a hydration kick.
It can even be used as a 10-minute mask if you just layer it on with its shea butter, soy protein and avocado oil all working together to smooth and firm your skin. It’s lightly scented and leaves you feeling pretty fresh after using it even if you plan to layer the make up on afterwards. An added bonus is that its light and slender in size!
Another good one to have handy in your bag on the plane because dry lips is almost guaranteed on long flights and we don’t want cracking lips whilst on holiday. The best thing is that you can use it on your cuticles too and any dry patches of skin as required.
A cult favourite in the fragrance world – Gypsy Water is probably one of the more popular scents from Byredo. Instead of lugging around a bottle; substitute it for small compact roll-on oil that can be built up in intensity as you require. It’s handbag friendly, airplane friendly and nose friendly.
There are of course other scents available but this one suits almost every destination you could possibly be travelling to. I don’t think I’ve met a single person who doesn’t love the scent so rest assured that you wont be assaulting anyone’s olfactory senses.
What are some of your beauty essentials for travelling?
Check out all my other beauty posts here.
