Travel Size Beauty
Long flights are the best time to pamper yourself. The best compact routine can save you time and have you looking vacation ready in small easy steps.
I like travel and I especially love international travel which usually means long hours on board of stuffed planes. I carefully select my destinations, sometimes many month ahead, researching all the amazing places I will visit and, especially, in this Instagram era, I am not ashamed to admit I will start visualizing each shot of the gazillions picture I will take, down to the outfits and poses - don’t judge! While I have finally managed to get some of this stuff down to a system, one thing I was always overlooking was the necessary beauty prep that is required to get that selfie-ready fresh look right off the plane. I am now a big believer of “ Air Beauty” and I will tell you why.
Maximize your time
When on the plane, you are going to be there for a while. You will be in this tube with probably a few hundreds people breathing and sweating and all this will impact your skin. That rested face needs time to happen so why not take advantage of these few hours ahead to get that vacay glow started? Now, I am NOT talking about testing your new 12 steps Korean beauty routine in those cramped spaces. You are already on the plane, it is too late for surgery! I am talking focusing on high impact targeted steps that will get you started on the right foot.
Minimize your space: pack with power
Airport security doesn’t care about my super sophisticated beauty regimen, so in order to not see expensive creams and lotions being cruelly sacrificed to the trash gods (it actually happened!!!), I had to start looking at travel options that would pass both the tests of effectiveness and remain within air travel allowances. Picking multi-tasking treatments is key - facial wipes that both cleanse and moisturize, pads that exfoliate and treat. Double-duty is the name of the game.
Here are a few game changers I have found to be super effective for me, carry-on approved, to corner the holy triangle of beauty: cleansing, treating and moisturizing.
1. Lips are everything - some people are “eyes people” - I am a “lips person”. There is nothing worse than peeling or chapped lips. To make sure those colorful lipsticks pop in my pictures and my lips stay hydrated, I apply lip balm RELIGIOUSLY on and off the plane. And I always start a routine with lip balm to give the product time to penetrate, moisturize and protect. The EOS Sweet Mint lip balm is my favorite right now; the mint tingles help plump up the lips and the fresh scent is a breath saver. I like this formula because it works and fast, and looks great on its own or backstage to liquid matte lipsticks who might not be as moisturizing as they should.
2.If you do nothing, cleanse and moisturize - it gets dry and gross inside of planes, you sweat more than you suspect and germs are everywhere. A good cleaning facial wipe does the job for me in a minute. I love Pond’s facial towelettes collection and they come in all types of skin needs - I like to switch them around depending on how my skin feels - but the all-time winner in my book is the Luminous Clean which moisturizes and leaves a powdery feel behind.
3. Can I say, Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle peel pads have been a life saver for my problem skin. Some of us never got rid of acne and now get to add wrinkles to the lot - isn’t that nice? I have been using these pads for a 1 minute 3-in-1 beauty stop that you can do everywhere: salicylic acid for acne, glycolic for anti-wrinkle and exfoliation, and lactic acid for moisture. It neutralizes with water so I usually follow either with a facial wipe or water based face cream.
4. The name says it all - Huile Prodigieuse by NUXE (prodigious oil) is my new all-around skin solution these days. This triple threat oil moisturizes the face, gives shine to hair and body without leaving any greasy residue and clogging pores. I usually add it after moisturizing my face to seal moisture in. Since this oil is scented, I also use it as perfume by rubbing in on the neck and chest area - here, you don’t have to carry perfume anymore. For those looking to go all out, the oil also comes in a shimmer version that really brings that dewy glow we all lust after during winter.
5. Finally, I have been in love with Shiseido Benefiance line for a bit of time - the foaming cleanser will restore your humanity after a 7 hours flight or just everyday. What I like is that every step of the routine is moisturizing, not stripping, which is a relief to my poor dry skin, from the cleanser to the lotion and face cream. It all contains SPF so you get some protection from UV as well. Shiseido can get a bit expensive but their face creams are so packed with water and leave the skin soft, it is worth the splurge. I opted for the travel size version of the line, affordable and just what you need to rescue your face during and after long flights. You can easily use it in with the other beauty products cited above for a deeper treatment and care. I still finish the routine by applying a face oil.
This is obvious but needs to be said again, hydration is key, inside and out, so don’t forget to drink regularly while on board, even when you don’t think you are thirsty, your skin will thank you later. As always, we are all different, with specific skin needs. The fun of the journey is to look and find what works for you and gets you to look your best during your travels. Save time, pre-game on your beauty care for a care-free off time!
