If you read this blog and follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know…I travel a fair amount. Most often to NYC. If I had to label myself, I’d say I’m a reluctant jetsetter. I really prefer to be at my home base here in beautiful Chicago, with my husband and Max the cat. But duty calls and if the opportunity is right, this blogger is packed and ready to go.
Image via realbeauty.com
Because of my frequent travel schedule, I have learned to taper my packing list down to some bare essentials. I’ll share my faves in a post to come later this week. But first, I reached out to some of my friends who’ve REALLY been racking up the frequent flyer miles of late. These are the women who are always catching a flight to go somewhere fabulous, the globetrotters whose style I can’t help but admire, and the beautiful besties I’m most likely to wind up kicking it with on a press trip. Allow me to introduce some of my glamorous globetrotting galpals and the products they won’t leave home without!
Julia Coney — Lifestyle, beauty, & travel writer for a global lifestyle as featured in The Washington Post, The Washingtonian, Texas Monthly & Glamour.
— Caudalie Beauty Elixir at Sephora. I spray this on before I add a moisturizer.
— Chanel Sublimage Cream in a small container applied after the moisturizer.
— Josie Maran Argan Stick Mini in clear. For dry skin anywhere.
— Tokyo-Milk Solid Fragrance in Honeycomb.
— Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Chocolate Cherry for fall/winter and Calypso Coral for spring/summer.
Johnica Reed — Global coolhunter, writer & VP of Social Media at Buzz Marketing Group, one of Black Enterprise’s 20 Best in the Blogosphere.
— Sheet Masks – 3Lab’s Perfect Mask, Karuna Skincare Hydrating Mask or one of the many masks I pick up on the cheap at pharmacies in Japan, Thailand and Korea. This is my #1 beauty ritual when traveling and the first thing I do after a long-haul flight.
— Bliss Triple Oxygen + C Energizing Cream (great for jet-lagged skin)
— ghd IV mini styler + Sultra Midnight Travel Dryer (both have universal voltage, so this is the must have hairstyling combo for travel, especially when staying in B&B’s or guest houses that may not have full-powered blow dryers).
Amber Katz — Beauty obsessed pop culture anthropologist and freelance writer who also contributes to the MTV Buzzworthy Blog, among others!
— Make Up For Ever SensEyes (travel size) – My lash extensions make makeup remover a MUST, even when I travel, as I have to be extremely delicate with my eye area. Q-tips and this non-irritating gel remover eradicate all traces of liner and shadow from my lifestyle when I’m on the move.
— Oscar Blandi Invisible Volumizing Dry Shampoo Spray (travel size) – Because of my elaborate hair-styling regimen, I tend to want to avoid washing my hair on trips 3 days or fewer, opting to wash immediately before I leave instead. This dry shampoo stay extends my blowout by at least 36 hours. I do tend to wash my bangs every other day and use this dry shampoo on the rest of my mane.
— Eight Body Moisture Ginger Lime Moisturizer (travel size) This uber-moisturizing cream keeps my self-tan from flaking out after a few days and smells DIVINE. It’s a warm, fresh scent I can’t get enough of. Follow up a good scrub-down with this moisturizer and you’ll definitely have hydrated limbs that stay smooth for 24 hours.
— Moroccanoil (travel size) – This does-it-all hydrating oil is great for defining my waves when I let my hair dry naturally, but also adds mirrorlike shine and flexibility to heat-styled hair as well. I don’t go ANYWHERE without it and am usually sorry when I opt to try out one of its many, many competitors in lieu of the original. It also smells sexily musky.
— Schick Naturals Sensation Razor. — Carrying a separate shaving cream when I travel just seems insane when I can simply use a razor with its own packed into the blade. I tend to use the Schick even when I’m not traveling as it’s much easier to just swipe and go, rather than involve myself with lather. I have two razors–one I keep for travel and one that lives in my shower. I find that the blade will last about 3-4 uses before it needs to be changed.
Aly Walansky — beauty, travel, and style writer extraordinare!
— Tocca SPF 30 Sunscreen Wipes
I actually discovered this via a beauty writer friend on a press trip a few weeks ago (The lovely Andrea Arterbery of Glamazons fame) and I love them – they are towelettes that are individually wrapped and pre-moistened with sunblock – and each one has more than enough for your whole body. Plus, they are completely carry-on allowed via TSA since they aren’t a liquid. I wore one application in the hot Tampa afternoon sun and didn’t even turn pink. Amazing.
— FHI Go Flat Iron — These come in a traditional size and a travel size – I love them so much, I have both. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve gone through the trouble of getting a blowout, gotten on a plane, come off, and needed to first do my hair again…this makes it possible. You may find a hair dryer in a hotel room, but you’ll never find a good one – and for sure not a flat iron!
— Dr. Dennis Gross EZ4U On the Go Anti-Aging Treatment — I can’t even tell you how much these multi-task for me — they are like a bundle of skincare products in one wipe. When I travel, I try to pack as little as possible – these can cleanse, hydrate, and moisturize in one item!!! I keep them in my purse and in my travel bag – that way, on red-eye flights, I get off the plane looking (if not feeling) human.
— Stila Tinted Moisturizer
It has SPF built in, and hydration, but I love it mostly for the natural looking glow it provides. I wear this literally every day – and always travel with it, too.
— Mally Beauty Xtrahold Mascara — My mom taught me when I was still in GRADE SCHOOL that we should never leave the house without mascara – I have followed suit. I love this because it stays on all day and only requires one coat – so it’s great for looking semi put-together instantly, no matter where my day takes me!
Tia Dantzler – celebrity makeup artist for the likes of Jennifer Hudson and Maxwell, among many others!
Being a frequent flier I’ve mastered my basic essentials for travel. Keeping in mind I’m being surrounded by dry, recycled air, I have to keep my skin hydrated from the inside out so I also drink tons of H2O before, during and after my flights.
My essentials:
— I absolutely love using Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 because it’s lightweight and it protects and gives my skin a lovely glow.
— The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Facial Mist is the perfect “pick me up” for my face during a flight.
— I have to lube up my lips with Kiehl’s Lip Balm which is a classic and works hard at keeping my lips protected and moisturized.
— My favorite hand cream is Clean Anti-Bacterial Moisturizing Hand Cream because it’s not only hand hydrating it’s germ fighting too.
— For long flights you want to land looking fresh and smudge-proof so I apply DiorShow Water-proof mascara which stays put for the entire flight.
Thanks to my busy busy friends for sending in their top favorite must have travel beauty products. I found some new products I MUST try ASAP! How about you, bellas?
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