My toiletries and makeup bag/s when I travel most definitely take up at least a quarter of my suitcase weight. For reals. A slight problem when travelling on smaller airlines and they have strict limits cos this gal apparently likes to bring the kitchen sink.
It seems this trip in particular, I maybe brought more than I needed. More so for makeup- skincare I think I have used everything at least once but I probably could've contained things slightly better. Note to self- buy smaller products and restrict yourself even more.
One thing I do always do is only bring one main cleanser- at home I alternate morning and evening because I like to use something less harsh in the mornings as I'm only washing off the products from the night before. For the last two trips I've chosen- The Body Shop's Seaweed Cleanser. Amazing for taking off any remaining makeup that's left after my cleansing oil and leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh. I've brought this on the past two trips now as my do it all cleanser but I have a feeling that using it both morning and night does dry my skin out a tad.
Step one in the evening routine comes from The Body Shop's Camomile Oil Cleanser; it removes the majority of my makeup and I feel gives my skin a good clean. One problem I have with this is that it leaks ev-er-ywhere. Last time I transferred it to a smaller bottle and that didn't work so this time I brought it in the original packaging, in a snap lock sandwich bag, locked the pump lid and still it manages to escape. So just be aware if you plan to travel with this one.
A staple at home and on the go has to be Lush's Tea Tree Water, a spray toner that I have spoken about many a time before so won't bore you again.
I have two newer additions to the evening regime, the first being Antipdoes Kiwi Seed Eye Cream. As with a lot eye creams, you can't tell if it's doing it's job at this stage, it's more of a preventative measure. Although I do think I have noticed a reduction in the colour of my under eye circles.
The second product being Sunday Riley's Artemis Facial Oil. This was a purchase made semi out of desperation but boy am I glad I did. If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen my palava with trying to find Sunday Riley's Good Genes after I ran out; it was sold out nationally in Mecca stores. FML was my immediate reaction. So I went home, did some research, found it would cost me my organs to buy one from overseas so researched alternatives and came across old mate, Artemis. This is slightly pricier than GG which I already had a little gasp at but as I said, desperado situation. This is lasting me a lot better than GG did as an oil will always go further than a cream product. A couple of drops in the evening does me well and I have noticed an improvement in my skin. Think I'll do a full post on this so I'll spare you the details for now.
Origins Super Spot Remover in collaboration with Mario Badescu's Buffering Lotion- again both products I've sung the praises of entire so I won't go into detail. Probably didn't need to bring Mario as well though.
Flying, transporting, travelling and the elements aren't always kind to your skin, especially your lips so to combat that I brought a deluxe sample of By Terry's Baume de Rose. A cult favourite and I get why. Not usually a fan of Rose scented products but this isn't too strong so I'm not bothered. Does a lovely job and that's all I really have to say I think.
Moisturisation station- evenings started with Kiehl's Oil Free Ultra Facial Cream, which I finished off the remains in just over a week and I liked it but not sure I'd say I loved it. I think I preferred the original cream formula. So we've moved onto the cult classic, Embryolisse which I purchased in Paris. It feels very nourishing and hasn't got any strong fragrance as it's suitable for sensitive skins.
Morning routine starts with a cleanse and then I move to two old pals from La Roche Posay- Effaclar Duo and then moisturise with Effaclar Matte. Pretty sure I've written about both of these before; I've repurchased both god only knows how many times and love what both do for my skin.
Sneaky extras included Aesop's Parsley Seed Masque, a pre-holiday I feel I need you in my life purchase and boy am I glad I did. I used this 1-3 times a week on the trip and I think it definitely did wonders. Another one I'll go into more depth on in an individual post.
Last but not least, Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. This for me is actually an oboard essential so stays in my handbag as it's great to use as a moisturiser mid-flight or after cleansing at the airport if you're so inclined. Works wonders for tired and dry skin as an overnight mask as intended as well.
Apologies for the seriously long post! I hope it didn't bore you too much if you made it to the end and feel free to comment with your travel skincare essentials.