Top 5 cosmetic essentials I always take when I travel
I have two rules that I try to stick to while packing and they depend on how much luggage I can take with me. If I'm travelling by plane, I usually try to pack as little as possible because I think that paying extra for additional kilograms is an unnecessary expense. The exception are charter flights when the ticket price already includes main baggage. However, when I travel by car and don't have to worry about how much I can take with me, I first lay everything that I think might be useful to me on the bed, and then I try to limit it a bit.
When I allow myself the absolute freedom of choice, I can fill a whole car with a lot of the strangest things! This is actually when I pack my longboard, badminton paddles, beach volleyball, etc. (even if the trip is in October;)). Regardless of what the luggage restrictions look like, my cosmetic bag must always have five essential products and in today's post I'd like to focus on them. Dear Ladies, if you are wondering how to limit the content of your beauty bag to a minimum, and at the same time always look beautiful, fresh and glamed up, then the following cosmetics could be just as perfect for you as they are for me! Let's dive in:
1. Moisturizing face cream with SPF filter
Regardless of the season or the weather, face cream should have a high sunscreen protection. Such a cream will work basically anywhere you are: at the seaside, in the mountains, in the forest and even in the city, so it's worth investing in a decent one with hight quality ingredients. I can't recommend one good brand because every skin is different and requires different kind of care, but I personally like Vianek (Polish eco brand), MakeMeBio or Origins creams. If you have your favorite cream without the filters, you can apply a protective suncream before going out in the sun, but this unfortunately means more luggage;)
2. Thick hand and foot cream
For me a hand cream is definitely a must-have, especially when traveling by plane, because the air on board is so dry that after washing my hands, or sometimes even wiping them with a handkerchief, I feel terrible discomfort of dry and tense skin on my hands. Most often I take one cream, which I use for both hands and feet (in my opinion, it doesn't matter, because the ingredients are similar for both) with a capacity of up to 50 ml, so that I can have it in my hand luggage without any problems. I choose thick creams that leave the skin moisturized for longer. It doesn't bother me even if the cream isn't absorbed very quickly, because during travels I usually try to rest and this "mask" on my hands feels fine. Foot cream is a must when traveling especially to the seaside, because the feet dry up quickly if we walk barefoot a lot, e.g. on the sand, or swim a lot in the sea. I usually choose Vianek creams (again!) for the hands and feet, or the cheaper ones, Isana from Rossmann. When I have a lot of luggage restrictions, I take one lotion (max. 100 ml) for everything and use it to moisturize the body, hands and feet.
3. Waterproof mascara - travel format
Waterproof mascara is the best makeup cosmetic for the summer, although it will also work during rainy trips to the mountains, kayaking or snowboarding. It took me awhile to find the perfect mascara and in my opinion the Too Faced 'Better than sex' one in travel format works best. It isn't the cheapest mascara, but it doesn't cake the eyelashes, on the other hand it lengthens and thickens them beautifully, and at the same time it doesn't reflect on the eyelids!
I happened to snorkel with it on and I didn't have any black marks under my eyes. This mascara is crumbling, it's a fact, but in such situations it's a plus for me, because I can just shake it off the cheeks. Unfortunately, it is hard to wash off, so you must also take a good makeup remover because moisturizing wipes will not cope with it.
And by the way, why use makeup when travelling at all? Personally, I like having my eyelashes defined, although I usually apply the mascara in the evening, e.g. before going to a restaurant. I also get the impression that women often don't wear makeup because it melts and they prefer not to risk any faux pas. Therefore it's always worth testing the cosmetic in safe conditions, prior taking it on a journey and being depended on it throughout the whole trip.
4. BB cream
I don't always have to have a perfect complexion, but when I get up at 4am to take pictures at sunrise, I prefer to refresh my tired puffy face a bit. BB cream comes as a blessing, and my favorite is the one from Smashbox. Its main advantage is that it blends perfectly with the color of my skin and you can hardly see it, while still masking imperfections and dark circles under the eyes. It doesn't dry the skin, which works especially well in hot and cold weather. I use Smashbox foundation every day, so if I don't have BB cream, I take fluid instead. On vacation, however, I prefer something even lighter, which is why BB cream is an ideal option.
Remember that you will not tan when wearing it on your face, but it doesn't protect against harmful UV radiation, therefore it is necessary to use cream with filters at the same time.
5. lipgloss
Lip gloss? It seems very prosaic ... But I could also write a lip balm. However, I always get the impression that a good lip gloss moisturizes lips better than any lip balm. Why? Because it stays on the lips much longer, especially when it is thick and sticky. Since I'm wearing braces, it is important for me to stay moistured: so the braces can damage the inside of the mouth as little as possible. However, if you don't like defined or shiny lips, a good lip balm will work just as well. You can put it on before going to bed so that it lasts as long as possible, because then you don't eat any meals and simply don't rub it off. Lip gloss or lip balm will also work as a moisturizer to the hard skin around the nails - and this is another step to reduce luggage;)
The above five cosmetics are a necessary minimum for me, which, however, is sufficient even with the maximum luggage limit. All of the five products, including the cosmetic bag, weigh less than 500 grams, which may seem a lot only when trekking in the mountains. Please let me know what do you think about this list? And what are yours beauty travel essentials?