Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Retailer
Summer is slowly approaching, which means peak travel season is coming. I’d consider myself a professional traveler; we’re three months into the year, and I’ve been on at least ten flights since the year started. I’ve kept my skin glowing in zero-degree temperatures while staying at the St. Regis Aspen in the middle of winter, I kept my hair tamed in Miami humidity, I beat dry skin while in the mountains of Arizona, and in a few days I’ll be lathered up in SPF at Nobu Cabo. As a professional traveler and beauty editor who’s always trying new products, I’ve had my fair share of beauty-product hits (and some misses) while traveling. I’ve brought new bodywashes to test on trips that have left me as dry as a desert, and I’ve brought sunscreens to test that got me endless compliments at the pool because of my body’s glow. Over the years, I’ve narrowed down some of my most-beloved items that make traveling easier. Some fit in my weekender bag and others have to go in my luggage, but they’re all worthy of a travel-bag spot.
These are my travel-bag necessities, from the plane (yes, I’m the annoying person doing a skin-care routine on the flight) to poolside to general travel-friendly beauty products. They’ve become nonnegotiables for me when it’s time to pack a bag.
➼ For the plane
➼ For the trip
There are too many germs in the airport and on the airplane for me to have an excessive amount of skin care in my bag and not have hand sanitizer. First things first: Touchland sanitizer keeps me free of bacteria.
Dior’s Le Baume unscented hand cream is my favorite compact lotion that stays near. Not only does it have the most chic packaging, but it leaves my hands with a nourishing and soft feeling for hours, so I don’t have to continuously reapply.
It’s not a myth that our skin can become dry and puffy while flying. I keep my skin refreshed every few hours with a face mist. Caudalíe’s is one of my favorites; it’s the ultimate refresher.
The mist is great for energizing my skin, which I also love to keep hydrated. Dr.Jart+’s hyaluronic sheet masks have saved me on multiple occasions. I usually keep the serum-drenched masks on for about 30 minutes before patting the remaining serum into my skin to fight off any dryness.
Then there are my eye masks. I swap out different eye masks all the time, but when I’m on a flight, I’m always turning to my 111Skin De-Puffing Eye Masks because they reduce inflammation around my eyes, which normally get quite puffy while flying. These are my compression socks for my eyes.
To really make sure I don’t land with puffy eyes, I use my favorite depuffing wand over the masks. I use the cold setting since the cryo masks have a cooling sensation. That usually completes my in-flight spa session.
I had a friend tell me she doesn’t wear fragrance on flights to be kind to other passengers who may have sensitivities to strong scents. Ever since then, I’ve swapped out fragrance for hair perfume on flights. It’s a lot lighter but still makes me feel like I smell good. This hair mist is also my favorite to bring for trips to humid environments because the moisture in the air causes the hair to absorb the scent more. I wore this in NOLA heat and got endless compliments.
I usually travel with three cleansers. Olay Cleansing Melts are always in my bag. They’re water-activated cleansers, so all I need to do is pop one out, put it under water, and get to cleansing. I usually use two for an extra lather. There are different formulas; my favorite one is Vitamin C because of its brightening properties. The tiny but mighty pads always leave my skin feeling instantly hydrated.
I’m a double-cleanse girl. At night, before using the Cleansing Melts, I use Elemis’s Cleansing Balm to melt all of the makeup off my face. It leaves my skin soft and free of any makeup or debris from the day. The travel-size one never leaves my bag.
The third cleanser I travel with is Youth to the People’s antioxidant cleanser. It provides a gentle cleanse without stripping the skin.
I’ve traveled with a lot of different bodywashes before realizing nothing compares to having my Nécessaire with me. The eucalyptus scent is calming, and it’s rich in oils, so it nourishes my skin but still lathers well.
Different countries have different water — some that can be too harsh on our skin. In Barcelona last summer, I experienced severe dry skin because of the high mineral content in its shower water. The one thing that saved me was having my Hanni Splash Salve, an in-shower body balm that delivers hydration back into your skin during a shower. Think of it as your lotion before lotion.
I used to bring full-size lotion on all my trips (so thankful for growth). Now I bring my pocket-size Josie Maran body butters. The texture is creamy like a rich body moisturizer, and the formula is made of argan oil and avocado oil, so it moisturizes the skin while leaving it with a luminous finish. The Vanilla Vibezzz scent under a warm fragrance is my formula for smelling decadent.
The product that saved me in zero-degree temperatures on my winter trips is the same one that I use to have the softest skin during the summer: Hanahana’s intensely moisturizing whipped butter. All of the scents smell good and layer well with fragrance.
This earned a spot in the Cut Beauty Closet as our all-time-favorite body oil. It absorbs quickly and leaves the skin with a long-lasting glow. I don’t go on a trip without it, especially a beach vacation.
Any Vacation sunscreen is always welcome in my bag, from the baby-oil SPF to the whipped SPF that mimics whipped cream. Its Orange Gelée spray oil is definitely welcome when I want to be lazy, because all I have to do is spray it on my body and I have protection, moisturized glossy skin, and I smell like the French Riviera.
Ever since I started using Rhode’s Glazing Milk to prep my skin before doing my makeup, it became a must-have in my travel bag. The company recently launched smaller sizes, making my life a lot easier.
I don’t usually bring all my serums and oils, but the one face oil that always comes is Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery serum because I wake up with nongreasy, glowy skin, which is great for trips during which I want to just get up and go.
Shiseido’s Clear Sunscreen Stick is the easiest product in my bag. It protects my skin, has an effortless application, and is great alone or under makeup.
I like to travel with different fragrances to different cities so they’re attached to a new memory, but the one mini-fragrance that travels everywhere is Octavia Morgan’s Dark Rose. It’s sexy enough for a night out on the town but also sophisticated enough for daytime activities.
Whenever I travel with my boyfriend, I bring travel-size Mind Games fragrances because they smell great on both of us — Lionora, especially, because it’s a captivating floral that smells unisex.
I may not bring my entire makeup bag while traveling, but one thing that I don’t play around with are my eyebrows. For that reason, I always travel with a brow gel. Maybelline’s instantly fluffs my brows, making them look fuller while adding a natural tint.
Whether I’m on a beach vacation or a work trip, this liquid highlighter wakes my face up. 9 a.m. meeting? I look awake and radiant. 10 a.m. poolside? I look sun-kissed and glowy. It’s also multiuse, so it helps me cut down on how many products I pack.
I’m usually always wearing lash extensions but still travel with mascara for my bottom lashes. The length and volume of Ami Colé’s mascara make my lashes look so whimsical.
I don’t go from one borough to another without a lip liner, so there’s absolutely no way I travel without one. Lately, Make Up for Ever’s cult-favorite contouring liner has stayed in my bag because it’s so long-lasting.
When I’m on a superhot trip, like 100 degrees in Rome midsummer (true story), it’s rare that I wear a full face of makeup because my foundation is immediately dripping down my face like gelato. But on a rare occasion that I do want to wear makeup in extreme heat, I can only do so when I pack my One/Size setting spray. It kept Beyoncé’s makeup looking great in the middle of a rainstorm while on tour, and that’s when I knew it was unflinching.
Whether I need an extreme hold on my extensions or I’m desperately in need of frizz control, this TréSemme spray has done the trick. The original size is huge, and I could never travel with it. The travel size is so petite — I even keep it in my purse when I’m home.
To avoid having to deal with charges for messing up a hotel’s crisp-white washcloths, I always bring Clean Skin Club’s disposable face towels. They’re healthier for the skin barrier anyway, so even when I’m home, this is my go-to option.
I can get carried away with hair tools on trips, but this detangling brush is an all-in-one for me. It’s mini enough to not take up much space but mighty enough to get through even the frizziest hair after a humid day.
Because I always have to be prepared for a breakout, especially in another city, I wear one patch overnight and by morning all the gunk is out (and the breakout is usually gone).
The bag that holds it all, or at least most of it, is Calpak’s large cosmetic case. It has enough space for everything and, since it’s clear, I can always see my products. The one con about it is that it’s tough to clean.
An additional bag I always have is a pill case for my daily supplements. This one has compartments so that I can easily separate my pills.
link