I love travelling, but I’d love it more without the packing. Whittling down the bathroom shelf and makeup bag to a collection of essentials that will keep both you and airport security happy can be a challenge. The key is to pack products that can pull double duty, are easy to use on the move and still leave a sensible amount of wriggle room in the suitcase. Whether I’m headed for city lights or lazy days on a beach, there are a few must-haves I make sure to bring along.
It just so happens that the
Pai Skincare
cleanser and moisturiser I often use at home don’t surpass the 100ml mark – convenient for someone who tends to carry on. Pai’s creamy, luxurious cleansers and day creams are simply delicious. Vegan-friendly and meeting the highest organic standards, they cater for different skin types, but all are easy on allergy-prone and sensitive skin. My dry skin loves the
Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser
(€30) – a multitasker that acts as both a cleanser and an eye makeup remover – and the
Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream
(€38) – love the scent, love the texture, love the results.
For gentle exfoliation and to wipe away cleanser, I’m a big fan of konjac sponges, which I’ve written about previously here. The
Konjac Sponge Company
recently launched travel kits, complete with a hanging mesh bag for drying the 100 per cent natural sponges and a clear pouch for when you’re on the go. I’d opt for the
Deluxe Duo Travel Pack
(£19.99), which includes two sponges: one for face, one for body.
With skincare sorted, there’s room for a bit of coverage and colour. Multitasking makeup is a must for streamlined travel. I love
Jane Iredale –
a cruelty-free brand free from synthetic preservatives, fragrance, fillers and chemical dyes – and the
PurePressed Base mineral powder
(€55; €39 for refills) is one of my favourites. This sheer, semi-matte powder – best applied with a kabuki brush – provides coverage without the cake, as well as water resistant SPF 20 UVA and UVB protection. It also works as a concealer – just apply it wet with a concealer brush.
I’ve also recently become hooked on
Jane Iredale’s Just Kissed lip and cheek stain
(£22) multi-purpose sticks. Perfect for travel – or whenever – they work brilliantly for both cheeks and lips. The recently launched Forever Peach shade gives my cheeks a gorgeous peachy pink, sun-kissed glow that lasts the day (don’t let the colour of the stick itself fool you). And a little goes a long way – two dots on each cheek blended with a finger works for me, and you can always build up the colour from there. You’ll have to reapply for lips, but just a couple of strokes will give you a moisturised and perfectly pink pout.
It’s amazing the difference mascara makes, even on an otherwise makeup-free face. My everyday mascara,
Physician’s Formula Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara
(€14.90), is definitely among my travel essentials. Soft, clump- free and easy to remove, this hypoallergenic mascara is suitable for sensitive skin and eyes. Its effect is by no means dramatic, but it’s great for everyday and it’s buildable – an attribute so rare in mascaras – so you can apply multiple coats for added volume, even later in the day, without clumping or flaking.
For a list of stockists, visit paiskincare.com, konjacspongecompany.com, janeiredale.co.uk and eurosalesinternational.ie (Physician's Formula)
