Travel Beauty Essentials

Meet Dolores, the cutest travel beauty bag I’ve ever seen. Today I’m sharing her contents - the beauty essentials I brought with me on holidays. I saved this post until after my return so that I could talk about what I actually used the most. The first pic is everything (minus make-up or we’d be here all day), followed by a closer look…

The full shebang above… I’m gonna try to skim through the contents (not in my nature as you know) since there’s so much to get through.

From the left… Hair bands are an absolute essential for me in hot weather and I love Popbands as they’re so soft and can be worn around the wrist for emergencies (I’m guessing other long/ big haired readers will also consider needing a hair tie an emergency?). I’ve already raved about Bee Good Honey & Wild Mint Cleansing Water here - think super refreshing and effective, just what you need in a hot climate. Macadamia Flawless is one of my best beauty discoveries of the year. It’s a cleansing conditioner packed with goodness including macadamia and argan oils, which is a pleasure to use and basically cleanses and conditions in one step, leaving my hair incredibly soft. Although not cheap, I think it’s worth every penny - and just spotted a travel size on Beauty Bay! Phyto Plage After Sun is a treatment for holiday parched hair, just spritz in and leave to do the work (smells lush too). Ultrasun SPF 30 for sensitive skin is my all-time favourite sunscreen for the body. I first discovered this when my son developed eczema as a baby and we’ve all used it ever since - one application lasts all day (yes really), it sinks in quickly, isn’t white or sticky and gives me total peace of mind… it *just works*. My Washi cloths come everywhere with me for hot cloth cleansing - super soft and very thin, they dry out quickly and I’ve used them for years. Clinique Even Better SPF 45 is my favourite for face, neck and décolleté (full ode here).

 

Most of these are travel minis, always a winner for me - I try to stock them up throughout the year, use them up on hols, then bin them before I come home. Charles Worthington Dry Shampoo is perfect for freshening up hair and giving it a little oomph between beach and dinner if you can’t be bothered with full-on styling. Heal Gel Intensive is a skin healing wonder, used daily on insect bites and prickly heat. This also works well on sunburn if you happen to miss a bit. Bourjois Nail Polish Remover for Hands and Feet (review here) is great for the colour fickle or those who can’t handle a single chip - just me? Weleda minis are a constant in my stash as they bring them out regularly (other brands, take note!) and I love both the Sea Buckthorn and Wild Rose creamy body washes, which don’t dry out my skin (actually everything in the Sea Buckthorn range is divine).

 

For skincare, I took these Caudalie Polyphenol minis (more details in this post) and the super gentle REN Hot Cloth Cleanser pictured above… I prefer the balm but this is lovely if you like a cream texture.

And just to prove that it all fits in the bag!

Are any of you heading off on holiday soon? If so, I hope you find some of these suggestions useful.

Body Skincare Solutions

Most of us have a daily skincare routine of sorts, addressing very specific requirements with eye cream, serum, moisturiser, primer, and so on, but how much attention do you pay to the specific needs of the much larger area of skin on your body? Body lotion, hand cream, maybe a drop of cuticle oil if you’re feeling virtuous? It’s something we’re all guilty of neglecting, meaning that most of us greet Summer limbs with a sense of doom. (dramatic, much?)

An increasing number of skincare companies are creating products designed to give bodies as much tlc as our faces - and the good news is, some of them work! I’ve picked four favourites to share with you today…

HealGel Body £39.50 here

The latest launch from a skincare brand I trust implicitly, this is not one for slathering over your body on a daily basis (unless you’re minted), but is brilliant for treating areas of agitated skin in need of soothing. Its cooling, gel-like texture sinks in quickly to calm and nourish, without stickiness. I’m a fan of the entire range and have been using the original HealGel Intensive formula to minimise the scarring effects of my little boy’s recent bout of chicken pox - and do think it’s reducing the redness.

Mio Skin Tight, £35 here (free delivery)

Mio isn’t a new brand, but is new to me, and I’ve been using Skin Tight tightening body serum on specific areas I’d like to be, err… tighter for just over a month. I recently noticed that the sun damaged skin on my décolleté was looking smoother than usual - and was perplexed as to why, until I realised it must be this. I’m as cynical as the next person when it comes to this kind of thing, so positive results tend to take me unawares, but I haven’t used any other new products in this area and the difference was marked. Mio uses facial peel technology and intense moisturisation to plump and tone skin on the body, from tummies to knees! Just like a facial serum, this can be used as a base treatment under body lotion and I do find that I still needed a moisturising body product on top… Rituals Honey Touch is my current go to as it’s so rich and moisturising.

Sanctuary Spa 7 Day Moisture Miracle Oil Balm, £7.50 here

This little tube of intense moisture is great for on the go… I tend to keep it in my handbag as it’s pretty dinky and I much prefer balms in tubes than pots. It’s great for everything from dry elbows and ankles to an intensely moisturising hand treatment and smells similar to the rest of the Sanctuary Spa range - warm and comforting.

Aromatherapy Associates Final Finish Body Serum, £48 here (free delivery)

This body serum from Aromatherapy Associates is part of a collaboration with fashion designer, Roland Mouret. Definitely an indulgent body treatment, it’s perfect for adding an extra glow to skin on special occasions or accentuating tan on sunny holiday evenings. The opaque glass bottle contains a moisturising body serum shot with light reflecting gold particles, which add a sophisticated sheen to skin. Like all Aromatherapy Associates products, this smells divine, thanks to jasmine, neroli, soothing vetivert, balancing geranium and ylang ylang, with hints of rose, vanilla and tuberose. Lovely swept across the décolleté and shoulders or along shins to catch the light.

Do you pay the skin on your body as much attention as you do your face?

ps you can find 3 of these products (all except Sanctuary) at Space NK, which is currently offering free UK delivery here.