A couple of months ago I headed out to Ibiza for a couple of nights, hand luggage only which caused no end of concerns as everything I needed beauty wise in liquid, gel, cream form (so basically everything) had to fit in a 20cm by 20cm clear plastic bag.
So what beauty products you can really fit in your hand luggage? Or specifically one of those small plastic bags is what I'll be answering today.
Travelling light is not something I'm good at and when it comes to beauty even less so. Yes I could settle for face wipes but I'd still want a moisturiser so I think I might as well use a regular cleanser. And then there's the make up, from mascara to your favourite liquid lipstick it all needs to go in 'that bag'. You've seen some
My Holiday Essentials so how was I going to reduce that further?
Often types such as this will show a selection of products that I don't believe would fit in on of these tiny plastic bags and often suggest decanting which just doesn't make sense to me. You often end up with bulkier bottles and pots that once empty you have to return home and clean for reuse. At least with various tubes, sachets and smaller sized bottles once they've been used on your trip you can throw straight into the bin.
Firstly I use the
Sephora Beauty on the Fly Travel Bag. This is actually my second as perhaps the fact I have been known to and can overstuff this is the reason why. These TSA friendly bags are zipped which stops products falling out when going through security and more importantly you can plan ahead and have all your products packed and stored without a scrabble at the security desk. For $4.95 this bag is essential for all my flights.
Starting with skincare, I took along
AEOS Dew Facial Wash* which worked for both day and night cleansing. I didn't wear too much heavy make up or SPF on my trip so this facial wash was great to use. I paired that with
AEOS Refreshing Hydrating Mist* which has been tagging along to all my trips. I'm not a big fan of it's botanical scent but it's hydrating qualities have worked well, especially on long haul flights.
I probably would've forgone serum for two nights but mum handily had a sample of the
Clarins Double Serum which you may remember from my
Pycnogenol Challenge. Eyes were covered by
Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair*, another in flight favourite thanks to it's hydrating qualities. The biggest concern was SPF and I was saved by the new release of
Garnier Moisturise Bomb 3 in 1 Day Cream and it's appearance in sachet form in a number of magazines. I gathered them up and they saw me through my trip.
Another sachet I did have and enjoyed instantly was
L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Magic Blur Instant Skin Smoother Finishing Cream. I found it thicker than I expected and did see my skin smooth out. I'd definitely be interested in purchasing this in full size to use regularly and see if it continues to meet my expectations.
Moving on hair, an area I could've settled with simply shampoo and conditioner but I refused to be without my
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray or a volumising dry shampoo, in this instance
Percy & Reed Big, Bold & Beautiful Dry Instant Volumising Spray* which is great to add a bit of oomph to my hair between washes although perhaps more than I'd like to spend in full size. Handily I had some sachets of
Bedhead by TIGI Volume Shampoo and Conditioner which with my short hair and being conseravative I was able to use for the three days and two nights and had no need for the back up from L'Oreal.
When it came to make up I returned to an old favourite,
Erborian BB Creme Au Ginseng Dore. It's tube was a travel friendly size, it had SPF and was a light enough coverage for in the sun whilst adequate for a fuller face. I added the Maybelline Eye Eraser, again as it's packaging slotted nicely into the travel bag although I have to admit what was once a favourite is not evoking the love any longer. A handy Chanel Mascara in mini size was the perfect accompaniment and lipsticks, the hardest part to edit came from KIKO, Revlon and Benecos.
Other items I couldn't do without were Liz Earle Hand cream, my Diptyque Rollerball, Arm & Hammer Toothpaste and of course a Soap & Glory shower gel and spare contact lenses.
I think you can see I managed to pack quite a lot into my hand luggage beauty bag and all that was left for me to do was pop to the supermarket and pick up some disposable razors. Anything you think I missed or was unnecessary?
Let me know how you would pack your hand luggage and hope this helps if you're heading off for some Winter sun.
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