Look Fabulous On Your Road Trip With Our Beauty Packing Tips

In tough economic times, international travel is likely not an option, but this does not mean that travel is not off the table – it is just not taking off in an airplane and going overseas, a lot can be done locally!  This is where the classic road trip, formerly of the overstuffed family car variety, should be treated with a touch of glamour… instead of packing the bare essentials because you are just going out of town in car, pack some fun beauty products so that you can create a clean, glowing look, while maintaining a sense of calm, as you negotiate strange beds, cramped legs and new environs.

The key to successfully beauty packing for a road trip is based on :

1. the size of the products – you do not need full-size bottles of anything (and you can buy a travel set at your local pharmacy);
2. packing quality products that can withstand your changes in weather;
3. picking products that bring you comfort; and
4. using products that are multifunctional, lasting and are easy to use.

Lustrous Locks – The Crown Does Not Rest

Vienna will always have a special place in my heart because it is filled with music, palaces and fantastic coffee.  What I never counted on is how the water, although high quality, literally flattened my hair.  I was initially puzzled because I had made it a point to use the products that I did at home, but I was using them with water that was likely from the Alps, not the St-Lawrence, which meant that my hair reacted differently.

The key lesson is to understand that depending on where you travel, even within the same country, different locations have different sources of water, and some places have softer or harder water.  Consequently, you cannot expect your trusty products to have the same impact.  I use road trips as a chance to test travel-sized shampoos and conditioners, because you may never know what you will discover, and it continues the spirit of adventure that is integral to a road trip.

Consequently, I recommend trying the Fable & Mane  Mini Wash Care Essentials kit because it contains the line’s HoliRoots™ Shampoo, HoliRoots™ Conditioner and HoliRoots™ Hair Mask, which each come in 50 ml size; so the products do not take up a lot of room (and come in practical pouch), and they are deeply moisturising, so your hair will be left silky soft. The shampoo and conditioner contain classic Ayurvedic ingredients such as turmeric, a spice powerhouse that is anti-inflammatory and controls hair fall; coconut oil, which nourishes the strands; and tiger herb that strengthens strands.  I like using products that nourish my strands because they veer towards dryness and lose their shine quickly.

I also note that when I use hydrating products, I can get away with simply rough drying my hair without using a heat protectant spray on a short trip.  The richness of the shampoo and conditioner helps me to save on packing a plethora of hair styling products.  This change suits me fine because on a road trip I want to look good, but more importantly I want to spend my limited time making memories with friends.

Another important element is the pillowcase.  Aside from the bedbug issue, I like using a satin, soft pillowcases, because they do not create friction with my hair and I wake up with smoother hair, so there is less styling to do each morning.  I love the Kitsch ones because the size fits most pillows; they are affordable and durable; and the collaboration ones are just fun.  I have the Barbie ones that were the rage last year and they are still pristine.  I love putting my head on a pillowcase that is mine, clean and lightweight to pack.

Skin Care – Maintain The Discipline

London is a vibrant, stimulating city and I always smile when I think about the times that I have visited, but I have always been squeamish about the grime that I wash off my face after a day of sightseeing – I wash grey off my face.  I am always less than glowing when I visit a crowded city because there is more pollution and soot in the air.  Therefore, I always pack gentle, brightening and protective products so that I maintain a basic glow and feel confident about my complexion.

Sahajan’s renowned Golden Milk Cleanser comes in a convenient pump bottle, so you can easily decant some into a travel size one.  This gentle, Ayurvedic product contains turmeric which brightens the skin; black cumin seed oil that keeps the pores clear and battles dark spots; and has a non-stripping oat milk base.  A few droplets in the morning leaves my skin fresh, and ready for subsequent steps.

I continue with my glow strategy by swiping on a the Live Tinted Superbright™ 15% Vitamin C Serum Stick; I love its format, because it is portable, and if I take a city hopper flight, it is grouped with my dry products.   Vitamin C brightens the skin; targets dark spots; protects against free radical damage; and works in tandem with sunscreen to maintain the quality of the complexation.  This product sinks easily into the skin and does not leave a greasy finish.

I then follow this step with a must-have travel product: Live Tinted Hueguard® 3-in-1 Mineral Sunscreen, Moisturizer, Primer SPF 30 in the mini size.  Aside from its portability, with 2-3 droplets and a nice massage on my face and skin, I hydrate my skin, blur imperfections and protect against UVA and UVB radiation without an ashen cast.  The liquid is lightweight, so it creates a great base for subsequent colour cosmetic products.

In the evening, I need to transition from tourist to sleep mode, and when I am not in my regular environment this is a challenge.  Scent is a powerful tool, and a quality candle can help you to relax while you engage in your nightly beauty routine (if you are staying in a hotel, check the rules on candle usage). For this reason, in the bathroom next to the sink, I light a scented, votive type candle such as Uma Oils Pure Bliss Wellness Candle because it uses essential oils such as lavender, jasmine and geranium, and oils such as chamomile, clary sage, sandalwood and vetiver oils to relax my mind and body.  If you prefer to light incense that is also an excellent idea.  It is always important to extinguish whatever you light prior to leaving the bathroom.

While the candle is creating a soothing atmosphere, I start to remove the day’s grime by disintegrating the makeup, skin care and sunscreen with the Naturium Purple Ginseng Cleansing Balm.  This solid cleanser which is packable in a mini jar, becomes an oil when you rub it into the palms of your hands.  I then massage the oil on my face and neck, gently tapping my lashes, and in moments the layers of make-up, skincare and sunscreen disintegrate.  I then rinse my face and apply a small droplet of the Golden Milk Cleanser to complete my cleansing routine.  The balm is gentle, and a great excuse to massage the planes of the face to stimulate circulation.

When I am on the road, I am not fastidious about using serums but I always look for any occasion to massage and hydrate my face.  At this point I use two-three droplets of the  legendary Guerlain Abeille Royale Advanced Youth Watery Oil (this can be decanted into a travel bottle) and massaged it into the planes of my face to continue the circulatory work that I started with the two-step cleaning routine.  I love that this oil is not greasy; has a gentle scent; and infuses my skin with the reparative power of honey.  If you have allergies to bees and/or honey, I recommend using a different oil.

To ensure that I have smooth lips for the morning, I slather a rich balm like the Sahajan Lip Karma (I love Vanilla!), because its mix of castor, rapeseed and argan oils hydrate the lips and plump them.  I also apply the balm over the contour of the lips to ensure that the line remains full and facilitates lipliner application.

Shower Power

I love Florence but the skin on my legs did not, and I was scratching my legs to the point of making my skin pink.  The Italian heat made mincemeat of my Canadian skin, and even my love for ciabatta will never convince to ever visit Italy between May and August ever again. The lesson for the skin on my body is that changes in temperature and heat requires gentleness because the change in the environment can be tough on the body.

On a road trip, there is usually scant time for a luxurious bath, so optimising the shower experience is a great way to get fresh, and to pamper the body.

This summer, for the first time I had daily, uncomfortable bouts of itchiness on my arms and legs, and my dermatologist diagnosed that the strong pollen was the likely culprit for my woes.  For the first time in my life, I was using dermatologist recommended shower oil, which was less than glamourous, and even though I got clean, it was no fun.  Moreover, I cut back on my corporeal exfoliation to avoid the chance of flare-ups, and this resulted in dull skin on my legs.

I was intrigued by the Rare Beauty Find Comfort Gentle Exfoliating Body Wash and Hydrating Body Lotion, because of the packaging’s deep mauve shade is soothing to gaze upon, and the claims about their gentleness.  As someone who loves the feeling of exfoliated skin, I now understand that I need to engage in this practice gently and the body wash purports to cleanse and exfoliate simultaneously.  The formula is made with konjac jelly that acts as a gentle exfoliant, and it contains the classic Ayurvedic ingredient, ashwaganda that destresses the mind, and avocado that softens and soothes.  The scent is light and a mix of citrus and warm notes.  I applied 1 teaspoon onto a sponge, and I really enjoyed the cleansing experience.  My skin felt soft and there was no itchiness, and the soft scent elevated the whole experience.  The tube is squeezable, so the product is easily decanted into a travel bottle, and this product has earned a spot in my both my regular and regular rotation.  This product returned glamour to my daily shower!

After patting my skin dry, I applied 2 teaspoons of the white, lightweight lotion.  I was bracing to feel some desire to itch but after massaging the lotion all over, I enjoyed the softness of my skin.  The product, like its shower gel sister, contains ashwagandha and similar notes and is effective.  The bottle is sturdy but squeezable, so you can decant the lotion into a travel bottle.

Easy Beauty – Simplicity

One lesson I learned while walking in the sweltering heat of Singapore is that it is never too hot to be smoking hot, and that look is achieved with a few simple steps: defined brows, fresh complexion, a hint of bronze and strong lips. This lesson has served me well, because it is easy to let the discipline of beauty slip, but I believe that it should always be maintained because you never know when opportunity will knock.

The products required for this routine work on all South Asian skin tones because of the variety of shades and certain ones are universal.

For eyebrows, I recommend simple brushing them up using a coloured gel.  The colour will make any sparseness less apparent and add a gentle definition to the eye area.  I love the Benefit Cosmetics Mini Gimme Brow + Tinted Volumizing Eyebrow Gel because it is small, so it is portable for travel, and comes in 10 shades.  The latter means that South Asian beauties whose hair shades can range from auburn to coal black will find a shade that works with their eyebrows.  This is fantastic because dark eyebrows tend to be subject to exceptionally dark shades which create a Cruella de Ville look.

Once the brows are set, I like to use a long-lasting gel liner to define the eyes, because gel sets and stays for the day.  I appreciate the WanderBeauty Skyliner Automatic Gel Liner (3 shades available), because it delivers intense colour in a pencil that has a built-in sharpener, so you are never without a tip that glides easily onto the delicate eye line, without tugging.

To keep the look bright eyed, it is important to reveal as much of the sclera as possible, and a curling mascara is essential.  I love travelling with the mini Benefit Cosmetics Roller Lash Curling & Lifting Mascara because it lifts the lashes and it keeps it in place all day.  If you ever forget to pack an eyelash curler but have this mascara, your lashes will be in good shape!

For the complexion, I like to keep it light and rely on spot applying concealer on areas like my area eyes, my sprinkle of freckles on my cheeks and the corners of my mouth, and then setting with my trusted powder that is always in my handbag.  WanderBeauty, whose ethos is based on easy beauty for travel, hits the jackpot with its dual-ended concealer, Dualist Matte and Illuminating Concealer (15 shades available).  I like to use the stick end to cover areas such as my freckles and corners of the mouth and the inner corners of my eyes.  I complete the work by applying the liquid illuminating end to the contour of my eyes.  It is nice to just twirl a single component, and my skin looks even.

If you prefer an overall coverage but want to avoid the heaviness of a traditional foundation, I recommend the Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer Long-Wear Foundation SPF 19 (10 shades available) because it blurs the skin and creates soft matte finish that lasts for 12 hours.  You will not need to touch up your skin and its matteness will mask texture and absorb excess sebum. You can decant the product into a travel bottle or just pack the bottle itself, as it is sleek and lightweight.

For the cheeks, I recommend using a powder bronzer to add oomph, and this was extensively covered in my blog on bronzers for South Asian beauties.

The final step, lips, should be divided into day and night.  For day, I recommend a glossy, easy look, which requires a mere swipe to look done.  On a road trip, time is king, and more time should be spent making memories rather than achieving the perfect lip while you are dashing around in a new environment. I like the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, because they soothe lips while delivering colour and shine, that is evident on pink and mauve lips.  The applicator tip is smooth, so this ensures that the surface area of the lips is fully covered in product.

In the evening, when the glam quotient typically increases a few notches, I recommend a deep neutral lipstick that will flatter a multitude of outfits.  Again, WanderBeauty scores on convenience and portability as its Lipsetter Dual Lipstick and Liner (4 shades available) each contain a lipstick on one end and liner on the other.  You swipe on colour, and then twirl the component and define the lips. Each product contains squalane and peptides that moisturise and the finish is a soft matte, so you have a sophisticated mouth for a night out in a new town.

Tripping Thoughts

It is important to get away from your routine ever so often so that you can recharge… and it is all the more fun when you look your best but at an easier pace.  Beauty is not merely a trivial exercise that takes a vacation when you are on a road trip; it changes to suit your new mindset and infuses the memories with a touch of glamour.

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