Expert Beauty Tips

There is an art to travelling light especially when taking creams, fragrances and other toiletries with you.

Many of us spend our fair share of time on trains and planes for work or going on holiday, meaning it takes skill, organisation and creative packing to travel light. So we have some tips to lessen the load but keep all your beauty loves with you as well as taking care of yourself in travel time. 

Love the journey

Think of the journey as part of the experience, as travel can be exhausting. If on a long flight, wear minimal makeup and use it as some time to pamper. Try cleansing and toning then apply a really hydrating moisturiser as the air on a plane can be very drying due to the air conditioning; use eye drops as eyes can get dry and use a good eye cream too.  A spritz of rosewater before you land and you will arrive fresh faced.

Size matters

Keep it petite by choosing mini sizes of products to reduce your baggage. We love our new limited edition Discovery Packs as the mini tubes can easily fit in your purse or pocket, so you can have even toned skin wherever you are. The Discovery Pack contains three shades, which means it can take you through the holiday if you are planning on catching a little sun or get mild sunburn.

Remember to relax

This is definitely a hard one for me but don’t lug everything with you from your bathroom cabinet, keep it simple. Try to relax your routine if you are visiting a hot climate; maybe change your full foundation for a tinted moisturiser and keep an eye out for when your favourite brands are doing travel sizes, even if it’s the wrong time of year save them for your holidays. I have always found when I buy jars and decant I get them mixed up, they dry out or break, I much prefer mini sizes of my favourite products.

Multitasking is key

Choose products that do more than one thing, for example choose a foundation with a primer built in or a product like Nars Multiple that can be used on cheeks and lips. ReCover is great for multitasking as the tan shades can even out a patchy fake tan, bridge the colour on strap marks, tone down a bit too much sun exposure and you can also thin it out with your moisturiser to become a foundation. You can even use the deeper tan colours to contour if you are feeling confident.

Keep it clean

Cleanse your skin thoroughly after a day of sightseeing, as pollution can upset skin especially in a sunny climate. I take Lancer cleanser, as washing my face feels really important after a busy day in a hot city. If you find that sun cream brings you out in spots, experiment with some of the skincare brands that are making their own SPF, again Lancer has a new one that I really like.

Clean comfort

Having worked in the film industry, I have spent extended time “living” in hotels.  Hotel rooms can sometimes feel a little sterile, so to help you drift off to sleep, choose a nurturing facial night oil to apply before you go to sleep. I like Bamford facial oil, as I find the fragrance of chamomile, lemon and rose very relaxing, helping me to sleep and it reminds me of home.

Overnight restoration

If that perfect little Spanish finca doesn’t have a/c you might want to ditch your heavy night creams and go for something like Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial which has a lovely serum-oil texture. Generally if we are in a hot climate we need to lighten up on the cream otherwise you might find skin getting clogged and spots coming which is the last thing you want on your holiday.

Go native

I adore pharmacies and apothecaries abroad. It’s a passion of mine to always go, my favourites are in America, France, Spain and Italy.  I am fascinated by skin and am always searching for new products, to calm, soothe or just because they smell great.  If you are heading to Spain, pick up some Talquistina which is a saviour for any kind of itch, burn or bite and seen our family through chicken pox, allergic reactions and seriously itchy mosquito bites. Italy has the fabulously scented Ortigia from Sicily, and France has some wonderful pharmacy brands in skincare like Bioderma and La Roche Posay.