Well by the time you’ll be reading this, I’ll be on a flight to Vancouver en route to the Philippines! Three of my besties and I are doing a three-week vacay in Thailand, Bali and the Philippines, something we’ve been planning for the past year.
I travel a lot but have always hated packing and unpacking. I usually leave it to the last minute, but since we’ll be travelling to some sun destinations and it’s more than a few days (I rarely check my bag anymore), I had to bring and pack a ton of stuff. Shorts, summer shoes, sunscreen, bathing suits, etc. Basically a lot of stuff. Things that I wouldn’t normally bring with me for any old trip.
Now since I’m a beauty blogger I have a ton of travel minis in my arsenal of products and since we’ll be in the sun lots, I wanted to do a post on what’s in my travel skincare and hair bag since I’ll probably be wearing minimal makeup (lots of swimming, sweating and tanning), tons of plane travel (all that canned air), and I’m relying on my friend’s straightener to curl my locks since none of my hair devices will work over in Asia due to the voltage.
Anyways, without further ado, here are some of products that made it in my travel bag.
Since the flight from Vancouver to Korea is 12 hours (and then another three or so hours to Manila), my skin is going to be so dry and gross. I’m planning on doing a face mask sometime on the plane to keep my skin hydrated. I’ll be packing some sheet masks from The Face Shop, since A) Korean skincare will be so timely (we have a city tour there on the way back since our stopover is so long), and B) they are easier and cleaner than a clay mask. I also have some undereye patches packed to cure some dark circles and puffiness, as well as some argan oil in water for some mid-flight refreshing.
For the lips I have the Fresh Sugar Rose lip balm for some ultra moisture (I always get chapped lips) and a cute eye mask (this one is from Sephora) to block out any lighting for sleep.
For skincare, I actually received a Fresh skincare set during the holidays so I’ll be bringing along a few products from that set, including the Soy Fresh Cleanser, which is the cleanser I usually use for travel, as well as the Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream and the Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. The Youth Preserve Face Cream provides 24 hours of moisture and boosts radiance, which is very much needed when travelling.
Since we are visiting some sun destinations, sunscreen is a must. I have two face creams packed, including the Skinceuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50, which in addition to providing UVA/UVB protection, smoothes skin texture and minimizes the appearance of pores. It’s also great as a makeup primer since it dries to a powdery finish, however, it you wanted to wear it as is, the translucent colour spheres provide a universal tint for all skin tones.
I also have the Tarteguard 30 moisturizing sunscreen lotion, which has UVA/UVB protection. Since Tarte’s products are vegan, this one is infused with maracuja, red algae, soybean, apple, and honeysuckle extracts to nourish, tone, and retain moisture while combatting signs of aging for a firmer, brighter, smoother appearance. It also smells amazing, definitely not anything like that chemically smell that is ubiquitous with sunscreens.
As for body sunscreens, I have all my faves from Sunbum and Green Beaver on hand so I don’t burn out on the beaches of Thailand (or in our private pool in our Air BNB in Bali).
Finally, for hair, I picked up some reusable travel containers to bring along my own shampoo and conditioner (I chose to go with the Pantene Expert Dry Defy Intense Hydration since it’s so nourishing), and for styling products, I stocked up on Ouai minis. You guys know I love their Wave Spray, which is much lighter on the hair than hair spray, so I grabbed a 50 ml of that, as well as their dry shampoo (a must for travel!), the finishing cream, and the texturing hair spray (for nights out and braids). I also threw in some hair elastics and this mini boar brush from Sephora, which untangles my hair in one brush (plus it’s gold – so cute!).
When it comes to large international trips, it can be be tough to decide what you need to bring. Especially since it’s winter here and summer there. I hate the feeling of overpacking, so I definitely think I will be getting some major use out of all these items.
As for maintaining the blog while I’m away, I’m usually really good on preplanning my posts, however, last week saw me in Toronto visiting my boyfriend’s family so I didn’t have a ton of time to get writing on here. I do have some posts planned, so there will be some new content to read while I’m away. Also, check out my Instagram (Shayna_apopofcolour) and Snaps (apopofcolour) for some pics and vids of my trip!
What do you pack for travel?
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Now that I no longer have eyelash extensions (I had an allergic reaction to them), I can wear tons of eye makeup again. When I had my eyelashes, my makeup routine was so simple and since my lashes were so full I hardly wore anything on my eyes (plus I didn’t want them to fall out faster when I washed that area). Because of this, I’m back to my regular cat liner and tons of mascara.
Although I have tons of different eyeliner formulas, I often reach for liquid liner (my fave is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner), but occasionally I’ll apply a gel liner since you get such deep colour. It’s also creamier to work with and gives you a more dramatic line. I’ve never tried Tarte’s liners before but they recently sent me one of their limited edition sets featuring deluxe sizes of the Tartiest Clay Paint Liners in black and bronze, plus a mini brush to apply them (C$25).
The Tartiest Clay Paint Liner is a squeezable cream liner that comes in a tube with a tapered tip. The whole idea is based off an artist’s palette, so you squeeze out as much as you want. Their angled bamboo liner brush easily applies the product to lids and the product sets to a 12-hour wear that’s waterproof (similar to their clay pot liners).
I tested this guy out last weekend and since I always wear black I was excited to try the bronze since I love wearing brown liner because it’s not as harsh and more daytime appropriate.
When I opened the tube I was surprised by the shape of the tip, it’s curved and rounded, and unfortunately I squeezed it too hard that the product went everywhere. All over my counters, in my hair… I wasn’t too impressed. Once I actually applied it though I was very happy with how smooth it went on and the amount of pigment you get. The bronze is darker so it’s not too obvious. Also, I really liked the shape of the brush. It’s angled at the end so it makes it simple to apply the liner.
The above photo is with a flash so you can see how bronzy it looks. In real life though it’s not that shiny. Regardless, it’s a beautiful liner and although black may be more standard, sporting this shade instead is a nice change up.
To go with the liner, I put on the Tartiest Lip Paint in Bestie, a deep nude.This is a quick dry full-coverage transfer-proof liquid lipstick that’s apparently launching in spring 2017. These apply like similar matte liquid lipsticks, in that they are wet when you put them on then dry to a matte formula that won’t budge. It has a Comfortflex formula, which means it won’t dry out your lips, flake away or feather. It has a wand similar to other matte liquid lipsticks in that it’s doe-shaped but features a dip so you can line your lips and fill them in perfectly.
Similar to the Kylie Cosmetics ones, this one did make my lips look quite large, which is always a plus (especially when you use a lip liner – the one I have on here is Make Up For Ever). It also lasted quite a while on my lips and didn’t fade away after eating or drinking. This one in particular features a special applicator top with a holiday packaging, but these are available on both Tarte’s and Sephora’s sites in 21 different shades (C$24 on Sephora and C$26 on Tarte).
I’ve recently gotten more into Tarte’s products and am loving their recent releases. I also love how their products are vegan and not tested on animals. Always a plus in my books.
Have you tried the Tartiest Clay Plaint Liner or the Tartiest Matte Liquid Lipstick?
Please note, product provided by PR. All opinions are my own.
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I have a pretty large nail polish collection. Although I love switching up my polish every few days, when you want something to last a little longer (like on a trip), I always switch over to a gel kit.
A gel manicure is great because you cure the polish using an LED light, meaning that there is no drying time, and best of all, the polish stays on your nails for much longer. If you go to a salon they can be quite pricey, but luckily nowadays there are so many at-home options out there to try out for a reasonable price.
I have a few gel kits, and although I have my faves, they for the most part all work the same. You use a base coat, cure it, two coats of polish, cure it, then topcoat it and cure it again. After, you usually use a liquid to wipe off the tacky residue. The outcome is amazing, but it’s a timely process.
What if I told you though that there was a gel manicure set that did all that in one step and it was shaped like a parisian delicacy? No, I’m not crazy, there is and it’s called Le Mini Macaron.
Le Mini Macaron, available for C$45 at Hudson’s Bay, is a macaron-shaped gel manicure kit that gives you a one-step gel mani. All you do it plug it in, paint a couple coats of the polish, cure each coat, then you’re done. No base coat, no top coat, no sticky residue.
Each set, available in nine colours with over 35 additional colours available, contains a LED lamp, a polish (that matches the macaron lamp), a cuticle stick, a mini nail file, and 10 remover pads. The lamp is small, so therefore you do have to do each nail one at a time. It does work fast though, curing the polish in 30 seconds (it will shut off when it’s done), and it can plug into your laptop or any plug (perfect for travel!). The top also flips on the lamp so you can do your toes as well.
The best part about this set (other than it’s the cutest!) is definitely the three-in-one formula. Like I said, doing a traditional at-home gel mani takes forever since there are so many steps. With this set, there’s only one really, and it’ll leave you with a shiny gel manicure. I also love the colour selection on these, as well as the price. Plus, it’s just the cutest beauty product I’ve seen in a while. That counts for something, right?
Now as much as I love this set (and I really do!), unfortunately the polish does not last long on me. I’ve used it a few times, and every time the polish either chips or peels away after a day or so and you’re left with a gooey tacky substance on your nail, which I just end up peeling off (a total no-no for gel polish BTW). Le Mini Macaron says that the polish should last seven to 10 days, however, the most I’ve gotten would be around three to four days. A major tip I have though is to do thin coats; if you do a thick coat you’re running the risk of having bubbles in the polish, which will eventually burst and then you’re left with a mess.
I really do have mixed feelings about this product. On one hand, I love it for so many reasons, but then the one thing it’s supposed to do, have long-lasting polish, it lacks in. Definitely a big disappointment, but since it’s so small and so fast, I certainly didn’t mind redoing a couple nails.
The only retailer I know that sells this is Hudson’s Bay, however, you can purchase it from their official site as well. I’m not sure if Hudson’s Bay has the gel polish in store so you can pick up other colours, which is unfortunate since for $45 you would probably want more than one colour (and the colours they offer are sooo cute BTW). I know these went on sale on Boxing Day, so if you are interested I’m trying them out (which overall I really recommend), then try to scoop one up.
Have you tried Le Mini Macaron?
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