How to Look Your Best While Travelling

Just because travelling can be stressful doesn’t mean you have to look it. We’ve compiled a guide for you to follow in preparing your beauty essentials, as well as some important skin care tips that’ll make sure that you’ll be looking your best before, during, and after you land.

Before Taking Off

First and foremost, simplify your beauty regimen down to the basics. Bring only the essentials. However, there are certain non-negotiables that you must include in your travel kit. The following is a list of what those items should be:

close up of women hands receiving sunblock cream lotion

–       Sunblock: protecting your skin from the harsh rays of the sun is very important! Whether you’re headed for the tropics or the mountains, UV rays will still be an issue you need to be careful of.

–       Moisturizer: flying can dehydrate you drastically. The most important potion in your carry on is a hydrating facial cream to lock in moisture.

–       Night cream: if you’re traveling at night, be sure to have night cream to rejuvenate your skin to work while you’re catching some much-needed rest. You’ll be soft and supple when the coffee cart comes along the next morning.

–       Eye cream: dehydration causes crow’s feet and dark circles under your eyes. Be sure to have some on hand to make sure you don’t look puffy when you land.

–       Facial cleanser and facial wipes: these are important in removing the grime of your travels off your face. You don’t want to arrive looking hassled and haggard as you may feel. Also, if you end up buying one at your destination that you don’t use, this can disrupt your skin’s acid balance; no one wants to have a breakout disaster during their vacation. Try not to change the kind of facial cleanser you use before and during your trip.

–       Mineral water spray: if you’re looking for a pick-me-up to brighten your skin, don’t pile on foundation or blush. Use a mister of mineral water and add a dab of moisturizer instead. Even if you’re wearing some make up, this will help you look more refreshed.

–       Toothbrush, toothpaste: it’s not only important to look fresh; you should also smell fresh too. This is a good one to remember, especially if you’re meeting people right when you land.

–       Oil blotting paper: Dab away the excess oil without stripping your skin of moisture. Bring blotting papers or rice papers and be sure to keep your T-zone in check.

–       Eye drops: want to avoid having red or tired looking eyes after long haul trips? Always have these in hand for immediate relief.

female applying cream to her hands

–       Hand cream: your hands need love too! Whenever you wash your hands in transit, the harsh commercial-grade soaps and the high altitude can leave your hands feeling dry.

–       Dry shampoo: make sure that your tresses are always looking fresh and clean with this in your kit.

If you’re traveling by plane, do not forget the 3.4 fluid ounces limit. The last thing you want is to have your stash thrown away right before you board. Depending on the brand and place, your products may be more expensive at your destination, or not available at all. This can become an added cost that you may not have allotted for your spending budget.

The next time you buy your beauty products, keep in mind that department stores often have sample-sized products that are useful for travel, so be sure to ask for some for your future travels. Another alternative is going to cosmetics stores, drug stores, or large retailer shops that sell empty travel sized containers.  Simply transfer some of the contents of your regular-sized cosmetics into the smaller ones. Be sure to properly clean the containers and to not contaminate your make-ups and creams with any unwanted dirt from your hands. This can cause outbreaks or irritation later on.

For your make up, think about what looks go best with the clothes you’ll be packing. Keep in mind what are you really going to use. A good rule of thumb is to not only pack the essentials, but also limit your indulgence to one or two items if you want to add a little something extra for expected (or unexpected) specials occasions that could bring some sparkle to your look.

The most crucial thing to remember when travelling is to keep hydrated both inside and out. A couple of days before your date of departure make sure that you drink lots of water and consume loads of fruits and vegetables. Avoid salty foods. The night before you leave, exfoliate flakes of dead skin and apply intensive moisturizer both on your face and body, especially if you’re flying as these will help increase hydration in your skin before you’re exposed to the dehydrating effects of cabin pressure.

Up, Up, and Away

A.    Back to Basics

portrait of beautiful young smiling woman applying powder

On the day of your trip, try wearing little to no make up at all.  Avoid wearing any kind of foundation, and instead apply moisturizer/sunblock. Minimal amounts of tinted moisturizer would be okay, but letting your skin breathe would be the best option. Ideally, apply the tinted moisturizer before you land. Use moisturizer whenever your skin is feeling dry during the journey. Don’t forget to keep your hands moisturized too.

If you really need to wear make up during your trip, (let’s say you’ve got a meeting as soon as you land), be sure that you apply primer (choose a silicone-based liquid or cream for this) first before putting on some foundation and after you moisturize. This creates a barrier that locks in the moisture, helps your make up last longer, and keeps your skin from becoming dehydrated. To keep your look fresh, spray some mineral water on your face and add a smidge of moisturizer.  Do not wear mascara while traveling. When you take a nap, you will wake up and find that it has smeared all over your eyes and cheeks. Do not use cream-based eye shadow as well, because this has a tendency of moving around on your face while you are catching some shuteye.

If you’re worried about looking lifeless or bland because your skin is so bare, use several coats of lip stain and seal the color in with clear gloss. Avoid using any lipsticks, especially long-lasting ones, because they only leave you feeling parched and dehydrated. Always have a lip balm handy to keep your lips moist and to prevent them from cracking during long haul flights. Simply reapply your lip stain and gloss to keep your look colorful.

 B.    Eating and Drinking Habits

How to stay fit while you travel? Drink lots of fluids when you’re travelling, but be weary of what kind of drinks you consume. Water, herbal teas and juices are best. Avoid drinking too much soda, coffee, and liquors as they contain caffeine and alcohol. Too much of these can leave you feeling dry, dehydrated, and sick. Try not to eat too much salty foods as well, so limit the amount of peanuts and pretzels you have.

C.    No Touching

During the trip, keep your hands of your face. You’ve been busy going through public places and you may have touched some unknown bacteria during the course of the day. You don’t want that on your face as that can lead to breakouts or skin complications later on. You also don’t want to clog your pores with the oils and dirt from your fingertips.

If you need to freshen up mid-flight, use the face wipes instead of actually washing your face. The low humidity in airplanes causes moisture to be sucked out of damp skin. Meanwhile, if you need to apply makeup while in transit, be sure to wash your hands with an antibacterial wash before touching any of your products or your face.

D.   Get Some Rest

girl in the airplane

Especially during long haul flights, get as much shut eye as you can. Watching too many back-to-back in-flight movies, or reading that novel from start to finish can cause you to feel tired, make you look washed out, and your eyes red, watery, and puffy. When you do nap, be sure to put some night and eye cream on. Put on a sleep mask to really help you maximize your down time. If you didn’t get enough rest and you’re looking a bit bleary eyed, simply apply some eye drops to lubricate and brighten them. You can also perk up your sallow looking skin with some shimmer powder or cream. Before landing, apply minimal and light amounts on the bridge of your nose, apples of your cheeks, and your forehead. Never forget that you can also just wear some sunglasses to hide the evidence of a rough flight. Here are more tips for stress-free travel so that you can arrive with a rested and ready mind.

Check  also out these top 5 travel accessories. These things are very useful and are going to make your trip much more pleasant and easier!

E.    Mane-tenance and Hair Care

Always have a natural bristle brush at hand to avoid static electricity from ruining your luscious locks, and keep some handy stand-bys just in case you have a hair emergency. Have some simple, plain elastics on hand; though you can also be creative with the use of a scarf if you bring one. Hats can also hide those bad hair days if you need be. If you’re looking a little too greasy and disheveled, bring out your dry shampoo to ensure that you’ll land looking sleek and clean.

F.    What to Wear

Make sure that you’re dressed in loose, comfortable clothing that you can move around freely in and your skin can breathe as well. Avoid anything too tight like fitted skirts of jeans, or something uncomfortable such as heels. Shoes that can be easily removed are also a must for airport security. Check out 3 tips how to choose best travel shoes for women. Remember, you can still look our best without going all out. Keep your outfits simple and casual. If you have important meetings or people to see when you land, simply pack these in your carry on. That way, your clothes also don’t get wrinkled. Also, try dressing in layers so that you can either add or remove articles of clothing depending on the temperature of the place you are in. Here are business travel clothes you still haven’t tried.

Enjoy your trip!

About the author

Niccole Somodio

Niccole is a blogger based in Madrid, but is frequently in America and Asia as well. She's owned a private catering company, been a private language tutor, and a personal assistant.

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