The best beauty travel bag
On holiday, the low-maintenance beauty regime slips even lower. No make-up, hair tied back, sun screen (either Avene or Ultra Sun; for my sensitive skin), plenty of shower gel and a decent moisturiser. A quick spritz of Jo Malone’s Basil & Neroli cologne and I’m good to go. That’s it. No-faffing. I’m a bit of a skinflint and so my travel bag is usually a mixture of decanted lotions (Muji is good for containers) and miniature bottles of shampoo and shower gel nabbed from hotel rooms. Which reminds me, the first time I went away with Mr That’s Not My Age he had packed his shaving kit in a freebie cool bag (lunch size). I kid you not. Anyhow. We have moved on since then. This summer, my holiday beauty bag had a luxury upgrade. Thanks to Elemis who sent me a gift of this limited edition travel collection, a collaboration with Lily & Lionel. And, unlike Mr TNMA, I’ll be hanging onto the ‘designer keepsake’ bag. Big in the 1990s, Elemis is a skincare brand I am fond of – and as well as all the classic products, it’s doing some really good stuff, again. Slathering on the Frangipani body oil, in Greece, I felt completely spoiled, and after fishing a couple of floating face wipes out of the sea with a stick, I was pleased to be using the White Flowers makeup remover.
One of the best moisturisers with SPF I’ve found is Elemis’ Dynamic Resurfacing Day Cream. This super-duper beauty bag comes with a tub of Elemis’ oh-so popular Pro-Collagen Marine Cream which is equally lovely but a tad more fragrant. I am funny about fragranced moisturisers but I know beauty editors who buy this product because it makes their skin feel smooth, firm and fresh.
Here are some more holiday bits and pieces. What’s in your beauty travel bag?
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I decant things into plastic containers from Boots or travel sized bottles I top up. Eye makeup remover always Take the Day off from Clinique. Usually given away in small size as part of a promotion. Then Eau Micillaire from Caudalie, small size face wash same brand and their Vinosource cream and eye cream, small size toothpaste Sensodyne from Superdrug who have a whole range of travel size. For shower gel I use Ren rose one decanted or travel size Caudalie Eau de Vigne. For sun cream preferred brand is Roche Posay in a 100 ml tube factor 30 which I’ve used all summer or Avene. Both available now at Boots. All of this is stored in the correct size zip up transparent plastic bag. Rather than flimsy freezer bags I use a sturdier one from French chain Monoprix. Which can be recycled. T K Maxx now selling some similar transparent plastic zip bags filled with bottles and pots for lotions and creams. Saw these in section selling padlocks and luggage tags near suitcases. A useful thing to pick up. I always pack a starter bottle of shampoo and conditioner in bottles outside of suitcase so I have the ones I like to use before I get hold of more. And I don’t forget to pack a decent shower cap and soap dish with Simple brand non-perfumed soap so I don’t have to use harsher stuff.