As if summer didn’t bring with it enough beauty woes—the breakouts, the sunburns, the split ends—summertime travel adds a whole ‘nother layer of sticky, sweaty skin and haircare concerns. That vacation glow can easily fade when the realities of hotel hard water, big city pollution, or mountain mosquito bites hit. Plus the full-size beauty arsenal in our bathroom drawers doesn’t exactly pass muster at the TSA check! Last month I survived playing tourist for 16 days in Europe with my complexion intact, so I thought I’d share the travel beauty essentials that made it possible!
1. Aveda’s new Shampure Dry Shampoo smells as heavenly as its liquid counterpart, fits in a purse pocket with room to spare, and perks up your ‘do for dinner even after it’s been squashed beneath a hat all day.
2. Spot touchup or cover all over with dual-duty Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer, which feels weightless on skin in spite of its pigment rich formula. This one gets bonus points for staying put all day, even after hours exploring Rome in 90 degree heat!
3. The sleek and stylish packaging of Stowaway Cosmetics Cheek & Lip Rouge also happens to be one-third the size of standard cosmetics, so you can fit two or three of these all-purpose color pots into your makeup bag. The rouge offers buildable color but performs like a stain. It’s marathon pasta dinner tested and approved!
4. Lasting yet non-greasy moisture and seemingly endless versatility makes Kimberly Parry Hydrating Facial Balm well worth its cost. Stow it in your carry on to keep plane-induced dryness at bay; dab it on flyaway ponytail strands; or even apply it to pulse points for its dreamy jasmine scent.
5. Special complexion treatments are usually the first to get cut when packing for a trip, but S.W. Basics Exfoliant definitely deserves a spot in the dopp kit. The ground oat and almond powder is both mess proof and carry on friendly. Mix it with water for a quick scrub or steal some honey from the continental breakfast for a skin-soothing mask.
6. The sensitive skin formulation in EltaMD UV Clear has not only shielded my skin from the sun all summer, it’s done so without causing a single blemish. In fact, my breakouts are even less frequent since I began using this mineral-based sunblock, thanks to the soothing ingredients and extra-gentle formulation. I may have found my white whale of sun protection!