Traveling with the LA Lady: Beauty & Makeup

Traveling puts you outside of your normal routine, which for me has meant struggling with breakouts and stressed skin on the road. My instinct is to bring my entire medicine cabinet with me “just in case” and at times I’ve needed it.

Instead of spending a fortune on new skincare and makeup products, I’ve simplified my routine and made it travel-friendly as a bonus. I’ve put together a list of what’s in my cosmetic bag, as well as a list of some of my favorites that are staying home…

What’s in:

Moisturizer: Some people have a lighter moisturizer for the summer and heavier for the winter. Since I’m using One Love Organics Supercritical Chia oil, I just adjust how much I use depending on what my skin needs.

Normally, I mix 4 drops of this with a spritz of my favorite toner, but it’s yet another liquid to bring so I just use a tiny bit of tap water. I put moisturizer first and foremost on my list because my skin seems to be chronically dry whenever I travel, no matter what climate or season I’m in. Go figure.

 

Cleanser + Makeup Remover: In keeping the liquids to a minimum, I never leave home without Yes to Grapefruit wipes.

 

These are part of my every day routine and I absolutely love them. And, just for the street cred:

As you can see, I love the cucumber ones too, but the grapefruit wipes seem to have more moisture and therefore excel at removing makeup. Bonus: they can double as wipes for makeup brushes. It won’t disinfect them but it will help get the buildup off.

Emergency product: Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Daily Face Peel (Extra Strength) packets

This peel is legendary and it’s one of the few peels that come in packets which keep them fresh. Whenever my skin decides to freak out (like it did recently when I tried some Kiehl’s products and ended up with a Class 1 breakout) this peel “resets” my skin and leaves it looking better than ever. I don’t use them daily as it would be way too much exfoliation for my sensitive skin. Because I buy the packets, I don’t have to worry about opening a container to find dry pads.

You might have another “emergency” product like this. Maybe it’s a blemish treatment or some kind of mask, but this works wonderfully for me.

BB Cream (or a foundation with SPF): Until recently, I haven’t had luck finding a BB cream that truly matches my skin. Boscia finally came out with a light color and I like that one, but Dr. Jart’s BB Cream takes the #1 spot:

My skin has a lot of redness and everyone has advised me to get something with a yellow undertone. When I’ve tried that, I just look yellow. This covers redness but is still true to my skin tone. Many BB creams are mattifying or have some kind of oil control, but this one leaves me looking dewy. If that’s not your thing, you might try the Dr. Jart Black Label Detox BB Cream as it’s designed for more blemish-prone skin.

Basic makeup essentials: eyebrow powder, highlighter, concealer and lip gloss with spf. That’s it. None of these are out of the ordinary but these products make me look like… me. Does that make sense?

Dry shampoo: there are plenty that come in travel sizes now. The last thing I want to do is spend time blow-drying my hair when I could be having breakfast and people-watching.

What stays home:

Makeup color palettes of any kind: If it has more than four colors, it’s staying home. You’ll survive without a warm neutral lip color or blue eyeshadow. Take a day and a night color and call it a day!

A gaggle of brushes: I took a look at all the brushes I use on a weekly basis. The number? 12. I’ve managed to pair it down to a sponge, an eyebrow brush and a concealer brush.

Toner: it’s a luxury, but it’s a liquid. I can live without it for a week or two.