Meet Dolores, the cutest travel beauty bag I’ve ever seen. Today I’m sharing her contents - the beauty essentials I brought with me on holidays. I saved this post until after my return so that I could talk about what I actually used the most. The first pic is everything (minus make-up or we’d be here all day), followed by a closer look…
The full shebang above… I’m gonna try to skim through the contents (not in my nature as you know) since there’s so much to get through.
From the left… Hair bands are an absolute essential for me in hot weather and I love Popbands as they’re so soft and can be worn around the wrist for emergencies (I’m guessing other long/ big haired readers will also consider needing a hair tie an emergency?). I’ve already raved about Bee Good Honey & Wild Mint Cleansing Water here - think super refreshing and effective, just what you need in a hot climate. Macadamia Flawless is one of my best beauty discoveries of the year. It’s a cleansing conditioner packed with goodness including macadamia and argan oils, which is a pleasure to use and basically cleanses and conditions in one step, leaving my hair incredibly soft. Although not cheap, I think it’s worth every penny - and just spotted a travel size on Beauty Bay! Phyto Plage After Sun is a treatment for holiday parched hair, just spritz in and leave to do the work (smells lush too). Ultrasun SPF 30 for sensitive skin is my all-time favourite sunscreen for the body. I first discovered this when my son developed eczema as a baby and we’ve all used it ever since - one application lasts all day (yes really), it sinks in quickly, isn’t white or sticky and gives me total peace of mind… it *just works*. My Washi cloths come everywhere with me for hot cloth cleansing - super soft and very thin, they dry out quickly and I’ve used them for years. Clinique Even Better SPF 45 is my favourite for face, neck and décolleté (full ode here).
Most of these are travel minis, always a winner for me - I try to stock them up throughout the year, use them up on hols, then bin them before I come home. Charles Worthington Dry Shampoo is perfect for freshening up hair and giving it a little oomph between beach and dinner if you can’t be bothered with full-on styling. Heal Gel Intensive is a skin healing wonder, used daily on insect bites and prickly heat. This also works well on sunburn if you happen to miss a bit. Bourjois Nail Polish Remover for Hands and Feet (review here) is great for the colour fickle or those who can’t handle a single chip - just me? Weleda minis are a constant in my stash as they bring them out regularly (other brands, take note!) and I love both the Sea Buckthorn and Wild Rose creamy body washes, which don’t dry out my skin (actually everything in the Sea Buckthorn range is divine).
For skincare, I took these Caudalie Polyphenol minis (more details in this post) and the super gentle REN Hot Cloth Cleanser pictured above… I prefer the balm but this is lovely if you like a cream texture.
And just to prove that it all fits in the bag!
Are any of you heading off on holiday soon? If so, I hope you find some of these suggestions useful.
