I feel like a bit of an expert now when it comes to navigating airports and travelling long haul. Especially after all my trips this year. Slowly, the more I’ve travelled the more frustrated I’ve got with how much STUFF I lug around with me. As the year has progressed I’ve steadily decreased the amount of things I’ve got in my bags and found some great beauty options to help free up space and still ensure I have what I need when I land in another country.
These are my 3 travel beauty essentials that I’d recommend:
For the lips
Chapstick launched in South Africa this year and I received a press drop – which included the Coral Blush Total Hydration Moisture and Tint. This has become my go to when I travel. Before I’d carry lip balm and lipstick with me but now I’ve been able to replace both with my Chapstick. The tint is really good and lasts far longer than I expected, while also moisturising my lips. I actually prefer it to lipstick now. I’ll be honest, the Coral Blush is a bit “orange” for my liking, but I’m hoping to grab a few other colours soon and then can mix and match depending on what I need. While it isn’t a giant space save, it still means there is zero stress if you forget one of the other 2 options… until, like I plan to do, you buy three or four colour variations and end up carrying all of them. Oops.
No more shampoo “accidents”
I’ve lost count of how many times my shampoo has leaked in my bag. I can only presume it is the pressure changes when flying. My shampoo and conditioner also take up so much space. The Zero Bar launched in South Africa recently and it is the IDEAL travel companion and frees up a ton of space because you can use it as a shampoo and conditioner. You buy the bars online, they cost R75 each or R300 for a pack of 4 (you need to buy them online here). The bars can be used for about 60 hair washes. They’re a bit weird to use in the beginning but I love the way my hair feels. You can get either the Argan, Jojoba, Moringa or Desert Melon option. Each bar contains Argan oil, Macadamia nut oil, Avocado oil, Linseed and Grapeseed oil, Sunflower oil, coconut oil and protein. I worried they’d leave my hair feeling oily but this wasn’t the case at all. The Wild Desert Melon option is definitely my favourite. I usually let it dry out after use and then pop it back in the box before travelling. Works like a charm! The Zero Bar is also a South African product, so you’re supporting local business.
The wonder cloth!
Full disclosure, I’ve not actually used one of these yet. I’ve seen so many overseas and been told to import, but then my friend Sharon over at kweenb.co.za mentioned that this magical cloth has a South African cousin. Basically it is a cloth designed to remove make up. I’ve seen it in action via various insta-stories and it looks amazing. You just wet it and it does a stellar job and removing your make up. I always forget make up removal wipes when I travel and then have to scrub my face and irritate my skin because of the camera make up I’m always wearing. So this cloth is the perfect option. I also find removal wipes have a tendency to cause my skin to break out. Sharon swears by it and I trust her. You machine wash it every so often and you’re good to go. They cost around R90. The brand is called WOWJude and for awhile it was almost impossible to get anyone from the brand to communicate with you. However, they’ve since set up a little online store and I actually ordered my own cloth today – so I’ll let you know how it goes. This is a great one for travelling because you don’t need to stress about carrying containers of make up remover and wipes around. I’m so excited to try it out!
Have any other travel beauty essentials to suggest? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll check them out.
Disclosure: I received a Chapstick and ZeroBar press pack to test out the products. I’ve purchased my own WOWJude face cloth.
