It's that time of year again when we all frantically bulk buy sun cream, dig out all 23 of our bikinis, and get (completely justifiably) over excited because HOLIDAY TIME!! Whether you're jetting off for a city break with only a carry-on bag of clothes between you and your boyfriend, looking forward to a cocktail filled fortnight with the girls, or packing all your worldly belongings into a massive rucksack and going it alone on the backpacking adventure of a life time, I hope these travel tips will help you save time, money and space when you're packing your beauty products.
1. LOSE THE LIQUIDS
They're just inconvenient. Leaky, sticky and not to mention really annoying if you're only travelling with hand luggage. Swap any you can for a solid version - cleansing balm instead of micellar water, a bar of soap instead of shower gel, lip balm instead of gloss... you get the idea. Lush are particularly good for this sort of thing, while I was backpacking in Borneo earlier in the year my lovely friends got me the Honey I Washed My Hair solid shampoo bar which is way more practical when you're travelling/staying in hostels with no free toiletries and it lasts longer than a liquid shampoo all while smelling amazing. I recently picked up Lush's Sun solid perfume as well which has proved much easier than lugging a massive glass bottle of perfume with me on weekend breaks!
2. MINIATURES ARE YOUR FRIEND
Use this opportunity to clear out your make up drawers and use up all those mini products and magazine freebies that you've been stashing away. High end makeup samples are perfect for taking away with you as they're often such small tubes it doesn't matter if they get lost (i.e. left in the toilets of a beach bar when you've had one too many mojitos...) and they also give you a chance to try out new products without splashing out another £30 on your annual pre-holiday Boots aisle sweep.
3. DECANT, DECANT, DECANT
It's a bit fiddly but it will save you so much hassle in the long run. I always fill little bottles or pots with just enough cleanser, eye cream and moisturiser to last me for the trip. You can easily find bottles with pumps or squeezy lids so you'll have a perfect fit for all your products. This Body Shop travel kit is a good bet, or you can pick a similar set up in Tiger.
4. KEEP IT BASIC
Seriously, do you really need those seven eyeshadows plus all three Naked palettes? I promise you will use way less products while you're away than you think. Cut your makeup bag down to the bare essentials - and I mean essentials. Try taking a BB cream or tinted moisturiser instead of foundation (it will barely last five minutes on the beach anyway due to all that sun, sand, sea and sweat...). I always pick up a cheap drugstore one that I can use to cover up any awkward only caught the sun in a line under where my sunglasses were marks or build up if I want a bit more coverage in the evening. Chuck in some waterproof mascara, a no-fuss brow product (my favourite is Benefit's Gimme Brow), a goes-with-anything lipstick and you're good to go!
5. BUY LOCAL
Things are often cheaper abroad and foreign pharmacies are always fun to look around and discover new brands in. You can pick up anything you lose/run out in them which will save you overpacking and stuffing three more tubes of cotton wool pads and another bottle of Bioderma in your suitcase at the last minute 'just in case'. This also gives you an excuse to stop in at the local Sephora, if you really needed another reason! If you're travelling for a few months, this is definitely the way to go as there's no point weighing down your already-bursting rucksack with twelve weeks worth of moisturiser! Any jet-setting beauty lovers who find themselves in Asia on their adventures, make sure to get some Tiger Balm out there as it's cheaper than buying it in the UK and it's literally a miracle cure for everything.
Let me know if you've got any other space- and stress- saving holiday packing tips, and if you found these ones helpful be a absolute babe and share it with your friends by tweeting this post!
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