Look Good on the Go: 6 Travel Beauty Tips
By Abbie Kozolchyk
Whether you're jetting off to a beach vacation or heading home for the holidays, you'll want to look your best without packing the entire bathroom cabinet. To help you stay gorgeous -- and spill- and crumble-free -- we asked experts and some glam globe-trotters for ingenious tips for maintaining your beauty regimen on the fly.
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1. Choose your travel companions wisely.
Save space in your luggage by leaving body wash and moisturizers at home. Whatever you find in your hotel room -- or Mom's bathroom -- will probably do the trick. That is, unless you have a fave product that seriously multitasks: "My must-have is Neutrogena Body Oil [$10, drugstores]," says celebrity makeup artist Amy Oresman. "It serves as my daily hydrator, my skin soother after too much sun, my shaving cream stand-in, and my frizz-and-flyaway tamer." As for shampoo, BYO only if you have damaged and/or color-treated hair, says Rita Hazan, a celebrity colorist and salon owner in New York City. "The hotel kind can be drying and color stripping." What you should bring: your own conditioner, a mild liquid facial cleanser, and a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30. "I also pack cortisone cream in case of inflammation, Aquaphor for severe dryness or cuts, and acne cream because the stress of traveling can trigger a breakout," says Diane Berson, MD, a dermatologist in New York City.
2. Downsize dramatically.
You know not to lug full-size products along; travel-friendly containers that meet the TSA's 3.4-ounce regulation can ride in your carry-on bag. One thing to keep in mind if you're filling your own bottles: "Leave a bit of room at the top, so the container will be less likely to explode with changing air pressure on the plane," Berson says. Or make it easy on yourself and "collect beauty-counter samples to take on trips," says Melanie Brandman, the founder of TheTravelCurator.com. "These can be used on the road, then thrown out."
3. Avoid baggage-claim calamity.
Dodge spillage inside your suitcase by putting a piece of tape around the seal of your travel containers, Hazan says. Then place them in two ziplock bags, with the closures on opposite sides. Push the air out before you seal, because changing pressure in the plane can make ziplocks explode. Next, nestle the bagged bottles inside easy-to-wash jeans or T-shirts, suggests Julie Morgenstern, a professional organizer in New York City. "If something does spill, the cotton will absorb it." Finally, lay your bagged liquids flat, says Jenny Cho, a Suave Professionals celebrity stylist. "Otherwise the bottles can crack."
Related:8 Tips for Germ-Free Travel
4. Prevent a breakup.
If you've ever found bronzer crumbles all over your vacation wardrobe -- or a sticky sea of fragrance at the bottom of your suitcase -- you know that powders and perfumes need special care. "To keep your powders from shattering in transit, all you need is a flat, round cotton pad," Oresman says. "Lay it directly on top of the bronzer, blush, or shadow, and close the compact." Her tip for traveling with your perfume? "Stick your double-ziplocked fragrance inside a long sock, then roll the sock around it for cushioning," she says. "Put the sock inside a shoe to buffer it against bumps," Morgenstern advises.
5. Treat as you travel.
Makeup and desert-dry airplane air don't mix: Chances are, your skin will look flaky when you land. Instead, take advantage of the downtime -- and the fact that the other passengers are total strangers anyway -- to treat your skin. Brandman swears by a liberal coating of Caudalie Beauty Elixir ($48, sephora.com) "to brighten and prevent dullness." While you're at it, apply a lip balm, Berson says. The goal is to create a serious moisture barrier between your skin and the cabin air.
Related: Healthy Travel Diet: The Best Foods to Eat on the Road
6. Revive on arrival.
Your hair can feel superparched after a flight, Hazan says. "Pack a free sample of a moisturizing hair mask; when you reach your destination, apply it, put on a shower cap, and sleep with it on overnight," she recommends. "Shampoo and condition in the morning, and your hair will look shiny and healthy again." If your face needs some extra TLC, put your lotion in the minibar fridge. The cooling effect will refresh you from jet lag as the product hydrates your skin. A good choice: Yes to Cucumbers Daily Calming Moisturizer SPF 30 ($15, yestocarrots.com).
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