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· June 27, 2007 8:32 AM by
cmm
· June 27, 2007 9:51 PM by
Colleen Shirazi
· June 29, 2007 3:21 PM by
Dain
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Posted by Dain, Tuesday, June 26, 2007 3:21 AM (Eastern)
MAKE UP YOUR MIND
Since you've already packed such a nice clutch, it will double as a makeup bag while you're in transit. I know there are women who don't feel right without makeup on their faces, but I strongly urge not wearing any. Traveling is dirty business, so the cleaner your face, the better, which is why I would only carry cleansing wipes and an all purpose salve. If you must wear something while in transit, keep it restrained to concealer, mascara, and a versatile lip/cheek color, like Becca Beach Tint or Stila Convertible Color, and this is at the most.
Bring the bare minimum—the most essential, the most flattering products—and leave experimentation at home. For me, this is undereye concealer, cream blush, ultra black mascara and liner, eyelash curler, a sweetly shimmering wash to open up eyes (though you can cheat with a well chosen quad or quint), a favorite lippie, and tweezers. This are just the essentials for me (concealer, blush, and lush lashes), with just a little extra for some additional polish (eyeshadow, lip color, and tweezers). But needs differ; for example, I don't use foundation, while it may be a necessary for someone else.
It was an unfortunate thing when they discontinued Stephane Marais Perfect Concealer, because it's superlative; a small dab will effectively and invisibly cover dark circles. Buy the more expensive incarnation from Clé de Peau ($68). My favorite blush is NARS Sin, but I think Stila Orchid Convertible Color ($22), a cool rose-berry, might have a similar doll-face effect. It's a cream, thus it requires no blush brush, as well as doing double-duty as lip tint. Plus, the mirrored compact allows for touchups anywhere. Concealer and blush are foolproof ways to wake up any face. L'Oreal Voluminous has been my favorite mascara for years: it's cheap, readily available, and plumps up fine lashes beautifully (I imagine it clumps on fuller lashes). I'm not even tempted to stray. That is, until L'Oreal introduced the Carbon Black ($6.99) shade, and I've fallen even more deeply in love. This is, as the name implies, a really intense, rich black, a very important detail when you have black hair to begin with. I've also discovered that an equally intense black liner, smudged between lashes on the inner rim, creates an almost-false-lash effect, adding fullness and definition that was never there to begin with, but without adding more gunk to your eyelashes. I started with Too Faced Lava Gloss, but I think it's too expensive, even if it's a completely unique formula. So where can I find a cheap, creamy but longlasting pencil in a really rich black? I've heard great things about Jordana Color XTend Eyeliner in Black Out ($2.49). I always start this highly involved lash process with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler ($18). I favor reds, berries, and roses on my lips and cheeks, and the softly greyed lilac shimmer of CHANEL Lavande Soft Touch Eye Shadow ($27.50) not only complements my cheeks and lips, but also flatters my brown eyes and it lifts tiredness away. And, I don't know, there's just something about purple eyeshadow that makes me feel like a fairy. NARS Gothika Lip Gloss ($23) is my favorite lipcolor: a burnished rose shimmer infused with berry tones, like a grown-up version of my first favorite lipstick, Jane Loco Cocoa. I wouldn't have thought that Tweezerman Slant Tweezers ($20) would be necessary, but I find that if I don't pack them, I miss them. They're just really useful, and well groomed brows instantly frame the face.
To this, you need only add something for going out. I've included two options here, for the sake of argument (does one emphasize eyes, or lips?), but really, you only need one, as long as it's a good one.
I would have never thought that blue would be so flattering until I tried my friend's CHANEL Blue Notes Quadra Eye Shadow $55. A rich navy does complement brown eyes well, but blues, for the most part, are either completely grey and blah, or an unnatural apparition on the skin. Blue Notes, by contrast, exudes mystery, especially that darker blue as a liner (over MAC Teddy Eye Kohl, not included here), and the pink or sky blue as an ethereal wash. The white is useless, in my opinion (a soft grey like NARS Bombshell would have been much wiser), but there it is. And how badly do I want Giorgio Armani Armanisilk #46 Bordeaux ($25)? I've contemplated red lipsticks for a long time without committing to one, and there's many an excellent red out there, but when by some chance I tried this one on at Holt's in Montreal and... sometimes when you've found the ONE, you just know. Fifteen minutes later, I had received half a dozen compliments, including this one, "If you don't own that lipstick, you have to buy it. Because you really ought to wear it every day."
BAG O' MINIS
Travel sizes and kits have always struck me as a little awkward. Who uses them? Who would want to? But they're nice to have when you're short on space, and I've managed to hunt down a few that are quite luxe enough to be a pleasure to use.
The miniature two-ounce bottle of Dr. Bronner's Lavender Magic Soap ($2.49) is a perfect multipurpose sudser; I'd use it as a body wash and as a gentle laundry detergent, while the fresh, soothing scent of lavender delights the senses. Dr. Bronner's is a hippie classic. In fact, I read somewhere that this soap has tested positive for liquid ecstasy, is that true? That might explain the label. The two-ounce Weleda's Rose Deodorant ($9) is gentle, perfectly travel-worthy, and scented with heavenly rose. Bumble & Bumble Gentle Shampoo ($7) and Super Rich Conditioner ($8) is a fragrant and nourishing combination that won't miss. The two-ounce bottles are perfect for travel, though I'd take two bottles of the conditioner for my long hair. The gorgeous vintage stylings and fresh, natural taste of Marvis Classic Strong Mint Toothpaste ($4.50) can be had in this adorable mini size. I can't live without my Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($6), and it comes in a four-ounce size worthy of travel. And though not a travel size, this little one-ounce vial of Burt's Bees Repair Serum ($15) tucks away easily into the smallest of spaces. The one I'm interested in is the Light version that has only just come out, so the miniatures are not available yet. However, you can get the original Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream ($6.50) travel size.
Instead of lugging around an entire bottle of perfume, a perfume oil is subtler (very snuggly) and infinitely more travel-friendly. Volupsa Pink Fatale ($24) is not only covered in gorgeous swirly art-deco pink floral, topped with a gold knob and a black bow, it's also the most charming scent: soft warm skin musk tempered with a little white floral. It's the sort of perfume that disappears if you sniff too aggressively, but when you leave it alone, it wafts the most beautiful sillage that people will demand to know what it is.
CREATURE COMFORTS
Some products may seem very inessential at first, but when you arrive at your destination and have these products on hand, you will be very grateful that you did bring them.
A body oil? you say? Yes! You will be surprised at the multitude of uses you can put Jo Wood Organics USIKU Body Oil ($110), a healing blend of skin-friendly oils in a spicy-earthy gorgeous scent of rosemary, pine, cardamom, ginger, coriander, clove, clary sage, cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver. It's not just for your body. It's brilliant on hair before going out in the sun, where it'll warm up like a hot oil treatment, and it'll do a number on rough cuticles and scaly feet. My skin and hair always get completely frazzled in the sun and surf. In a pinch, it'll even function as perfume.
Part 5, coming up, a final summary.
Labels: bioderma, burt's bees, chanel, dr. hauschka, jo wood organics, jordana, l'occitane, stephane marais, voluspa
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June 27, 2007 8:32 AM,
Just wanted to add that the Loreal Mascara works just as well on my eyelashes. I do have fairly thick lashes, thick, lots of them, but they are short.
My one and only complaint is that as the tube gets older, the mascara seems to get clumpier. This should not be a problem as it is SO cheap you can and should be replacing it frequently. I'm just lazy and didn't.
I normally do not like and/or use a waterproof formula because, again, I'm lazylazylazy and waterproof mascara generally needs a makeupremover to remove it and I don't like the extra step. However, we put up a very small aboveground pool this summer. I either would not go in it because I was wearing mascara or I'd go in and then have to deal with icky, runny mascara. I bought the waterproof version of Voluminous a few days ago. It works really well. It doesn't TOTALLY stand up to pool water, but its much better than regular mascara. Plus, we're starting to get into the summer heat,humidity and allergy season here, so I'm sure it will also prove helpful in dealing with those summer issues.
As for the extra step in removing it at night, I've been using plain ole olive oil to cleanse my face. That takes it right off. No extra step required!
June 27, 2007 9:51 PM,
I was wondering where the heck you were! :) That's terrific that you have a pool. Just the thing for summer.
P.S. I syndicated the comments on the left-hand sidebar...so we can just check over there and see if there are new comments. It's not a fancy feature in that all it does, is list the comments on the current page--whether it's the main page, archive page or individual post page. But it's better than nothing.
June 29, 2007 3:21 PM,
I can't do waterproof. I'm bad enough at removing the stuff in the first place, but I'm thinking of seeking out a good makeup remover. I'm glad to hear Voluminous works for fuller lashes, though. You know this was Kevyn Aucoin's fave? He used this and Shu Uemura Basic (which is a much more natural look), but he loved Voluminous the most.
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