The season of family travel is upon us and in hair care products, I indulge in the travel sized items. While I do like the travel sized items throughout the rest of the year so that i can test the products out without committing to an entire fill sized amount of product, it is the holiday season where the travel sized shines.
Mostly because full sized items take up a lot of space.
Luckily Klorane has an entire section dedicated simply to the travel sized items. The masking foil packet was a gift with purchase, but all of the other travel sized items are $10 each. It is a great way to try out different items from the brand. For me one of the appeals is the fact that my hair behaves differently at my mother’s house than it does at mine. Partially it is the difference in water. Her water is a lot softer than mine which means that I don’t need any volumizing products as my hair tends to naturally fluff when I am there. Adding volumizing products tend to make me look as though i am going for a bride of Frankenstein sort of up do.
the second reason is that the air at my mother’s house is a lot drier than mine. Her, I go for shampoo for oily hair in the summer, and then just regular shampoo in the winter. Perhaps because she runs the heat so much more than I do, my hair always gets dry and crackly when I am at her house so I actually need moisturizing shampoo. By picking up the travel sized items I can get exactly what I need for the situation where my hair will be over the holiday.
I actually tried all of the items in the Mango line when they were first released. The mask is something that I can use on a regular basis (maybe once a month) So I was thrilled that it was included in my order. (I also ordered a travel size of the cornflower eye makeup remover because it is fabulous, but that is a different post). The Mango shampoo and conditioner I lover the scent of but are too moisturizing for me to use on a regular basis. (I tend to pick up a full sized bottle of the Nettle infused Shampoo for the summertime). This mango Shampoo and conditioner set is perfect for the time I will spend at my mother’s house.
So I get to indulge in the delicious scent without fear of it being too much moisture. It is one of the little holiday treats for me. I also picked up the travel sized bottle of dry shampoo. For me Klorane Dry shampoo has been my go to for a really long time. I’ll flirt with other dry shampoos,. but i always come back to it. While the shampoo and conditioner will be used up over the holiday trip, there will likely be some dry shampoo left over and this travel size will end up living in my purse to be taken out and used when needed. I actually used up all of the travel sized versions I had and am in need of a small one for my purse.
Over all I love travel kits and travel sized items at this time of the year. I can indulge in things I might not get to use the rest of the year because they work with where I am going, they are more compact and so take up less space in my luggage and with Klorane I get to choose the exact products I want form their list and build my own kit. That makes this a win for me.
if you are looking at the picture above and thinking, that seems like there are some duplicates, you aren’t wrong. in the above photo I have the products I have been using and I also have the products that will be going with me when I leave tomorrow morning. Tonight i will use the products going with me and if there are no issues they will be packed and taken for two weeks at my mother’s house. Currently in rotation Are…
while there is probably over a week’s worth of cleanser in the Avant, there probably isn’t two weeks worth and I don’t want to pack two cleansers. So I will be taking the Alpha H Balancing cleanser with me. I wanted to try it out and I have two other Alpha H products to try so they will be going with me. One I know I like (the Liquid Gold Toner) and one I haven’t tried. But I will get to that below.
The FAB toner won’t be going with me because there is very little product left and it is a big bottle. As the Alpha H toner can only be used every other day, I have added in the travel sized bottle of the Byroe Toning essence. I’ve use it before and it is both a fantastic toner and a great essence. I will use it on the days I am not using the exfoliating toner.
I did pack a physical exfoliator as I really like exfoliating once a week. I am taking a travel size of the ESPA Refining Skin Polish because I have used it before and absolutely love it. I am sticking with the allies of skin serum since it has a locking pump and I am keeping the Volition moisturizer in the travel line up. This week i did use the Elemis Super Food Midnight Facial a few nights and it really worked well with the volition to give my skin the moisture it needed so i will be keeping them paired up for the trip. As I felt I had enough glass bottles and jars I traded out the eye cream for a tube of the Alpha H eye cream. It not only goes along with the other AlphaH products but it is a smaller tube.
Over all I was rather pleased with the products I used this week and I am happy with the ones going with me on the trip. While I am gone, there will be no skincare updates so tonight I will make sure there are no skincare reactions and then I will report back on the skincare in motion once I return from my trip.
And so my darlings, those are the products I will be taking with me. I look forward to putting them to the test and reporting back about how well they worked and how well they traveled. I also can’t wait to tell you all about it when I return. Until then…
Good afternoon my darlings. Today is a day filled with last minute things. I am spending it wrapping up the last of my contracts that need to be done before I leave for my Mom’s house. Tomorrow I’ll do a last minute tidy before I begin my packing.
I have no expectations of it staying tidy while I am gone, but i will feel better if I leave the house clean. And so I thought today you might like to see what makeup I am taking with me. As I will only be using the makeup I take with me while I am gone, there won’t be any daily posts until I return (there will be regular reviews up). So I thought it would be nice to share what I am going to be using for the next two weeks.
I am actually taking a train case (mostly because I wanted to put my skincare and makeup in one easy to use case). Also since I will be going for two weeks instead of just for a holiday I am taking more full sized products rather than the travel and sample sizes that I usually travel with.
The train case is an old Caboodles one. I’ve had it for years and it does look a little rough around the edges from travel and there are stains inside. What I do like about it is that the case is easy to wipe down. There are actually far fewer stains than there could have been, I’ve just had this for nearly a decade and it has seen a lot of use. It is a well travelled case. Plus for the first two years it was where I kept all of my makeup. In addition to wipeable interior, this one also has metal corners which has also kept it going for a long time. The link will take you to the Caboodles site (Mine is the Medium train case) if you are interested.
But as with most things it is what is inside that counts. While i will go through the skincare tomorrow let’s take a look at the makeup now.
First I chose the Tatcha primer because it is my favorite. I know it will work and it is easy to use. While there are many primers that I really enjoy this one is my long term favorite and the one I will always repurchase. It blurs pores beautifully and works well both with my skin and under pretty much any product I pair it with. And when traveling a primer that isn’t going to cause problems is for the best. This isn’t the time to try something new.
The Yensa Foundation is also one of my top foundations. The BC foundation is just so beautiful on the skin. I tlooklike my skin but better. Even though I rotate through foundations, I have managed to use up an entire Yensa BC foundation this year. This is actually my second one of the year and I have enough product to get me through the two weeks and maybe a little to spare in this second one. I have already ordered a replacement, which should arrive while I am gone so I will have a fresh one ready for me when I return.
The Pur palette I am taking with me because it is an easy face palette to use and will travel well. I tend to travel with it a lot, mostly because it is a hard plastic case and won’t break but also because it is just easy. Pur is one of those hit or miss brands for me. There aren’t a lot of products I like from them but this palette I really do love using. For me it is one of their few hits.
The Urban Decay Naked Honey Palette I adore. It has all of the browns and golds and bronzes that ,my little heart loves to use. and the shadows work well. For me it is a fantastic everyday palette. I added the Viseart petite palette because it has some fabulously pigmented shades that are easy to work with and I thought that at some point I might want to take a break form the browns and having a few colors on hand might be a good idea.
I am taking two mascaras with me as well. The ABH Lash Brag which is very volumizing and the Benefit They’re Real Magnet which is extremely lengthening. They work well together and alone and are in my list of top mascaras. This Lash Brag has been open long enough that both product wise and time wise it won’t be coming back from this trip. I only keep mascaras a max of six months and this is nearing that time limit. the tube is also starting to feel close to empty. So I will take it and finish it up. The Benefit is new and has yet to be opened. And yes I do have a replacement ABH waiting to be opened when I return.
The brows I don’t want to think about so I am using the stencil and pomade from iMethod Beauty. While the stencils will remain in my makeup kit, I think I will run out of brow pomade during this trip or very soon after. while the stencils are fabulous the pomade is good mostly because it is the right shade for me. I may or may not replace the pomade with the iMethod pomade but I remain in love with these stencils.
And now the lips. You knew I wasn’t going to choose just one lipstick didn’t you. And In all fairness I should confess that there is a lip scrub and my Tatcha Kissu lip mask already in with my skincare. But I did think about my lip products. There is the lip plumping gloss. The Rimmel lip gloss has just a light shade that is just my lips but better. The MAC is my go to neutral. I almost always travel with a lip oil and the Yensa Super 8 is my favorite. This one is half way empty already. I have lost count of how many times I have repurchased it. And for a bold lip I am bringing the Guerlain lipstick.. Plus that is in a reusable case with a mirror which is always handy.
Of course my baby doll pointed out that it is heavy enough that it could also be used for self defense if needed. The case is a substantial and reusable metal case. It is quite fabulous and to be fair it is somewhat heavy. Not that I plan to throw it at anyone.
And so my darlings, these are the products I have chosen to take with me for my two weeks at my mother’s house. I think they pretty much cover any contingency that I might face. Into the train case it will go, along with the skincare (packed last minute). This is the makeup I will be wearing for the next two weeks and quite honestly I am very pleased with my selections. But now it is back to work for the final push to clear off the desk before I go. Have a great afternoon everyone.
For several years now I have been working to eliminate as many single use products as I can from my routine. Thee are however times when disposable products are quite useful. Trips where you have limited amount of space and or resources or camping, where you don’t want to leave anything behind and pack your trash with you are two places where cleansing wipes you can pack with you are a better format.
These Wet and Dry wipes from Base blue came in a recent boxycharm box and as I do have several summer camping trips planned where I will need to pack my trash out with me, these might provide an alternative to my washcloth in a reusable pouch. Usually it ends up being a couple of wash cloths stashed in the pouch by the time I return home. However since these are now in my possession, they might prove interesting alternatives.
I keep saying Wet/dry because there are two types of pouches in the box, one is in a blue pack and is marked wet. It is pre moistened as you might expect. The yellow pouch is marked dry and needs water to activate. According to the Base blue site…
Start your day or night, off right with our dual action facial cleansing wipes. Each individually wrapped face cleansing wipe can be used to remove makeup or as a quick refresher throughout the day. Perfect for long flights, travel, or a quick pick-me-up!
That is literally the only description of this product on the site. So lets look at how the cloths work separately. First we will take a look at the wet wipe. It is as one would expect, wet.
folded cloth
There is little to no scent to the wipe. The cloth is folded into a rectangle and expands to a little bigger than my open palm. While damp, the cloth is not dripping. There is one textured side and one smooth one. The cloth, in addition to being labeled wet, is listed as a makeup removing cloth. It removed face makeup and lipstick well but wasn’t so fabulous for mascara or deeply pigmented eyeshadow. As I rarely wear any makeup when camping this isn’t really a problem for me. I suspect if I was just tired and sweaty at the end of a long hike and wanted to wipe down my face without water, this would work well. If you are using this post or mid flight, just be aware that eye makeup removal isn’t it’s strong suit. Also I felt as though I still needed to wash my face after. It took off most of the makeup but felt as though it left a thin film of makeup remover on the skin.
opened cloth
The Dry wipe is of course dry when it comes out of the package. It is otherwise visually identical to the wet wipe. It has a wet side and a dry side. It is also listed as a Day Beauty Cleansing Wipe. when you add water, it becomes soapy.
There are not massive bubbles, but there are some. I applied it to my skin and then rinsed the soap off (I know, not rocket science). I dried my face and my skin did seem clean. I think that the pair is set up for the makeup removal wipe (wet) to be used at night with the Dry cloth to be used in the morning, but the truth is I needed to use the Dry wipe after the wet one to remove the rest of the makeup remover residue. I could however use the Dry wipe (with water) on it’s own. It cleansed my face when my skin was bare and it worked well as a makeup remover, taking off as much makeup as the wet cloth without leaving any residue behind. It did dry out my skin a little bit so if you have naturally dry skin then I would probably not use these all that often. Even though my skin isn’t all that dry, I would not want to use them more than a couple of days in a row. And even then I ended up using a little extra moisturizer.
suds when you wet the Dry cloth
If you are looking for travel cleansers and have only a bottle of water and a towel to dry your skin handy, these aren’t bad cloths to use. They will take off your makeup and cleanse your skin. I would be certain to moisturize after as they are somewhat drying. The dry cloth can be used on it’s own, but the wet cloth needs a partner. I do like that if I am camping, I can use a little bit of water and have a full cleansing routine, as long as I remember to pack the cloths and packaging with me to dispose of when i return. I could also see them being useful on a long flight. The Dry is more useful, but I believe they are only sold as a set.
The issue with the set is that I would use up the dry cloths well before I used up the wet ones.
Usually I like to end these reviews with either a recommendation to buy again or to avoid in the future. This one is a little tricky. I would not buy these Baseblue wipes for regular daily use. It is too much waste and repeated use would dry out my skin too much.
However, they do work better for the skin of your face than most disposable wipes. While I am not a fan of disposable wipes there are situations where they are very useful and possibly necessary. If you are in a situation where you are going to need disposable face wipes and looking to stock up, these Baseblue Wet/Dry wipes are a good option. Just be aware that they can be a bit drying and pack a moisturizer to go with them, even if it is only a sample sized one.
This week I have been using the skincare that I took home as part of my travel pack. I decided it was better to go ahead and use it up rather than put half empty tubes into the drawer to go bad and become forgotten. There are two full sized products and a couple will be lasting into next week but for the most part things were used up. Since I was trying to fit everything into a small travel bag, there is no break out between day and night, although some products certainly were only used at one time or another, but I’m sure that will be clear as we move down the list. First, The Products…
Okay let’s break this down. I love the Elemis cleansing Balm. It is one of my favorite cleansing balms in fact. This was the first use of the Apricot toner from the brand but I really enjoyed it. And as the memorial service was held in a bare, open back yard and the temps reached 104 my skin appreciated the calming nature of the toner when even the sunscreen needed back up. Thee is plenty of toner left and I will be keeping it in my routine for a while. I enjoyed the light fruity but clean scent of it as well as it’s use.
the Clove and Hallow was interesting. It is a waterless cleanser which means it is a powder and you add your own water. It comes in a reusable glass shaker bottle which I love. Clove and Hallow is one of my favorite brands for reusable and sustainable packaging. I had several lipsticks from them that I absolutely adored, but this is the first of the skincare that I tried out.
Not a lot of powder is needed for each use so there is a lot of product packed into this small container. As it was powder there was no issue with leaks during travel which was nice. One shake was all I needed. I did notice that I had to be careful with the rust water added and rubbing as the way I brought my hands together could cause the powder to puff back against me. That just took a little maneuvering to figure out and I was fine. The scent of the powdered mango in the cleanser is the most prevalent scent, It smells a little like the vanilla scent you get from a mango rather than a mango itself. Which for me is better for skincare. Sometimes mango products make me think it is sticky just by the scent. This doesn’t. I’m really liking this this far and appreciate the gentle nature of it.
The eye cream was the Sunday Riley i was already using, mostly because i couldn’t see the point of opening a new eye cream just for the travel. I am really liking this eye cream as it is quickly absorbing, non-greasy and it doesn’t cause my pores to clog.
But here is where it get’s interesting. The day cream I used was The rich cream by Augustinus Bader. It is by far the most expensive item in this line up. In fact i am willing to bet this sample size is more expensive than the rest. The full sized 50 ml of this cream retails for $280. Now you know me, I am always happy to try out expensive products in sample sizes. Mostly because I really like to know something is going to work for me before I spend the money on it. And truthfully I am the same way with inexpensive products too. It doesn’t matter if it is a $280 cream or a $30 one, I want to try it out before I purchase it in a full size. part of that has nothing to do with money but rather with waste in general. The worst is when you get a full sized product of, well anything, try it and realize you don’t like it. For me the product offers recriminations about other people using it and how dare I waste it like that.
In this case, i was really looking forward to it not only because it was an expensive product but because I heard really great things about it. Opening it, the cream has a sort of playdoh like scent to it which I didn’t particularly care for. It was a thinner cream than I expected for something called a Rich Cream. It also took a while to absorb. It was a thin cream that left white streaks on the skin and once it was massaged in left my skin feeling a bit sticky. The second day I tried it, the cream seemed to have separated and a whitish liquid came out. I closed the tube, massaged it a bit and put a little on my hand rather than my face. It was sticky and after about ten minutes I noticed my hand was feeling very itchy. I don’t know if I got a bad sample or if this is how the cream always reacts but it was quite a disappointment. The sample is fairly new. If it didn’t arrive in May’s subscriptions then it came in Aprils. I only used it the one time and decided not to risk the rest of the tube. Instead I used smaller amounts of my night cream during the day time.
The night cream was the onekind Dream Cream. It is a thick white cream with almost no scent. To use it in the day I used half of what I used at night. For me that is usually a pretty good ratio whether it is using night cream in the day or day cream at night. I will almost always use twice as much at night. While the Dream Cream is not my absolute favorite night cream, it does a decent job and it did a great job filling in as a moisturizer. It isn’t sticky, has almost no scent and if left for a little while it does absorb well into the skin. It does take a while, about ten minutes for it to really soak in. i don’t actually have a problem with it, it is a good basic cream. It hydrates but doesn’t really do anything else. In a pinch it works reliably as a moisturizer but it isn’t something I feel the need to keep stocked.
And finally we end up with our sunscreen for the week. The elta md has no scent to it. there is no sunscreen scent and no mineral scent, there is quite literally no scent at all. It goes on with a white cast but as you rub it into your skin the white cast fades. It isn’t greasy at all and doesn’t leave a shine. It is the slightest bit sticky. Even if you are not planning on wearing makeup after putting this on, I would add a quick layer of powder just to take down the stickiness. Other than that it is a nice formula. It isn’t one I’d feel the need to keep constantly in stock, but it is one i wouldn’t mind using again.
And that was my skincare for the week. A few of these items will be back next week and a couple are off to the empties bin. Aside from the disappointment of Augustinus Bader, it was a pretty good line up.
While not a review, I thought it might be of interest to you to see what I am putting in my travel makeup bag and why. During my daily makeup posts I tend to rotate through makeup, but when I travel I tend to pick reliable products that can fit into a small makeup bag, especially when it is a weekend trip. While this isn’t exactly a fun getaway, it is travel. The only thing I left out of the makeup bag is mascara. The reason is that this trip is for a memorial service and there will be many tears shed. At the moment I have yet to pick up a waterproof mascara so I am leaving my mascara behind and will either pick up a waterproof mascara at the drug store or go without.
When traveling I generally find it a good idea to stick to products that don’t spill and I try to reduce the possible breakage component by sticking to cream products so they feature heavily in this bag.
This time I am starting with the Kristopher Buckle Triplicity Foundation stick. It has traveled with me for quite some time. It is my old reliable. I’m still not certain of the status of the company. I know that the main website shut down after massive sales and now it is available at walmart. It is a fantastic foundation, I just don’t know if it will be replaced once it runs out. I may actually scoop up one more for travel purposes because it is really hard to beat this stick formula. Plus I don’t have to worry about foundation bottles breaking. But if the company has gone under I won’t stock up, I’ll just work on finding a new travel fave.
The face products
The primer I am taking with me is the Tatcha Silk canvas Primer. It is a fantastic pore filling primer that locks in my makeup for as long as I end up wearing it. As I have no idea how long I will be in makeup this weekend I thought it would be a good product to choose.
The trestique bronzer shouldn’t surprise anyone. It is quick and easy to use and one of my favorite cream formulas. The Illamasqua Colour Veil Gel blusher also shouldn’t surprise anyone as it is rapidly moving to the top of my favorite products list.
I didn’t bother with a highlighter, but you may notice a tiny round pot with a gold lid and a pink bow on it. I know, it looks like an eye cream, however it is actually a sample size of the Ciate London Extraordinary powder. It came in an IPSY bag a while back and to be honest, I have refilled it a couple of times. For a weekend it is all the powder I need. I will be adding the powder puff from the Kim Chi Powder to my makeup bag to use with it.
Shadow and Brow
For eyeshadow I am taking The Balm and The Beautiful Palette from The Balm. It is the one I’ve been playing with recently. I really like the formulas and the ease of application and it is a compact size that fits in the bag. So since it was already out, I went ahead and added it to the makeup bag. I will have the full review of the palette up next week, I simply didn’t get a chance to finish it this week.
I added a Marcelle eyebrow pencil because I like it and it has a spoolie on the end so I don’t have to worry about adding secondary brow products (like a brush) into the bag. And then we have the lips.
the lips
I’ll be honest, i don’t think I have ever traveled with just one lip product in my life. To this bag I added my favorite MAC neutral in Bated Breath. I also added a Trestique lip crayon in case I wanted a slightly darker product. I added the Yensa Lip oil in case I felt like shine, or only a glossy lip with no lipstick and I chose an assortment of lip pencils. Some match the lip products others stand alone. For this bag I chose, UOMA, Persona Cosmetics, Bodyography, Huda Beauty and Real Her. I figure they are all relatively neutral and all have slightly different formulas. I plan to choose whichever one appeals at the right moment. And more than anything I like having a variety of lip products to choose from. Oddly enough in out of control situations it can sometimes make me feel like I am in control by making a decisive decision as to what lip product to wear. As it is a weekend where I can control nothing and can only deal with whatever happens, having that one tiny bit of control, really does help me mentally balance. Even if having seven lip products in the bag does seem a little extra.
Sometimes it isn’t abut what you actually wear.
And so that my darlings, is the makeup bag I will be traveling with this weekend and why I chose the products included.
When traveling I often take a break from my regular skincare and use it as a time to try out some of my samples, especially if they are smaller ones that can be used up during the time I am traveling. This weekend I will be traveling home. Some of the products I will be taking with me for this weekend are full size. In fact there are two full sixed items.
The first full size going with me is the Sunday Riley 5 Star Eye Cream. The tube is small enough that it won’t cause issues when traveling and when I looked I didn’t have any sample sized eye creams that I could use up in the duration of a weekend, so since this is already opened and in use, I decided to take it with me.
The second full sized item I am taking with me is the Clove And Hallow Cloud Powder. This is not only a new to me product it is a new to the market product. Clove and Hallow sent this new release product to me to try out and review. So I will be taking it with me. It is a powder cleanser that you add water to so I think it will be nice to actually travel with it. I actually tried it out this morning and really liked it. My first use review will be up early next week, but thus far it has made a really good impression.
I wanted to include a makeup remover and while I will be rolling up my Makeup eraser and putting it with my makeup bag, I will also be taking my travel sized Elemis Cleansing Balm. It is a great Cleansing Balm and it is also the only travel sized cleansing balm I have at the moment
Elemis is also represented in my Soothing Apricot toner. It just came in a subscription box and I have been wanting to use it, however it is also travel size, which none of my other toners are at this point. So it jumped to the front of the travel line and is in my skincare bag this weekend.
For my day time moisturizer I will be trying out the Tiny tube of Augustine Bader The Rich Cream. To be honest. even using it only for day time use over the weekend I am not sure if it will last the entire weekend so I added the Verso Hydrating cream to the mix as back up in case the moisturizer runs out.
For night cream I have added a tube of the One Kind Dream Cream. I had two tubes of this tried them out and thought it was okay but probably not something I would repurchase. Then I got another sample sized tube in a different box. Rather than let it linger in the bottom of the drawer, I am going to just take it with me. It is a decent night time moisturizer, just not my favorite. And in truth I think I might have used it at the wrong time of year. I tried it out just as the weather was really cooling down this past fall and I think it just didn’t provide enough moisture for night time use. I think that as it is warming up, it might be a better time to try it again and see if weather was a factor. So into the skincare bag it goes.
And finally I have the deluxe sample of the elta MD Skincare Uv Sheer Broad Spectrum Sunscreen. I know I need sunscreen, this one is travel sized and I have never tried the brand before. As I know my mother always has extra sunscreen floating around the house, if it really turns out not to work for me, I know there will be plenty of back up handy. Which makes it the perfect time to test.
And that is the skincare I will be traveling with this weekend. Some of it I am certain will end up being used up while I am home and others might last a few days after my return. I like the compact nature of the items I chose and the fact that some of them are completely new to me. It will be interesting to see how they perform.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 