Above: my favorite Julia Amory toiletry pouches while we stayed at Indian Springs Resort in Calistoga, CA.
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I was chatting with a girlfriend about packing beauty and skincare products while traveling, and I mentioned that I was shopping for mini/trial sizes of face wash to test on an upcoming trip. She immediately replied:
“Oh, I never test something new while traveling. Too high risk! Decant what works.”
It made total sense — why would I risk using something I don’t like, or that my skin doesn’t like, while marooned on a vacation, with no back-ups? Obviously not the time to rotate a new product into the regimen, especially as I might already be encountering different climates, drier skin because of air travel, etc! Duh! The obviousness of her insight reminded me of the time, just after she was born, that I was taking mini out in her stroller (with the pram-like infant bassinet attachment) for a walk, and I plopped her right in, with no swaddle. She was rolling around in there like a loose hot dog. (Ha!) At the park, I noticed that other moms had cushioned their babies in swaddles and blankets so that they were safely nestled. Thank God for other women, who show us the way, whether by gentle modeling or earnest response.
Anyhow, what other perspectives and insights do you have into this matter? I’m specifically curious about how you pare down your beauty routine for a trip. Do you take only the basics (face wash, moisturizer) and skip serums and oils? Do you take tiny portions of everything in your lineup, carefully measured out for each day you’ll be gone? Do you take your full skincare routine but only a small portion of your beauty bag?
(This is one of those ultra-niche, nosy questions that typically elicits a lot of “omg, how did I not think of that earlier?” responses.)
On recent trips, I’ve been decanting face wash, moisturizer, shampoo, and conditioner into these little tubs and tubes; I pack this mini sized makeup melt or these individually wrapped Neutrogena wipes; and then taking the full size of my eye cream and vitamin c serum (I skip the extra serum I usually apply after Vitamin C while traveling). I’m so curious about how others handle serums. Do we skip or take the whole dang bottle? Seems impossible to compress into a smaller size.
I do take a fairly robust set of beauty products, on the other hand, decanting/minimizing very little.
Please share your perspectives and tips!
Post-Scripts.
+What are your best tips for better travel?
+Recent beauty finds/buys inspired by a long afternoon watching beauty TikTok-ers.
+What beauty tips have stuck with you?
+What do you keep in your guest bedroom?
+My most recent batch of “honest beauty reviews.”
Shopping Break.
+The only thing I want to buy right now are fresh sweaters. It’s be cold and rainy/snowy and gross — if you don’t have a La Ligne Marin or Mini Marina, I can’t recommend enough. You can get 10% off at La Ligne with code MAGPIE10.
+La Ligne looks for less: J. Crew or Quince!
+Those striped cozies are perfect for pairing with some new jeans (<<ordered to test the fit!). Also ordered this pair to try! Different wash for me.
+The Dorsey Clemence necklace is back! This is my favorite gem-stone necklace/bracelet I own from Dorsey. Details on why here!
+You really must try this $8 foundation brush. A Magpie wrote about it over the weekend: “I purchased and received the $8 brush from Amazon this week I am positively stunned that it is such a bargain. It really works beautifully.” Strongly agree — mine arrived and I think the stubby/flat end is very similar to my beloved Merit brush.
+This $40 half-zip sweatshirt arrived and is really good – impressed with the quality. Two other recent Amazon fitness finds: these high-waisted wide legs and this top.
+Have heard these cropped flare leggings are v flattering for us petites.
+I just re-discovered this sleeveless tank from Vuori in the back of my fitness drawer. I love it for my stationery bike sessions / indoor mat exercises!
+Several of you have raved about Ayr’s morning tee over the years. I feel like the weight / drape looks ideal for layering over a tank for a morning walk.
+This fleece sweatshirt/capelet looks dreamy.
+Love Jacadi’s “Petit Marin” collection for baby gifts, especially this princely jersey set and/or this padded pouch for the baby bag.