The week before you go away always feels like you’re stuck in a time warp. Are you counting the days until take off? Did you book your bikini wax at the right time? Why can’t you find the perfect swimsuit? The questions are endless… as if you haven’t got enough to think about right now!
Packing is a nightmare of a job and if you’re in a love/hate relationship with lists, great news – I’ve taken the strain out of the stressful situation for you below. So relax, put the pen and paper down and get excited about the fact that your out of office reply is getting closer to getting switched on. Your cocktail awaits at the tiki bar…
The Journey
I know that there’s nothing elegant about zero leg room and screaming children, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t style it out…
Emma Lomax SOS Kit Clear Red Heart
The worst part of packing? The niggly bits like hair clips, safety pins and plasters. You know, those everyday essentials that you tend to forget to take. Well, all hail Emma Lomax! She’s packed everything for us, and in the cutest travel-friendly case, too. Every eventuality is covered, with fragrant deodorising wipes for a hot and sweaty journey to a hand sanitizing wipe for those icky mishaps. Honestly, the SOS kit makes travelling so much easier!
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
We all know plane travel is detrimental to the moisture levels in our skin. With Embryolisse, it is possible to look like you’ve just stepped off a runway – literally! Believe me when I say, it just works. It’s completely multipurpose, which is what holiday packing is all about. Steal a tissue from the cabin crew and use as a cleanser to remove any makeup, then reapply as a mask and sit back and relax for the duration of your flight. Its intensive surge of moisture is perfect for everyone (even for your other half when he shaves on your getaway), plus you can keep it as a daily SOS treatment for every day of your holiday – win!
Travalo Classic Excel Spray
Weighing up the cost of buying a new fragrance and thinking ‘but what if it smashes in the suitcase’ always gets me when I go away. Apart from great smelling clothes, there’s nothing fabulous about being fragrance-less for your holiday. If you have a fragrance you know and love, I highly suggest that you grab a Travalo! Shatterproof, re-fillable and under 100ml, you can carry your signature scent everywhere with you. Mini refresh at the pool bar, anyone?
Top Tip: If you’re a nervous flyer, lemon leaf and ho leaf essential oils can help to calm your nerves. Roll on the Travel Aromatherapy Roller Ball from the Tisserand Travel Duo Kit 30 minutes before the flight and re-apply when necessary!
The Home From Home
From beach babe to evening goddess. Cue the transformation…
Vichy Ideal Soleil After Sun – In Shower or On Dry Skin
The infamous ‘shower sting’ is something that we all dread when away, right? What’s great about the Vichy Ideal Soleil After Sun is that it eases the uncomfortable tightness from burnt skin, whilst keeping your skin feeling soft for a total of 48 hours. Whether used in the shower or on dry skin, its fatty acid-rich formula is a soothing must-have when you’ve been overzealous with the sun exposure. I store mine in the fridge for added coolness, as I tend to go a brighter shade of red over brown – ouch!
Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Fresh & Fast Masks
A peeling nose never a good look. In the warmer weather, it’s a given that your skin is going to become more parched, so why not treat your thirsty skin to an intensive surge of hydration with the Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Fresh & Fast Masks? They’re so fun to apply, and the results are well worth looking like a Halloween character for 20 minutes or so. The travel-friendly pack dispenses each saturated sheet mask like a wet wipe, meaning they’re always ready to go!
Darphin The Revitalizing Oil
Another magic trick is the Darphin The Revitalizing Oil. Hair, face, body… you name it, this oil can be used everywhere and anywhere. It’s packed full of pampering oils to relieve your body of dryness whilst embellishing your skin with a supermodel sheen, plus it has the most gorgeous solar floral scent. This oil is my sunshine holiday go-to.
My favourite ways to use the Darphin Revitalizing Oil are:
- Apply to wet hair and leave it in for a pampering treatment
- Mix with foundation for a lighter, more dewy look
- Apply to my pins for more defined look
Top tip: If your skin tends to be especially appealing to insects, try adding a few drops Tisserand Citronella Organic Essential Oil onto your bed sheets and into your moisturizer for extra protection – bugs hate it! (Psst! Don’t use if you’re pregnant.)
The Beach Bag
Apart from your headphones and a great book, there are a few other serious essentials that need to be packed into that oversized beach bag…
Sachajuan Hair In The Sun
For me, a sunny holiday normally results in a snapped fringe and frizzy ends. If you can relate, then you need the Sachajuan Hair In The Sun cream! This lightweight cream shields and protects your hair from sun damage and UV rays, even after you’ve showered the sand away. As a bonus, you can even use this super-light cream as a styling aid… surf style plaits and messy buns are yours!
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra Light Spray SPF30
La Roche-Posay just get sun care right. Known as sunscreen with a ‘texture that you actually want to wear’, the Ultra Light Spray is easy to use and absorbs quickly – there’s no awkward t-shirt tan with this SPF. Anthelios contains protection against both UVA and UVB rays, helping to prevent pre-mature ageing and sunburn – yas!
Ole Henriksen Fresh Lips SPF15
As if dry, cracked lips weren’t enough during winter, we need to protect this delicate area even more when we hit the sunshine and sand. Fresh Lips from Ole Henriksen is no ordinary balm, though. It steps up to the plate with a wealth of hydrating ingredients, a touch of salicylic acid to keep things smooth, and SPF15 protection. Your lips will be looking kissable from sun up to sun down!
Top Tip: Take a spot of body powder to the beach, it works a treat to remove sand from your skin! We love the Crabtree & Evelyn Summer Hill Talc-Free Body Powder.
Over to you!
Did I help aid your packing process? I’d love to know what your holiday essentials are! If you have any other questions, be sure to tweet me over at @EscentualChels, I’ll be awaiting your packing SOS…
