One large Ziploc. If I can fit all my toiletries for a trip into one large Ziploc bag: Mission Accomplished. I’ve been traveling like crazy these past few weeks and have successfully narrowed down my summer essentials (for mostly any kind of expedition—beach, wedding, beach wedding) to the following items, as seen here, strewn about my bathroom at a hotel-that-cannot-be-named-because-photos-are-verboten.
SKIN
Bioderma Créaline , mini size: makeup remover, toner, and general refresher. I usually also pack a handful of cotton pads (Koh Gen Do ’s are oh-so-luxurious) in a plastic sandwich bag in case the hotel bathroom doesn’t have them.
Tracie Martyn Amla Purifying Cleanser : Carting around your Clarisonic is a commitment, and one that I often make, but when I want to lighten up, this clarifying (but not drying), foaming salicylic-acid cleanser is the way to go.
Skinceuticals Phloretin CF Gel : I’m on an antioxidant kick, and this gel formula with Vitamin C and ferulic acid is meant to repel a bevy of environmental toxins. I apply it after cleansing but before anything else. It’s “preventative,” which is great, but also means that I’ll probably forget about it soon since I can’t “see it working.” But so far, I’m gonna ride that wave…
Joëlle Ciocco Médiateur Oxygénation & Cerat aux Fleurs Composées : Every time I visit facialist (and Ciocco protégée) Isabelle Bellis, she swears I need to go home with this one cream, or that one mask that will change my face. And she is always right. The viscous oxygenating complex is the first serum to go on, and then I massage the fleur oil on top—“loving my skin,” as Tom Pecheux would say. It really does feel like a million bucks afterwards.
Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer : Riley’s MO is “green science”—an admirable pursuit in the beauty industry—and I love that her makeup contains skin-care ingredients. I’ve been hooked on this mousse-like primer for months. It has the consistency of a silky tinted moisturizer and makes skin glow-y without any shimmer or sparkle.
Lucas’ Papaw Ointment : My friend brought this back from Australia a while back and it’s my permanent bathroom lip stuff (or Nuxe Rêve de Miele, but that’s a little clunky to travel with). It’s like a fragrance-free Eight Hour Cream, with a homespun, hippie vibe.
MAKEUP
Armani Face Fabric : Tabitha Simmons turned me onto this. She is the most minimal beauty I know, the “anti foundation” type gal, so if it’s good enough for Tab, it’s good enough for me. This stuff is seriously light as air. It feels like a “cream to powder' formula—perfect for rubbing around the T-Zone, nostrils, and under eyes. I don’t do concealer under my eyes…I like a little natural shadow. This could very well change one day, or, next week. Don’t quote me.
Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder in Brunettes: This palette’s still going strong since last summer (am I supposed to get a fresh one?). I use my decapitated Beauty Is Life fan brush to shade cheekbones and dust across all those hot spots.
Dior SkinFlash Primer : My new favorite highlighter. It’s like Touche Éclat, but bigger, and a bit more watery. Perfect for blending onto the tops of cheekbones with…
Blush. I’m alternating between Benefit Benetint and Tom Ford’s Frantic Pink (applied with a brush from Tarte). The most important thing about blush, more so than the shade, I feel, is application technique. A makeup artist recently told me to stay away from the apples of my cheeks (too close to the ruddy nose area) and diffuse it across the cheekbones instead. It makes a huge difference.
Now, for lashes. I’m really letting them do the talking lately, with an emphasis on bulking up the lower little guys. I’ve been going for a more open, round eye shape, with a “smoke” of shadow around the lid and under the eye…but don’t be fooled. By “smoke” I just mean no hard, distinct lines—just a wash of color. My current favorite product for this is a rusty, purple-y red (Clé de Peau’s fall launch —trust me, I’ll tell you when it’s out) applied with a finger. For night, I’ll pair it with thicker fringe— Estée Lauder’s Sumptuous Extreme mascara , layering the blue and black. For day, I go for a super “natural” feathery flutter with the “Haute” end of MAC’s Haute & Naughty Lash.
My trusty Tweezerman and Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel keep brows in line. And, where are the lipsticks, glosses, glazes, liners, etc? Why, they’re all in my purse, of course! I would NOT get away with one Ziploc otherwise.
HAIR & BODY
I put my trust in the hotel’s offerings (with the exception of my beloved 3 oz Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray)—on this particular trip, Cowshed did not let me down. There were no fewer than four body washes and as many shampoo and conditioner options, in a shower built for ten people. In fact, I pilfered a bottle of impressive body oil, transported via a lone sandwich bag in my carry-on luggage back to NYC. The three shower necessities I will not leave home without are my trusty Schick razor , shaving cream, and a bottle of all-purpose Dr Bronner’s baby soap, just to be safe. Oh, and a toothbrush. Which I always forget. Don’t we all?
