Beauty Fix: Winter-approved skin care solutions that will fit in your carry-on luggage and more answers to your holiday travel beauty questions
Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is looking forward to holiday travel season. Whether you’re heading somewhere sunny for a relaxing Christmas or worried about your beauty products taking up too much counter space at your in-laws’, we have tips and tricks to keep you looking your best when you’re on the go. Have a question we haven’t answered? Email us at [email protected].
I’m looking for some carry-on friendly beauty products that are also winter appropriate. What are some essentials I should keep an eye out for?
When travelling, I think it’s essential to have an effective-but-gentle facial cleanser, moisturizer, emollient lip balm (especially for air travel), and a moisturizer specifically designed for the eye area. If decanting your usual products into travel-size bottles seems like a bit daunting and you’re open to trying some new products, the time to buy is now! As far as beauty goes, a fantastic element of the holiday season is the many miniature-sized product kits that roll into stores. These kits are usually excellent value and can be a great introduction to some really high-performance products. An exemplary example of this is Fresh’s Skin-Savers Kit ($69, sephora.com), which has five of the brand’s most sought-after products in travel-friendly formats—each is under 100 mL.
This kit includes an array of beneficial products, so let’s delve in:
– The Soy Facial Cleanser removes makeup and dirt like a good cleanser should, but it’s also packed with amino acids to encourage cell turnover and promote moisture retention—always a good thing, but especially so for air travel.
– The Rose Face Mask contains rose oil, aloe vera and porphyridium cruentum, which is a type of algae that actually seeks out areas of your skin that need moisture in order to target those dehydrated spots. (Can you say overachieving ingredient!? – fantastic stuff.)
– The Soy Moisturizing Cream contains soy proteins, meadowfoam and jojoba seed oil that promote collagen synthesis and provide long-lasting moisture. It also wears well under makeup.
– The Lotus Eye Gel reduces puffiness and defends against wrinkle-causing free radicals with the help of polyphenols. (A great moisturizer to apply prior to concealer!)
– Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment volumizes lips with hyaluronic spheres that penetrate the skin to smooth and plump lips
With a kit like this, packing is significantly streamlined!
I don’t wear too much makeup when I’m doing family stuff over the holidays, but I feel a bit self-conscious about the veins on my eyelids. Is there anything simple I can do to address them?
Veiny eyelids can get the best of us, especially if we’re facing cold and flu season, we’re sleep deprived or perhaps just have skin that’s a bit on the translucent side. Regardless of the reason, veiny eyelids can make us feel like we look drained. Enter the visual pick-me-up: Laura Mercier Eye Basics in “Buff” ($27, sephora.com), which is a medium pink-beige colour that’s quite neutral (and natural!) with a hint of sheen. This gleam differs from traditional eyeshadow shine or shimmer, as this product imparts a satin sheen that lends to a very polished no-makeup look. Laura Mercier Eye Basics are actually tinted eye primers, so they won’t crease throughout the day and they’re water-resistant. A swipe across your lids blended out is more than enough to battle any sort of veins or discolouration that you may be concerned about, allowing you to think about more important things, like if it’s time for that second glass of eggnog.
When I’m heading to a warmer climate, I always find it challenging to pack a foundation, because it usually isn’t a good match for me a few days into the trip. Any idea what I can do about this?
This is a common woe amongst frequent travelers to sunny locales! When we’re in a hot climate, we most likely don’t want to throw on a heavy coverage foundation anyway. Majority of us can get away with a simple tint to the skin, but the key is finding the correct amount of tint in order to make us look like we’re matched up between our faces and bodies. Pack a product like Estée Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Moisturizer SPF 15 ($51, esteelauder.ca), which is a moisturizer that transforms into a radiant tint upon contact with your skin. Bonus: the tinted moisturizer has a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect from UVA and UVB rays, which can never hurt! Throw on a bit of blush, such as Givenchy Le Prisme Blush in “Aficionado Peach” ($48, sephora.com), and a swipe of mascara and enjoy the weather. (But please don’t forget to keep slathering on the sunscreen as well!)
I have had too many eyeshadows shatter in transit when travelling. What can I take along with me on my next trip that will have a similar effect without being so fragile?
My heart sort of breaks any time a powder product shatters. It’s just the delicate nature of beauty, right? That being said, consider taking a few different shades of eyeliner with you on your next trip in lieu of shadows! Look for a creamy formula that you can wear as a liner or blend out as a shadow. If you’re heading somewhere warm or to a climate that involves blustering winds, a budge-proof and waterproof formula, like the formula found in Stila’s Seeing Stars Smudge Stick waterproof eye liner set ($42, sephora.com), is a safe bet. The set features five full-size Stila Smudge Stick liners in a range of metallic shades: “Stargazer” (black with gold and silver pearl), “Angelfish” (metallic champagne, which is a great inner corner highlighting shade), “Tetra” (deep shimmery purple), “Moray” (shimmery golden olive), and “Oscar Fish” (bronze brown with gold pearl). These versatile, highly-pigmented colours glide on with the utmost ease and stay put! Did I mention the set is an excellent value for price? Save your eyeshadows for when you’re more stationary and throw this set in your suitcase the next time you need to hit the road!
Is reapplying sunscreen actually necessary throughout the day? Seems like such a messy ordeal.
I hear where you’re coming from. It’s hot, you’re in the sun and possibly taking frequent dips in the water and the idea of throwing a sticky sunscreen into the mix (let alone reapplying) seems like a strange sort of punishment for being on vacation in the first place. That being said, reapplying sunscreen should be non-negotiable in your daily life, even more so when you’re spending time outdoors or in water! While a sunscreen lotion is still the best bet for the skin on your body, you can opt for using a sunscreen powder on your face. Colorescience Sunforgettable Mineral Powder Brush SPF 30 ($50, colorescience.com) is sunscreen (the active ingredients being 12% Micronized Zinc Oxide, 12% Titanium Dioxide) in a loose powder form that you can dust on your face for protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. The best part of this product is that it can be reapplied as needed (which, by the way, is every two hours, or sooner if you’re in and out of the water frequently) and it comes in three shades (fair, medium and tan) with two finishes (shimmery or matte), making it an ideal candidate for year-round use.
, and a moisturizer specifically designed for the eye area. If decanting your usual products into travel-size bottles seems like a bit daunting and you’re open to trying some new products, the time to buy is now! As far as beauty goes, a fantastic element of the holiday season is the many miniature-sized product kits that roll into stores. These kits are usually excellent value and can be a great introduction to some really high-performance products. An exemplary example of this is Fresh’s Skin-Savers Kit ($69, sephora.com), which has five of the brand’s most sought-after products in travel-friendly formats—each is under 100 mL.
This kit includes an array of beneficial products, so let’s delve in:
- The Soy Facial Cleanser removes makeup and dirt like a good cleanser should, but it’s also packed with amino acids to encourage cell turnover and promote moisture retention—always a good thing, but especially so for air travel.
- The Rose Face Mask contains rose oil, aloe vera and porphyridium cruentum, which is a type of algae that actually seeks out areas of your skin that need moisture in order to target those dehydrated spots. (Can you say overachieving ingredient!? – fantastic stuff.)
- The Soy Moisturizing Cream contains soy proteins, meadowfoam and jojoba seed oil that promote collagen synthesis and provide long-lasting moisture. It also wears well under makeup.
- The Lotus Eye Gel reduces puffiness and defends against wrinkle-causing free radicals with the help of polyphenols. (A great moisturizer to apply prior to concealer!)
- Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment volumizes lips with hyaluronic spheres that penetrate the skin to smooth and plump lips
With a kit like this, packing is significantly streamlined!
I don’t wear too much makeup when I'm doing family stuff over the holidays, but I feel a bit self-conscious about the veins on my eyelids. Is there anything simple I can do to address them?
Veiny eyelids can get the best of us, especially if we’re facing cold and flu season, we’re sleep deprived or perhaps just have skin that’s a bit on the translucent side. Regardless of the reason, veiny eyelids can make us feel like we look drained. Enter the visual pick-me-up: Laura Mercier Eye Basics in "Buff" ($27, sephora.com), which is a medium pink-beige colour that’s quite neutral (and natural!) with a hint of sheen. This gleam differs from traditional eyeshadow shine or shimmer, as this product imparts a satin sheen that lends to a very polished no-makeup look. Laura Mercier Eye Basics are actually tinted eye primers, so they won’t crease throughout the day and they’re water-resistant. A swipe across your lids blended out is more than enough to battle any sort of veins or discolouration that you may be concerned about, allowing you to think about more important things, like if it's time for that second glass of eggnog.
When I’m heading to a warmer climate, I always find it challenging to pack a foundation, because it usually isn’t a good match for me a few days into the trip. Any idea what I can do about this?
This is a common woe amongst frequent travelers to sunny locales! When we’re in a hot climate, we most likely don’t want to throw on a heavy coverage foundation anyway. Majority of us can get away with a simple tint to the skin, but the key is finding the correct amount of tint in order to make us look like we’re matched up between our faces and bodies. Pack a product like Estée Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Moisturizer SPF 15 ($51, esteelauder.ca), which is a moisturizer that transforms into a radiant tint upon contact with your skin. Bonus: the tinted moisturizer has a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect from UVA and UVB rays, which can never hurt! Throw on a bit of blush, such as Givenchy Le Prisme Blush in “Aficionado Peach” ($48, sephora.com), and a swipe of mascara and enjoy the weather. (But please don't forget to keep slathering on the sunscreen as well!)
I have had too many eyeshadows shatter in transit when travelling. What can I take along with me on my next trip that will have a similar effect without being so fragile?
My heart sort of breaks any time a powder product shatters. It’s just the delicate nature of beauty, right? That being said, consider taking a few different shades of eyeliner with you on your next trip in lieu of shadows! Look for a creamy formula that you can wear as a liner or blend out as a shadow. If you’re heading somewhere warm or to a climate that involves blustering winds, a budge-proof and waterproof formula, like the formula found in Stila’s Seeing Stars Smudge Stick waterproof eye liner set ($42, sephora.com), is a safe bet. The set features five full-size Stila Smudge Stick liners in a range of metallic shades: “Stargazer” (black with gold and silver pearl), “Angelfish” (metallic champagne, which is a great inner corner highlighting shade), “Tetra” (deep shimmery purple), “Moray” (shimmery golden olive), and “Oscar Fish” (bronze brown with gold pearl). These versatile, highly-pigmented colours glide on with the utmost ease and stay put! Did I mention the set is an excellent value for price? Save your eyeshadows for when you’re more stationary and throw this set in your suitcase the next time you need to hit the road!
Is reapplying sunscreen actually necessary throughout the day? Seems like such a messy ordeal.
I hear where you’re coming from. It’s hot, you’re in the sun and possibly taking frequent dips in the water and the idea of throwing a sticky sunscreen into the mix (let alone reapplying) seems like a strange sort of punishment for being on vacation in the first place. That being said, reapplying sunscreen should be non-negotiable in your daily life, even more so when you’re spending time outdoors or in water! While a sunscreen lotion is still the best bet for the skin on your body, you can opt for using a sunscreen powder on your face. Colorescience Sunforgettable Mineral Powder Brush SPF 30 ($50, colorescience.com) is sunscreen (the active ingredients being 12% Micronized Zinc Oxide, 12% Titanium Dioxide) in a loose powder form that you can dust on your face for protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. The best part of this product is that it can be reapplied as needed (which, by the way, is every two hours, or sooner if you’re in and out of the water frequently) and it comes in three shades (fair, medium and tan) with two finishes (shimmery or matte), making it an ideal candidate for year-round use.
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