Travel Bits

I recently escaped the cold for a brief jaunt to sunny Arizona. Here are some products I used on the daily (if not multiple times a day) while traveling! 

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré

This product alternative title is apparently "24-hour Miracle Cream", and I'm thinking that's a substantial claim, but not one that I'm really going to argue with. I first started using this when I heard about it in a Pixiwoo video and then stumbled upon it at Ricky's NYC. I'm pretty into the texture and hydrating properties (shea butter, beeswax, aloe vera, soy protein), though I'm not wild about the packaging. The metal tube is pretty beat up, as it's my go-to travel moisturizer. I figured it'd be a great contender for any airplane dryness I'd face (boo HISS @ connecting flights), and it was.

SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50

It's a daily staple, not just a travel necessity, and frankly, sunscreen ought to be a daily staple for all y'all! This is an incredibly lightweight titanium dioxide/zinx oxide formula that absorbs quickly with no greasy residue at all. If you're at all averse to sunscreen greasiness of yesteryear, try this formula to have any and all of your sunscreen apprehension dramatically shift to complete and utter love. This one won't leave any whitish cast on your skin, so it's great for any and all skin tones. It's a needed product in your daily routine. Also: this sunscreen wears beautifully under makeup!

Nivea Sun Lip Care SPF 30

As I've mentioned, I have unusually pigmented lips, and time in the sun makes the edges of my mouth much darker. My go-to tinted balms that contain SPF usually melt in no time in heat (sorry,  Fresh Sugar Lip Tint), so I avoided carrying them in my bag for touch-ups or taking them with me when traveling. For sunscreen protection without a tint, I packed this Nivea stick, which is comfortable to wear thanks to vitamin E and sunflower extracts.

Benefit The Big Easy

A newcomer to the Benefit range and a totally welcomed addition to my warm weather face routine, this lightweight foundation formula adjusts to match your skintone (though there are multiple shades in the range to begin with), goes from a creamy liquid to a matte, powder-like finish and contains SPF 35. What's not to like about this?

Chloé Eau de Parfum (mini)

Nabbed a mini of this perfectly summery EDP as a Sephora VIB Rouge deluxe sample and have thoroughly enjoyed both wearing it and admiring the adorable nature of the teensy bottle. The pink peony, rose and amber notes are unusually appealing to me, a not-so-floral fragrance lover. Reminder: I like mini beauty things.

Jo Malone Vitamin E Nourishing Hand Treatment

I can't say I love decanting products too much for travel purposes. I seem to buy endless amounts of travel-size containers for this exact purpose and they all seem to collectively suck because they all end up being the containers that leak endless inside my Ziploc bag. No bueno. Every hand cream I had in my arsenal seemed to be 2+ ounces, so I was amped when this sample surfaced in a drawer. I've had a number of these over the years, and the smell now reminds me of air travel (in a good way - and yes, I do think that's a thing!), and it really does an excellent job of hydrating, softening and soothing hands. Well worth the full size purchase!

Moisture Masks & A Face Oil

I don’t know about you, but it’s only the end of October and I’m already waking up in the morning with an absurdly dry nose, mouth and – horror of horrors – dry skin! As soon as the mercury hovers around the freezing point and the thermostat goes up, every iota of moisture in the air disappears and my word, I miss it. In order to even things out, I rely on heavier moisturizers until we’re in the dead of winter (you know, the “-20C with the windchill” type of days). That’s when I bust out the heavy artillery, better known as some mega moisturizing masks and a hyper-hydrating face oil, because they dose skin with some awesome and essential ingredients and frankly, it’s just nice to sit down with a mask on when taking shelter from the blustering winds and snowfalls. These are some of the products I’ll be reaching for in the coming months.

SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Masque

I originally sought this one out before it was even available in the country (quelle surprise... I have a habit of obsessing over goods that aren’t available where I live). Now that this clear gel mask has graced Canada with its presence, I can rave about it! SkinCeuticals does not play around when it comes to skincare. They are big on high performance ingredients, so I’m pleased to report this mask is no exception. As you can probably deduce from the product name, this mask is equipped with a dose of vitamin B5, which is essential to skin tissue repair, so it’s great for wind-whipped skin. It also contains hyaluronic acid, which is everyone’s best friend when it comes to winter, since it retains 1000x its own weight in water (read: this is REALLY good for dry skin!). There’s also glycerin and urea in the mix, so the moisture that’s drawn into the skin is then held there, and that’s exactly what to look for from a mask. Tip: this can be used on all areas of the body...elbows, hands, knees, any dry areas that need a moisture boost.

Fresh Crème Ancienne Ultimate Nourishing Honey Mask

Honey has been having a bit of a lime light moment in the North American beauty scene since the summer from fragrance to skincare, but it’s also one of the most used at-home ingredients for centuries now as far as natural skincare goes, and this is due to its antimicrobial properties, as well as its ability to absorb and retain moisture. In addition to honey, this mask contains seabuckthorn oil and meadowfoam seed oil, both rich in fatty acids that nourish skin, as well as shea butter and vitamin E. That’s... a lot of hydration in one jar, so this mask is definitely one to check out when it launches in Canada in January!

La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Mask

Ever since going to pharmacies in Paris and discovering my favourite retinol treatment to date from this brand (more about that in a future post!), I’ve been that much more in love with France’s very own La Roche-Posay. The entire range is all about addressing specific skincare concerns, ranging from redness (handled by the Rosalaic range) to dryness (the Lipikar range) and oiliness, pigmentation issues... you name it, they handle it, and for a reasonable price point. This particular mask isn’t a rinse-off mask, so it’s best used at night. Applying a liberal layer of this blue gel-cream to reap the benefits of the fragmented hyaluronic acid in the formula. It’s not just helpful for winter skin, but dehydrated sun-drenched skin has plenty to gain from this mask. Very comforting!

Origins Plantscription Face Oil

Before parlaying into retinols, I took a baby step towards retinol alternatives, and Origins Plantscription Serum was one I used and loved because it provided results with no irritation thanks to its plant-based ingredients. The latest launch in the Plantscription family is this face oil, which is definitely falling under the umbrella of anti-aging skincare, since it’s chockfull of 20 (!) precious oils, including sweet almond, sunflower, rose and raspberry oils and anogeissus, which is the anti-aging ingredient found throughout the Plantscription range. A couple drops go a long way and you’ll be amazed at how quickly oil absorb into the skin, and you’ll really be amazed at the increase in softness and suppleness of your skin the next morning after using this face oil. If your face is parched this winter, give this one a go. 

Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here.