top 10 Travel size products I can’t be without

It may seem high maintenance. Whether it’s to throw in a gym bag or pack a pouch for the weekend, there are certain products I can’t compromise on. Pre-Covid, I was on the go a lot. With an other-half who spends 50% of the year abroad, a job that means I’m always on my way somewhere, plus a vague attempt at a fitness routine - I began to realise that my skin, body and face was suffering for not being able to keep up my skincare routine when I’m away from home.

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So I looked at my beauty cupboard, wrote down the most prominently featuring brands and either sought out samples via Space NK or similar - or bought off-season beauty advent calendars which have a host of my favourite products in convenient sizes. This way it doesn’t really matter where I am, any skincare or haircare routine I set myself is never compromised. Whilst a luxury, it’s absolutely something I recommend.

So without further ado here are the few things I have with me wherever I am. There aren’t a million of them, it’s kept quite tight as a list - but collectively they mean I can look and feel like my normal self no matter where I’m getting ready. A lot of them are things you’ll already know I use, otherwise are finds which I’ve found successfully replace stuff I use at home…

1. dermalogica hydramist toner spray

I think I’ve said elsewhere on this blog that this spray was a bit of a surprise addition for me. Prior to it, I never really got the need for toners. But since I added it to my regime everything is just that bit better and I really notice when I stop using it for a while. It just seems to improve the whole skincare process, my pores are tighter, my skin feels fresher and I really rate it across the board. I find no matter how poor the cleanser/wash options, a couple of spritzes of this post-shower and my skin can survive as normal. If you want to try it, next time you order a Dermalogica product pop a travel size into your basket as a sample (only available on their own site).

2. murad vita c glycolic serum

This really is a game changer for me. I was first recommended it for pigmentation (which it does a brilliant job on) and then noticed how much perkier my skin was in general. Although it calls itself a serum I’d say it’s almost a moisturiser consistency. It blends really well with make up too, so you don’t need to sit and wait for it to dry before applying. I am an enormous Murad fan these days.

3. murad vita c dark circle correcter

To further back up my love for the brand the eye cream I keep with me at all times is Murad’s Vita C Dark Circle Corrector which does exactly what it says on the tin. I’m finding although I do still use concealer, I need less of it. My eyes are just that bit brighter and I couldn’t be without their - hence me even taking it to the gym to ensure I don’t miss an application.

4. aveda botanical repair leave in treatment

The brilliant thing about this stuff is that no matter how sh*t the shampoo and conditioner is in the gym/hotel/house you’re staying in, a 5p blob of this on your ends and roots will make your hair look great. Honestly, it’s probably the most genius thing in this lot. Cannot recommend it enough - works on the majority of hair types from fine right through to 4c type curls.

5. aveda phomolient mousse

This was the product that lured me in to Aveda as a brand. When my sister and I went for a blow-dry once I went for those loose, beauty curls that usually (for me) last a few hours after it’s been done. But I woke up the next day, and the next day and the blow dry was still brilliant. So much so I went back and asked the lady what she’d used and she gave me this mousse. You don’t need much of it but now I would never be without it - I use a teeny amount at the roots of my hair after every wash to get that bouncy feeling that lasts a couple of days, and if styling I use throughout my hair for curls to stay in place. Really, really good.

6. ouai texturising wave spray

I have hair that needs help. Period. If I don’t have some kind of texturising spray, mousse of spray then my locks are flat and dull. As you can imagine this has meant I spent most of my teens and early twenties rocking crispy, straw-like hairdos - I bl**dy loved a can of Elnett. After a while I started to look more at what was actually in these periods and freaked out over the salt content - especially sea salt sprays, obviously. No wonder my hair was so dry! This Ouai one is one of very few that my hair feels better for, and gives me the tousled look. It’s not cheap so I don’t use it every day, but when I do it gives me a boost in every sense.

7. ameliorate body cream

There are few body creams that I manage to get into the habit of applying, and this is one of them. Ameliorate is a cult favourite for anyone with that godforsaken “chicken skin” (officially known as Keratosis Pilaris) on upper arms and back of legs. This stuff really will get rid of it quickly - really quickly. As a warning it can itch a bit when it’s got something to work on, but it works and thats what counts.

8. erborian BB crayon

I feel like a bit of a broken record putting this in, but it really is a non negotiable for me. In fact if I could only take one make up item on a desert island it’d be this. It’s made for under your eyes but I use it on any patch of skin I’m looking to conceal - and it works. It holds in place all day, easy to rub in with your finger and comes in a large variety of shades.

9. bloom and blossom wonder worker

Instagram followers will know I’m a big fan of this. Lots of brands claim to do the “multipurpose” thing well, but few do everything as perfectly as Bloom and Blossom. Plus, it’s got no nasties in it (super rare - most are packed with petroleum jelly and other fillers). I use this on dry patches, scratches, as an eyebrow mascara, lip balm, cuticles softener - the works. Really, really recommend.

10. jo malone miniature scents

The best gift I was ever given was a Jo Malone Advent Calendar, hands down. It meant for the following year I smelt good. In fact longer, this mini in the pictures if from that very calendar three years on. Fragrance is something that can make you feel yourself, so having a familiar scent around when you aren’t getting ready at home is lovely thing to have available. I really can’t praise the idea enough, last years had all my faves in too.