Travel Beauty!!

Happy Almost Spring Break/Weekend everyone!

I don't know about you, but I am just aching (literally) to get some respite from school and work!! Instead of packing for my trip down to the good ol' south, I thought I might share with you all some of the travel beauty tips I have discovered. Airplane travel can cause a little bit of havoc with hair, skin, and makeup, so here are some things you can do to combat that!!

Night before your flight

The two things I focus on the night before a trip are my skin and my hair. Because my hair tends to get weird combination of greasy and dry/brittle on flights, I like to make sure I keep it healthy by doing an oil treatment or a hair masque the night before. The reason I do this is to keep it soft and smooth and just add a little extra moisture to it so it won't get so distressed on the plane. Now I know that usually the night before a flight, I'm busy packing (because I procrastinated of course) and trying to get everything together, so I've included a few easy remedies that you can use if you find yourself in the same predicament:

1. Aveda's Beautifying Composition- You will see me talk about this product a lot on this blog, but that is because I truly feel it's a beauty wonder. This works best if you have shorter hair, because the product doesn't come out in huge quantities. If you have short hair, shake out or let about a dime or nickel size drop form in your hand. Work this through your hair and let it sit there for 10 to 15 minutes before getting in the shower. If you really want to boost the effects, wrap saran wrap and then a warm towel around your head (this technique works for all masques and treatments). If you have longer hair but still want to use this product, don't put it on the crown of your head, and use about a quarter size.

2. Olive Oil Treatment- Personal anecdote: When I studied abroad in Greece last semester, we took a trip down to the island of Crete where we went to an olive oil factory. We watched an hour long video of all the uses of olive oil, and although I'm not sure I needed to know that Greek men use olive oil in place of viagra, I did learn how moisturizing and good for you it is- both on the inside and outside. If you want a hot oil treatment, you can heat up some olive oil in the microwave, but not to the point where it's scalding (it will go on your head after all) and you can work this through your hair and then brush or comb out your hair. Then follow the same procedure as mentioned above (rinse off in the shower).

If you really don't have the time or extra product, just use extra conditioner in the shower and let it sit in your hair. Any of these will help protect your hair while traveling!

For your skin: It's not the first time you've heard me say it, and I will say it again, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE, EXFOLIATE. The reason why this is so important is that it will remove all the dead, dry skin cells. The cabin air on airplanes will dry your skin out, which is often why you'll notice your makeup looks cakey and crumbly or your skin just doesn't feel right after a flight. Exfoliating the night and morning before will remove that layer so that you can properly moisturize and keep your skin looking dewey and gorgeous for your travels!

Use a facial buffer with your favorite cleanser to get the job done! This one from The Body Shop is great and can be purchased online or in stores!

Although I try to support companies who don't practice or promote animal testing, I know that the higher quality brands are more expensive and as college students, we often have to keep our budgets in mind. When I'm running a little low on my beauty budget, I turn to Neutrogena for effective products that won't break the bank!

The Neutrogena Deep Clean Invigorating Scrub has a nice texture that removes makeup and exfoliates gently with rounded beads. It also lends a great cooling sensation so you really feel like your skin is clean. I just wish they wouldn't test on animals so I would feel comfortable using more of their products!

Morning of your flight: After cleansing and exfoliating again, use liquid concealer (if necessary) to give more coverage to certain areas that you might need, and then use tinted moisturizer. Tinted moisturizer is the best travel makeup because it is a 3 in one product: sun protection, moisture, and color so it evens out your skin tone. It is also easy to reapply with clean fingers, brush, or sponge and will hydrate your skin on your flight. Feel free to add some liquid blush to brighten up that complexion. When applying makeup, it is best to stick with the same consistency of products i.e. liquid foundation = liquid blush, powder foundation = powder blush or bronzer, etc

I usually try and just keep my flight makeup simple; a little eyeliner and some colored mascara (blue or plum generally). Colored mascara is great when you don't wear eye shadow because it adds a slight bit of color, and when the light hits your lashes, it will bring out the color in your eyes! Blue is great for every eye color, and purple works wonderfully for ladies with green or hazel eyes!

Don't forget the chapstick or lipgloss in your quart size bag! It's very old school, but I love Strawberry or Pink Lemonade Lip Smackers gloss on flights. It's moisturizing, inexpensive, and lends that glossy shine with that nostalgic flavor!

In flight: Remember that dry cabin air I was mentioning? One great way to combat this is to take a travel size bottle full of your favorite facial toner and spritz it on your visage during the flight. It will hydrate your skin just enough without ruining your makeup and keeping it looking it fresh! Also, keep a travel sized hand lotion with you and use it on your hands and cuticles! I don't know about you, but I try to avoid airplane bathrooms at all costs (total germophobe here!), and I always keep hand sanitizer with me at my seat, along with gum or mints. By the way, if you are looking for a fun spring break gum, try Orbit's new Sangria gum...it mostly tastes like strawberries but that and the mojito flavor is enough to transport me to a mental beach vacation!

After the flight: Can you guess? It starts with an E and ends with xfoliate and moisturize that night!! You may even want to opt for a facial masque that evening, as it will really help clean out your pores and will really refresh your skin.

I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing, and safe spring break...unless you are still in school in which case hang in there, your spring break will be right around the corner!