Having just come back from my UK & Paris trip, I figured now would be the perfect time to share my in-flight essentials with you! I, personally, love travelling, and one of the best parts of travelling anywhere far away is getting on a plane because I love heights, I love the food (yea, yea, I know, I’m part of the 3% of the entire human population who does. I also like hospital food, just to make sure that I’ve really horrified you ;P) and I love the feeling of being on top of the world (literally). However, with such a pleasure comes the major dilemma of what to do with your now-parched skin, as airplanes are the worst for drying out any exposed skin. If that wasn’t enough, you also have to worry about what you’re going to look like when you get off that very powerful metal transportation vehicle! When I was young & naive, I used to be completely fine with getting off planes looking like a hot mess, but now that I’m older and I realize the potential of meeting my Prince Charming at an airport in some foreign land (I have watched way too many movies in my lifetime!), that’s not going to happen. Enter the lovely little makeup bag that holds all of the “I woke up like this” magic in it. Score.
I keep all of my essentials in a cute little bag that I found at H & M for under $5, and wowza, is it ever awesome that it’s both cute and mostly transparent! I ended up being able to locate the products that I wanted without having to do my usual dump-everything-out-in-a-frenzy thing. I only brought my (huge) Herschel backpack on the plane as a carry-on, and I always call the window seat (I’m not about to miss out on all of those amazing views!!!), so instead of bothering my dad to get my backpack down every five minutes, I took out my entertainment essentials and this little bag right before I got on the plane. The great thing about this bag is it’s small enough to fit in the seat pocket in front of you, so I just put it there and forgot about it until about an hour before we landed. I’m not exactly the biggest fan of airplane bathrooms, so I packed the bag with a “doing this at my seat” mentality. Yes, that’s right, I used only the light on the plane (thank you overhead lights…it’s hard to do anything productive at your seat when you’re on a red-eye flight!) and the tray table in front of me to go from hot mess to well-dressed, but if you’d rather multitask by stretching your legs and applying makeup, there’s always that option, too. 🙂
Alright, alright, enough yapping, let’s get into exactly what products are used to transform my face from “uh-oh :|” to “Hellloooo! ;)”!
Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitizer in Aqua Blossom
Before any kind of beautification can happen, the hands need to be clean! Touching your face with your dirty fingers is a known acne causer, and I can only imagine what kind of DIRT is lingering in a contained space up at 30,000 feet in the air. Clean hands are a MUST!
Life Brand Artificial Tears/Eye Drops
Dry air = dry eyes, and there is nothing worse than the feeling of dry eyes, especially when you can’t do anything about it! This is why I always carry eye drops with me on planes, they are honestly a lifesaver. Plus, I can use them when I actually get to my destination when I put my contacts in! Win, win!
Scope Outlast Mini Disposable Toothbrushes (No Water Necessary!)
The last I heard, Prince Charming (or anyone, really) doesn’t enjoy talking to a girl with dragon breath. I mean, really, how awful would it be to be at customs and be refused entry to a country? “But, why, officer!?” I picture myself exclaiming. “Officer” rests one hand on my shoulder, looks into my eyes and pauses…”…because your breath stank, girl.” Thus, have toothbrush, will travel.
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
My lips are basically always dry, so I have to apply lip balm regularly. However, I like to use this extra nourishing lip balm when I’m in extra dry environments so that my lips don’t literally crack open and bleed. Plus, applying lip balm before applying the rest of your makeup is a good way for your lips to get the extra attention and hydration they crave before adding a lipstick or lip gloss.
Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Brightening Cleansing Cloths
Don’t be fooled by the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser label on the Sephora sample bag, there’s really an Ole Henriksen cleansing cloth inside it! I only used the bag because of its small size; it’s perfect for putting one or two cloths in there for a couple of uses, and it’s easier on my eyes than a squished up, folded regular size ziploc bag. Oh, and I’m pretty sure cleansing cloths were invented for airplanes, you just wipe your face down thoroughly, getting all of the dirt and grime off of your face, and just throw it away when the air attendants do their final garbage round.Clean face & happy space (haha, oh the cheese)!
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Oil Free Gel-Cream
Another beauty item that I’m pretty sure was made for travelling is the Kiehl’s sample. Seriously, one of these packets is just the right amount of product to cleanse, tone and/or moisturize the face. Now, I actually used the Ultra Facial Intense Hydration Cream on both flights, but since I only had two samples, I had to photograph the oil-free version. Either way, my face was left clean and hydrated to the extreme, which is perfect for planes!
The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder in 004 Deep Matte
I tried to jump on the bandwagon with this bronzer after hearing nothing but amazing reviews, alas, even the darkest shade is too light for me. However, it is pretty much the perfect size for a small makeup bag and the mirror is basically frameless, so I used it for the next steps, which require a mirror!
Tarte Clean Slate Flawless 12-Hr Brightening Primer
I know I keep talking about dry air, but really, it’s a known thing how bad plane air is. This air can create a dull, lacklustre look to the skin, which isn’t super appealing. Enter this brightening primer, which has a pretty obvious pinkish-white tint as you start to apply it, and therefore brightens your face like no other. I just apply this all over my face, focusing on my undereye area and blend it in. Never a dull moment face.
Essence Eye Brow Designer in 002 Dark Brown
Gone are the days that I would be okay with putting absolutely nothing on my brows. Now, I feel naked without anything on them. Well, that’s a lie. If I’m not wearing any makeup at all, I usually just comb through them when I moisturize my face and be done with it. However, even if I have a little bit of mascara on, I have to have something on my brows. No matter how many fancy or expensive eyebrow products I try, I always come back to this little guy. This literally cost me $3 at the drugstore and is the perfect option for my brows. It takes about 30 seconds to apply, too, so it’s perfect when I’m in a rush! Just comb through your brows with a brow comb/spoolie, apply short, feather-like strokes and you’re good to go…
Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium/Deep
..or not quite! You can’t forget the brow gel! Brow gel is easy to skip, but trust me, I’ve been there…you put all of this work into making your eyebrow game strong for the day and then 3 hours later they look like caterpillars trying to do the worm on your face. No, no, friend, save yourself from the humilation, use a brow gel to set those bad boys into place. This volumizing gel is tinted, so it fills any areas you might have missed when using the pencil. Okay. Now, you’re done. With your brows, that is.
Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener in Luminous 04 Deep/Golden
Calling all lifesavers! Not joking when I say that I’ve used this every day I’ve worn makeup for the last several months. This brightening concealer is gold in a tube for people like me, people plagued by dark circles. Not only does it hide them really well, it also gives you a subtle glow wherever applied. This stuff is a serious must-have for any red eye flight, it will make you look fabulous in a flash!
Revlon Nearly Naked Powder in 050 Deep
Speaking of lifesavers, here’s another holy grail product in my collection. I haven’t used another powder on my face since…well, since I bought this powder. It’s literally perfect; finely-milled so it doesn’t ever look cakey, doesn’t wear off in like an hour, comes in a shade appropriate for my complexion and it’s affordable. I apply this under my eyes to set my concealer and on the rest of my face to mattify any oily patches leftover with my cute little MAC 182 kabuki brush. Oh, and in case you didn’t notice in the photo, I have hit pan on this powder, and it isn’t even a question, I have already bought a back-up for when I finish it.
NYX Slide On Pencil in SL07 Jet Black
I, personally, really like the look of long, lush lashes, and I’ll let you in on a little secret – some of that magical “wow, her lashes are perfect” juice comes from what your tightline, the flap of skin between your eyeball and your eyelid, looks like. I know for a fact that my lashes always look a million times better when I’ve applied black liner to my tightline, making my lashes seem longer and fuller. Thus, I use this bad boy to tightline my eye, and this step is a MUST before I’m even allowed to think of, let alone board, the “Lovely Lash Express”. Honestly, those conductors! Such sticklers!
Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio Universal Looks Collection in Nude Eyes (WOW. DAT NAME DOE)
Red eye flights are a bit like roller coasters; the first and last 30 seconds are thrilling and enjoyable, but the middle of the journey can be…well, rough. On flights, you have the screaming babies, the snoring men and the usually miserable flight attendants. On red eye flights, though, you have all of those things PLUS the fact that you’re flying in the middle of the night, so you can guarantee that you’re going to look hella tired when you step off that plane. If only there were a fix…oh, wait! There is! This light shimmery kohl eyeliner that is part of the Phyisician’s Formula Nude Eyes Trio is PERFECT for lifting those bags and instantly giving that awake, wide-eyed effect. I just put a little bit of this in the inner corner of my eye and BAM! Hello bright eyes! You’d never know that you had the good luck to get seated behind that crying baby. Chyea.
The Mascaras
It may seem a little excessive to take three mascaras on a flight, but trust me, they all serve a purpose. First things first, I curl my lashes with the Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler. I actually am not the biggest fan of this, but I didn’t want to take my favourite lash curler with me in my carry-on because I had visions of border security thinking that I was trying to smuggle a weapon or something and confiscating it (Even in an imaginary world, wow, the HORROR. I mean them taking my lash curler, not them accusing me of being a weapons smuggler ;)), so I went with the safe choice, the second favourite. Then, I had options, which I LOVE. For example, on the way there, I put in a bit more effort (I got a little caught up in the daydream that a hoard of hot British boys were going to greet me at the airport, hehe….AWKWARD); I put two coats of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara on my upper lashes and one coat of the Makeup Forever Smoky Lash Mascara on my bottom lashes. The volumizing formula of “Better Than Sex” made my eyelashes long and bouncing with volume, and “Smoky Lash” made my bottom lashes long and separated. When I was finished, I looked wide awake and flirtatious as ever. However, on the way home, I opted for the “lazy” option; Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara. I know that this mascara is a pain to take off, but it is a one-step solution to make eyelashes look long, separated yet also chock-full of volume. Just what I need when I want a wide-eye affect but I’m too lazy/don’t have time to fiddle with more than one mascara.
Benefit Dandelion Ultra Plush Lip Gloss
The last step for the makeup is to add something to the lips. While lipstick would offer more of a “pow” effect, lip gloss is easier to apply and is often easier to carry, because of the plethora of travel-sized glosses available nowadays.While I absolutely love making a statement with my lips, there is a time and a place, and getting off of an 8 hour flight is not the place. So, I went with an easy, looks good no matter what colour, and that colour is Dandelion. Seriously, I don’t know what it is about this pink, but I literally can’t get it to look bad. It’s a really nice sheer, hydrating lip gloss that makes you look like a supermodel with its megashine and beautiful colour. Plus, it’s a shade that looks beautiful against every complexion. Me likey.
Chloe Roses de Chloé
Now that the makeup is complete, I move on to my last two, and some of the most important steps. Number one, I have to smell decent, and after sitting in the same spot for 7+ hours, I need to turn to perfume to make any pleasant smell enter the atmosphere. I filled my Flo atomizer with the Chloe Roses perfume because it’s such a lovely scent that I get loads of compliments on, and it’s the perfect daytime scent, not too heavy or strong. I sprayed two spritzes of this on my wrist and then rubbed it behind my ears as I sat next to the “Supernose” (my mom, who got her nickname because she can literally smell things miles away and actually hates perfume) and she didn’t even notice until we were in the airport bathroom about an hour later. As long as I smell good and I’m not disturbing anyone with any allergies or fragrance sensitivity, I’m a happy camper.
Victoria’s Secret Pink Energizing Body Lotion with Organic Citrus & Mint
My dear friend Corina got me this lovely-smelling lotion as well as some other goodies for Christmas last year, and words cannot describe how much I love it! I have super dry skin all over my body, so I use this as a hand cream, and as you won’t be touching your face anymore, it’s totally cool to add some hydration and light, clean, fresh fragrance to your hands! I absolutely LOVE the smell, it smells exactly like it says, like citrus and mint…oh my goodness, the greatness! Using this hand cream is the perfect finishing touch to the little mini-makeover you just gave yourself! Also, I’ve been trying to find this in PINK stores and I can’t find it anywhere! Is this available where your from? I think it might be from the states…but I’m not sure. If you could please let me know in the comments, I’d be super grateful, thank you! 🙂
And there you have it, folks! You’re all done! By following these steps, I went from feeling and looking pretty gross to just all around pretty. And as I always say, looks don’t matter as much as how you feel. It’s no use look amazing but feel awful, so trust me when I say, these steps are as important for making you feel good as they are to look good, too. I wouldn’t have felt very comfortable talking to anyone or even moving around without a little confidence boost, and that’s exactly what this little routine gave me!
I really hope that this post was helpful to you and that you enjoyed reading it. I’ll be back soon with another post, but in the meantime, stay pretty, stay strong and stay happy. 🙂
Much love,
S♥
ps – Did anyone else immediately think of American Express when you read “realize the potential”? Talk about permanently engrained in my brain powerful advertising ;))
