Travel Beauty :: Splurge VS Steal

[trip style = any]

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

There are so many incredible beauty products on the market nowadays, both expensive and affordable, it's daunting to try and pick the right ones. I haven't tried every beauty product out there, but I've tested enough to pick what I think are the best beauty splurges and share where you can save money on cheaper items. Read on to find out what beauty products you should be packing on your next getaway!

1/ Face Moisturizer Steal: Oil of Olay Regenerist Lotion with SPF 15, $22.99 When I meet with beauty editors for work, we often discuss their favorite products and this one comes up over and over again. This line of anti-aging products contains incredibly effective ingredients and has the performance of a product five times its price. Using their amino-peptide and B3 complex, plus Vitamin C in a non-greasy formula, this lotion regenerates the skin's appearance and protects from UV rays.

2/ Lips Splurge: Clinique Chubby Stick Tinted Lip Balm, $19 These nourishing, moisturizing lip balms tint lips in the most gorgeous colors. Packed with mango and jojoba oils and available in 16 shades, these healthy lip colors provide hydration with a touch of shine, perfect for travel. No sharpening required---just swivel up to get more of the balm.

3/ Nail Polish Steal: Essie Nail Polish in Mademoiselle, $8 Hands-down this is the best all-around nail polish. The pretty pale pink {perfect for all trip styles} flatters every skin tone and instantly makes nails and hands look tidy, clean and put together. You don't even need two coats, and it lasts and lasts when you apply a top coat.

4/ Body Wash Steal: Caress Tahitian Renewal Silkening Body Wash, $6.50 Prepare to be transported on a trip style = beach vacation when you use this ultra hydrating body wash with its indulgent formula containing pomegranate seeds and Tahitian palm milk. Skin is left super soft and smooth---impressive for a small price tag.

More Travel Beauty Gorgeous Hair In 5 Minutes A Sky-Vival Kit The Best BB Creams For Travel How To Prolong Your Gorgeous Glow In-Flight Beauty Masks Q&A With OPI’s Founder {Nail Tips For Travel} St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets Q&A With Dr. Murad

[collage by @tripstyler with images sourced online]

Travel Beauty :: Gorgeous Hair in Five Minutes

[trip style = any]

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

I recently took a few trip style = weekend trips with my family, which includes a squirmy, out-of-control one-year-old. Add to the fact that I'm almost 8 months pregnant and you'll understand why I literally never get more than five minutes to apply my makeup and do my hair. I've come to realize that unless I'm going out for a big night, none of us need more than five minutes to complete our look. All that's need is a plan and the right products and tools.

Let's start with hair {the five-minute face is coming next month!}; here are a few variations of my favorite style, the ponytail. Ponytails always look chic and put together, and best of all, they take minutes to create.

Sleek Create a deep side part then lightly smooth the hair back and secure into a low ponytail, leaving out a small 1" section of hair underneath the pony. Take that section and wrap it over the elastic band, securing it with a pin underneath. Brush through the ponytail to smooth the hair and use a light hair spray {I love Alterna Bamboo Smooth Anti-Humidity Hair Spray} to hold the style and keep frizz away.

Casual Start by spraying a texturizer like Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray throughout the hair for a beachy, piecey look. Use fingers to tossle the hair a little, part it down the middle and gather it at the back into a loose ponytail. Allow layers or bangs to fall alongside your face.

Trendy Use a comb to carefully backcomb the top portion of the hair, and lightly smooth it back maintaining volume. Gather hair back into a high ponytail, keeping the sides of the hair sleek but leaving the top of the head voluminous with height. Secure with an elastic and spritz with hair spray.

Romantic Create a slightly off-center part, then use a large barrel curling iron to curl the hair into big waves. You don't have to curl all the hair, just choose key pieces so you have more waves than straight parts. Don't brush the hair, rather use fingers to create this look as it's a soft, loose style rather than smooth and sleek. Gather the hair over one shoulder and secure into a loose side ponytail, allowing the curls to fall over your shoulder. Spray with hair spray and allow any layers to fall along the side of your face.

More Travel Beauty A Sky-Vival Kit The Best BB Creams For Travel How To Prolong Your Gorgeous Glow In-Flight Beauty Masks Q&A With OPI’s Founder {Nail Tips For Travel} On-The-Go Teeth Cleaning St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets  Q&A With Dr. Murad

[collage by @tripstyler with images sourced online]

A Sky-vival Kit

[trip style = any]

Flying two or three hours is no biggie. Between the water/pop service, one bathroom break and a magazine, you're almost there. Anything over six hours requires a sky-vival plan at 35,000ft. From head to toe, here's how to assemble to ultimate kit:

{See our full story Fodor's Travel including details on how each essential was selected and where to buy it.}

1. Dry Shampoo 2. Eye Drops 3. Sunglasses 4. Smudge-Free Eye Mask 5. Moisturizing Mist 6. Noise-Canceling Headphones {bonus: they double as ear plugs} 7. Collapsible Water Bottle 8. Portable Toothbrush 9. Scarf/Wrap/Blanket 10. Hand Cream 11. Sanitizer 12. Moisturizing Sox

Other Musts {not pictured above} - Pen for customs forms - Tide 'anti-stain' Pen for spot-cleaning that coffee spill - Gravol in case you encounter some bumps

[graphic by @tripstyler]

Travel Beauty :: The BB Awards

[trip style = any]

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

They're what everyone is talking about, yet for some reason most of us don't know what they actually are.

BB creams were first introduced in Asia then in Europe last year; however, they're still something of a mystery. What is a BB cream? Some say it stands for Blemish Balm, others call it a Beauty Balm {word on the street is that they were originally called Blemish Balms, but when they were brought to North America, retailers thought that name didn't sound appealing}.

Overall, this multitasking product provides hydration, SPF, sheer coverage and soothing and healing properties to deliver genuine benefits for the skin and minimize your beauty routine---i.e. they're PERFECT for travel! I'm a little BB cream obsessed, and I tested a number of them to come up with my favorites in several different categories. Check out my BB cream awards below!

1/ Best Sun Protection: Dior Diorshow UV Shield BB Creme SPF 50 With a whopping SPF 50, this BB cream is perfect for those with fair complexions or those who need a high level of sun protection. The formula has a gorgeous silky texture and the perfect amount of coverage.

2/ Most Coverage: Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector This brilliant formula tones down redness and dark circles, providing impressive coverage. It glides on smoothly and eliminates the need for concealer.

3/ Best For Sensitive Skin: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 I was so impressed with how long this BB cream lasted---my skin looked as good at the end of the day as when I first applied it. It's also fragrance free, making it a good option for people sensitive to scents.

4/ Most Hydrating: Dr. Jart + Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 This fab formula leaves dry skin ultra moisturized and perfectly dewy.

5/ Best Natural Finish: Too Faced Beauty Balm Multi-Benefit Skin Care Makeup This product is best for those looking for light coverage with all the benefits of a BB cream. It's perfect for those days when you want to go "au natural".

6/ Best All Around: Stila Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm I loved this formula, which has more of a matte finish than most other BB creams. It creates a perfect canvas for your skin, diffusing the light and hiding any blemishes or pores.

What's next? CC creams!

I read the other day that CC creams {Color Control creams} are the next generation of BB creams. Doing double duty as skincare and makeup, they offer more coverage than BB creams and include even more skin-nourishing ingredients. Chanel is apparently already working on a CC cream formula...stay tuned for more info!

More Travel Beauty Trish's Travel Beauty Picks How To Prolong Your Gorgeous Glow Nicole’s Exotic Travel Beauty Picks In-Flight Beauty Masks Q&A With OPI’s Founder {Nail Tips For Travel} Heather’s On-The-Road Beauty Must-Haves On-The-Go Teeth Cleaning St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets Q&A With Dr. Murad

[collage by @tripstyler with images sourced online]

Travel Beauty :: Trish's Picks

[trip style = beach + sun]

{Want more travel beauty? Get your fill the third Wednesday of every month. Lauren, our travel beauty expert, is already whipping up her next concoction post!}

This month I chatted with Trish, TripStyler founder and Editor-In-Chief, about her beauty faves. She reluctantly {she isn't so into answering questions about herself!} shared with me her cool beauty finds and travel beauty routines. Read on for some great tips!

What's the coolest beauty product you've purchased while traveling?
Eleven years ago I was traveling solo in Paris, and I stopped into Sephora on L'Avenue des Champs-Élysées and picked up lip stain before it became an 'it' beauty product. To this day, I DO NOT travel without lip stain, and love that it provides long-lasting color even for a 14-hour flight!

You recently visited Mexico and it was ultra-hot. What was your beauty routine in such hot weather?
The 40 Celsius/104 Fahrenheit sans-wind Mexican heat was hot and heavy. I would sweat standing motionless in my clothes. Normally, in that heat I'd be sitting poolside in my bather, but since I was filming a video for Expedia's Find Yours campaign, there was no time for the beach OR pool. Skin: Travel-sized Skoah cleanser, toner and serum, and to finish, Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Daily SPF 70 Sunblock. Make-up: I had a camera two inches from my face at all times {scary!}, so I just intensified the make-up I normally wear so my features didn't get lost on film. Though, normally in hot weather, I'd use the less is more mantra. Hair: I did the same thing I do at home: wash, blow dry upside-down, and curl with my ionic curling wand. Between takes and at night I'd secure it in a loose top-knot to keep the curls from relaxing too much in the heat.

Do you change your "look" based on where you're going?
100%. I change what and how much make-up I wear based on where I'm traveling and time of day {ie - simple day look, more intensified night look}. For example, if I'm windsurfing in Bonaire, I'll wear a touch of cherry lip stain and a lot of sunscreen, whereas in Paris I'll wear MAC concealer, light Tarte eye shadow for inner corners of the eyes, L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, MAC blush, Guerlain powder and Joe Fresh lip stain. Oh, and I can't travel without my childhood lip love: Lip Smacker's strawberry-scented balm.

Tell us your top three beauty tips for travel.
1/ Less is more, nobody wants raccoon eyes on the plane or at the pool. 2/ Work off of your everyday look, and let your trip style and the climate dictate the intensity of your make-up routine. 3/ Pick one feature---ie, eyes or lips---and go with it. You don't have space in your suitcase to pack your entire bathroom anyway!

More Travel Beauty
How To Prolong Your Gorgeous Glow
Nicole’s Exotic Travel Beauty Picks
In-Flight Beauty Masks
Q&A With OPI’s Founder {Nail Tips For Travel}
Heather’s On-The-Road Beauty Must-Haves
On-The-Go Teeth Cleaning
St. Tropez’ Celebrity Tanning Expert’s Self-Tanning Secrets
Q&A With Dr. Murad

[photos via @tripstyler]