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08 September 2016

My Updated Toiletry Bag: (Long) Weekend Away

For the past week I've toyed with the idea of writing a "monthly favourites" post for July and August, just to realise that I don't have any new favourites. The whole of July was spent packing and the whole of August was spent unpacking (and finishing my thesis). So for these two months I just stuck with what I know worked. This is why I've decided to not do a "monthly favourites" post, but rather show you my updated travel skincare/haircare/body care bag for when I go away for a night or two (or four!). During all the hoopla of August we actually managed to stay in a hotel in Johannesburg for two nights, and this is the bag that came with me. I'm also including a few handy tips that I've picked up along the way. Please let me know what YOUR packing tips are.





Firstly, this big toiletry bag was a freebie that came along with a Vichy purchase a year or two ago. I find that it's the perfect size to keep all my toiletries. I also keep this stocked so that whenever I'm going somewhere, I just take it out of my closet and put it in my suitcase. I will tweak the contents slightly depending on how many nights I'll be away, how much I'll be in the sun, and if I will have time for a pamper session.


For removing my makeup I take a micellar water and some cotton rounds. I used to decant my micellar water into a smaller bottle, but Garnier has brought out a dinky 125 ml bottle that's perfect for travelling. I also take enough cotton rounds because you never know when you'll need them. They're great for anything from removing makeup to wiping up spilled makeup on a table. I got this little cotton round holder from Dischem and if you squash them you can get about 20 cotton rounds in there. I can't remember the price but it is very cheap! Our Dischem has a travel product display near the pharmacy where they have small tubes of toothpaste, small deodorants, and these cotton round holders. If you don't want to pack cotton rounds and a bottle of micellar water you can always just get a pack of micellar cleansing wipes. Although I'm not entirely sure how much space that will save!


I'm not a regular Dermalogica user because I find their products to be eyewateringly expensive. That being said, I do love their products and their travel kits are great. The travel kits are still expensive but Sorbet usually has an annual 20% discount on all the products in-store and that's when I buy my travel kit, or replenish some of the travel minis (you can buy the mini products loose but that works out even more expensive, sigh). The photo above is for anything from one night to a week away. There is a small bottle of Precleanse that I use if my face is feeling really dirty (I will use that before my Garnier micellar water). Then I wash my face with the Special Cleansing Gel which is an amazing product for people with combination/oily skin. If I feel that my skin is particularly spotty or "ugh" I'll go in with the Prep Scrub which is a physical exfoliater, which means that you should not be rubbing your skin vigorously when using this. After washing that off I spritz my skin with the Multi-Active Toner which is one of my favourite products from this kit. It smells herby and clean and leaves my skin looking dewy and hydrated. I then apply Active Moist which is a rich (but not overly rich) moisturiser. If it's in the morning I will apply the eye cream with built-in SPF as well. I also pack a teeny tiny Clarins Bright Plus serum for when my skin needs that extra boost, and a Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum for the evenings. My two travel masks of choice are the Clarins pink clay mask and the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, all of which I received either with a purchase or because I asked nicely. When I'm only going away for a night and there won't be any time to pamper or faff, I leave behind the Precleanse, Prep Scrub, and the masks.


As for haircare I decanted some Pureology Hydrate shampoo and conditioner into two squeezy travel bottles from Woolworths (I can't find them online so I assume you can't buy them anymore). I didn't take close-up photos of them because the one's sticker is beginning to come off, and the other one's cap is cracked. You know how it goes! I also pack a wide-tooth comb because I always comb conditioner through my hair while in the shower. I got this particular comb from a Test Box long ago, but you can buy similar ones for very cheap at Dischem, Clicks, or even Pick N Pay and Checkers. 

For body care I pack a mini Lush Lord of Misrule shower cream. This is part of their Christmas collection but I simply love the smell and the size is perfect for travelling. I also pack my Venus Snap razor. I have been waiting forever for someone to come up with this brilliant concept: A normal-sized razor but with a teeny tiny handle, in a travel case. No more lugging around razors with long handles or nicking yourself on a blade while scratching in your toiletry bag. This razor works with most Venus blades, and I always make sure that the blade is relatively sharp before my travels.



I always make sure to keep a small bottle of body lotion handy. On my most recent trip I found out that my Kiehl's Creme de Corps mini doesn't smell like it's supposed to anymore, so I'll swap that out for my small Nivea body cream tub (such as this one). I also take a small sun lotion. This one from Nivea is a "pocket size" and if I don't keep it in this bag I keep it in my handbag. Although I don't use dry shampoo that often I still keep a small can in my toiletry bag, just in case. My hair has the tendency to go flat towards the end of the day, especially when it's hot, so this helps it to retain some of that volume from earlier in the day.

Apart from all of this I pack my bath lily, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, earbuds, and a facial sponge to wash my face with or to remove my face masks. As you can see from the very first photo I also pack my bottles into two ziploc bags. I pack all my essential skincare into one bag so that I can easily find it, and I pack all my shower things (comb, shampoo, conditioner, shower cream) into another bag. Partly for easier access but I also do this so that I don't get any nasty, gooey surprises on the other side.

That was my updated travel toiletry bag! I hope you enjoyed reading this, let me know your thoughts in the comment section.

Until next time!

Hildegarde
xoxo

2 comments:

  1. I bought the little Venus razor and I love it too! So convenient.

    I LOVE the little masks you have too, need to go and talk nicely to the ladies at the beauty stands and get my hands on some mini masks for trips.

    http://sugarspicelifestyle.blogspot.co.za/

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    1. That little razor is the bom! If you buy something from Clarins or Ren the ladies are usually more than happy to supply you with a sample or two. I have built up a relationship with my local Clarins lady so whenever she sees me she hands me a couple of samples, haha. Thanks for commenting!

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