The holidays are JUST around the corner… and if you’re gearing up to travel to spend the holidays sleeping in your old bedroom (clad with “#1 Sister” ribbons, decaying pom-poms or trophies from the 3rd grade science fair that your parental unit(s) kept on hand to whip out when company comes, you’ll need some backup to make the travel experience less hectic. Especially if you’re a klutzy-ass traveler like me. When it comes to packing for a couple of days away from NYC, I nearly always over-pack and definitely always forget very important life components — this makes getting ready for the day a bit of a challenge, with even more chance for me to mess up my face with blush my mom lends me, or an out-dated curling iron that inevitably ends in a 911 call.
When it comes to klutzy-girl marketing, Clever Girl’s Glam Ears is just that, in pink. The re-usable silicone covers protect the ears of klutzy girls year-round, but are portable to keep on you for travel when the possibility of using foreign curling irons and straighteners is high. They wash clean with soap and water, so you can even wear them while spraying wild amounts of hairspray in your, or while dyeing whatever color you fancy. [$11.95 for set of two, clevergirlinnovations.com]
Once you begin your travel excursion, looking like you’re actually awake becomes a taxing feat. But, my attempt to loking like I’m part of society, is a healthy, curled and mascara’d set of lashes. Prepare now with a script from your derm for Obagi’s ElastiLash Eyelash Solution once per day with a generous brush stroke on the upper & lower lashes, and keep your lashes dark & glossy with Neutrogena’s Healthy Lengths & Volume Mascara to create beautiful eye-opening drama while conditioning each lash. The conditioning bit may or may not come in handy to protect lashes once you fall asleep face-first against the bus or airplane window… not that I’ve done that, or anything. [Obagi $60 find a derm here / Neutrogena $8.99, at drugstores nationwide]
If you’re to bring ONE product with you, the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrate is essential for your travel case. It has kindly worked as an all-in-one-bottle nourishing cleanser, mask and make-up removerwithout any irritation or redness on the skin. Because, your family will always call you out on looking “tired” … plus, it’s just never a good look to wear last night’s mascara to breakfast. [$14, embryolisseusa.com]
Pack it all in the hard-case Rimowa Salsa AIR Ultralight suitcase. It’s super light (around 4.2lbs, looks polished, and is extremely hard for me to over pack. It’s a pretty penny, but it comes equipped with ergonomic handles, and a combination lock for physical and emotional comfort. PLUS, it comes in pretty colors. SCORE. [$475-$625, rimowa.com]
Honorable Mention: Apothederm Skin Brightening Cleanser is not so specifically handy to have while traveling, as it’s a day-to-day piece of heaven for me. BUT, dryness from climate changes wreaks havoc, and the constant holiday party circuit can takes a serious toll on my skin, and this stuff has SmartPeptide technology and ingredients like algae to hydrate, mandelic acid to absorb oil and malic acid to refine wrinkles; all that jazz has kept my life in a normal state, hiding imperfections and leaving me looking renewed when beauty sleep is not an option. [$28 buy]
