I’ve written about this before but I get a lot of questions asking for travel tips so here’s an updated post on how I personally survive long trips. I’m a wuss. I truly hate to be uncomfortable so much so that when I travel the very first things I pack are my travel robe (yeah, I have one) and travel slippers (yep, I’ve got those, too). Pretty much everyone makes fun of me for it but I’ll tell you right now, when we actually get to our destination and I’m cozy af in our apartment or hotel room, folks sing a different tune. Because of my obsession with comfort, I hate long trips because it makes your skin feel dehydrated and your legs cramp and body feels all gross and skummy, which is unfortunate because I frequently take long trips. And because we often step off of the plane and head to see friends or wander around for a while, I’ve also become adverse to looking like a complete hobo when I travel. Trust me, a decade ago I looked like someone two years into a meth addiction, but I’m also not a goddamn Kardashian, so there’s no way in hell I’m going to force myself to wear high heels on a twelve-hour fly. Middle ground? Yes, please.
HOW TO FEEL AMAZING ON LONG TRIPS TIPS (And Fight Jet Lag)
First thing, get a carry-on bag that you can put under the seat in front of you. Get a toiletry bag that can fit inside of it. Fill your carry-on bag (and toiletry bag) with the following things:
Overdose on Vitamins: I throw a little pill container in my bag with a multi-vitamin, a B-Complex (helps with stress), vitamin E, and Melatonin. I also take a few Emergen-C packets. Right before I board the plane, I take everything except for the Melatonin. Planes are full of germs and the poor air, altitude, and speed just jacks up your body but I’ve noticed that the vitamins really help a lot. I never get sick when I travel. When I decide to sleep on the plane, I take the Melatonin.
So Much Water: Dehydration is a real thing when you fly and those tiny cups the airline gives you isn’t going to cut it. I always travel with two empty glass or metal bottles (like these ones from S’well, I have this in black and gold). Right before I board, I fill them up and make sure to drink both of them on the flight. You’re thinking, “well that’s dumb,” but trust me, it makes such an enormous difference. I’ve noticed I sleep better, it reduces my recovery time, and I’m way less tired the next day.
Comfortable Clothes & Slippers or Socks: I always wear shoes that are easy to remove for security and that don’t require socks (like Birks, loafers, or in F’s case, boat shoes). It makes security a breeze and more importantly, as soon as I’m on the plane, I slip my shoes into a little cotton bag and put on aloe spa socks. Or, I bring slippers that roll up really small and fit in my carry-on tote. I also own a pair of Mahabis slippers that are amaaaaazing for travel (the bottom pops on and off so you can wear them in the airport, and pop the bottoms off to wear in your hotel room or apartment), but they’re a little pricey. You’re thinking, this sounds like a lot of work but once you do it, you’ll never travel a different way again. Wearing shoes for 24 hours per day feels nasty and your feet get all sweaty and it’s just gross. Slippers, however, it’s heaven on your feet (and also not as weird as walking around the plane barefoot. EW! Don’t do that!).
Neck Support, Blanket & Eye Mask: I can’t do the old-school neck pillows. They don’t work for me. What I find more helpful is this scarf support thingy that holds my head up. I don’t travel with a blanket anymore, instead, I have this long, wool cardigan sweater that I usually wear. It’s cute and works like a blanket. Francesco doesn’t get cold like I do so he just travels in a hoodie and is fine. I also bring a pressure eye mask and earplugs. They really help me sleep by blocking out the movie screens and the jet noises. The pressure eye mask is also super relaxing and reduces stress.
Book, Notebook, IPad: I try really hard to do something productive on the plane so reading, writing, or doodling are a must for me. I get super bored on flights and there are only so many movies I can watch before I start to lose my goddamn mind.
Comfortable Clothes: Francesco cares about looking put together more than I do, so I’ll start with what he usually wears: Joggers, a slip-on shoe of some sort, and matching hoodie or cardigan. I usually wear leggings, a long cotton blouse or sweater, and slip-on shoes. This is kind of what I look like, only I somehow look like a rabid honey-badger —> https://www.pinterest.com/pin/863987509737696266/
A Killer Toiletry Bag: In my carry-on tote, I have a pretty stellar toiletry bag that is filled with travel essentials. I should preface, I do this for me, I really don’t give a rats ass about arriving at my destination looking like a supermodel. I just hate feeling gross (remember, I’m a wuss). In my toiletry bag I have the following:
MILK Makeup Face Cleanser: This cleanser is a solid so it’s TSA-friendly and easy to use. You can get this at Sephora. It’s great for both men and women and it’s my go-to travel cleanser.
MILK Makeup Toner: This is also a solid and is TSA-friendly.
A Small Washcloth: I use this to remove my makeup and to clean my face in the morning.
Deodorant wipe: It’s just a nice and easy way to do a little “whore’s bath,” as my mom would call it before you land.
“Intimate Wipes”: This is a fancy way of saying, “adult baby wipes,” but honestly they’re magic. You don’t need to step off of the plane with swamp crotch. Again, “whore’s bath.”
Face oil roller: Now, you can buy this for a shitload of money from anywhere but I wouldn’t recommend it. I bought a roller at the store for 2 bucks and I make my own. My current recipe is: Half the bottle with sunflower oil, ten drops of rosehip oil, 5 drops of argan oil, 2 drops frankincense, 5 drops of rose oil. I use this as both a makeup remover oil, a moisturizer for my hands and face, and a perfume oil. My roller is small enough that’s it’s never an issue with TSA and it is a 3-1 product. If you don’t love the smell of rose (you monster!) you can use Sandlewood, Jasmin, Ylang-Ylang, or whatever you like. My husband likes Sandlewood and Cedarwood.
Toothy Tabs & Toothbrush: I used to love Lush products but I realized not that long ago that most of their products have parabens in them (it comes from oil, like the kind of oil we pump out of the ground for fuel). They’re not very great for you, so I backed off of most of their stuff. However, their Toothy Tabs are soooo great for travel. They’re solid little tabs that look like mints, you pop one in your mouth, chew it, jam your toothbrush in there and go to town, then rinse. You don’t have to mess with a tube or worry about TSA issues with too large of a tube. They’re travel magic.
Face Mask: My husband hates it when I do this but sometimes, depending on the length of the flight, I’ll bring a sheet mask or a hydrating sleep mask with me (you can put it on and leave it all night) and use it on the plane. I look like a psycho but it reduces puffiness and stops my skin from rotting off of my face. Another area where the washcloth comes in handy if you use the sheet mask. You can get sleep masks pretty much anywhere but I’d recommend the travel sizes or the sheet mask to avoid TSA issues.
Tinted Moisturizer with SPF: Often when we travel, we arrive at our destination hours before we can check-in to our apartment or hotel. This means that we spend hours wandering around the city or visiting friends and family before we’ve had a chance to shower or get ready. Because of this, I always keep some kind of tinted moisturizer with me. Once I didn’t and I GOT BURNED to shit before we checked into our hotel. It sucked. My husband has a regular moisturizer with SPF without a tint. My travel favorite is MILK’s Sunshine Tint (because it’s cruelty-free, paraben free, has SPF, is in a roller and easy to use).
Wide-Tooth Comb: After a flight, I usually look like I’ve been breakdancing on my head all night so a comb is pretty important. I occassionally braid my hair before my flight, too, to keep my hair tame and also give it a little wave for the day. But a braid also makes me feel ten, so…
And there you have it! Do you have any travel tips for looking and feeling fresh af when you travel?
