Who loves to travel? I DO! I just came back from the lovely island of Grenada with the bestie and some girlfriends. To say I had a blast is an understatement. Before I left for all of the fun in the sun, I had a plan for my loads of beauty products. Skincare is my passion so what I brought along had to be clear and precise. The goal was: Pack LIGHTLY and EFFICIENTLY. And remember, I’m using travel sized goodies (because I’m working on my issues with over-packing lol). Guess what! Scaling down worked and my skin didn’t have to suffer because of it.

The first thing that came to mind when I started packing my goodies was my number one. Do I even need to mention it? SUNSCREEN. Listen guys, skin cancer does not discriminate. Stop thinking the sun’s rays won’t harm you. It will in the long run. Since I normally don’t go a day without my Bobbi Brown Tinted moisturizing balm, I packed that first. But my goal was to scale it down even from that gorgeous tint. I also brought my Clinique Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Face Cream and for full body, Olay Fresh Effects Soak Up the Sun Protection Lightweight Moisturizing Sunscreen. It’s SPF 15 so I applied it every 2 hours while I was in the sun.

NEXT! A sister is tired. Working my full time job by day and blogging round the clock can take a toll. Let’s not forget getting in as much physical activity when I can so that my body parts don’t have a love affair with gravity. It can be written all over my face. So eye cream is ESSENTIAL. And you know, I have to use the BEST. I’m 35, I work hard and I deserve it! The Eye Concentrate from La Mer is my absolute favorite product and no trip can go by without it! Grenada certainly didn’t. It went in the bag!

A good lightweight cleanser comes in handy. I didn’t want to bring anything too harsh since I was spending a lot of time in the sun. For Grenada I brought the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. Travel size, of course. It’s perfect for a vacation nighttime routine.

Minimal makeup is how I do vacation. I really don’t do much for the eyes when I go away. I love the healthy glow without all the fuss. For this trip I packed my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, My Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector® Poured Crème Highlighter, and my Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella (MY FAVORITE RED LIP). I like to keep a green eyeliner on hand for the lower lid when I want my face to pop. I packed the MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in Landscape Green. I wanted to glow, and I did. DAS IT!

Face wipes are not only great to have as a first step to cleansing but also they’re good to keep in your carry-on bag for the plane. Sometimes when you’re in the air you need a good wipe to freshen up your skin. Keep a pack with you at all times.

Lotions and Creams tend to feel too heavy when I’m spending my time in warm climates but I still like to have something on hand just in case. I was lucky enough to get gifted with Diptyque travel set that covers all my moisturizing needs and then some. The set included a Luxurious Hand Balm (perfect for the plane), Precious oils for bath and body, a Revitalizing Shower Gel and a Rich Butter for the body. You can find a similar set here. This set is not only the perfect size but looks quite chic. What else would you expect from Diptyque?

Those were my most important products but there were some other goodies that made the cut too: nail polish for touch-ups, nail polish remover pads, tweezers, shampoo & conditioner, hand sanitizer, sheet masks, and facial mist. You don’t have to pack exactly what I did, this is just a guide. But I’d love to hear what your favorite vacation beauty products are too! Drop me a line.

Next time you travel, don’t forget to pack your very best skin!

xo IKA