Ziplock Beauty--What's in Your Bag?

Traveling light and looking great have become exponentially harder in the brave new era of the Ziplock-as-cosmetic-bag. But I confess, I’ve been humbled by the realization that the five pound case I used to lug has been pretty effectively replaced by a humble plastic bag.

If you’re paring down, which of your grooming essentials make the cut?

It depends on where you’re going. Today we’re heading for the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Orange County for a few days with grandson Tyler. Emphasis on “beach”. It’s hot and humid and foggy too. That means hair will be hopeless, so I’m ditching the blowout aids and letting nature take its course with some de-frizzing curling balm. It also means that we’ll have decent amenities in our shower, so for two nights it’s worth risking the use of hotel hair conditioner. (But not shampoo; I’m faithful to Redken Smooth Down, which James Craig has in a cute little travel size.) I usually carry my own Wynne Elixirs shower gel, too, in a relaxing scent like Fiji Exotic. It’s one of the bath rituals from home I can’t give up. I’ve found that nice hotels tend to have very heavily perfumed products by fragrance manufacturers.

Beach means sun. I’m toting a nice full 2 ounce bottle of AcquaCures HydraSun. I love it because it affords instant protection. I “cocktail” together a drop of our Perfect Blend foundation (I carry about a quarter ounce of it one of our little plastic sampling jars—yes, you can have one!) with an equal drop of Hydrasun and smooth it on generously for a natural outdoor finish that still hides my hyperpigmentation.) And, thank heavens it’s a powder--a brushful of Preston Wynne Mineral Makeup completes the sun protection strategy.

When I go to a fun-in-the-sun destination like family favorite Kona, where I’ll be applying a full-body thermonuclear shield every day, twice a day, for a week, I confess I head for Walgreens. I buy a giant tube of Water Babies sunblock in 50, so I’ll be sure to use enough. HydraSun for the face and neck, though! And since I’ve yet to manage carrying on to Hawaii, that honkin’ tube goes into the suitcase. My husband ruefully submits to a liberal slathering of the stuff each morning in paradise, reminding me of the expression my cat wears while submitting to far worse indignities on the vet’s exam table. (He was recently taunted by colleagues for not returning from his Hawaiian vacation with a tan.)

Another beauty staple that will always fit in the Ziplock is a teeny bottle of eyedrops. Airplane rides and sunny days have a tendency to give your eyes an unflattering pink glaze, and that umbrella-bedecked cocktail will dilate frazzled blood vessels even further. If you have thin skin and a tendency to flush, you may look like you’ve been on a two week bender after one glass of wine. I always use eyedrops before a dinner out or party and I “touch up” if it’s a long evening.

What else gets into the bag? Right now, current faves for my dehydrated, 46 year old skin are Wynne Omega Silk Cleanse, WynneEver hydrating toner (great for airplane misting), AcquaCures Gentle eye makeup remover, climate-appropriate moisturizer, and another teeny jar of AcquaCures HydraRadiance.

As much as we’d all love to have travel sizes in our favorite products, we’ve found they can cost almost as much to manufacture as “real” sizes. So it’s off to the drugstore for little bottles and jars. It’s easy for refilled jars and bottles to become contaminated, so run jars through the dishwasher and replace containers regularly.

Finally, don’t run afoul of the Lipgloss Terminator at San Jose airport! She’s the only TSA agent who has ever insisted that I stuff my half dozen tubes of gloss into the full-to-bursting Ziplock. To evade her eagle eye, I carry over ten lipstick shades in our very handy refillable palette compact, a traveler’s best friend.

Happy trails!