Winter Travel Essentials....The Beauty Edition

It's #TravelTuesday and I'm back at sharing what I know are the essentials in traveling. No matter where you're off to or for how long, these are some of the key beauty products I simply can't survive without.... and neither you should you! So, let's share the goodies!

Featured clockwise.

Long flights, layovers, and horrible hotel beds (though I swear I could stay at the Westin or The W forever more and be one happy traveling chica!) are culprits and creating dark circles and bags. So not cute. No one wants to walk around looking sleep deprived and 10 years older simply because we're enjoying life in the friendly skies and in foreign land. Eye creams are essential. Like drinking water. Our eyes need moisture and care. Shiseido's eye correcting eye cream from their sensational and award-winning IBUKI collection. I've been swearing by this pretty little bottle for 3 months now and love how rejuved I look after any amount of traveling. It's relived me of looking like a mean mugging chick. Thanks for that! It's made for us on-the-go types. Genius science development behind it. I need mas.

This bag is everything. So everything I had to get three black, two navy and one large purple. Because you know, no professional traveler packs without a multifunctional bag that organizes everything. I found this at Target last year during the holidays and take it everywhere. Even when I'm in DC. Just experience it for yourself and eliminate the madness of looking for hand wipes. Pockets galore. Sonia Kashuk got this so right. I love her for it. Them.

Keep your pretty hands moisturized with Curel's hand and cuticle therapy. No ones likes looking at, let  alone shaking ashy, cracking hands. Plus, you know your age is very giving by the health of our hands. Keep those face palms super smooth :)

If you color your hair and are traveling for an extended period of time... like an unexpected jaunt to Morocco while visiting friends in Spain... and need to touch up your color, grab these colour glosses by John Frieda. It instantly boosts faded colors. Don't look drabby. Keeping our hair done is enough of a job. This is wash and go.

We must wash our faces daily in order to keep the junk away. Biore's daily one minute charcoal mask is perfect for maintaining an at-home regiment while in the hotel. It's not intrusive and doesn't take forever. One minute. We all have one minute.

Artistry Beauty's lighted lip gloss is my most favorite makeup product ever. Ever. I'm not lying. I'm not paid to tell you that, either. I wish. But, in my most serious, puckered lip face I could give you, it's seriously the best lip gloss ever invented. It has set the bar for everything in the gloss category. Pigmentation isn't  what'd you'd get in most major dep't store brands, but the sheer light and mirror makes this the one thing I need to keep in inventory the rest of my life. You should too. Do not ever leave home without this oh-so-genius stick.

Chapped lips are never sexy and traveling, especially now during winter, makes them a little more unattractive. Keep your kissers moisturized with Clinique's intensive lip repair. It heals, not just leaves them smooth and soft.

An eye palette makes the most sense. All in one color for fancying your look. If you've figured out how to use the little brushes that come with the palettes, even better. Less to pack. But, you'll go so far with a neutral colored palette like Lancome's Color Design Eye Brightening All in One 5 Shadow in 'Dancing Rose.' It'll match any wardrobe you pack.

My second favorite ever makeup is L'Oreal's True Match Color Crayon concealer. I can't tell you the times I've been stopped anywhere and everywhere to ask about my under eye concealer. I actually use it any where I have blemishes... so if I happen to forget my foundation or loose powder, this will still do the trick. It's smooth like butter and perfectly matched. A real must.

Winter has no mercy on our skin or hair. The damage from dryness is brutal. For your hair, keep the fly-aways and curls tamed with this anti-frizz serum. It's light, smells, good, smoothens out the wild and crazy stands. Wonderfully small enough to carry on not require check-in if you're traveling light.

Don't ever leave home without mascara. It's just sinful. It's an essential for existing. But for travel, find one that doesn't smudge, like Bobbi Brown's no smudge. Touch trips to the bathroom before landing won't be as necessary with messy proof prods.

And finally, if you love BB creams, you'll love Smashbox's under eye coverage. Their camera ready formula seems to possibly be bold enough to work on raccoon like dark circles. This is great after you've rested overnight with Shiseido's correction cream. Double yay.

Certainly, there are more essentials every girl should travel with. But if in a bind and you have to edit your toiletry bag, these are it. Check out my other travel guides! Next one in the series is for the tech savvy travelista.

Chic Essentials for Winter Travel
Holiday Travel
Chic Essentials for Travel in 24 hours!

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Traveling Routines... My Hotel Bathroom

(All pictures © Bren Herrera)

If still in St. Croix attending the amazing Food and Wine Experience which spans the entire week, topped off by a super sexy Taste event at Divi Bay Carina Resort last night. And can I tell you... you must make your way here! It's my 2nd time here for the same event and it simply does not fail. The weather is perfect, the people are extremely nice, and the culture is a fantastic break from the high speed race I live in and usually am comfortable with, a la DC and New York. Plus it's just sexy.

My days have been extended with some lush sights and glutunnous eating (because if I go too long w/out food, I kind of get irritable!) and require me to pack a bag with everything I'll need for 12 hours of trekking. But since my itinerary is so diverse, ranging from fancy dinners and coastal farm visits to ATVing it up in the "rain forest, " my attire, accessories and overall look has to switch up. And that means I have to do the bag switcharoo every night.

My mornings start in the bathroom where I asses my look for the day. I thought I'd be able to easily sift through what I thought was minimal jewelry and makeup... I didn't fare so well this trip, but a great improvement from my last hops. I couldn't really make it without these. No matter how chill the trip. 3 nail polishes for a week? Clearly, a bit too much, but fun to have just in case. The bronzer from Estée's new line. Love. Love. Some under eye makeup since I'm not sleeping enough... loving the creamy one by CoverGirl.  And Bobbi Brown's longwear cream shadow stick in Bark is the best thing I could apply for a natural look all day. It gave me some color in my eye without looking like I had dolled up to  walk the island.

Since I over-did it again, I decided to make use the huge bathroom space and hang jewelry on wall mirrors, use the wine glasses to hold the 20 rings or so (because who really needs 20 rings for 9 days and stick my brushes in the tumblers. If you think about it, it's totally practical to make use of the your entire hotel room especially if you're staying for 6 nights.

This is one example of a light day's goodies that I carry. A mish-mosh of lipsticks and gloss, my favorite mascara, earpiece (because I'm still working), and jewelry I ended up sliding off.

The only way I've justified bringing all this stuff, probably more than necessary, is that it keeps me connected to my own space and place. It's lovely being on the road, seeing the world, but nothing like holding on to your comfy spot. Silly, but my things that help keep my routine somewhat normal, make an extended stay that much better!

What are your must-haves when traveling, short or long stays?

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