Packing Pretty

Fatima Faheem gives some beauty tips for when you travel  

Driving out of town? Taking a train for a weekend getaway? Jetting halfway around the world? No matter what, travelling is fun albeit a little stressful. On top of that, it can get a little tricky since you cannot take every single beauty product perfectly placed in your dressing table. Following are some of the key tips to remember while travelling.
Moisture to the max: Make sure you apply sufficient moisturizer the night before flying out as airplane atmosphere is very dry. This will help increase hydration in your skin before it is exposed to the dehydrating effects.
Keep your skin hydrated: Travelling is fun, but it can take a toll on your skin. Remember, H2O is your best friend! Other than upping your fluid intake, there are several ways in which the skin can be kept hydrous. This includes face mists – to sprinkling water on your face and of course hydrating masks. They are quite efficient and keeping the mask on for only 20-30 mins is enough.
Forgo the foundation: Foundation? Na-ah, too dry. Use tinted moisturizer. It more effectively prevents your skin from getting dehydrated. Use a blush stick to even out skin tone. After that, apply a little bit of powder to set the tinted moisturizer.
Brighten up your eyes: Do remember to grab your favourite white eye liner pencil in order to highlight the inner corner of your eyes. Also, line your lower lash line to make your eyes look less tired.
Carry a Duo-shadow: It doesn’t matter what colour dress you’ve put on, just carry a duo eye shadow consisting of one dark shade and one light shade; preferably off-white and dark brown. Apply the light shade eye shadow to cover up your eyelid evenly. Next, use the darker shade to line eyes using a liner brush. This method is far easier and better than using a pencil or liquid eyeliner because the technique is more forgiving when it comes to making mistakes.
Lift up your lashes: You can use a mascara to lift up your lashes and make them look longer and fuller; however, it is not a very wise idea to apply mascara while travelling. The last thing you’d want to find is that the mascara has left a trail down to your cheeks after you took a little nap. Try an eye-lash curler instead to help you get fluttery eyelashes.
A touch of lipstick: It is preferable to carry less makeup and a lipstick can reduce the number of beauty products you’re carrying by serving multiple purposes. Use a rosy coloured lipstick as a blusher too. Apply the lipstick on a brush, smile and apply on your cheeks. After you’re done with that, finish it off on your lips. If you want a darker shade, use a thin brush or the lipstick itself to apply another coat.
Say NO to bright Nail polish: Avoid putting on brightly coloured nail polish when travelling. It chips too easily and leaves an unfinished look. It is better to apply a neutral, sheer colour that won’t call for attention even if it does chip out.
Beauty sleep: If you’re going to take a nap, make sure to dab some night cream around your eyes and wear a sleep mask. Both will help you look fresher and more relaxed after you wake up from your beauty sleep.
Chill out puffy eyes: Travelled a lot already? Guess what, here’s a trick to reduce under-eye puffiness after a long trip. Put some crushed ice in a washcloth and apply it under the eyes. It’s an automatic wake-up call that makes you look as well as feel fresher immediately.

Use wet tissues or cotton wipes to clean your brushes after use. While travelling, you might need some of the following essentials, so make sure there is space for them in your makeup bag.
Cotton buds and balls
—Sanitary items
—Tissue papers
—Body lotion
If you’re travelling outside the country, make sure you bring your facial products along. Foreign products may be much more expensive and you may not find the type that you usually use. It is better to stick to one brand when it comes to facial products, because your skin might be allergic to certain contents in other products. However, as mentioned before, it is not also possible to bring over everything. Safe buys overseas usually includes body lotion, shower gels, soaps, talcum powders and fragrances.
In case you forget to take anything, don’t panic. There’s always a way and remember that almost all grooming items can serve multiple purposes. All you need to do is, think out of the box! Keep it simple but sophisticated. Look as if you deserve the vacation, not that you need one!