Vacation Beauty Essentials

I never really think that I am much of a product junkie, but I am a stickler for what I like. After summers after summer at the cottage I learned that when I switch the water, and the products and my routine, I am going to get hair that is disastrous and skin that needs some help.

Of course I can’t control the water when I go away on vacation but I can take along all the vacation beauty essentials that will keep me looking at my best instead of looking like Monica on Friends that one time they went to the Caribbean. 
I have always been one of those girls obsessed with her blowout. Not to the point where I go weekly somewhere to have it done, more that I try products to get it done right and watch my hairdresser with a diligent eye for tips.

I have four hair products that are making my blowout really work for me lately; Bb prep spray, Bb straight Blow Dry, Kevin Murphy Full Again and my velcro rollers. I will say this, I can do a pretty good blowout with just the Bb prep and a round brush, but all the other stuff takes it to the next level and gets me more days looking good. If you want a detailed step by step on how I get my hair looking fab let me know in the comments below.

Here is the thing about trips to Mexico & the Caribbean. It is hot and humid! That is why we go right?! But it is soooooooo much harder to get wavy hair (like mine) straight, and often you spend the time doing it only to have it all frizzy and wavy an hour later. Which is why I now pack a curl creme. You see here in Canada my hair isn’t curly enough to be curly. But with curl cream down south I can rock those beach waves.

So in addition to packing all the hair products to get the blowout above, I have also edited down my makeup bag. I have a few eye pallets, 1 blush that is really 3 in 1, concealer, tinted moisturizer, mascara and a few lip sticks.

What I created here is an easy day look but realistically would be what I would do for a night out for dinner with my husband who isn’t going to appreciate some over the top makeup.

I created this look with a few of the Artdeco Glam Stars collection I was sent to try.

Makeup details: Foundation & concealer Arbonne, Lips Nars Dolce Vita, Cheeks Artdeco Glam Stars #5658 c/o, Eyes Bobbi Brown Bone (all over), crease and highlight #684 Artdeco c/o, liner #665 Artdeco c/o, Mascara Benefit They’re Real.

The Artdeco blusher I think is a hit. Because there are three shades in one compact it makes it great for travel, but also great value for every day. You can blend to get your perfect shade or go with more of the light peachy shades for day and go darker for night. The shades range from a light peach, darker peach, and a dusty rose.

I LOVE the grey/purple shade on my eyes (#665). I found that the sparkle in this one is more subtle whereas with some of the lighter/whiter shades I was send the glitter is very profound. The colours are fairly pigmented so they stay well and a little goes a long way. The shadows come in small rectangles that have a metallic backing to “click” into a compact which I think is great because you can switch them out for whatever you want to take with you at the time.

I wasn’t a big fan of the lip gloss, not so much because of the texture or how they work, more because I am not really into glittery gloss and the Glam Stars line in Artdeco has glitter.

Artdeco is a German line of cosmetics, in fact it is the most popular make up brand in Germany. Artdeco is now available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Its not all blowouts and makeup on vacation. I am a stickler for packing my own shampoo. All the products in the world won’t help me get to a good hair day with out the foundation of a good wash. Loving Live Clean’s shampoos right now. I mix it up between the Moroccan Oil and the Bali Oil versions.

Obviously we need to pack some sort of sunscreen, especially since my husband doesn’t really tan (he goes pink) and even I am pretty pastey right now. We love Arbonne’s kids sunscreen for us too. It has a high spf and it is a zinc blocker which doesn’t irritate our skin. Moisturizer is a must to keep our skin from getting too dried out from all the sun and salt water. I am packing another Arbonne favourite the Ultra Hydrating Hand Cream.

So when you boil it all down, these are my Vacation Beauty Essentials:

1. Hair products to straighten & curl (I do not pack my hair dryer, I find with the velcro rollers I can use any dryer to get a good blowout, even the crap ones in hotels)
2. Sun screen
3. Shampoo/Conditioner
4. Makeup for easy 5 minute face (primer, tinted moisturizer, eye pallet, blush, mascara & lip stick)

What are the must have beauty products that you pack for vacation?