Too many pouches

You may or may not know that I was once a beauty therapist! From the age of 21-36-ish

For the latter part I had a salon In Windsor.

I only really completely said good bye to this part of my life about 4 years ago.  It took me a bit of time to realise that I was actually a cook and getting paid for it.  I held on to my last lovely client for a long time and hadn’t even told them about RMB.

I met a lot of my very best friends as clients and I have to say I was really, really good at bikini waxing and french manicures. Anyway.. I met a boy, had a baby, sold the salon, moved to Brockley all in the space of a year or so.   Another life and a whole other story.

I only mention this as context or an explanation for my love of Make up/skin care etcetera. 

I am definitely out of touch with a lot of the beauty industry now. I don’t own one of those red masks and I have a reasonably small beauty routine. I have products and tips I learnt years ago and I like to try things that call to me and suit where my skin/life is at now.

I like to read beauty columns and try new bits and pieces, I love a bit of substack,  A couple of the travel writers I follow had shared DOPP kit details from seasoned travellers and after reading them I thought ..

OOOH I need to elevate my travel essentials. I need a DOPP kit 

Now, let’s be clear. I have many pouches. I love a pouch.  I also love a quality leather wash bag.

This is not what I’m lacking,  I need a bag with many inner pockets.

I read this and many other articles and I settled on a functional toiletry bag, It has so many pockets and compartments. It’s not what I’d use if I was just going away for a night or two.  I have quite a few Merci pouches that I would use for that.

However the tedious, Airport liquid limitations have left me with no choice but to seek out a multi tasker for fitting in all my bits. Sometimes you have to fly easy jet or Ryan air , You know what I’m saying ..

So back to the this, I went for the coto paxi nido in the classics .  It has 3 different compartments, If you want to get lots of travel sizes and all your different bits in one place it’s great.  I like the inner zipped compartment for my tooth brush / tooth paste/ floss/razor and blades. Then the pocket with all the fabric holders for my shampoos etc. There are so many colours to choose from and it’s washable.

I spilt some body oil in it on my last trip and it washed off really easily.

I have most of my favourites in travel sizes, If not I decant into silicone travel tubes and small glass sprays, labelled of course. There they stay ready for wherever the next trip takes me. Run don’t walk to Aesop for the travel size resurection rinse free hand mist. I had to go to three different branches in central London to get it. I Love it for flights, sweaty days out, all year round in my hand bag.

I also bought these super cute tiny bags for pills, plasters, tepee tooth thingeeys.  I know we should all be shunning it but sometimes you can only get certain things from amazon  ..

My no compromise summer staples, are below.

Make up

Jones road tinted moisturiser in medium/ miracle balm in golden hour and NEW bright skin illuminating drops in bronze, then the perfect eye pencil in Ivy.

For the night I apply a smokey eye with Zoeva …

or a swipe of glitter with Violette fr yeux paint in scarabee d’Or

Ayeko Eye brow gel in brown (ALL DAY EVERY DAY ), This is harder and harder to get, So I can’t share a link.

Westman atelier petit mascara Love that you can get a lot of the Westman atelier products in minis from space NK.

Violet FR bisou balm in betisse (Can’t buy enough of this shade) then a very blotted succette for night

Fresh sugar lip balm is an elevated lip balm that I often apply once i just have a subtle pink stain leftover, or just when I need a touch of moisture

Skin/ body/ hair

Salt + stone deodrant /body oil and shower gel. in santal + vetiver

Kate somerville exfoliKate is still my favourite gel cleanser esp when I’m wearing sun factor and highlighters etc, I also use Dermalogica daily microfoliant a few times a week, Travel size purchased!

My skin care is a mixture of Neighbourhood botanicals and Environ. I’ll maybe detail this another time.

I massage my skin at night with this tool and mostly use a Neighbourhood botanicals oil.

OUAI wave spray, fine hair shampoo/conditioner and thickening spray

Fresh hair by kevin murphy is my way to pep up day old hair.

I’ve used institute esthederm for years, it’s the absolute best sun care IMHO, Just this year I discovered it’s WAY cheaper in Spain, winning.

I use this face cream which I apply after cleansing, all summer. The body+ hair spray, the sparkly A multi tasking body oil, for protection and a beautiful bronze shine…

That’s kind of it, It probably seems like a lot. Thank goodness it all runs out at different times.

I get ready in under 30 mins most days and I really rarely have facials anymore. I’l change some of these things up for winter and if i happen to try or be given something I love.

Normal programming shall resume next time.

With love and travel pouches

Rebecca