BEAUTY ON THE GO
Have a relaxing,
and spill-proof,
vacation
By ANNE MOORE
Yes, you can take it with you!
Ever experienced opening
your suitcase and finding
some spillage, something wet
or yucky on your clothes and/or suitcase
lining? The culprit: usually less
than optimal packing of cosmetics or
other creams or liquids.
If this has happened to you, read on.
Planes, trains and automobiles. Air
travel compounds the probability of
messes happening because of the cabin’s
pressurization, which causes things to
expand and spill out of what might normally
be adequate containers. And when
traveling by automobile or bus in warm
weather, the heat can cause cosmetics,
suntan lotions, etc., to melt and leak,
even when you’ve only parked long
enough to sightsee or to eat a meal.
How can you safely take it with
you? Contain yourself! There’s a store in
town dedicated to organizing and containing
just about anything! It’s one of
my favorite places to “troll.” Perhaps it’s
that nagging longing to get organized
someday. Or it could be the fascination
with all the innovative products available
to fill the needs I don’t even know I have
until I’m there.
At the Container Store, you’ll find
many shapes, sizes and materials to
choose from to help you organize and
protect your cosmetics and toiletries,
making traveling much easier. First, there
are organizers having zippered plastic
pockets configured in various ways.
Some are all large pockets, some are all
small, and some, a combination of large
and small. These organizers usually fold
over or roll up and tie for ease of packing
and to secure the contents even more.
Most are equipped with either a large
coat-hanger-type neck or a large loop so
they can be hung on a bathroom hook,
towel bar or a clothes hanger. This is
especially helpful when bathroom
counter space is limited.
A personal note: I use two of these
when I travel … one for cosmetics and
other liquids, creams, hair products
(sprays, gels, shampoos, conditioners),
perfumes, suntan lotions, Q-tips,
sponges, eyelash curlers, bath items …
anything you can think of. Those with
smaller pockets allow me to further
group and separate items like foundations
from eye shadows, deodorant from
eyeliner pencils, make-up brushes from
blush, and so forth.
The other organizer is for medications,
jewelry, hair decorations, clips,
curling irons, brushes and sometimes
even clothing items like a swimsuit,
nightgown, stockings, undies — well,
you get the idea. Once packed, these
organizers can lie flat in your suitcase or
against the sides of the suitcase. More
good news — these two have served me
well for at least 15 years.
Depending on your personal preference
and needs, many other styles of organizers
are available, like small, individual
envelope-shaped pouches. Some are colorful
fabric or leather-like purses. Others
are a softer version of the old-fashioned
train case. Messenger- or courier-bags
have shoulder straps and are “manly”
enough for someone else to “wear.”
When size matters. Since many of
the cosmetics or other products we need
or want to take with us are packaged in
large, cumbersome or fragile bottles and
jars, you may want to check out the
wonderful world of plastic. You can find
lightweight, leak-proof containers to fill
just about all your travel needs. How
about a pill container shaped like a giant,
colorful capsule? Or toothbrush caps and
holders, soap holders and containers that
squirt, spritz and pump? Small round
ones with screw-on lids for your powder,
cotton balls, creams, earrings, foreign
coins … anything that fits! For added
protection, throw these into zip-lock
baggies or, better yet, your zippered
organizer pockets.
Many of these items, plus travel irons
and steamers, can be found at department
stores, discount stores, grocery
stores, neighborhood pharmacies and
luggage stores. For those with limited time or those not needing to ogle and
feel items, you can check some online
sites, like www.rei.com and my new
favorite, www.journeywoman.com.
Multi-tasking, travel-friendly beauty
items can help solve some of your
space and weight problems when
traveling. Many stores now carry cosmetics
and other items that can be used for
more than one purpose. Following are a
few found at Sephora stores:
Cargo Color Cards — a container
with 28 single-use eye shadows in several
shades on flat cards.
Too Faced pocket-sized container
with four eye shadow colors and six lip
glosses along with their applicators.
THEBALB’s Stainiac tint you can use
for both lips and cheeks.
Some are triple treats … one product
for hair softener, cuticle/ hand
moisturizers and shave cream. Others
include a hair conditioner you can mix
with your face or body scrub to moisturize
while sloughing away dry skin.
Check out the cosmetic counters and
ads for free containers filled with several
products in smaller sizes. You may be
able to pick up some samples for your
trip. Some containers have everything
you could want for your face … eye
shadows, mascaras, eyeliners, blushes,
bronzers, lipsticks and more.
Other good things are miniblow-dryers,
blow-up neck pillows, small packets
of detergent and Toothlettes that clean
teeth without toothpaste — just a minty,
foam tip moistened by placing in your
mouth. Just have a good time shopping
for all the good, convenient stuff in your
favorite stores or online. So, adios, vaya
con Dios, hasta luego, bon jour, aloha,
g’day mate, you talkin’ to me? (NYC).
Wherever you go — have a wonderful,
organized and spill-proof time.
.
MISCELLANEOUS
TRAVEL REMINDERS/TIPS
Planning is a good thing. It gives you
a chance to think about little extras you
might otherwise forget.
Lists or photos of items in your suitcase
may serve as a reminder when repacking
or if your luggage is stolen or lost.
Sharp objects go in checked luggage
only.
There are luggage locks available that
airline security persons can open for further
inspection with a special opener
rather than breaking the lock.
Passport wallets are wonderful for
carrying your passport, tickets and itinerary,
hotel and car reservation confirmations
for quick access.
Security pouches to wear around the
neck, around the waist or on the belt are
available and recommended.
Other good things include a tiny folded
umbrella, sleep mask, travel blanket
in adult or child sizes, really cool luggage
tags designed to hide your ID information,
miniflashlight, extra eyeglasses, lint
remover and magnifying glass.
Traveling by car? You may want to
take advantage of some additional items
for a more enjoyable trip:
Visor attachments for CDs, eyeglasses,
sunglasses, tissues, pens, notepads
and more.
Back-of-the-seat organizers for loose
stuff or to hold items for children, such
as games, books, coloring supplies and
moistened clean-up supplies for hands
and face.
A 2-inch by 4-inch container with
plastic bags you can convert to the size
you need for trash, diapers, pet cleanup
and more.
Trunk organizers of hard plastic or a
fabric modular system fitted with storage
cases for sports equipment, car repair or
road safety, first aid kit, snacks … maybe assign one case to each child or adult to
use as desired.
As you drive off into the sunset … we
wish you happy trails.
FEELING SECURE WHILE TRAVELING
Try to use ATM machines in the daytime,
and be cautious of your surroundings.
Use a cable and lock to connect luggage
handles from two or three pieces of
luggage, so they cannot be picked up and
whisked away — they will be too heavy
and cumbersome. This could work anytime
you’re storing your luggage for a
while or when it’s left in your hotel room.
When traveling alone, women should
be sure to ask the desk clerk to write
down the room number instead of saying
it out loud as they hand over the pass
card or key.
Carry a doorstop, or buy one with an
alarm and maybe even a motion alarm to
use when you’re in your room. Don’t open
your door for anyone you don’t know
before checking with the front desk.
Expensive jewelry? Don’t take it with
you. Or if you must, keep it in the
hotel’s safe.
Use your first initial and last name on
luggage tags instead of both names.
Use the elevator, not the stairs, and
don’t enter an elevator if you’re not
comfortable with the other persons in
the elevator.
If you’re traveling to countries that
may look upon and treat women (especially
single women) differently than in
the United States, check out the customs
before traveling there.
Dirty clothes? Put them in the plastic
bags, usually with drawstrings, found in
hotel closets (for clothes cleaning or
laundering while staying there) before
packing them into your suitcase.
Guidebooks. If you’re going to multiple
cities or countries, consider cutting or
tearing out the sections to lighten the
weight in your daypack, fanny pack,
pocket, etc.
When I’m traveling to more than one
city or country, I make a notebook with
clear plastic pockets, devoting one for
each location. In these, I place hotel
reservation information, directions and
phone numbers, itineraries, train or
plane schedules, maps, contacts, recommended
places from friends and highlighted
guidebook pages for that particular
leg of the trip.
Yes, there is even a book to tell you
the secrets of packing more efficiently —
it’s called The Packing Book! (Judy
Gilford, Ten Speed Press).
