Packing for our four day trip to Ibiza was a bit of a nightmare, the words ‘hand luggage only’ bring instant panic to me. It’s not so much the clothes, but fitting all your liquids into one of those little ziplock bags is a nightmare. On this trip I tried to pack as minimally as possible, and was surprised at how well that worked out! There were still a few things that I ended up not using, which I’ll talk about too, but for the most part, it was a success!
Skincare.
Cutting my skincare routine down is always hard because honestly, I’m not willing to skip any steps. So the trick here really is decanting products into minis. I always like to take some kind of face wipe when I fly (I know I know, they’re not so good for the environment, but it’s the only time I ever use them), just to freshen up mid/post flight. I tend to pick up a pack of the Yes To Cucumbers I picked up a new tin of my favourite cleanser the week before The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Balm, and the lovely sales assistant gave me a sample pot stuffed with product to take on the trip. Between those two products I had enough to keep my skin cleansed, so I didn’t pack anything else, but most days I did double cleanse with the balm, just to make sure my skin was completely free of SPF etc. Speaking of SPF, I decanted some of my favourite Mecca Cosmetics Facial SPF 30 into a little tub for the trip. I love this, it’s not at all sticky, it sinks in fast, and it layers well with makeup if you need it to.
I only packed one moisturiser, my beloved Sunday Riley CEO Protect and Repair Moisturiser. This is normally a bit too intense for mornings, but whenever I travel anywhere hot my skin always requires a good moisture boost twice a day. I also packed my Glossier Moon Mask for an overnight skin treat, and I’m glad I did, it came in handy. I have mini of my favourite Saturday Skin Wide Awake Eye Cream that I chucked in, I’m gutted this isn’t refillable because it’s so handy, and I also decanted some of my beloved Herbivore Lapis Oil into a little oil dropper, because I go nowhere without it. You can buy travel minis of this but they’re SO much more expensive than the full size it’s just not worth it. I chucked in my Glossier Zit Stick for any aircraft related breakouts (every single time I fly) and my Glossier Mango Balm Dot Com to keep my lips nourished. And that was pretty much it! (Don’t forget you can use this link for 10% off your first Glossier order.)
Haircare.
Now, I cheated the one bag thing here by throwing my shampoo and conditioner in Con’s bag, but I took the Percy and Reed Divine Shine Shampoo and Conditioner Minis (*gifted). I really like these minis, they strike a good balance for travel between being clarifying and being hydrating. I of course decanted some of my IGK Blocked Hair Shield since it protects against UV rays as well as water, to stop my hair drying out, this stuff is an absolute must. I had my mini IGK Mistress Leave In Conditioner because I go nowhere without it, it serves a dual purpose as a leave in treatment for freshly washed hair, and a smoothing serum for styled hair. I would normally leave it at that, but I ended up throwing in a mini Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray, because when you can’t be bothered to style your hair properly on holiday, this stuff does it for you.
I packed my GHD Travel Hairdryer, because I have yet to meet a hotel with good hairdryer. This one is great, it’s compact but with the power of a normal size hairdryer, not the cheapest but by far the best. I also packed my straighteners, because you don’t want to see what my natural hair looks like in humidity.
Makeup.
I tried to keep makeup as simple as possible, since I knew I’d really only be wearing it in the evenings. I decanted my IT Cosmetics CC Cream into a pot, it’s my favourite for travel, light and glowy with buildable coverage. I took my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, my favourite for applying most bases. A mini NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for the under eyes, and my Sephora setting powder. My Kevyn Aucoin Contour duo, because it’s sleek and compact, and good for a holiday bronze. I packed my MAC 187s brush to apply this, a mini duofibre powder brush that dispenses product super evenly on the skin.
I had just had HD Brows done before we left, so I just took my Glossier Boy Brow to keep my brows in check, nothing to fill them in. I packed two cream shadows, that’s all I really use when I travel, the Zoella x Colourpop Liquid Eyeshadow in Bellini, and the Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Fluffy, both colours that are super simple to blend over the lid. I packed the Milk Makeup Kush Mascara, mostly because it was small and open, but I actually really don’t get on with this mascara, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
I just took the one lip option, my NARS Afterglow Lip Balm for everyday, a sheer, moisturising lip balm that just gives your lips a hint of colour. It’s comfortable and easy to slick on without a mirror.
Miscellaneous.
A few other assorted bits, my Mitchum Pure Fresh Stick deodorant, which I maintain is the only deodorant that can stop you smelling a little questionable in the heat and humidity. A rollerball of my signature Giorgio Armani Si fragrance, I blooming love a rollerball for travel, they’re so practical. I also chucked in a Bath and Bodyworks Hand Sanitizer, which is just common sense for travel really.
What I didn’t use.
I feel like I curated my beauty stash enough that there were really only a few things that I didn’t actually use, and could have left behind. The first being the one and only blush I packed for the trip, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed. I packed it because it’s longwearing, easy to blend, and goes with every possible makeup look, but in reality it was an extra step I didn’t feel like I needed, I just really blended the contour and highlight out to give me a glowy, bronzed look.
I also packed the Glossier Play Glitter Gellee in Bijoux Bijoux, thinking we’re in Ibiza, I’ll wear glitter! In actual fact, I didn’t have a single alcoholic beverage during the whole trip, and never reached for the glitter!
And finally, I threw a red lip option in on a whim but never felt the need for it. The Sephora Matte Cream Lip Stain 01, is my favourite red lip, an easy to wear true red that doesn’t smudge, bleed or transfer, but honestly I just wasn’t wearing makeup enough to reach for a red lip!
I think the moral here is you can always pack less than you need!