5 Beauty & 5 Non-Beauty Products For A City Break

Recently, we celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary and spent the weekend in London, kid free, just the two of us! We spent the weekend relaxing, eating and wandering around one of my favourite cities.

One of my favourite things to do before going away is packing! I love packing, it makes me feel so organised and excited to be away from my normal routine and do normal adult stuff like go to a restaurant and feed only myself or have more than one drink at dinner and even going to the toilet on my own (if you have kids you know what I mean!). One thing I always make sure I pack is easy and essential beauty products for a quick but effective skincare routine while I’m away from my vanity!

ONLY PACK THE ESSENTIALS

I’ve always been an advocate for daily SPF rain or sun, summer and winter but it is also just as important on a city break as much as a beach holiday. An SPF with anti-pollution is always a winner in my books too! When I was packing for this weekend away I thought to myself, why not share a handful of beauty products I never travel without for my city break skincare routine as well as some of my must haves in my hand luggage.

Cleanser/ Double Cleanse

Do not, I repeat, do not use facial wipes! Yes they are easy but they are bad for your skin and bad for the environment, simple! Switch up makeup wipes for a micellar water and reusable bamboo cotton pads, or and a facial wash to clean your skin day and night. If you have the room take both for a double cleanse especially if you are planning on wearing makeup, sunscreen or BB cream. I love the Garnier Micellar Water in the convenient travel size bottle. It’s gentle and easily removes face and eye makeup.

Facial Mist/ Toner

Pack a travel sized facial toner spray/mist to refresh your skin after cleansing, top up the hydration and refresh your skin throughout the day and also it’s great to spray after your makeup to keep it looking fresh. I love the Fresh Beauty Rose Water Facial Mist. The travel size is small enough to keep in your handbag for those refreshers.

SPF/ Suncream/Anti- Pollution Face and Body Lotion/ Cream

I never leave the house without some sort of sunscreen on my face and visible parts of my body. Pack either a moisturiser that includes an SPF 15, 30 or 50 depending on the type of protection you need as well as a product that has anti-pollution to protect the skin from harmful pollution in the city air. Don’t forget your body, walking around outside all day means your body will get a lot of UV exposure so protect your precious skin. My favourites include the Dermalogica Prisma Moisturiser with broad spectrum SPF 30 and the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Anti- Pollution Sunshine Drops.

BB Cream

It’s light, usually includes an SPF and easy to apply on the go and quickly so you can spend more time exploring. BB cream will allow your skin to breath, even and brighten your complexion and it is so much better for your skin than foundation if you are on the go. The Bali Body BB Cream is a gorgeous light weight and easy to apply texture that brightens and evens the skin tone. I like to mix a small amount of this with a couple of drops of the Drunk Elephant Anti- Pollution Sunshine Drops.

Lip Balm

Yes you can pack a lipstick or lip gloss, I always do, but make sure to pack a comforting lip balm that keeps your lips hydrated and soft. This will stop them drying out and cracking and also if you do wear lipstick it will prepare the lips for a smoother and long-lasting lipstick application. For this summer time I’ve loved using the Glossier Mango Balm Dot Com, it smells (and tastes) amazing and is so long lasting on the lips, keeping them hydrated and soft all day and night. Glossier Balm Dot Com in Mango.

Anti-Bac Hand Sanitiser

I’m a clean freak, I love to carry a hand sanitiser everywhere I go. It’s great if you have been on public transport, about to eat, there is no soap in the public toilet and just keep your hands germ free until you can give them a good wash with anti-bac soap. I love the Soap and Glory Hand Maid Anti-Bacterial Cleansing Gel it smells amazing!

Non- Beauty Travel Must-Haves

My non beauty must-haves that I never travel without are:

1. My hair dryer, every time! – I always find the ones that come in hotel rooms are never powerful enough so I always bring my own.
2. Statement jewellery like necklaces, earnings and rings for day and night. I love statement pieces, it’s great to add that last bit if detail to an outfit. As a mum of two I rarely get to wear much jewellery usually my day time look consists of my wedding band, a pair or stud earrings and my watch. So when we go away I like to bring my favourite bits of jewellery to dress up. I was recently gifted a personalised necklace from oNecklace which I adore. With a not so common name like Pinar, I grew up always wanting my name on things so now decades later in a world where you can personalise almost anything and everything I love anything with my name on. This necklace is so dainty and elegant, which doubles up  as a great piece to add to a day or night time look.
3. A double plug or extension lead for sure!! It’s always handy if you want to charge your phone and blow dry your hair at the same time but your room only has one plug socket and the other is right at the bottom of a dresser you can’t move for love nor money!
4. At least 5 pairs of shoes, a variety of flats and heels/wedges. I love shoes but my feet are so soft and easily become sore if I’m wearing shoes that aren’t made for walking. I always bring flip-flops to change into but I also love me some gorgeous heels especially for an evening look.
5. My toothbrush! I like to bring my own toothbrush and not use a cheap plastic one the hotel has on offer, because one it’s a waste and two I like to know where my tooth brush has been!

If you are planning a weekend city break soon, don’t over think your beauty routine or essentials. You are only breaking your normal skincare regime for a few days, your skin will be fine. Just remember to cleanse and tone in the morning and evening and keep your skin hydrated and protected. Don’t underestimate the use of anti-bac hand sanitiser, clean your hands, tables, chairs, it’s better than catching germs in my opinion!

What are your go to beauty or non beauty bits you always travel with?

Pinar xo

*this post contains PR samples