Leaving all your travel essentials behind really doesn’t seem so bad, until you realize how desperately you need your face cream, among other things.
My last Singapore trip (thanks to the Singapore Tourism Board) made me rethink my packing habits. This trip was busy, to say the least, and our itinerary was action-packed. This meant I needed to wear an outfit that would see me through many activities, from day to night.
The trip also required me to bring my favorite go-to products to ensure I would look my best and avoid the beauty hazards of traveling, like frizzy hair, sunburn and chapped lips.
As challenging as it was to make do with what little products I brought, I think I was able to make it work. Thankfully, some of my makeup was multifunctional, as one added color to my cheeks and lips and another brought a touch of sparkle to my eyes and highlighted my cheekbones.
But I was also able to surprise myself, as I made do with products I found in my hotel room at the Fullerton Hotel. I listed down my pinch-hitters from this trip, hoping you’ll be able to use them when you’re having your own beauty emergency.
Use olive oil as eye makeup remover. After having a delicious five-course dinner at Sky on 57 (helmed by celebrity chef Justin Quek) and watching Disney’s award-winning musical “The Lion King,” I was ready to get my beauty sleep. But not until I’d removed my makeup! This is usually very easy, but of course, I left my makeup remover.
Instead of trying to scrub my face with hand soap, or worse, shampoo, I called room service and requested for some olive oil. This gently took off my makeup and kept my skin moisturized throughout the night. Another use for olive oil is for smoothening out rough areas like elbows and knees; a must when you’ve left your heavy-duty body lotion.
Control frizz with hand cream. The next day, I was off to see Universal Studios Singapore, which meant I was going to be out in the sun for a day of fun and rides. I had brought my trusty sunscreen, but left my anti-frizz hair product, ensuring that my hair had a high chance of turning frizzy even if I tied it into a ponytail.
Good thing I had found some hand cream in my purse, which I discovered was also great for controlling frizz and keeping my hair in place. If you have fine hair, though, you have to use it sparingly so as not to get helmet hair. For wavy to curly hair, this works especially well; just concentrate the product on the ends of the hair.
Apply a cool spoon on tired eyes. After Universal Studios, we headed to Sentosa Island and tried iFly, an impressive skydiving simulator that literally made us fly. Then, dinner at Quayside Seafood for Singapore’s famous chili crab and oatmeal prawns and drinks at the glamorous Lantern Bar (located on the rooftop of Fullerton Bay Hotel).
Of course, seeing the best that Singapore had to offer was a unique and fun experience, but at the end of all these activities, I was tired. My eyes were red and puffy by the end of the night and all I wanted was my cooling eye mask.
Since I didn’t have it with me, I used the next best thing: cool spoons. Good thing I had placed spoons in my mini-refrigerator before leaving that morning, and by night they were cold. I gently pressed them against my eyes, and they worked just as well as my mask.
Got a beauty question? E-mail the author at ask.kellymisa@gmail.com.