Having your priorities straight means planning out what to bring on your three-week Europe trip before booking the ticket. One can only travel so far without the reassurance of things that bring comfort, of things that remind you of home. I made it a point to narrow down the Filipino beauty products that have turned out to be such necessities, I can’t just leave them behind.
I figured that whatever I may need while abroad can be bought there easily. I’m not packing much so I can have the perfect excuse to try out something new. (Somewhere here I prove further how my priorities are in order.)
But how about the homegrown products I can bring? I want to put them to the test. I want to see how they hold up while I’m in between connecting flights, suffering from a jetlag. There’s a small sense of pride to know that they are irreplaceable, even among fabled French pharmacies and makeup meccas such as Sephora. If my gut feeling is right, I feel they’ll hold up well enough and I’ll be raving about them even after the trip.
1) V&M Naturals Bikini Bomb
Earlier this year, I committed to using a container of this natural skin salve that promises to lighten dark skin found on the elbows, knees and bikini area. Just before I leave, I’ll be picking up a replacement because I’m a big fan. It delivers what it promises without a greasy feeling. And it just uses the good stuff like shea butter, avocado oil and jojoba oil.
2) Ellana Cosmetics Makeup Brush Cleaner
For some reason, all your eye brushes are dirty just when you want to apply a beautiful smoky eye look. This will solve that in seconds. This is a no-rinse brush cleaner that just takes a few spritzes; you may then swirl your brush on a tissue paper before you can dip it in your eyeshadow. The perfect travel buddy, right?
3) Human Nature Bare Necessity Cleansing Balm
I’ve been using this balm since December of last year and is no doubt my favorite makeup remover. At an affordable price, this is comparable to luxury makeup cleansing balms. It comes with a tiny spatula so you can scoop out what you need without thinking about contamination. Once you massage the balm all over you face, it becomes a nice moisturizing way to melt off makeup. And since it’s a balm, no need to worry about spills if you leave it in your luggage.
4) Hello Gorgeous Makeup Setting Spray
A recent discovery of mine, I find this to be a skin-friendly way to help your makeup last. A lot of makeup setting sprays contain alcohol, which isn’t exactly skin friendly. This one only has vegetable glycerin and is good especially if you just want to avoid frequent retouching of your light makeup. And just like any other good setting spray, you can use this to enhance the pigments in any eyeshadow.
5) Happy Skin Cosmetics Liquid Lipstick in The Big Day
I find it hard to talk about Filipino beauty without talking about this brand. Happy Skin delivers one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas. It doesn’t go on too creamy or heavy, but isn’t too streaky as well. It doesn’t dry down to an uncomfortable matte that highlights every crevice on your lips. In my carry on, this particular lipstick shade I’ve chosen is a brown nude that isn’t hard to pull off, and complements my morena skin tone.
6) VMV Hypoallergenics Essence Skin-Saving Superwash
Things that can do double duty during a trip are the ones worth bringing. I love this gentle, clean smelling shampoo and body wash from VMV Hypoallergenics. I’m keeping this also on my carry-on just in case my luggage is lost and I just need a quick shower. But I will also have a back up in the luggage because I want to be moisturized and feeling fresh every day as I enjoy my vacation. JB
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