The Travel-Sized Beauty Essentials I Took With Me on an Overseas Trip
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Last week, we jetted off on a very exciting work trip to Toronto, Canada.
While there, we got to check out some buzzy, soon-to-be-released products by one of your favourite and most purchased brands, The Ordinary.
(We got to road-test one of the new products for a few days and we honestly couldn't stop slathering it on our faces. So stay tuned!).
So, I thought I’d jump on the Adore Beauty website to stock up on some travel size toiletries and beauty products to take with me.
While perusing through our selection of beauty minis, I actually couldn't believe how many good ‘travel-sized’ versions of some of our fave and cult products we actually stocked.
I got a little too excited and had to then spend an hour trying to cull what I added to my cart.
After some serious self-discipline, I landed on three products.
I know a lot of hotels or Airbnbs will already provide beauty products in their rooms, but personally, I don’t know if I’m always going to like what's there (a hotel shampoo I once used seriously dried out my hair) and prefer to personalise what I take with me.
So I thought I’d share a round up of the products I originally had in my cart before sadly culling it to three.
If you’ve just booked a holiday friends, you’ll want to save or screenshot this article.
Keep scrolling for some inspo on curating your own travel-sized beauty checklist!
1. Alpha-H Balancing Cleanser Travel Size 30ml, $12.95.
I’m not attached to any one cleanser, I rotate through different ones, but I grabbed the Alpha H travel size cleanser because of its hydrating formula that contains vitamin E and aloe vera.
Hydrating products when travelling is key!
I loved the creamy texture of this cleanser, it felt comforting on the skin (perfect for the cold climate I was in) and while it didn't take off all my mascara it did a stellar job at taking off the rest of my makeup.
My skin was also left feeling softer which was very welcome after the long-haul flight stripped my skin dry.
I found the 30ml size was just the right amount I needed for a week of travel too!
AB customer Jeneffer says:
"So affordable and travel-friendly. Only need a little to see the amazing results."
2. Oribe Signature Shampoo Travel Size 50ml, $25.
At the time I ordered this travel size shampoo it was in stock, so you might have to wait a tiny bit for its return.
Luckily, Oribe’s other cult 'Gold Lust' shampoo also comes in a travel sized version. If you're looking to dial up the gloss, then theOribe Gold Lust Shampoo Travel Size 25ml is probably what you'd reach for anyway.
While I didn’t mind the hotel’s shampoo (it was a fancy hotel with fancy toiletries), I had always wanted to try a bougie Oribe product and this was the perfect excuse.
I also knew their products smell amazing so that was the decider for adding it to my cart because I want nice-smelling hair while I’m traveling!
I did find that it didn't disperse through my thick and coarse hair as much as I’d hoped so the following night I used it as a second cleanse after using the hotel shampoo first.
I think this one is better suited to fine hair.
But it feels super luxe to lather in your hair and reminds you that you are in fact living your best life.
AB customer Julie says:
"I love this shampoo! I actually have the normal size but I had to get the little travel version for my holidays! It gives you the best clean feeling and soooo shiny! Highly recommend this shampoo."
Shop the Oribe travel size shampoos here:
3. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% - 30ml, $9.50.
Ok technically, this isn’t a ‘travel-sized’ beauty product, but it’s housed in a travel-friendly 30ml size so it’s made for travel really.
I love niacinamide as much as I love my cavoodle. It helps lift dull skin (vitamin C is also good for this) which can happen fast when you’re in a different climate, have been on long flights and not eating the best.
And what I love even more is this one is only $9.50.
I wanted to take an affordable but still effective treatment/serum with me to maintain somewhat of a skincare routine while I was away and this was the perfect fit.
I knew that if it accidentally broke in transit, I would have only lost $10.
I already love and use this product (you can read my full The Ordinary niacinamide review here) and niacinamide is always my cure for keeping my stressed travel skin in check.
If you have extra storage and don't want to run out while you’re travelling, it also comes in a supersized version.
Shop The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% 30ml and 60ml here:
Now, here are a few other really cute travel size beauty products I had to force myself to take out of my cart...
who is elijah HIS | HER 10ML
A beauty-travel checklist isn't complete without a fragrance right? who is elijah HIS | HER is the perfect mix of a day and night scent making it the perfect travel fragrance all rounder.
I honestly regret taking this out of my cart. By the second day my hair was looking greasy and I would have loved to have avoided washing it when I got back to my room late at night. This would have been the perfect solution.
This rich, nourishing cream not only moisturises skin thanks to the shea butter, as well as the vitamins B, C and E in the formula, it also layers beautifully under makeup.I actually transferred some of this from my big tub into a small pot but it would have been much easier (and less messy) if I just bought this instead.
Ok I didn't even know a product like this existed until I was scrolling through our travel section.Makeup products can roll out of bags on to dirty hotel bathroom floors and this is perfect for giving them a spritz before the 5 second rule sets in.
Eye of Horus Goddess Mascara Mini 4ml
A mini mascara, do I need to say anything else? This one curls, lengthens, volumises, and adds deep colour without irritating sensitive eyes, it also won an award so it MUST be good. Another regret.
This is truly one of my favourite makeup products to take on travel, the only reason I didn't fully commit to this was because I still had a tiny bit of my old travel-sized strobe cream left. This will ensure you look like a glowy queen every day.
Honestly, this product had me at 'sound sleep'. The gel-crea promises to repair and rejuvenate fatigued skin overnight to reveal softer, brighter and more hydrated complexion. And that is worth every penny.
