Travel Bag - or 'How to turn a dehydrating flight into a spa session'

Last week I spent over 20 hours on an airplane. That's not much for some but it is for me. There are a few conditions that really compromise your skin - one of them is an airplane. All that recirculated air, no fresh air and everyone else's germs. Ugh.

The picture above is what I took last week, but the essence of it can be used and altered by anyone, with any skin type, on any budget.

Left to right:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Gentle Cleansing Wipes - for basic forehead, cheeks and chin makeup removal. I also had Ole Henriksen Truth To Go Wipes which I love, but ran out of them on the plane. Any 'won't burn your face off' wipes will suffice. Yes, wipes on the blog. Fannies, flights and festivals.

Muji travel bottle filled with The Body Shop Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. Soak one cotton pad at a time, hold gently over the eye and swipe across, down and away. Turn the cotton over and repeat - then do the same on the other eye. Please don't rub your eyes like you're using a pencil eraser.

aesop Travel bottle filled with P50. Your usual exfoliating toner/lotion goes here. Use a saturated cotton pad and swipe it all over. I take it across the entire face, under the eyes, the eyelids and over the lips (P50 tastes grim). You aren't getting a proper cleanse here so this can help you out.

Georgia Louise Hydrating Rose Water (travel pack size) - a good spray toner/mist will be your most used product on an airplane. A normal can of Evian will just dehydrate you - it just works better as a toner/floral water etc. Any good alcohol free toner can be used and decanted in to the spray version of the Muji bottles above. Spray liberally. And frequently. Even when the people around you look annoyed. :)

Chantecaille Nano Gold Energising Eye Serum - (gold tube lying flat) God I love this product. No sugar coating - it's prohibitively expensive - so much so that I literally save it for using when I fly. You can substitute any similar roller-ball-effect cooling eye product from pretty much anyone. The joy in using something like this when you fly - for me - is the cooling effect and the hygiene. Look Ma! No hands! I reapply this whenever I can feel I need it. No stiff directions - depends on the length of the flight, your skin etc..

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum  (small size) - love love love this. Massive antioxidant boost to help protect against what is essentially a locked room of free radicals and other people's germs. Also, smells delicious (not relevant, but joyous nonetheless) and gives you a lovely glow. Nice if like me, long-haul flying leaves you looking like you've given birth. No-one, NO-ONE steps off a plane looking like a supermodel. Not even supermodels. They go straight to the toilets in the VIP section with their 'team'. Stop with the nonsense.

Darphin 8 Flower Nectar  (GWP sample size) - I love this oil but only really use it if I have an overnight flight. Whack it on, try and sleep (or get no sleep, end up watching 3 films and exit plane as above) and let it give you a layer of lovely smelling protection. Substitute any of your normal facial oils that you can decant into smaller bottles.

Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion (GWP sample size) - lovely, light, super-hydrating, really good for layering. Substitute any good hydrating, light lotion. You can layer this over other products, add extra layers on during the flight without it rolling...just keeps you soft and hydrated.

Aurelia Cell Revitalise Night Moisturiser (trial pack size) - pretty self explanatory. If it's a night flight/red eye: cleanse, P50, spritz, eye, serum or oil, then this. Marvellous.

Ila Day Cream for Glowing Radiance (travel pack size) - OK so my travel products clearly have a theme. Call something 'glowing radiance' and I'm in. Arriving during the day? When the seat belt signs go on for landing I do a quick spritz and apply this. You can substitute any of your daytime moisturisers and decant into travel pots. If you're landing in a hot climate remember your SPF.

Ole Henriksen Truth Creme Advanced Hydration (decanted into brown pot front right) - This is probably my current favourite for travel - really seems to keep the moisture in and doesn't 'roll' when you layer. The citrus scent is again brilliant for being up in the Gods with no air.

Carmex/Duwop LipVenom - standard lip and a slightly more 'zingy' one to wake me up when necessary!

Chantecaille Gold Energizing Eye Recovery Mask - these are new. They're nice - but to be honest, I much prefer the roller. It's amazing.




*purchases and samples - no affiliates

Cheat Sheet - Sudden breakouts - what to do and what to do it with

Last week happened to be half term and coincided with me falling off the 'face' wagon. You know what I mean, you drink things you know you shouldn't (coke), eat things you know you shouldn't (Kettle chips I'm looking at YOU) - and unbeknownst to me, I was also pre-menstrual.
You'd think after having periods for 30+ years I'd see the thing coming. But NO.
I couldn't figure out why I was so tired and craving all the bad things - I even took an energy supplement to see me through - with catastrophic results* - more of which later.

I digress.

Consequently I woke up on Sunday morning with my period and a random attack of zits that would make the most hormonally-challenged teen proud (cry).

I had 3 particularly attractive (what I call) 'throbbing cysts' that perched happily right in the middle of my face - just in time for a week full of appointments with clients. You know, the appointments where I advise people how to have great skin? Yes, those.

I immediately went into my usual plan of action - and as I've been talking about it a lot with clients on appointments I thought it may help some of you who suffer from those extremely irritating red spots/welts/cysts/whiteheads/swellings - anything really that comes on in a hurry and tries to teach you who is Boss. Rude. If the cause is unrelated to food/changes in diet or routine or you simply don't know why your skin is reacting...try this anyway.

First things first - food:

• Pop an antihistamine (assuming you have no medical contraindications). Antihistamines job is to calm the redness and 'put out the fire'. Chlorphenamine maleate is better for the skin problems than cetirizine. This translates as Piriton over Zyrtec/Clariton - but ask your chemist/read the boxes. Technically of course, antihistamines do the same thing, I just found a slightly better result with the Piriton. To each their own.
• Be honest about any dietary changes you've had and make adjustments. For me this means no coke or crisps - for a lot of the people I've seen in the office it means the 3 C's. Coffee (the extravagant kind that involves shots/cream/syrup), Coke and Cadbury's. Sadly you need to get rid.
• Drink water likes it going out of fashion. Still. No fizzy. (Although fizzy is obviously my favourite. It would be.)
• Ingest fish oil and salmon like you haven't eaten in weeks. My default 'fix my face' eating plan is pretty much anything Dr Perricone mentions in his 3 Day Diet. I tend to go overboard but in all honesty, nothing works as quickly for me as this eating regime. Dr P really is the King of the anti-inflammatory diet. He pioneered it when everyone thought he was crazy and has stuck to his guns to be proven correct. Read all his books. You won't regret it.
• If you are vegetarian and fish isn't an option you need flax/Udo's oil and should binge on seeds and nuts high in omegas. Flax, walnuts and soy are your friends.
• No sugar.
• Minimal dairy - and dairy should always always be organic full fat.

Routine:

• Evening cleanse is key. Balm/oil cleanse the skin. Make sure you've rinsed properly.
• Acid tone. Make sure you go over the spots/cysts really well. If they are bleeding, go over them until the acid quells the bleeding, which it should. Don't be traumatised by a little blood, work your skin normally.
• Apply something topically to the area - my go-to is Aesop's Control gel. It contains vit c, niacinamide and salicylic acid but its in an aloe base so it calms, gets rid of the redness and hydrates - as opposed to harsher products designed to 'dry-out' spots. They don't need drying out, they need nourishment.
• Apply a facial oil. One designed for a combi/oily skin is ideal but in all honesty, most oils will do the trick (assuming you personally are not allergic/intolerant to them). My go-to here is Clarins Lotus oil. Put 3-4 drops into your palm, swipe across the other palm, apply to the areas affected first, then elsewhere. Don't saturate your skin. Less is more. Layer. Don't suffocate.

Now you need to monitor the situation. Keep the Control gel to hand, and reapply after you've used the oil. Leave it half an hour or so, check your skin, reapply the oil if its absorbed. I had to reapply 3 times last night over the space of a couple of hours. My skin was drinking it. Alternate: Control gel (your spot treatment)/Oil/Control gel/Oil.

Before you go to bed check your skin. Apply a last hit of Control gel, followed by your oil. I chose to seal the deal with some Kate Somerville moisturiser, in the way you would add an extra blanket to the bed. It was cold, I was just going the extra mile. This routine works best with little or no silicone. Layer upon layer of silicone gives you 'rolling' and gets in the way of absorption of the gel/oil.

In the morning:

• Light cleanse
• Acid tone
• Hydrate tone - Darphin Intral is a bit of a gem for this - brilliant for redness
• Control gel
• Couple of drops of facial oil
• Moisturiser

You should find the redness has subsided a little and the spots have either come to a head or started to go down. 

Keep an eye on your diet, check your skin regularly throughout the day - the Control gel is clear and can be used over makeup etc if you want to - and repeat the process the next evening until you start to see results.

This may not work for everyone - but when you're at the end of your tether it's worth trying!

*The energy drink I had was purely vitamin B6. B6 triggers my skin something shocking. B12 I'm absolutely fine with - but the other B's? - NO. I should have read the label. Never again. This is one of the many reasons I don't advise taking multi-vitamins. Target your supplement needs to your body. Don't just take a one-shot-hits-all pill and think it's doing the job. I promise you it isn't.

*No affiliate links and I've been using/buying these products forever.

My Cult Beauty Top 10, a chance to win some of them and 10% off!

I know from your emails and comments that Cult Beauty is a shopping mecca for some of you - they recently asked me to collate my Top 10 skincare choices from their edited selection of top beauty finds from around the globe.

A sneak preview of some that made the cut...

Cult Beauty are offering one lucky reader the chance to win 5 of my Top 10 - simply email competitions@cultbeauty.co.uk with your chosen 5 and one winner will be chosen at random after the closing date....

Also: upon entering, ALL entries will be sent an email from Cult Beauty with a specific 10% discount code just for them - just for entering.....

You can find my Cult Beauty Top 10 here.

My T&C's/Disclosure:

• Entries are to be emailed to competitions@cultbeauty.co.uk - any comments left below will not be eligible for entry.
• I have received no payment for this competition
• I have no personal affiliation with Cult Beauty
• No affiliate links used
• Sunday Riley is one of my clients - but I don't work with bad product :) and I was not asked to participate in this by Sunday Riley
• I cannot be held responsible for any products being unavailable at the time of sending 

Cult Beauty T&C's:

• By entering the prize draw you agree to these terms and conditions. 
• You will be entered into Cult Beauty’s free prize draw with the chance to win your choice of 5 of Caroline's Top 10 Skin Care products as stated in her blog. 
• Customers may only sign up once. 
• One winner will be drawn at random by an independent person. The winner will be notified in writing no later than one week after the prize draw has closed – Midnight Monday 9th September 2013. 
• Prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and non-negotiable. There is no cash alternative. 
• Plus all entries will be emailed a 10% discount code to spend on their first order from cultbeauty.co.uk after competition has closed. 
• By entering, you agree that your email address will be used to keep you informed about Cult Beauty news, products and promotions, you can easily unsubscribe from this with one click on the unsubscribe buttom at the bottom of any of our communications. 
• Cult Beauty reserves the right to (i) cancel ‘Prize Draw’, (ii) refuse any individual’s entry and (iii) amend the terms and conditions. Promoter: Cult Beauty Limited: Registered office: 38 – 39, St. John’s Lane, London. EC1M 4BJ

Overnight Travel Kit

I went on an overnight trip to Monaco earlier this week - more of which to come at a later date.

I snapped off this pic very quickly as I was packing up to come home as it was probably the best overnight kit I've managed to put together for some time.

As I was going on my own and didn't have to make room for seven billion items belonging to my children that normally fill all of my cases - I didn't worry too much about travel sizes.

Included above is:

• balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm cleanser - full review to follow - but lovely!
• Serge Normant Volumizer, Shampoo and Conditioner (Hairspray out of shot) - the only range to use if you have long hair
• L'Oreal Tecni Art Volume Architect - when you want ridiculous OOMPH
• Aesop Petitgrain Hydrating Gel - reviewed earlier this week - lovely
• Alpha-H Liquid Gold travel size - obviously
• Frederic Malle Lys Mediterranee - obsessed
• Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist travel size and Illuminating Moisturiser - loving at the moment 
• Kate Somerville Deep Tissue Repair - brilliant for glow and travel due to the packaging
• Hampton Sun After Sun Moisturiser - as a body moisturiser - not aftersun...
• Oral B Pro Expert - I remain completely obsessed with this toothpaste and now have the entire family addicted also - go get your free sample via the link

That's it. Stood me in good stead. Anyone have any good suggestions for travel sizes for the future?

* the above are a mixture of PR samples, purchases and product from clients (Serge, Hampton) but are all equally amazing.  No affiliate links. Just being helpful.

Aesop Petitgrain Hydrating Body Gel and Control Anti-blemish Gel

Launching at Aesop counters today, this revolutionary Petitgrain Body Gel is a beautiful addition to the Aesop family. Perfect for the warmer weather, it is scented with grapefruit and lemon peel and feels AMAZING on the skin - I'm keeping mine in the fridge.

Already on counters but equally as exciting is the new (ish) Control Anti-Blemish Gel.

Containing Niacinamide, Tea Tree and Salicylic Acid - this is perfect for applying directly to the affected area and is both anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.

Two lovely additions to the range.

On sale now from Aesop.

Petitgrain Body Gel is £23.00 and Control is £15.00.


*PR Samples. Lovely ones at that.

Aesop New Store Opening

Earlier in January I was invited to the opening of the latest addition to Aesop store outlets in London. 

Situated in Lexington Street bang in the middle of Soho, as with all Aesop stores, it is a visual feast. Staying true to their modern, fresh and relevant ethos the simple yet sophisticated products are displayed beautifully while still inviting you in to sample and touch them. I'll be reviewing some of the latest Aesop products shortly but in the meantime - feast your eyes on these and drop in for yourself if you're in the area. Lovely.

Aesop is at 41 Lexington Street, W1.