I've been having an Eat Pray Love (tragically Javier Bardem-less) year. A year where I let myself travel around as much as possible and live wherever I want. This has made me something of an expert in the Dos and Don'ts of all things travel. Here are a few tips I wish I knew a year ago which are now making my travels a breeze.
Cut back on liquids
I'm shocked at how many things people put in their liquids bags. I guarantee you nobody can detect your tube of mascara or liquid lipstick. I've been through airport security multiple times with a full bottle of hand sanitiser after forgetting to take it out and no one has ever detected it. If it's small and more of a gel or cream than liquid, you can probably get away with leaving it out.
If you hate makeup wipes as much as I do, here's how you can pack your micellar water without putting it in your liquids bag. Take a sealable sandwich bag, put a few cotton pads in it and squeeze in enough micellar water into the bag until the pads are soaked through. There you go, DIY makeup wipes which won't hurt your sensitive skin.
Invest in soundproof headphones and an eye mask
A few months ago on a flight to Pisa, I saw a man put on a sleep mask, headphones and a meditation playlist and sleep right through the flight. He woke up looking fresh and well rested while I looked like I'd been hit by 2 trucks and a 6-seater van.
I'm not sure how much of an investment this is considering I got my Apple headphone dupes for 18 euro and you can get an eye mask from any shop for a maximum of 10 euro.
Trust me, when you're on a 5 am flight after waking up at 2 am you'll stop thinking about how silly you look in your little eye mask.
Hydration, Hydration, HYDRATION
Raise your hand if you've ever left your water bottle completely untouched in your bag and developed an incurable migraine which totally ruined your trip.
If you are like me and this is a regular occurrence for you, you need some hydration salts.
I found Revival Rehydration Salts before a recent trip and bought a few sachets, my only hope being that they would make my water taste nice, which would remind me to drink more. I definitely wasn't expecting them to give me the insane amount of energy that they did. Or that they would cure my red wine and vodka (never mix grape and grain) hangover so easily.
Make your sun protection portable
In keeping with my first point there are a few requirements I have about my holiday sun protection: it has to be solid, and it has to fit in any bag no matter how tiny.
My go-to is Uriage Bariésun Mineral Stick. Because I have sensitive skin I usually choose this option over the Bariesun Invisible Stick, although that one is more lightweight if that's your preference. I find that this is really easy to apply over makeup and it keeps the skin protected for longer thanks to its mineral formula.
This Mineral Stick also wins bonus points from me for how easy it is to apply over tattoos, because if there's one thing I'm more obsessive about than keeping my face protected it's keeping my tattoos from fading.
Keep your gut happy
You should be able to indulge in all of the delicious treats you want when you're on holiday. Unfortunately, for most of us, this can lead to some upset tummies.
Think ahead and prevent this by taking a probiotic designed specifically for travelling with you.
Optibac Travel Abroad was developed for worldwide travel, keeping you protected in any country you visit. It will save you that awkward trip to the pharmacy where no matter how accurate your Google translate is you can't seem to make anyone understand that your stomach hurts.
I hope that these tips help make your travels as stress-free as possible! Remember to disconnect from your phone as much as possible to get the most relaxation out of your time away. You can always post that gorgeous bikini selfie when you return. I'm off to Croatia for a short road trip, where are you heading off to this summer?
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Where to find Revival Rehydration Salts:
Where to find Uriage Bariésun Stick:
Where to find Optibac Travel Abroad
Amazing article! Love the makeup wipe hack will definitely try it out next time i’m travelling ✈️