When I’m traveling for a film I’m usually on location for a week or longer.  I don’t like to check bags, so I tend to pack very lightly and efficiently, but with strong basics that I can always rely on.   I’m on a trip right now to Puerto Rico where I’ll be filming for 2 weeks and where it is very hot and humid.  The humidity takes the guesswork out of makeup for me because hot makeup is no bueno.  I decided to bring with me items that would provide color variety in the otherwise (mostly) black and white wardrobe color palette I packed.

I have a little paperclip box that I decoupaged with my daughter and that’s where I keep jewelry and little perfume samples. On an island where most tourists are wearing some kind of warm, tropical inspired scent and the coconut-y breeze of sun tan lotion wafts around regularly, I wanted to break it up with something light & airy but sophisticated & inviting.   So, for this trip I brought a sample of Hannae Mori butterfly and Annick Goutal’s Quel Amour.  

I had the good luck of finding a Benefit Cosmetics Vending Truck in the Dallas airport and bought a few travel-sized collections to test out.  I’d like to do a more comprehensive review on these products, but I do really like “That Gal” for a brightener/moisturizer, the LolliBalm lip color (which smells like roses and looks on your lips like a pinkish/purple peony) and for the evening, I throw on a cat-eye with Benefit’s They’re Real Push-up Liner.  For cheeks I think it’s best to use a creme or liquid base in humidity.  Seriously- say no to powder on island vacations unless it’s a very light dusting for an upscale dinner.  I like Bobbi Brown’s Pretty Powerful II Pot Rouge and also Benefit’s Lolli Tint (that same peony color) or BeneTint (a perfect cherry red).

Ditch the concealer but do make sure you’re wearing sunblock.  I brought my favorite Kate Sommerville Daily Deflector Waterlight SPF.  Again, for a more formal environment I wanted to make sure I had the option of evening out my skin tone (for camera as well) and I brought along two industry-standard items… the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer which is very light but provides evenness, and Stila’s Eyes Are the Window Shadow Palette in “Mind”.

Stay tuned for more #TravelBeautyEssentials and #TravelWardrobeStaples for packing light and chic!

xx Joy