Back from Vacation, and a Quick Organizing Tip

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Italy, Switzerland, Travel

Hello All! We are just back from a wonderful and super long vacation to India, Italy and Switzerland! I am so exhausted that I should be glad, but in fact am sad to be back. Having to go back to work has been tough! Italy is such an amazing country – the food, the people, the landscape – everything is truly exquisite. It has so much personality and the language is truly beautiful. 

 

We also stopped over to take in some of the pristine, picture-perfect sights of Switzerland.

I’m back home after almost 5 weeks and feel totally exhausted. I think I need another vacation to recover from my vacation! On that note, my skin is completely out of whack. It has breakouts and is looking dull and tired due to an entire lack of pampering. The first thing I did when I got back was drench my hair is oil, scrubbed my face with my Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant, put on a cleansing face pack, and pampered my body with my home-made coffee scrub. I need to really look after it to get it back in good shape.

Since I’d been away from home for so long, it was a total mess when we got back. I’m going through an organizing phase and giving my OCD self some work to do. I tried to make a quick, yet effective solution to keep all my necklaces organized and in one place. Just stuck some thumb-pins in a soft board, and voilà!

 

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Beauty Shopping in Japan!

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Beauty, Japan, Japanese, Products, Shopping, Skincare, Travel

The number one item on my wishlist for my trip to Japan was shopping for cosmetics and skin care! I absolutely love cosmetics in the US because of the huge variety and quality available. However, I have heard so many raves for Japanese products and I really wanted to try some for myself and see if they were indeed better. I have been here a week and have bought quite a few things that I wanted to try. I do intend to shop some more on the coming weekend right before I leave.

The biggest problem in shopping for stuff in Japan is the language. There is not a single word of English on their products! I have been buying stuff based on pictures I found on the internet of loved products in reviews and blogs.

 

{From left: Kate BB gel cream; Sana Soy milk Isoflavone Milk; Hada Labo Perfect Gel}

The Perfect Whip facial cleanser is a highly praised product and so inexpensive – less than 400 Yen (that’s less than US$4!), so I definitely wanted to try it. Plus how can you not get the DHC cleansing oil from the land of DHC!!

{Clockwise: Shiseido Perfect Whip Facial cleaner; DHC Deep Cleansing oil; Kanebo Media lipstick in RS-22}

Sheet masks are everywhere so I had to try one!

{From left: DHC Lip Cream; Lululun sheet mask}

And some more…

And of course mascara and something from Bioré. Before coming here, I had no idea Bioré was owned by a Japanese corporation! Though I’m happy to finally see something in English!

{Bioré UV Aqua Rich Sunscreen SPF 50; Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara}

I can’t wait to get back home and try some of these products. Reviews soon!

Do you have any Japanese recommended beauty products I need to buy?

The Life and Times of a Traveling Consultant

Tags

Beauty, Caudalie, Favorites, Perricone MD, Peter Thomas Roth, Review, Skincare, Travel, VO5

Okay so if it isn’t already clear from the title, I do consulting for a living. AND I travel, every week.My traveling statistics look somewhat like this:

Miles traveled per week = 3500

Hours spent up in the air = 9

Honestly, I do like traveling. What I DON’T like, besides being away from my husband dear <boo sad face>, is not having all my skincare and beauty products close to me for all the times I suddenly feel like using that face mask that is lying neatly tucked away in my closet at home across the country.

Anyhoo, so back to the traveling…Spending all that time in the air and shuttling between two extreme weather conditions – one super chilly and the other tropical – plays havoc on my skin and makes it go completely crazy. I have a travel bag with the usual stuff I need – facewash, eye cream, sunscreen, the whole deal – that I keep in my suitcase at all times. These items I swap from my stash constantly depending on how I’m feeling that week. However, despite not being able to bring everything I own with me, I make it a point to carry some travel skincare favorites at all times that I absolutely cannot live without!

At some point in my mind I decided that I like the number 5 and to always have the “top 5” for everything. So here it is – my Top 5 Travel Essentials for the Traveling Consultant. Or maybe just all you travelers!

1. My homemade scrub with oatmeal and other pure and natural ingredients. You can find the recipe here. It is gentle enough to use every day and keeps my skin supple and hydrated.
2. Perricone MD Face Finishing Moisturizer: I have oily-combination skin, with the oily parts always being super oily! I typically do not like creams, but I use this as my night cream. It keeps my skin moisturized without making it oily. This is definitely my new favorite face cream.
3. VO5 Hot oil treatment: I love that it takes only a minute in the shower and results in amazingly soft voluminous hair! Without doubt, one of my most adored haircare items!!
4. Peter Thomas Roth Botanical Buffing Beads: I bought this on a whim when I had a discount coupon for a skincare website that had very limited options to buy. But I should say I wasn’t disappointed! The body polisher is a gel with tiny scrubbing particles that scrub the body gently without being harsh. Since the bottle is too big, I make sure to refill a travel size bottle to bring with me.
5. Caudalie Beauty Elixir: I love LOVE this face mist! With all the time spent in the plane, my skin gets very dehydrated. I love to mist my face with this to add some hydration back. Not to mention, I really enjoy how it feels on my skin – slightly minty and cool as it evaporates. Another one of those wonderful products I can’t live without!!