Firstly, if you’re staying at a high quality hotel bring some of their mini shampoos, conditioners and body lotions away with you. Not a hotel’s own brand, those will never be as good as well known branded products. But brands such as Kiehls, L’Occitane, Molton Brown and La Prairie come to mind. Most of which have been pinched over time by the daughter. Onwards.
Then you can invest in some really good travel bottles. Muji have some of the best, you’ll find them online here, and in the basement at Selfridges. Another brand I’ve discovered is Humangear’s Go Toob which come in different colours and sizes. They may seem a little pricey but they are extremely good and easy to fill.
Thirdly, if you want to treat yourself and possibly try something different, you could look at mini sized products usually sold as gift sets. Make sure you’re buying products that contain less than 100 ml, but are not ridiculously small.
Hair: There are excellent hair product sets for all types of hair by brands such as Paul Mitchell and Philip Kingsley. Including mini version of some of their most famous products, such as Philip Kingsley’s Elasticizer, these are going to perform much better than the cheaper travel size shampoos and moisturisers you can find in some stores – why should you settle for less just because you’re away?
Spa polishes and shower gels by Molton Brown, The Sanctuary and Champneys. One thing I particularly like about the two latter brands, not just that they’re not overpriced, but you can find mini hand creams and scrubs included as well, which are not so easy to find elsewhere, so if you love your buffing and polishing you should have a good look at these.
The opportunity with the mini skin care sets is to try something new and give your skin a break from your normal routine. All of these would be well worth trying and there are loads more available.
Beauty Gifts. If you regularly use brands such as Clarins, Clinique, Lancome and Estee Lauder look out for their regular beauty gifts with purchase. Don’t stock up on any of these brands unless you’ve checked who’s giving what away. These gifts can be of quite a high value, and frequently contain your favourite moisturiser or cleanser in a travel-friendly size.
