Birchbox MD Maria recently got back from a sun-filled trip to Las Vegas! We took the chance to nose through her beauty stash and get her top tips on what to pack for our upcoming trips. Here’s what she told us:
I’m not a fan of checking in luggage (even for long holidays!) so for my Vegas trip, I needed to pack all my cosmetics into a little see-through bag in my carry on. A trip to Vegas requires a casual yet chic look for the pool, a glam look for shows and clubbing and enough sun protection not to burn or dehydrate in 40C. So here’s how I solved that challenge:
FACE:
fresh® Soy Face Cleanser is a great multitasker – it’s gentle, yet can also remove the toughest mascara, so I didn’t need to pack a separate make-up cleanser. I tend to develop uneven skin tone in the sun so I took Dr Weil For Origins Correcting Serum. Finally, to keep my pores in check in hot weather, Shiseido Pureness Pore Minimizing Cooling Essence was a saviour as always. Nothing more effective to quickly hydrate lips (or even cracked heels!) in 40C weather than Yu-Be. Even my boyfriend kept asking, “Where’s the Yu-Be”?
BODY:
I knew that COOLA Sunscreen is super-popular on the West Coast, so all I needed to pack was the sample from my June box for my arrival and topped up while I was there.
HAIR:
This is usually the trickiest element as my hair needs conditioning, anti-frizz, blow-dry prep and colour protection. But that was before I discovered Beauty Protector through work – that’s all I use now, at home and away. The bonus is it smells like coconuts and reminds me of holidays.
NAILS:
The chlorine from the pool plays havoc with even the best pedicure. So I packed my favourite OPI Aphrodite’s Pink Nightie (easy to apply, even for uncoordinated people like me) and their Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go.
SUNPROOF MAKE-UP:
The Korres Cherry Lipgloss is perfect for lasting lip moisture and shine, to not look overly made-up by the pool. For the pool parties, I added a super thin line of Laura Geller Beauty Waterproof Gel Liner and a very light coat of Benefit Bad Gal Mascara for a bit of glamour.
VEGAS NIGHTS:
Gerda Spillmann Bio-Fond foundation is perfect for humid weather as it’s not too oily and conceals uneven skin tone; Stila Twinset Demi-creme + Shine for lip colour that will last through the night; my trusty gel liner smudged this time for a smoky eye topped off with a few layers of mascara; and finally RMK Ingenious Powder Eyes for a little eye shimmer.
And that’s it! There was even space for my toothpaste!