UK/France- Exclusives

[hopkinss33]

Hey everyone! My BFF and I just booked a trip to London/Paris, and we're both makeup and skincare junkies, so our trips usually include finding new products. Does anyone have a U.K. Or France-exclusive product that they love? (Also, if you have any advice for skincare while traveling, my face HATES when I take long flights, so I would appreciate it)

[MariekeBT]

Hi @hopkinss33, 

For long flights providing some kind of hydration for your face is really key! Doing a face mask is a great idea. If you're too worried about how you may look with a sheet mask (I haven't gotten the courage to wear one since I don't want to freak people out haha), a sleeping mask or mask that you don't have to wash off would be great. If you use a sleeping mask, you can always wash it off when you land or when you get to a hotel or something. 

Oils are also extremely hydrating and great to bring on flights if you have a travel size available. Facial mists also are a great way to boost hydration while applying other products or just throughout the flight. I brought my travel sized Beauty Elixir on my recent flight and it was a life saver! A heavier moisturizer is also a great way to add extra layer of moisture. (: 

[Cyncynn]

@hopkinss33 

From France my favorite lip balm is Amilab - it is the only lip balm I ever finished and scraped the container to get every bit of it. It's also super affordable.

Biafine - is not technically a beauty product, but I'll mention it anyway, since you can find it at french pharmacies. It's great for burns (sunburns too I hear).

Homeoplasmine -It's overhyped IMO, but not expensive. People use it on the lips, dry patches, cuticles, etc. It's petroleum based, so kinda like an improved Vaseline.

Serozinc - Great mist!

I recall seeing a lot of travel sets of brands like Caudalie and Nuxe. We have these brands in the US, but they are fairly cheaper there with more variety too.

I lived in the UK prior to coming to the US and these are brands that are good, but that I haven't seem in the US:

Sleek products - For the price their palettes are very good and stores like SuperDrug sometimes have 3 for 2 deals. I would focus on the colors you don't have. I got super colorful sleek palettes that I really like. They do have fallout, but pigmentation is excellent. They have other products as well that I heard good things about

Bourjois products. 

Rimmel - A lot of variety and super cheap. Their lipsticks  are fairly good, but not very long-lasting. They make very beautiful shades of red/pink/burgundy.

Boots has this 1/2 pounds shower gels called original source and it's amazing -  does the same thing that my nuxe and molton brown shower gel. I like the mint and tea tree one - very refreshing, but they have several scents.

Both the UK and France have a wider variety of La Roche Posay, Vichy and Avene. Worth checking out if you are into those brands.

For higher end products, I would suggest a visit to Liberty. Cool place and nice selection of products.

This is my routine for long haul flights:

Wash face at the airport prior to boarding

Use some sort of acid (Check if you have any Dr. Gross peel pads samples with you, those are great for airplanes)

serum/eye cream/mask - I don't normally use a mask, but if I do it's the Glamglow hydrating mask. It's great and very relaxing

lip balm (reapply as needed or compulsively)

Not skincare, but saline solution  is a must for me(my nose gets quite dry)

I use those antibacterial wipes and wipe the seat/arm rest/tray. You are locked on an airplane with so many people for so many hours, so better to be on the safe side and ensure that those surfaces you will be touching are clean. Since you might later on be touching your face/mouth.

Also not skincare, but I always carry some Vitamin C  to boost my immunity.

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions!