The Travel Beauty Thread

[sister13]

(January 2023) Thought I’d resurrect this thread, now that there’s a bit more possibility of travel these days! I would love to live vicariously and learn from fellow BICers, so please post any tips, pics, and/or your fave travel minis or routine!  I’m still not doing a lot of travel these days, but may post some pics and notes from past trips.  💗💗💗

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Since the old travel thread sadly got lost in the switchover (😢😢😢) it was suggested a while back, and I’ve been meaning to get a new one started. If there is one already for this, let me know. I travel a bit for work and for fun, and I love checking out beauty stores and seeking out exclusive or hard-to-find items in different places around the world. Some of my favorite makeup destinations have been the Face Powder and Perfume Museum in Torino, Italy (a surprise find) and the Les Merveilleuses Laduree in Tokyo. I have relied on great tips from other BT/BICers on many of my trips, especially Toronto and Tokyo, so I would love to keep this updated as a resource for BIC.

Please share your discoveries, store reviews, pictures, purchases, and travel tips, and I’ll try to keep and update summaries here in the main post for future reference. If you don’t have a chance for much travel, feel free to share your favorite beauty destinations in your home city. I plan to update with photos below from various trips as I have the chance to organize my archives and update. What do you guys think? Feel free to make suggestions on how to organize this thread, too, it might be a bit of a work in progress. Thanks and happy travels BT/BIC!

[Sunnysmom]

What a cool pic @Mellmars1185! I bet you guys had the best day! I have always wanted to see Toronto or Quebec, maybe someday! 

[Mellmars1185]

@Sunnysmom Thank you! It was a fun day! I have been to Quebec a few times when I was a kid. It would be nice to visit as an adult!

[sister13]

Ooh, nice! I always really liked Toronto, such a nice and clean downtown and very nice people! @Mellmars1185 

[Mellmars1185]

@sister13 Thank you! I haven't been downtown during the day for over 3 years. It was nice to see things finally back to normal.

[sister13]

In December, we took a long awaited trip to American Samoa and Samoa (with quick stops in Honolulu). We went last time in 2019, and had been planning to go back every year, but then the pandemic hit.

On this trip, we visited my husband’s family in Am.Samoa and Samoa (about a week each) and did a little work on the family house in Pago Pago, my husbands village in Am. Samoa. The house really needs a total renovation but we are not sure when that can happen. So, we stayed in a hotel in Utulei that is older but has the absolute most stunning views!

Pago Pago has the only US National park located south of the equator. It’s so beautiful, I could post 10 million pics!

Waikiki first:

Didn’t have time to shop but here’s the Sephora in Waikiki decorated for the holidays.

AaABC Store perfumes, I always buy one.

Love these LuLuLun Japanese masks.

The hotel mermaid decorations!

Perfume I bought and view from our room.

We always get breakfast at Eggs n Things in Waikiki and get the pancakes with whipped cream and macadamia nuts and I get an Açaí bowl! 
View from Eggs n Things.Sunset when we were driving in.Sunrise!

[Luvstravel]

Gorgeous @sister13 That was definitely nice to be able to help your husband's family work on their house and also be able to relax in the hotel looking at the ocean! I always love looking at different beauty products around the world. Thanks for posting 😊

[sister13]

Oh, me too! There's another really nice beauty store (a ton of K & J beauty!) on the corner near the Sephora. I'm not sure if it's still there post-pandemic but I think it looked like it was still there from across the street. I didn't really have time to do any shopping in Waikiki this trip (except the Pineapple perfume and some masks from ABC). I'll have to post some pics from Am. Samoa and Samoa.     

[Saradestin]

Wow! That place is absolutely gorgeous @sister13!!! I am happy with you posting 10 million pictures!!! 😍

[sister13]

Thanks, it’s a really special place/places! Thanks for indulging me! @Saradestin 

[curlychiquita]

It sounds like an amazing trip, @sister13! Thank you for sharing pictures!

[sister13]

Thanks, we have a lot of work ahead on the house over there, but it will be rewarding when it’s finally done! @curlychiquita 

[Sunnysmom]

Beautiful pics and memories for you @sister13 ! Love Hawaii , can smell it now! That little plane tho 🥹- I would have issues with that sadly! 😭 Great you can have all these wonderful experiences with your family! 💞

[sister13]

Haha yes that plane was something else! You can take the big plane from Hawaii to Am. Samoa and Samoa, this is just the tiny one between the two islands. @Sunnysmom 

[Sunnysmom]

I have taken a few @sister13 and I never like them! 😭 Always have to look at the end goal! 💞

[sister13]

Some Samoa pics (formerly called Western Samoa):

Flight from Pago to Airport in Samoa. 30 minute flight on the tiniest plane, but you arrive the next day because there is a 24 hour time difference, lol.

Arriving at the airport!

So many beautiful flowers to put in your hair (called a sei in Samoan).

We got the most amazing fresh leis on arrival at our hotel. This one is Moso’oi (y’lang-ylang) and I cannot describe how incredible this fresh fragrance was! I’ve always loved y’lang-ylang fragrances but they are nothing compared to this! It comes from a tree that grows up in the mountains. The other lei was for my hisband, it was a jasmine and also intoxicating! 

This pink pu’a tree in aunty’s yard.

View from our 2nd hotel:

Kitties at another aunty’s house

view of Sunday meal. The fresh coconuts (niu) are a pretty regular treat, you drink them ice cold. 

Samoan money is so pretty! 

Views from the hotel grounds/beach.

[quspork]

Absolutely gorgeous pics, @sister13!

[Samtian]

@sister13 I'm convinced this is heaven. 

[sister13]

It is pretty incredible!!! @Samtian 

[Saradestin]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ That place cannot be more beautiful @sister13!! You look stunning and exotic and that food… 😋😋😋. I find the airplane fact so fun!!!!! 

[sister13]

Thanks so much! It’s too hot to wear s a lot of makeup and my skin freaked out in the humidity but the flowers help bring the glam and color! It was a whole effort to plan and book hotels and  rental cars trying to get the days right, I double triple and quadruple checked, lol. @Saradestin 

[Titian06]

All of your pics are amazing, @sister13 ! 🥰  Thank you for sharing!  Honestly, these tropical places just seem unreal to me; I can't imagine how beautiful they are. **sigh**