Recently packing for a trip to New York has made me take a hard look at my beauty routine. Could it possibly take that many products to get me out the door? And what about out of the country? My God, have I turned high maintenance or is this all perfectly normal?
It is a story as old as time. Can a girl do without her Bobbi Brown exfoliating grains for one week? Especially after a long flight where everyone’s breath is stuck to your face by the time you disembark. No, I think not. What about serums? My skin loves Lancôme’s Visionaire and, although my mother likes to argue that Mother Nature speaks last and loudest in the end, I don’t like to throw in the towel too easily. Clarins Vital Light day cream is full of plant extracts and I lash it on daily under my foundation. Although, don’t you find it’s more about skincare and less about make up on holidays? Except of course for lipsticks — how many do most people bring? Pale pink is one mood, red is another, while fuchsia is just perfect if you do not have the energy to do another thing to your face. And why is it that one day you put on your favourite lipstick and look a million dollars, and the next day you put it on and you think it is not right at all?
This year I pared down the amount of clothing I brought and it worked out beautifully. It was just as well. I found myself spending large chunks of time with my dad and son and brothers, and they are all world famous for making a plan, getting ready, and being out the door in under five minutes .Though incredibly stressful for me, this is normal behaviour for men and I am secretly jealous. I often can’t find matching shoes in less than five minutes. This time I only brought my j brand black skinnies and my 7 flares so it was a case of either or. To change things up I brought a selection of scarves — I love my new D&G floral scarf, new to Brown Thomas, it looks vintage and for some reason D&G does the best cabbage rose print ever. Scarves are the perfect accessory for travelling if you find you tend to get a chill at night or on a plane. And of course, no expedition, whether to the supermarket or the Big Apple, would be complete without a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses.
My packing was minimal by accident, simply because I left it until the last minute and ran out of time. It really was the best way to travel — my suitcase was so light and my lack of choices made for easy decisions. It is a bit like a menu with too many choices in a restaurant, a suitcase overstuffed with clothing creates uncertainty and often a lingering feeling that you could have chosen better.
