Dopp Kit Diaries
This week we tapped two true beauty experts, eager to see what products made the cut for their dopp kits, and were pleasantly surprised to learn that everything they swear by fits within the confines of a carry-on. First up is Jean Godfrey-June, someone whose writing weâve followed for yearsâfrom her tenure as beauty editor at Elle and Lucky to Goopâfor her humor, clarity, and genuinely good advice. She literally wrote the book on the beauty industry, has consulted for countless companies in the space, and now writes the always-insightful Godfreyâs Guide. Then Cian Connor, another one of our go-to beauty voices, spilled the contents of his dopp kit for us. With experience on the brand side of several skincare companies and spas, Cian now pens Skin Sanctuary, where he shares what heâs learned from inside the industryâcutting through the marketing fluff to focus on whatâs really efficacious. I divide my kits into âfor the planeâ and âfor the suitcase.â For the plane: I carry a Prada single zip-up nylon bag that I got in 1994 and still looks new. (I actually got two, and one was stolen off of my seat on the Concorde in . . . 1999? 2001? It goes to show: even someone with $10,000 for an airplane ticket canât resist the lure of a free beauty product. Or a nylon Prada zip-up bag.) My prime goals on the airplane are basic cleanliness, moisturization, and sun protection. For true cleanliness, you need wipesânot spraysâin my opinion. The ultimate dopp-kit luxury: the silver-wrapped face wipes from RMS. Conventional wipes are drying, preservative-filled nightmares for your skin; the RMS wipes are fabric/paper soaked in very special coconut oil (they extract it through a cold-centrifuge process, so it retains more of its nutrients, especially its lauric acid, an otherwise pretty rare and reportedly healing compound). Whether it is psychosomatic or true, I find these wipesâalong with sweeping away airplane germs, makeup, etc.âcan fix pretty much any minor irritation my body throws at me, and they are super-moisturizing besides. As in: if you forget everything else, if you have the RMS wipes, youâve got cleanser, soother, and moisturizer all in one tiny packet that looks like it might contain a condom. I pack Weleda Skin Food, the worldâs most powerful, best-smelling moisturizer that actually makes your skin look better on contact. I apply it often through any flight. It comes in a chic green aluminum tube, and I find using it so pleasurable that it actually distracts me from the reality that Iâm hurtling through the air in a very heavy metal box. Also a tube of lip balm from Counter: super-thick, so moisturizing, smells faintly citrusy, and the tube itself is super-light. I love the lemon-yellow tube of SPF 30 from Grown Alchemist. Just looking at it cheers me up, and I reapply assiduously throughout the flight, as youâre exposed to much more and much stronger UVA rays at 30,000 feet than you are at sea level. Face and backs of hands, over and over! I bring Jones Road mascara, Ilia liquid liner pen, Counter Dew Skin SPF 30, Tower 28 concealer, and Kosas Rosewater lipstick (used as lipcolor and blush), all to be applied just before landing. And the No. 09 Vallee de Farney perfume oil from Maison Louis Marie, which is the chicest looking rollerball you will ever see, and the scent is citrusy-sophisticatedâgrapefruit, patchouli, and vetiver. Just the act of dabbing it on my wrists makes me feel like a French girl, and the scent itself makes me feel mysterious and alive. And I throw in Simply Saline and Afrin because I am prone to ear and sinus infections, and thereâs nothing worse than being stuck on a plane, knowing youâre going to have to land eventually, with no way to relieve the pressure. In my luggage, I bring two bags: another ancient-but-brand-new-looking nylon Prada, and a bright red-orange quilted one from Kate Mcleod. The latter is my favoriteâSO good-looking in a suitcase, and the quilting sort of pads everything. There is no rhyme or reason as to what goes into which bag. Between the two of them, I bring generous minis of the Garden of Earthly Delights shampoo, elixir, and conditioner from Sangre de Fruta, and the leave-in conditioner from Augustinus Bader. My Crown Affair Brush No. 2, which has wooden bristles that A) feels like youâre getting a head massage, and B) discourages frizz. Itâs also gorgeous. I bring additional packets of the ultra-moisturizing RMS wipes for makeup removal/cleansing on the trip. HEAVEN. I skip retinol while on vacation and just go for the pure moisture of the Weleda Skin Food. But I never fail to bring True Botanicals vitamin C powder. You tap out a little on your palm, mix it with a drop of water and smooth it on your face, and your skin will be healthy and glowy enough that people will regularly comment on it. Vitamin C also provides a little extra bit of sun protection, too. I love baths, especially on vacation and most especially on work trips. Kate Mcleodâs Bath Pebbles are genius: about the size of a marble, made with rich oils and butters, one (or three) dropped in a bath transforms it into a moisturizing, essential-oil-infused soak. They weigh less than nothing. I love the Sleep ones, which smell like lavender. I bring Davidâs toothpaste and an Olas toothbrush (I get the 6-pack so I always have spare toothbrushes for guests at home). Cocofloss floss IS the greatest thing since sliced bread (the vanilla is my favorite) and I take it everywhere. Full sizes: Saltyface self-tanning foam, which I apply with a foam mittâit smells like nothing, blends like a dream, and is hands-down the best, most-natural-looking tan on the planet. For massages (I love massages, professional or non), Goe Oil smells fantastic, feels like silk on your skin, and moisturizes like crazy. If I feel like really indulging myself, I bring the Ranavat hair mask in its aluminum tube: it smells like jasmine and it gives my hair the best texture and shine. To start, my toiletry bag is a neoprene skin savior⊠my life partner, Andrea Franchini, picked it up for me at Barneyâs (or maybe I stole it off him⊠donât quite remember). It is larger than the TSA requirements allow (by a lot) and because itâs stretchy, I can fit an unbelievable amount of skincare goodness inside. No matter where I go, my skincare regimen is mainly the same. Consisting of a great cleanser, a multitude of serums (that contain peptides, exosomes, stem cells, antioxidants etc.), a retinoid of some description and a great moisturizer. Then I always have SPF and a few face masks (both for the plane and while on vacation/work trip). I write more about this on my Skin Sanctuary substack, and everything in this line up has the clinical data to support its efficacy: 1. Cleanser: iS Clinical Cleansing Complex - I love this cleanser because itâs gel based, light in texture, contains antioxidants, and is gentle enough for sensitive skin while removing oil and dirt from the day. I keep this in my shower and have the 2oz travel size always in my toiletry bag. 2. Toner: Danucera D22 Tonic - An amazing toner that preps the skin for whatâs to come as well as, hydrates, evens skin tone, and helps to balance oil production with light exfoliation. This is from the skincare line from Danuta Mieloch, the genius behind Rescue Spa, my favorite spa in NYC. 3. Mist/Essence: Vintnerâs Daughter Active Treatment Essence - This is a new addition as of two months ago⊠and I can attest I am really hooked. It has peptides, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and antioxidants in one. All of this to say it brightens and evens skin tone while greatly boosting hydration. This is an expertly formulated product I will now always have on me (expensive but worth it). 4. Serums, Serums, and more Serums: Angela Caglia Cell Forte Serum - one of the best serums ever made⊠this uses human stem cells (that contain billions of peptides and exosomes) to bring new life into skin. It firms, tightens, improves texture, and skin tone allâŠ
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