Travel Essentials + Sunday Reflections link up

It’s fast approaching that time of year when the kids break up for the Summer holidays, and some of us will be heading off for a much needed break. We’ve been lucky enough to have two weeks in Turkey already this year, but we’ll be taking our usual trip to see my Dad in Brittany for my birthday next month. I just hope the weather is better than we’ve had here in the UK so far this Summer!

Streamlining my makeup bag is every bit as challenging as editing my holiday wardrobe.

Whether I’m travelling short or long haul, I love to do it in comfort and style. I don’t believe in compromising one for the other! To do this I rely on a few carefully selected travel essentials that save time and space. While I’m getting better at packing fewer clothes, I often end up taking several eye shadow palettes, lipsticks and mascaras. Streamlining my makeup bag is every bit as challenging as editing my holiday wardrobe.

One thing that definitely makes it easier is taking travel sized products. Now I know they often don’t work out very good value for money, but sometimes you can grab a bargain by buying them in a kit. That’s what I did with the Tarte Double Duty Beauty travel kit, which was on sale. I featured it in my March Beauty Favourites post if you want to read more about it. As well as being ideal for holidays, it’s also handy to pop in my handbag if I need to touch up my makeup on the go. The hot pink embellished pouch matches my Hope poncho that accompanies me on every trip 🙂

A holiday in the sun is wonderful, but protection from those damaging rays is so important. But then you probably don’t need me to tell you that! It goes without saying that a high SPF is essential. I wear one all year round, even in the long, cold UK winters. For added shade over my face I always wear a hat. This also helps to protect my coloured hair from fading. (I choose a hat that I can squash flat in the case without damaging it). When I’m on holiday I wash my hair every day, which quickly strips the colour, so keeping the sun off it as much as possible helps to slow the fading.

One trick I’ve discovered recently for bad hair days is a big headband. I’d love to master the art of wearing a neatly tied headscarf, but I need a bit more practice! A fabric-covered headband like this one from Asos is a great way to cheat. Plus it instantly disguises unruly hair and elevates any outfit. Combine with oversized sunglasses for full-on poolside glamour!

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A couple of other items I never travel without are hand sanitiser and a lip balm with an SPF. I’m not at all keen on those anti bacterial gels that smell strongly of alcohol. They may keep hands clean, but they are also very drying. That’s why Merci Handy is one of my travel essentials. They are available in a variety of fun fragrances, such as Coco Rico and Hello Sunshine. At £3 a bottle, they are a bit more expensive than those you can buy at the supermarket, but they are so much nicer to use. Kids love them too, which is always a bonus. Planes can be very germy, and the last thing you want is a tummy bug to start the holiday.

Designed by a former flight attendant after watching endless passengers struggle to sleep on flights, the J Pillow has a unique 3-way support system…

Travelling in comfort is essential for me. I fall asleep at the drop of a hat, but I hate waking up with a sore neck. We’ve all done that, right? I was recently sent a J Pillow to try and it certainly made my inflight slumber much more restful. Most travel pillows are a semi-circle shape, but the J Pillow is shaped like the letter J…hence the name!

Designed by a former flight attendant after watching endless passengers struggle to sleep on flights, the J Pillow has a unique 3-way support system that helps keep your head, neck and chin completely supported. The soft cushion provides comfortable support for your head and keeps it positioned upright, while the ‘trunk’ part of the pillow curls under your chin. This supports your head from the front and stops it from snapping forward while you sleep.

It can be twisted into several different positions, depending on your sitting position. It’s machine washable, and has a handy snap-loop fastening so you can attach it to your cabin trolley handle. This unique design resulted in the J Pillow winning the British Invention of the Year award. Now I won’t have to suffer neck ache on a flight again. It’s also great just for watching TV too!

What are your travel essentials? I’d love to hear what items you can’t be without!

This is where I link up!

Disclaimer: I was gifted the J Pillow featured in this post in exchange for a review. All words and opinions are my own and completely honest. This post contains affiliates links which means I may earn a small commission for any purchases made through them, at no extra cost to you. This helps towards the running costs of the blog and is very much appreciated.