Whenever I travel, even if it's just for a short time, I always end up buying beauty-related items before, during, and after my trip. Here are a few things I picked up recently.

PRE-TRAVEL: Packing the Toiletry Kit
Bloom Pamper Pack for Hair ($10)
I have to be the worst when it comes to packing my toiletries for traveling - I always bring full size bottles of everything! I practically need a whole suitcase just for my makeup, skin care, hair dryer, etc. This time I thought I would try to lighten the load by bringing these travel sizes of Bloom's Rosemary & Lemon Shampoo and Orange & Ylang Ylang Conditioner. The Pamper Pack comes with two sachets of each as well as the Orange & Ylang Ylang Hair Treatment, which I haven't tried yet.

The Rosemary & Lemon shampoo has a spicy lemon scent and rich lather. My hair can be rather dry, but this shampoo didn't leave me tugging at a head full of knots. I also liked the Orange & Ylang Ylang conditioner, although the consistency is a bit thinner than I usually prefer. For those of you who remember what "cream rinse" is, this is more like a cream rinse. It worked well on my dry hair and has a spicy orange scent. Each product sachet was one use for me; I think if you have short hair or don't mind being sparing, you could probably get two uses from each sachet.

My only gripe with the Pamper Packs is that it doesn't seem that you can buy these products in a larger size. Bloom offers a completely different selection of haircare on their site (bloom.net.au), so if you like these Pamper Pack products, I suppose you have to keep buying the tiny packets... I would consider buying these products again if they had regular bottles for purchase.

In addition to the Bloom information site, you can also find Bloom online at indulge.com, Beauty Cafe, and Sephora.com.

Pupa Artist Box Makeup Kit ($33)
I recently got a $5 off gift certificate to eve.com, so after poking around the site for a while, I decided to try this makeup kit from Pupa. It comes in a cute red box with a swing-out tray of four eye shadows and a shadow base, a face bronzer, two blushes, cream makeup, and a tube of mascara in the main compartment, and a pull-out drawer in the bottom with cream concealer, two lipsticks and a lipgloss. It also has two sponge applicators, a foundation sponge, and a lipbrush.

At first sight, this is a great idea - everything you need in one handy box, which is why I bought it for travel. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed with it, I ended up returning it as soon as I got home. The cream foundation, concealer, blush, and bronzer are all comedogenic, meaning they have ingredients that can cause acne, and the eye shadows are streaky and in rather unflattering colors. All of the colors are a bit outdated, in my opinion. There is an orange eye shadow, brownish peach blush, and orange lipstick, all of which looked ridiculous on me. The foundation and concealer shades are a murky medium beige that were too dark for me. I found it strange that this kit does not come in other combinations, like one with warm colors, one with cool colors, one for light skintones, one for dark skintones. It's just one set that I guess they think is supposed to work for the "average" woman... The packaging is cute, but they really need something better inside.

ON THE ROAD
Peter Thomas Roth Environmental Repair Hydrating Gel ($35)
While the rain sometimes bothers me here in Oregon, the one nice thing about it is that my skin stays fairly hydrated. All it took was four days in Las Vegas to turn my face into the flakiest, most irritated mess you have ever seen. I practically ran to Sephora looking for some relief! This lightweight gel with whole leaf aloe vera, one of Peter Thomas Roth's most commonly used ingredients, was calling my name. Just a few pumps applied thickly to the driest areas of my face made all the difference in the world - the flakiness and redness disappeared overnight. I layered this gel under my regular moisturizer and sunscreen, but you could easily use it alone on dry areas or all over your face if you like a lighter feeling product. I love this gel because it works but it's not sticky, gooey, oily, or greasy.

You can also find PTR products at Sephora.com.

Stila Cover Up Stick ($17) in "a"
While at Sephora I also discovered this new concealer from Stila. I am not positive, but it seems to have replaced their Face Concealer (the one in the little jar). This stick looks more like a lipstick, packaged in a thin silver swivel-up case. It comes in the same lettered colors (a, b, c, d, etc.) and has a nice matte texture. The only problem is that it contains isopropyl palmitate, which can lead to pimples in acne-prone skin. I had no problems using it to cover undereye circles, but at the end of the day after using it to cover a pimple, the pimple had gotten noticeably worse. I like the texture, and the fact that it doesn't crease or fade under my eyes, so I think I'll add it to my "concealer for under eyes only" collection.

RETURNING HOME
Deep Steep Citrus Moisturizing Liquid Cleanser ($10 for 4 ounces)
Don't you find that you often need a vacation from your vacation? I was so tired after traveling with my one year old that all I wanted to do when I got home was take a shower and go to bed! Luckily I had some forethought and had already ordered these Deep Steep products from gloss.com. This liquid body cleanser is all natural, full of essential oils (sweet orange, mandarin, geranium, ylang ylang) and can even be used as shampoo. It is a delicious, sweet orange scent and delivers an impressive amount of lather with just one squirt on a puff or washcloth. I would definitely buy this again - I just wish it came in a larger size!

Deep Steep Citrus Moisturizing After Bath Lotion ($10 for 4 ounces)
I only wear body lotion occasionally, but this one sounded so yummy, especially to put on after the citrus cleanser, so I decided to splurge. This lotion has the same essential oils as the cleanser, as well as cocoa butter, aloe vera, and vitamins A, E, and D. The scent is subtler, so you won't bowl anyone over smelling like a huge orange :) The lotion texture is light and cool, absorbing quickly with no greasiness. This is definitely one to try.