For most of us ladies, packing our beauty and hair necessities for a trip is never easy. Most of the time we tend to over pack (for example, I NEVER wear eyeshadow but hmm, let me bring it just in case). Here's a tip though: I keep a quart-sized ziplock bag with my travel accessories in it (earrings, bracelets, necklaces, etc - I bring the same jewelry on just about every trip) that I toss in my luggage when I'm packing (makes it a little easier).
In regards to my hair supplies, I can never win. I always have to bring an AMPLE (or full sized) amount of product with me. This means my bags will be checked. Damn it.
Can this be avoided though?
Ashley Hall (Beauty influencer and curl maven, @curlsfothegirls) takes some time out for Coconut + Concrete to tell us how she travels!
You recently returned from Jamaica! What hair care products did you bring along with you?
Any time I travel, I take full sized products with me (nooooooo!). I have a lot of hair and can’t risk getting caught without the proper product(s) because I only brought travel sizes! On my trip to Jamaica, I took a color protecting shampoo, conditioner and deep conditioner, which didn’t help too much with color protection, but my hair was ridiculously soft! I also brought the Frizz Free Curls Blueberry Bliss Hair Wash, Leave-in Conditioner, and Curl Control Jelly, as well as the Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil and UV Primer from Bumble & bumble. I feel like I might have packed something else, but I definitely remember packing these products.
I personally love Jamaica and have been a few times myself. Where did you stay? Would you recommend it to someone interested in visiting?
That was my first time in Jamaica and I absolutely loved it! We stayed at the Riu Montego Bay, which was beachfront, entertaining, and close to the airport. I would definitely recommend it to someone else interested in visiting because of the hotel layout and it was all-inclusive. You can’t beat that.
Soooo I have this lip gloss that I keep in my clutch for those days when I’m just out and about (or running to the airport!). Those makeup-free days when I just need a little shine. What’s your go-to gloss that’s good for running those everyday errands?
When I’m running everyday errands, I’m usually 100% bare-faced with Carmex in hand. If I decide to spice it up a bit, I’ll use my Too Faced Lip Injection gloss. It’s a lip plumping gloss that makes my lips look a little extra pouty.
Do you always check your luggage when flying? If not, how can we (us girls with curls and a gazillion hair products!) pack light so that we don’t have to check bags? This seems to be the biggest challenge in traveling with natural hair.
I always have a checked bag because I refuse to leave home without full-sized hair and skin care products. If you’re interested in packing light, I’d suggest finding a low maintenance style for your vacation like braids. This way, you won’t have to worry about styling your hair for the beach or dinner! Then, you can easily pack travel sized bottles for your skincare. However, I do suggest packing a large sized sun protectant. The Caribbean sun is nothing to play with!
Last question: Pool or beach?
The beach without a doubt. White sand and clear, blue water wins any day!
So there you have it. Low maintenance hairstyles (braids, twists, buns, etc.) are the way to go if you want to cruise through customs. Otherwise, pack those products up tightly!
How do you pack light?