How To Look Your Best While Travelling

If you look your best while travelling, it’s likely you are going to feel your best too – and that can make a real difference to the quality of your journey.

After all, when you look good, you feel good. Clothes you are not comfortable in, dry skin, feeling too cold or too hot, all of these can contribute to making you feel less than you best. They can make even a journey that is going well feel like it’s not much fun at all.

Look Your Best While Travelling – Before You Go

Have a manicure and pedicure

There’s nothing like ripping a nail while lifting your suitcase out of a taxi, or having to limit the walking you can do because of painful feet and toes. Having well groomed hands and feet means you can avoid this, and also helps you look your best while travelling

Gel nails work for some people but I can never keep a gel manicure going long enough for our trips, and I hate worrying about having to get one fixed. I prefer to go for medium length fingernails with clear nail hardener or a nonicure. I do opt for bright gel colours on my toes, where they generally last about 3 to 4 weeks.

Be sure to take a lovely rich travel size hand cream. Hands can become very dry when you are travelling, particularly if you are flying.

Deep condition your hair

Deep condition your hair the week before your trip, particularly if you are travelling by air. Flying, air conditioning and traveling in general can really dry out your hair, especially if your hair is long. I use a leave in conditioner after every shampoo as well.

Look after your skin

Have a facial the week before you travel if you can. If time or your budget make this difficult, give your skin a treat with an at home facial. Include a gentle exfoliant and a comforting mask.

Be sure to moisturise regularly in the week leading up to your trip. Even if you normally have oily skin, travel is likely to cause it to become dehydrated. Moisture and oil are two different things. Whatever our skin type, we all need moisturiser.

Look Your Best While Travelling – En Route

Wear comfortable clothes that look pulled together and smart

I always suggest that people wear things that are as comfortable as possible but still look smart. It goes without saying that it is best not to wear anything that is too tight or that could make any part of you uncomfortable. You should definitely save the high heels for after you arrive!

The athleisure trend can be your friend here, but I would definitely stop short of a track suit. Honestly, I still love the old tradition of dressing up a little for travel. I usually wear smart, comfortable jeans (definitely not my tightest pair!), a nice blouse or top and flat shoes. Depending on the circumstances and the weather, I may add a leather jacket, a smart cardigan or a casual blazer. Be sure to have items you can layer available in your hand luggage, so that you are not too hot or too cold during the journey.

Wear minimal makeup

I generally wear a bit of light foundation or tinted moisturizer, mascara, a touch of blush and lipstick. This gives me a finished look that isn’t high maintenance. This look is easy to maintain during a flight or long car or train journey and it is also a great base to build on if I want to put on more makeup before I arrive.

Moisturise during your journey to help look your best while travelling

This is particularly important if you are travelling by air. A tinted moisturiser really comes into its own here as you can just top it up as you go. If you are wearing foundation, you can apply a richer moisturiser over the top, and then add a bit more foundation. This isn’t something I’d normally recommend, but it’s fine while you are en route.

If I’m on a night flight I remove my makeup and put on a rich moisturiser before I go to sleep. You can do this without even leaving your seat if you use makeup remover wipes.

Be sure to reapply eye cream regularly. The eye area is particularly prone to dehydration, which can make you look tired, as well as exacerbate wrinkles. Again, in these circumstances, you can apply eye cream over your makeup. Gently tap the cream into your under eye area using your baby finger.

Remember to apply hand cream every time you wash your hands.

Carry sample sizes, but only of products you know and trust

Smaller containers of your favourite products will definitely come in handy to help you look your best while travelling, but be sure to only take products you know and trust. The last thing you want is to try a new product only to find it irritates your skin or makes you break out.

Drink lots of water to help you look your best while travelling

Hydrating from the inside out is always important, and will help how you feel as well as how you look. We need to hydrate from the inside out for the sake of our skin and our bodies need more water too, particularly if we are travelling by air.

Move Around

Take regular breaks if you are travelling by car, and take advantage of rest stops if you are on a bus. Be sure to move around as much as you can.

If you are travelling by train or plane, be sure to get up and move around at least once every couple of hours to keep yourself feeling well, as well as to avoid any risk of deep vein thrombosis.

Look Your Best While Travelling – After You Arrive

Skin

If possible, take sample sizes of gentle exfoliant and moisturizing mask you have used before along with you, and use them as soon as possible after you arrive. Or if time and money allow, have a professional facial.

Use a hydrating serum in addition to your usual moisturiser and don’t forget to use eye cream.

Hair

Another deep conditioning treatment wouldn’t go amiss here, but at the very least use a leave in conditioner, particularly if you are somewhere sunny.

Body

A good body cream will help with travel dehydrated skin. Don’t forget to moisturise your hands and feet too.

Travel can be a lot more fun if you are feeling good during the trip. I hope these tips to help you look your best while travelling will help make feeling good that a little bit easier.

Wherever you are off to, I wish you a safe and pleasant journey!

PS – If you find yourself feeling jet lagged, you can use these tips to help you feel better.

More Travel Tips

How to Keep Working Out While Travelling

How to Avoid Jet Lag

Air Travel Tips to Make Flying Less Stressful