All posts filed under: Beauty

My Packing List Pt. 2

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Read My Packing List Pt. 1 This is the second part of my packing list, the one with all the lady stuff. When you think about it, it takes a helluva lot of grooming to even look half presentable. If it were up to me, I’d let myself go to seed and not bother with shaving or plucking… but it’s not, I would be shunned by society for sure if I took a more relaxed approach to beautifying. That said, there’s no point going OTT while you’re backpacking. So leave the straighteners, foundation and fake tan at home.

The Atlas of Beauty Celebrates Diversity

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(Main photo.  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by Michaela Noroc) Romanian photographer Mihaela Noroc‘s ambitious project The Atlas of Beauty aims to capture portraits of women from every country in the world, she’s already snapped girls in 37 countries and shows no signs of slowing. From Western Europe to Asia, North Africa, Scandinavia and the Caribbean Noroc shows us the vast diversity of women, and that it is all these differences that make each of us beautiful. As a mixed race, brown-skined child growing up in the UK in the 90s I felt so hideous because I was the polar opposite of all the thin, white and almost exclusively blond women in the media. These days we have beauties that break the mould like Beyonce, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, but they still mainly adhere to Western ideals of beauty – so theres a way to go yet. These multi-coloured, multi-cultural portraits from around the globe make the runways and fashion magazines I read seem unbearably dull and bland in comparison. See the rest of The Atlas of …

Beauty Bits To Take in Your Backpack 

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There are the obvious things and then the not so obvious things…. A caveat to this article is that you may require different bits to me. You will certainly need more than the items on this list, but the lesson to take away from this, is to think outside the box. Just because someone has told you to take certain bits, you need to truly tailor your packing to you. If you have annoying baby hair and use a certain gel to tame them every day, than by Jove, take it with you (and a spare). If you have skin that burns particularly easily then take your favourite SPF, they might not have a high enough factor for you in Sri Lanka or wherever. So the following are examples but also represent a savvy way of thinking when it comes to beauty. Hairdressing Scissors Am I a hairdresser? No. Could I be? …Nooooo. Is my hair a bit mental? Yes! On a level, though, you’re not going to shell out for a haircut on your travels, …

50s flight attendants

In-Flight Skin Saviours

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As a world traveller, you’ll be catching a whole lot of flights, I think I’ll be getting over 20 this year at last count… eep! Personally I like a flight, it means you’re heading to your next destination but the havoc flying causes to your skin is a major beauty dilemma. So, just how do you prevent yourself arriving at the airport with the skin of a sunbed-worshipping 94 year old? Dehydration is the biggest factor in tired and dull looking ‘plane face’ skin, moisture gets sucked out of your skin by the pressurised cabin air, plus the physicality of travelling means you’ll probably be stressed, lacking sleep and maybe you haven’t tended to your skin in 48 hours. So to combat dry skin, drink LOTS of water. Forget your two litres a day. For every five hours you’re in the air, try to drink a litre of water, a lot, I know but it will help keep skin moisturised and prevent headaches and fatigue too. As for getting your forty winks, easier said than …

How to Stay Fit & Healthy While Backpacking

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There’s nothing worse than travelling the world, visiting beautiful beaches and not feeling body confident. We’ve all done the emergency ‘beach body’ thing before a two-week holiday, which is mainly unsuccessful and usually way too last minute. But what if you’re always on holiday… like, for a year? Before I embarked on my travels I started a little fitness kick to make sure my body was prepared for the backpacker’s life. I didn’t want low fitness levels or lack of body confidence to hold me back from doing anything – whether that’s climbing a mountain or strutting my stuff on a beach. While I wasn’t striving for a Victoria’s Secret Angel bod, I did want to feel strong and capable. Getting fit and achieving a toned body without a gym, large budget or a well-stocked fridge is hard, I admit, but there are a few tips you can follow to keep your bod looking beach-ready while travelling. 1. Er, swim I’m always surprised by the amount of people who bake on a beach all day and never get in …

Skin Safety 101

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If you’re travelling, chances are at some point or another (or most of the time in my case) you’ll be subject to some pretty epic heat. Sunshine and travel go hand in hand and while a dose of the yellow stuff is great, too much can be dangerous. So in the interests of health, happiness and comfort, here are some tips to keep you safe in the sun. Wear Sunscreen Baz Luhrman was right about this, wear sunscreen, every day. I am mixed race and have pretty dark skin that tans at the mere thought of sunlight but even I wear the highest factor I can at all times. It’s a common misconception that SPF stops you tanning, it doesn’t, it just increases the time you can spend in the sun. Use a good quality SPF on your face of factor 30 or higher. This will stop you burning and most importantly prevent your peachy skin wrinkling up like an old prune. A Few Sunscreen Tips… I’ve already told you to wear sunscreen but here’s …

How to Stay Hydrated in Hot Climates 

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Twice in my life I have thrown strops in airports because I was too thirsty. I may have done so many more times in a non-airport setting. I’m a chill person, but I have a massive fear of dehydration. If you’re dehydrated you feel sluggish, tired, weak, head achey and you look like sh*t too. Thirst is the last warning sign of dehydration, so if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. water filtration. At home it’s easy to have a routine and stay well-watered but if you’re o the road, how do you do it? A big concern is water-safety in foreign countries, mostly you’ll have to buy bottled water which can become very expensive, even if water is cheap. A 50p bottle of water, if you’re drinking 4 a day for a month, quickly amounts to £60 – not good for budget conscious travellers. Buy a Steripen You can buy sterilising tablets but I’m wary of any chemicals you ingest. A Steripen works like this: “UV light purifies water without harmful chemicals and without changing …

7 Amazing Tips For Staying in Hostels

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Let’s face it, staying in a hostel is no one’s dream situation. Ideally I’d be staying in 5 Star hotels every night… but until they become free, or I become rich, then it’s not going to happen. So hostels it is. These days there are actually some super cool, chic hostels that combine great design and great prices – admittedly most of these are in western Europe or more westernised places – but hostels can be seriously fun! Plus you’re way more likely to meet fellow young travellers in a hostel than the Four Seasons. Here are 7 golden rules for happy hostelling. 1. Take Earplugs My Dad runs a clubnight with a very loud soundsystem and a lot of people complain it’s to loud when they go, the obvious response would be ‘well, if you can’t stand the heat…’ but the staff dole out earplugs. And they work! Don’t be a moaner, just stick a plug in it. You can buy them mega cheap off eBay. 2. And a sleep mask I’m a great …

Aesop- London Travel case review

The Aesop London Travel Case

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Aesop is the Australian skincare brand that is most coveted by, well, me. And they have created the perfect travel companion – ideal for an inflight kit or to put in your backpack.. The fabric travel case houses 8 miniature products from the coveted Aesop Parsley Seed range including a shampoo and conditioner, body wash, body balm, face wash, toner, facial moisturiser and the cult Aesop mouthwash. All these lovely products come in the signature apothecary-style brown glass bottles, which are the ideal size for travellers and as a bonus can be refilled (hello siphoning off hotel shower gel). The beauty of Aesop products is that they contain no nasties and lots of natural botanicals to soothe skin that’s frazzled from the jet-set lifestyle. Buy The Aesop London Travel Case HERE