Travelling light but need your all-important beauty stash? We let you in on the clever essentials we take away with us, and where to get them (hint: you can pick up this loot from your fave malls).
We don’t mean to humblebrag, but the Honeycombers team travels a lot. Whether we’re on assignment overseas for work (#sorrynotsorry) or Asia-hopping for fun, you’ll often find one of us is out of office on a quick escape from Singapore. And yes, we’ve mastered the art of packing light and can do it with our eyes closed. Seasoned travellers will know all too well that skipping off that flight and straight past baggage claim is a game-changer. So, what do we stash in our carry-on luggage? We admit it: we can’t live without a compact kit of clever buys in the beauty department. We’ll leave it to you to create your ultimate capsule wardrobe, but here’s our shortlist of travel essentials, which you can pick up at Plaza Singapura, Raffles City Shopping Centre, and everyone’s go-to outlet mall, IMM. Let’s get packing…
But first, your luggage!
The North Face Rolling Thunder 22”, $416
We love luggage that’s lightweight enough to carry comfortably, and strong enough to handle us squeezing in those extra buys we pick up on our travels. The Rolling Thunder 22” by The North Face – known for its high-performance adventure gear – ticks all our boxes. With its polyester/nylon shell it weighs just over 3.3kg and is as roomy as it gets while still making the cut for cabin-size luggage. Extra points for the outer pockets to stash your travel docs and the extendable handle so you can wheel it along when you like.
The North Face Outlet, #02-05, IMM, 2 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609601
Treat your hands well
innisfree Green Christmas Perfumed Hand Cream Miniature Set, $24
One of our pet peeves during plane travel: dehydration. For us, a rich moisturising cream is a must have – there’s something about those flights that’s particularly harsh on the hands. This limited-edition collection of mini moisturisers includes six 20ml tubes with long-lasting scents. It’s a great little gift for your jetsetting girlfriends, but of course we’re going to snap up a set for ourselves. Lighten your load and take just one with you on your trip.
innisfree, multiple locations including #B1-24 Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103.
A solid performer
Lush Seanik shampoo bar, $26.50
Lush is known the world over for its handmade toiletries and cosmetics: who hasn’t purchased one of the famous bath bombs in their lifetime? We’re fans of the package-lite brand, and this solid shampoo is fantastic for taking away with you: no more decanting liquid shampoo into travel-sized bottles or adding to landfill by going through plastic minis from the hotel. Made with seaweed and sea salt for a bit of volume, and lemon oil for shine, it also smells divine thanks to mimosa, jasmine and orange flower essential oils.
Lush, #01-42, Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103
Your signature scent, just smaller
Jo Malone London Orange Bitters Cologne, 30ml, $113
Of course you want your fave fragrance with you – but those full-size bottles just add weight when the aim is travelling light (don’t make us choose between holiday buys and that perfume bottle). Your fragrance wardrobe should include the baby sister to your signature scent, and our pick is the Orange Bitters Cologne by Jo Malone: sweet and bitter orange with sensual sandalwood and amber. Take the petite 30ml version on that trip.
Jo Malone London, #01-27, Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Road, Singapore 179103.
And to help you get that beauty sleep…
Samsonite gift set: Ergonomic Memory Foam Travel Pillow and Torus Backpack N1, $150
Beauty sleep on a plane? Don’t scoff. We know it can be hard, but getting in some Zs during that flight is going to help you start your vacay feeling (and dare we say, looking) your best. The secret is a damn good neck pillow, and this supportive but super comfy memory foam version from Samsonite is the goods. This is one item you make room for in the carry-on: it’s a non-negotiable. And here’s a bonus, this Christmas it comes in a gift set with a Samsonite backpack – which you’ll need to keep your essentials while you’re exploring. (Available at Samsonite Plaza Singapura.)
Samsonite, multiple locations including #04-04, Plaza Singapura, 68 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238839.
This post is in partnership with CapitaLand Malls.