As much as I love to travel, and I love to stay in nice hotels, I often have trouble settling in and sleeping well. It could be because I was rarely allowed to sleep over at friends’ homes when I was a kid, but being in a different environment can definitely affect my ability to relax when I’m away from my own bed.
There are certain things I’ve come to rely on when I travel to help make settling in easier for me, whether I’m in a high end hotel or not. Something I’ve realised is that travelling with familiar scents and essential oils really helps me ease into a new room. To be honest, I think its often the lack of fresh air, and the hint of harsh cleaning products, that bothers me most.
Since today I’m heading off to Quebec City to stay at Auberge Saint-Antoine for the weekend, I thought I would share some of the things I can’t travel without to bring “home” to my hotel, and save room when packing skincare supplies. Keep reading for my travel essentials to bring home to the hotel:
First of all, you might be wondering why there’s a huge box of macarons in the picture, and, no, I didn’t add them in there just to be all “blogger-y” with my photography. It’s kind of funny but the last time I had an artist-series box of macrons from Nadege sent to me, I was on my way to Montreal for Osheaga. I giggled when the newest box (designed by artist and industrial designer Matthew Del Degan) arrived at my office yesterday because it seems as though a box of Nadege macarons have accidentally become an essential for every time I travel to Quebec. With the custom Brie & Honey flavour that’s included in this box (the final of the artist series) I’m certainly not complaining.
For beauty products, let’s start with some of the oils I travel with and why. Most importantly I literally NEVER travel without my Settle roll on by Aromacentric from The Chic Canuck. This on-the-spot aromatherapy roll on really does what it says and settles me down right away. Putting some on my wrists and behind my ears is the very first thing I do when I get to any hotel room. Because it smells so good, it has the added benefit of doubling as a natural perfume.
When I’m on the go I only like to pack products that can do double duty, which is why I love to travel with the Butter Elixir I got from Fresh Faced. Because it smells so divine (made with almond oil, argan oil, lavender and chamomile) I bring this body oil to use instead of hotel lotion, with the added benefit of using it as a body perfume as well.
Since I’m heading to a city that’s colder than Toronto, it’s important to pack hydrating products that will protect the skin from harsh weather and frigid temperatures. The F.Miller face oil from The Chic Canuck is deeply moisturizing and a compact size that’s great for travelling. Taking the face oil allows me to cut down on having to bring a serum and a moisturizer, and instead I can simply pack a good BB cream to layer on top for coverage and protection. One of my favourite BB creams is actually the Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm by Maybelline that I discovered when shooting this beauty tutorial video with Maybelline and The Coveteur. I’m also packing Fresh‘s Sugar Lip Serum Advanced Therapy to help with super chapped lips, and their Soy Face Cleanser to avoid using any soaps in the hotel. What’s great about this one is that at 50 ml its compact but still provides enough product to double as a luxe shower gel.
So what else is there? Well, a Pocket Pharmacy pack I recently picked up at the Saje Wellness opening on Queen Street West. The B.C. brand is finally expanding east and I couldn’t be happier to know that all-natural wellness and skincare products are becoming more and more readily available to Canadians across the country. This pack includes essential oils to help with digestions, stress release, headaches and more.
Going back to what I said about not being able to sleep well when I’m not in my own bed, there are a few other things I like to have around when I travel. One is a small candle to help the room feel more like home, Arbonne Essentials Sleep Well Spray, and Ella’s Botanicals’ Muscle Rescue Balm from The Chic Canuck in case I’ve got sore muscles from travelling.
This may not (totally) be considered packing light, but hey, it works for me! If you have any questions about these products, leave a comment!
xo
The post What To Pack: My Travel Essentials To Help Bring Home To The Hotel appeared first on Gracie Carroll.