Make your trip more luxurious with balls. Aromatherapy massage balls.

by Annie Scott on

There was a time when you could bring whatever pampering cosmetic you wanted with you on your travels, but now, in the days baggage fees, bringing along a little luxury for yourself isn’t so easy. One thing you can bring with you: balls. Aromatherapy massage balls, that is.

T spheres, or “tranquility spheres,” makes little aromatherapy balls you can throw in your carry-on to ensure you have a relaxing, rejuvenating massage on your trip — the catch is, you have to give it to yourself. Some t spheres techniques include:

  • Place a ball between your shoulderblades and lean back into a chair. Take deep breaths to trigger the pressure point for a mild to intense sensation.
  • Roll yourself up and down the ball a little bit. This will provide more relief for you.
  • Place the ball on the side of your spine. Breathe a few times. Then move it to the other side. Breathe.
  • Place the ball behind your sacrum.
  • Roll the ball under your foot to alleviate arch, heel and ball-of-the-foot pain.

These are just a few examples of the things you can do with a little scented t sphere. The goal is to increase circulation and help you relax. Scents include Rose Geranium for Inner Beauty and Peppermint Perk Up, and tiny Pep Up Mint balls for feet. In theory, you could use these right on the plane, but it would probably freak your neighbor out, and it’s not really fair to impose a scent on a closed-in space like that.

I haven’t tried the balls myself, but they’ve got Rita Wilson, Coldplay and Brooke Shields singing their praises, so for people who travel a lot, these little balls just might be worth it to have on-hand for emergency self-massage. Or something. They cost $20 to $35 plus shipping and handling and can be purchased here.

Five tricks to get the most out of your travel wardrobe – without compromising style

by Annie Scott on

If you pack smart, you can pack less. That can save you money — you can take a smaller bag and not have to check it — and give you more space for souvenirs and the free toiletries provided to you. Even Donald Trump steals the slippers from his hotels. Win, win, win.

Still, I am not one to condone wearing the same thing every day in the interest of saving space. On the other end of the spectrum, you don’t have to pack a totally different outfit for every day you’re going to be gone (or two, if you’re planning on dressing up for dinners). There is a happy medium. Here are Five tricks to get the most out of your travel wardrobe while still being impeccably well-dressed.

1. Pick a color scheme and stick with it.
If everything you pack matches, you can pack less. If you have two pairs of pants or pants and a skirt, two shirts and two jackets or sweaters that all go together reasonably well, that’s 2^3 outfits (eight). That’s right. Math.

2. Basic clothes, eye-catching accessories.
You can get away with wearing those basics twice if the eye-catching part of your ensemble is the tie or scarf (or statement jewelry). And you can fit a lot of ties and scarves in a suitcase.3. You only need three pairs of shoes. Seriously.
While having lots and lots of shoes to choose from is nice, when you’re traveling, you need to focus on smaller, lighter accessories or your bag is going to be overweight. You only need one pair of good dress shoes (bring the ones you like so much you don’t mind wearing them over and over), a pair of good walking shoes and, if there’s a beach involved, a pair of flip flops. That’s all. Don’t kid yourself.

4. Alternate wisely.
Part of the trick to not looking like you’re wearing the same thing every day is to not wear the same top or dress two days in a row (that’s the most noticeable part of the outfit). And, if you have a particularly fabulous dress or shirt or a crazy pair of jeans, you can only wear it once, so plan ahead. Also, don’t ever try to dress down a print the day after you wore it to dinner. Go back to a basic.

5. You have to unpack.
When you get to your destination, to get the most out of your travel wardrobe, you have to take all the stuff out of the suitcase. Hang it up, put it in drawers. If you don’t do this, not only will your clothes look like they just came out of a suitcase (seriously, you can’t hide it), but you’ll forget what’s in there. You need to unpack it to be able to see it all properly.

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The empty bladder: why hydration packs make great travel companions

by Laurel Miller on

I’ve never been into purses. Even at home, I find them loathsomely girly, and they completely jack up my bad back. When I began zipping all over the globe as a food and travel writer, a day pack was the only thing that made sense for my carry-on/on-the-road essentials (my clothes and other gear go in my beloved Dana Designs Bomb Pack).

While I travel pretty light, there are things I require be within close proximity to my body: passport, copies of passport and medical insurance, emergency contact info., cash, credit and ATM cards (always carry a back-up for when, say, the machine in Portugal decides to eat yours), camera, flash drive, water bottle, water purification tablets or filtration system (I’ve finally learned my lesson on why these are non-negotiable), pocketknife (don’t forget to check it before you fly), notepad, hand sanitizer, tampons (Ladies, do not trust foreign countries to have ’em), Kleenex-aka-TP, Imodium and ibuprofen, sunblock, sunglasses, snacks, language guide, reading material, itinerary, sarong for freezing bus and plane rides. These are the items I am utterly screwed without; should everything else get stolen, life will suck, but I’ll be fine.

Due to my somewhat misanthropic tendencies, I choose never to rely upon the hotel safe or front desk for stowage of my valuables.That, my friends, is why I consider my daypack to be an extension of my body when I travel. I remove it to shower, and to sleep (I’ve also kept it hooked upon my arm while sleeping, when I end up in some shit-hole with a malfunctioning door lock). My day pack goes out drinking with me; it goes dancing, fords rivers, rides horses, and climbs mountains.

It’s a bit of a pain (literally and figuratively) at times, but at least I know I’m in charge of my travel essentials. And yes, I look like a total dork, trudging from destination to destination with my big pack on my back, and my daypack worn across my chest, marsupial-style. But it’s convenient, and it doesn’t throw me off-balance the way a messenger bag or purse would.

I don’t do money belts or fanny packs. I find them too small to be of use, inconvenient, and uncomfortable in hot weather. They scream “tourist.” You’re not fooling those gypsy kids in the piazza — they know you’re packing under your Ex Officio shirt. If I’m in a sketchy area or crowded place like a market, I’ll wear my daypack across my chest, because it’s less likely to be vandalized or cut off my body. Sometimes, I’ll also use travel locks on the zippers (which is why having double zips on your pack’s stowage compartments is key). You’re probably thinking, “Paranoid, much?” but put it this way: I’ve never had a theft, and I’d much rather look lame than spend a few days stranded somewhere, waiting for the Embassy to process my new passport.

Over the years, I’ve experimented with a wide variety of brands and sizes, and I’ve learned that hydration packs, like those made by Camelbak, Burton, DaKine, and Osprey’s new Hydraulics line (coming to a store near you this week), make great travel companions. I always remove the bladder, and leave it at home. The zippered bladder compartment makes the ultimate passport/plane ticket/itinerary holder. It’s flush against your back, so it’s theft-proof while you’re wearing it. Documents are also more likely to stay dry in this padded compartment, when you’re inevitably caught in a downpour or if fording that river doesn’t go as planned.

Everyone has different needs, and I’m not loyal to any particular brand because by the time one of my packs bites the dust, there’s something better on the market (don’t forget to check the company’s warranty policy before you purchase). Because I’m petite- 5’2″, and 100 lbs., I’ve come to rely upon women’s lines to give me the right fit. It really does make a difference, and your body will thank you. I could wear a kid’s pack, but they just don’t offer the tech-details and bells and whistles of adult versions. They also tend to be made in obnoxious colors. Come to think of it, it would be nice if all those great-fitting women’s packs weren’t always pastel or adorned with foofy graphics.

I also require elasticized side pockets, a hip belt and sternum strap for serious day-treks, deep stowage pockets with zips, an interior key chain for keeping hotel keys handy, and a reinforced bottom layer that can withstand dragging, maximum weight load, and pointy objects. Top-loading packs, and designs with zips that splay the pack in two are just begging to be pick-pocketed. Also, if your zipper breaks, you’re SOL. I’ll say it again: Look for multi-zip compartments that don’t go all the way down on either side.

Purchase a couple of mid-weight carabiners to clip onto your pack’s front loop (make sure it has one, or the equivalent). They’re invaluable for toting items like travel mugs, wet bathing suits, a pair of shoes (knot the laces together), or small grocery sacks.

Now, go forth and travel. Hold your bladder until you get home.

Before you go, be sure to check out Gadling’s Travel Talk TV! This week, the guys are in VEGAS!

How to pack for back-to-back trips

by Annie Scott on

Sometimes, the stars mis-align and you have to take two trips right in a row, with 72 hours or less in between. It seems it would almost be easier on a body to stay in a hotel in the interim, to avoid that wrenching “I’m home, I’m traveling, I’m home, I’m traveling” feeling. Still, there are cats and dogs to be snuggled, people who miss you, and some things about the quick turnover can be great: you don’t have to tell anyone you’re back and you can use the time for yourself, and the flip also gives you the opportunity to change out some clothes so you don’t have to check a bag.

As someone with a background in entertainment, which includes out-of-town gigs and touring, I can offer some advice about living in and out of a suitcase efficiently. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to wear your underwear inside-out.

Don’t overpack
While the temptation may be to pack for both trips and be done with it, as I mentioned above, your break can be used as an opportunity to travel lighter. Though you may have a borderline neurotic compulsion to wear something different every day (I do), keep in mind that at your second destination, they haven’t seen the outfits you wore at your first destination. If you’re a woman and there are formal events, two dresses are definitely in order (photos, people), but other than that, try to pack clothes you know you can re-wear. An example of this is a sweater that you normally wear over a t-shirt. When you’re home in between, switch the t-shirt.

Keep dirty clothes separate
Hotels usually have laundry bags. Steal them. Keep your dirty clothes in a laundry bag in your suitcase. The t-shirt above, for example, doesn’t need to get re-worn. When you get home, you’ll have a suitcase of neatly folded clean clothes and a bag (also in the suitcase) of dirty clothes for the hamper. Use a plastic bag when possible; this keeps the dirty clothes from stinking up the clean ones.

Prep your replacement clothesWhen packing, keep in mind what you know you’re only going to wear once and prepare a replacement. That way, when you get home with your laundry bag, you can just dump it and throw your neatly-folded-and-waiting stack of clean replacements in the suitcase. Done. If you pack creatively, and make sure most items match each other, the only thing you really might not have enough of is underwear or socks. The good thing is, you can buy underwear and socks almost anywhere for not too much money. I’ve certainly had to pick up a five-pack here and there on my journeys. It’s healthy, it reminds one that buying new socks and underwear is okay.

Air things out
Nice clothes don’t like being in suitcases. You should give your nicer things as much of a break as you have. Suit jackets, trousers, dresses, and anything cashmere, linen or that will wrinkle should be pulled out of your suitcase immediately and hung. Use wrinkle releaser for good measure. When you arrive at your second destination, hang it all up again, especially anything that’s going to be re-worn.

Don’t settle in
As good as it feels to be home, settling in is a trap. When you’re airing things out, for example, you should hang them in the open, where they can breathe, not in your closet, which will inevitably cause you to forget at least one item. Unless you only have one cell phone charger, keep it in the bag, along with your passport, your travel documents, your camera and anything you don’t absolutely need to unpack. Enjoy being home — the food, the shower, the bed, coffee with a friend, the exact angle of the television from your couch, but keep yourself in the mindset of traveling and stay packed as much as possible. If you unpack that suitcase and put your things away, leaving again will feel like a monumental pain-ridden task. It doesn’t have to be that way.

The short stop home can be a brief relief from that “always on” feeling of traveling, and a soul-replenishing chance to hug the ones you love. If you follow the tips above, it will make your trip easier, and have you looking fresher.

Air Repair for your travel-weary skin

by Annie Scott on

Air Repair Skincare is a relatively new collection of TSA-friendly products for men and women developed by Denise Spanek, a skincare expert with 25 years of experience in the beauty industry. I was lucky enough to receive a set of the products to try, including Rescue Balm (lip balm and hand salve), Facial Mist, Facial Cleansing Milk, Eye Cream and Beauty Balm (face lotion). I took them from NYC to the UK and Austria — there they are in my plastic baggie atop my un-unpacked suitcase — in lieu of any of my usual products.

My Face

For the sake of context: I have pretty good skin. I moisturize daily and use eye cream regularly. Facialists tend to tell me I have an oily T-Zone and dry cheeks (and try to sell me two different lines of products, as if.), but even with combination skin, I rarely get acne. I do, however, come off of most airplanes with clogged pores, which sometimes result in dreaded pimples. I don’t always travel with shampoo, but you’d never catch me without concealer.

The Experiment

To try out the Air Repair collection, I began on the morning of my flight to London by using the Beauty Balm (a “Complexion-Boosting Moisturizer with Hyaluronic Acid”) and Super-Hydrating Eye Cream. The Eye Cream went on smoothly and delivered a mild firming sensation. The Beauty Balm scared me at first; I thought the formula was too thick for the oily parts of my skin, but it turned out it’s just highly condensed (so the 2 fl oz tube lasts a long time), and when I massaged it into my skin, it was surprisingly light and natural. Neither had a scent. A+ so far.When I was on the plane, I started to get oily/dry as usual. I headed to the lav and reapplied the Eye Cream and the Beauty Balm. They felt fantastic, like a tall drink of water for my skin. I also applied the Rescue Balm to my lips. Unfortunately, it had a strong taste and odor somewhere in the family of Carmex (but different, more herbal/medicinal and less pungent), and I could taste it for quite some time. That part was less than pleasant, but it definitely softened my lips.

When I arrived in London, I reapplied. My skin felt pretty great, I have to say. During my layover (waiting for a flight to Manchester), I spritzed my face with Complexion Quenching Facial Mist. It felt nice — and was definitely part toner. The cool astringent feeling was very refreshing.

I eventually arrived at my final destination (Liverpool), and in the shower I tried the Soothing Facial Cleansing Milk with Chamomile and Arnica Extracts. I wasn’t sure my skin felt completely clean, but it felt soft.

Results

Throughout my various ensuing travels, I continued using just the Air Repair Skincare products. I’m now home, two weeks, seven flights and four train rides later, and pimple-free. I had just one blemish during the trip — but it was right at the beginning, meaning it was probably on its way before I started using the products.

Conclusion

On the whole, I give the collection a B+. The Beauty Balm and Eye Cream are phenomenal, and I will continue using them, even at home. They’re unscented and worked well on both the dry and oily parts of my skin. I’d recommend them for men and women. The Facial Mist is also an A-grade spray. The Cleansing Milk I’m torn about — it didn’t give me a clean feeling, but I didn’t break out, so it must have cleaned my skin as much as it needed to be cleaned. I did find myself exfoliating a little with the hotel towels, just to make sure it was getting into my pores. I give the Cleansing Milk a B. The Rescue Balm for lips worked, but tasted terrible. With my regrets, I have to give that a D+, which really pulls down the average — but there are a lot of better balms out there. I recommend Kiehls Lip Balm #1 with SPF 4 or CO Bigelow’s Mentha Lip Shine/Breath Freshener (mint balm that actually freshens your breath while you moisturize).

The whole Air Repair Kit is just $65, which is an absolute steal. If you just want the Beauty Balm ($28) and the Eye Cream ($29), which I highly recommend and will keep using myself, you can purchase them individually here and here. The Facial Mist is $12, so if you want that, too, it’s actually cheaper to get the whole kit.