What to Pack for Miami

Living in New York City affords me the luxury of traveling down South for a well needed vacation in the winter time.  A short three hour flight landed me in Miami last week for a four day vacation.  I packed a generous beauty kit for the trip because I planned on hitting the various haunts in all of Miami with the boy, all of which required different looks.  I decided to share my beauty and skin care travel kit to help out anyone traveling to a warmer climate this winter.

Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, Glacial Cleansing Clothes and Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud, Tata Harper Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels, Glacial Cleansing Clothes and Fresh Start Mask with Ice Age Mud, Tata Harper Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit

First up is my skin care must haves.  I didn’t want to take a break from my skin care routine just because I was on vacation but also did not want to pack my entire bathroom with me.  I grabbed the Tata Harper Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit ($25), which has sample packets of the Vermont based brand’s best sellers.  Don’t let the small packets fool you. A little goes a long way with all the products in the kit.  The cleanser lasted three days thanks to kicking off my facial cleansing with the Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Clothes.  These clothes have two sides, a textured side to remove all the gunk and makeup from my face and a soft side to wipe off the excess.

I used my Skyn Iceland Fresh Start Mud Mask with Ice Age Mud twice during the trip and followed up with the Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels each morning after an aggressive night out to keep the under eye puffiness at bay.  I used almost all of the products in the Tata Harper Natural Skincare Try-Me Kit, which included the: Regenerating Cleanser, Purifying Cleanser, Nourishing Oil Cleanser, Hydrating Floral Essence (towelette), Repairative Moisturizer, Rejuvenating Serum, Concentrated Brightening Serum, Restorative Eye Crème, Replenishing Nutrient Complex, Beautifying Face Oil, Resurfacing Mask and Moisturizing Mask.

It took two LeSportsac makeup bags and two Cuyana makeup cases to carry all my makeup for my Miami trip.  The first few steps of my routine were pretty much the same.  I started by applying a small amount of Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting, Candlelight to add a gorgeous glow to my skin.  I then mixed a drop of Marc Jacobs The Re(marc)able Full Cover Foundation Concentrate in Cocoa Medium and Cocoa Deep to create the perfect shade for my skin.  I love this foundation because a little goes a long way and it goes from liquid to a dry, silky matte in no time. Using the Sigma 3DHD Kabuki brush with a spritz of Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, I stippled the foundation into my skin then set it with the Marc Jacobs Perfection Powder – Featherweight Foundation in Cocoa.

travel beauty must havesI used the same Kevyn Aucoin The Creamy Glow Liquifuschia – Hot Pink blush on my cheeks throughout my trip. For highlight, I used a combination of the Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Bronzing Veil in Tropical Nights or the MAKE UP FOR EVER Pro Bronze Fusion 35I Soft Iridescent Caramel for a pop of highlight on my cheeks, tip of my nose and my forehead. I used my latest eyebrow obsession, the MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow to define my eyebrows.  This product is waterproof and has really good staying power.  I was able to swim several laps in the pool without my brows coming off.

For lipstick, I used the Kevyn Aucoin The Matte Lip Color in Eternal or Everlasting depending on the mood.  Eternal is a gorgeous red that looks incredible on any skin tone. I took two eyeshadow palettes with me, the Urban Decay Naked2 Basics and the Butter London Shadow Clutch Palette in Natural Charm, which were so versatile for different looks for day or night. I added the Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer to conceal and highlight and set it with the Ben-Nye Luxury Powder for a more glamorous look for dinner and dancing. For the pool, I kept my lips quenched with the Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Balm in Curviest Caramel, the perfect neutral for my brown skin.

What to Pack for Miami IMG_3529I wore Madali Hair curly hair extensions for my trip to keep my hair styling to a minimum. Since the hair looks even better wet, I only needed to shampoo and condition it after getting out of the pool. Morocconoil has a really nice travel kit that has all my favorite products, shampoo, conditioner, hair mask and the hair oil in TSA approved sizes for the girl on the go.  I brought the ultra compact and effective Tangle Teezer Compact Styler Detanging brush to tame my curls after swimming.  It’s a must have for curly haired chicas like myself.  All I did was add a few curls with my Conair curling wand and I was good to go.