10 beauty products I actually used every day while travelling Japan

As a Beauty Editor, when I'm travelling, minis usually take precedence in my suitcase over the products I usually can't live without.

I hoard every single travel-friendly item that ever comes across my desk, so such occasions are a welcome opportunity to explore a routine full of products I've never tried before. Safe to say, I become a completely different person once I board a flight — at least as far as my makeup bag is concerned.

After planning for about a year, I finally headed to Japan for two weeks at the end of October, and stuffed as many minis as my quilted makeup bag could carry.

However, during all my adventuring, shopping, and high speed train hopping it became evident that not all of the products I'd packed were able to keep up with my packed travel itinerary. In fact, at the end of my trip there were only a handful of empties and items that had almost met a similar fate — these are the beauty essentials that truly impressed me.

A sensitive skin friendly skincare routine

I think the BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser ($10 from Sephora) I packed on my travels was technically smaller than this 60ml tube, but I wish that I'd had a few extra millilitres on hand, because I loved using this daily, day and night. It has a really beautifully creamy texture that feels moisturising while I'm cleansing, plus my skin feels refreshed (read: not dry and tight) once it's pat dry too. The formula contains a Tri-Ceramide Complex that reinforces barrier function, as well as antioxidant-rich licorice root and green tea extracts that nourish, brighten and condition.

After cleansing I always made sure to spritz my skin with the Bioderma Sensibio AR+ Spray ($24.99 from Chemist Warehouse). The mist has been formulated with sensitive skin in mind, and the blend of Bioderma's patented DAF™ complex and polysaccharides are great at soothing and refreshing a stressed out complexion (a must have after navigating Tokyo's complicated train system all day TBH). 

Fenty Skin's Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum ($18 from Sephora) mixes together the skin prep and priming promised by a toner and the targeted skin treatment synonymous with a serum, and the multi-tasker boasts a long list of impressive complexion-refining ingredients too. There's vitamin C rich Barbados cherry and pore and dark spot minimising niacinamide, detoxifying Japanese raisin tree extract, hydrating cactus flower, as well as Australian lemon myrtle to control excess oil production, and antioxidant rich green tea and fig to defend against environmental stressors.

I've finally managed to integrate a vitamin C serum into my skin care routine — I've exclusively been using Image Skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum (usually $164.95, now $148.46 from Oz Hair & Beauty) at home — so I thought I was ready to try Trinny London's Boost Up 30% Vitamin C Serum Mini ($49 from Trinny London) while on holiday. It contains a high concentration of ethyl ascorbic acid (a more stable form of vitamin C), antioxidant lemon peel ferment, and plankton extract, which work together to brighten skin and unify tone and texture. Maybe it was the terrible lighting in my hotel bathroom, but I'm convinced my skin looks more radiant and glowy after using this serum twice a day every day. 

It might just be my skin, but a solid moisturiser is a must-have when I'm travelling. In fact, I think it's the one step that ensures my skin doesn't breakout when I'm in a new climate. I love a rich formula with barrier repair and reinforcement properties. Sisley's Sensitive Skin Soothing Care ($320 from Sisley) came across my desk a few months ago and I stashed it away specifically for my trip, because a) it promised to do just that, and b) the packaging is conveniently slim and easy to pack. I can't usually use scented skin care products, but this moisturiser has an insanely addictive almond-adjacent scent that is actually a completely natural fragrance created by the addition of plum kernel oil in the formula. It also contains soothing golden kelp extract and rhamnose polysaccharide, resilience-boosting Japanese lily of the valley extract, and comforting shea butter and rapeseed oil.

A simple makeup routine

I gave up on a full face of makeup by day two of my trip, but there were two products I always used regardless of the amount of other cosmetics I could be bothered to apply.

Most eyebrow gels irritate me; they dry down white and crusty, they look wet and unnatural, and they don't hold my brows in place all day — which is why I was genuinely very impressed by Morphe's Micro Manager Gripping Brow Gel ($21 from MECCA). This brow gel isn't for the girlies who like the laminated brow look, this is for those of us who like a fluffy (yet neat and tidy) natural-looking set of arches. The micro brush dispenses a small amount of product, while simultaneously making it easy to comb product through each hair, and tame unruly strands. I tend to apply a few more coats to the tails of my brows because they can end up pointing in completely different directions come three PM, and I wanted to set and forget them every morning so I could focus on the activities of the day. And I can happily confirm that my arches looked expertly groomed the entire length of my travels. 

A lip balm that I don't need to constantly reapply throughout the day is a non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned, and this Daily Skincare Micro-Collagen Repair Lip Balm ($17.99 from Daily Skincare) met the brief while I was in Japan. It's got a really thick and luxurious texture that melts into lips, but the formula itself contains a conditioning and moisturising blend of lanolin, shea butter, micro collagen and hyaluronic acid.

Hair essentials for a slicked back updo

After struggling through the many stages of short hair post-buzz cut, my hair is finally long enough to use a claw clip, so of course I was slicking back my strands into a Sofia Richie-esque updo every day while in Japan. 

To minimise the chance of any flyaways I applied Olaplex No.5 Leave-In Moisturize & Mend Leave-In Conditioner (usually $58, now $43.50 from Oz Hair & Beauty) to my wet hair, then I smoothed the hair around my face using a small amount of Eco Style Olive Oil Styling Gel ($6.99 from Woolworths) that I'd decanted into a travel-friendly pouch. 

Granted it didn't look exactly the same everyday; some days my strands were sacrificed to the elements when I decided to indulge in the idea of being outdoorsy. However, it's a combo I loved so much that it inspired me to invest in a few more hair accessories while I was shopping in Kyoto. 

A close to the skin signature fragrance

If experience has taught me anything it's that the last thing you want to pack for a two week trip is a statement fragrance that you end up hating by the time you head home.

It's for that exact reason that I decided to add a small vial of decanted d'Annam White Rice ($240 from d'Annam) to my suitcase. The gourmand, jasmine rice-inspired eau de parfum is an intimate scent that sits close to the skin, so I and the people close to me with pre-approved hug benefits could enjoy the starchy, warm, slightly sweet smell of rice, pandan, orris, jasmine, tonka bean, and white musk.

Not only did I not get sick of it, I spritzed it a little too wantonly, ran out, and had to buy a small tube of Magniff Madison eau de parfum ($56 from Nubian Tokyo) as a souvenir half way through my trip (oops). 

Main image credit: @badgalriri

Love to rifle around in other people's carry-on luggage? Here, 6 frequent flyers share their beauty travel essentials.