24 hours from now, Bea and I will be off to warm, sunny Austin for a long weekend of learning about all things Internet-y at the 2014 South By Southwest Interactive Festival. (We’ll also be eating a lot of tacos, but that’s both irrelevant to this particular post and implied in any statements I ever make about going to Texas.) Unfortunately for all involved, going to SXSW requires both suitcase-packing and air travel, two of the most pernicious and hateful activities known to modern man. We’ve had some time to think about it, though, and in case you’re going on a trip in the near future, we’d like to present you with our travel essentials for SXSW and beyond.
Tory Burch Brigitte Cosmetic Case
$85 via Neiman Marcus
NARS Narssisist Eyeshadow Palette
$79 via Bloomingdale’s
With 15 shades ranging from ivory to black, this palette is versatile enough to create a nearly limitless number of looks from start to finish; wet an angled brush and you even have eyeliner options. The combination of a compact setup (with a big mirror) and a lot of variety make it perfect for travel.
Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil
$70 via Net-a-Porter
The concept of “face oil” sounds a little daunting, but I’ve been using this stuff before bed for weeks and it’s made an enormous difference in my combination skin. With the havoc that air travel and the recycled air of hotel ballrooms can play on skin, it’ll be the first thing I put in my travel bag.
Sachajuan Ocean Mist
$28 via Net-a-Porter
Beachy waves are an easy-to-create hairstyle that can be achieved with minimal styling tools. Perfect for living out of a suitcase in uncertain climates!
Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Rollerball
$22 via Sephora
I picked up a bottle of this perfume last week and I’m obsessed with it – mysterious and not too girly, but also not too intense for daytime wear. The rollerball version is great for packing and perfect for touchups when you don’t get to run back to your hotel before dinner.
Ole Henriksen Nurture Me Makeup-Removing Cleansing Cloths
$15 via Sephora
These cloths have two important travel convenience uses: first, your cleanser won’t spill in your suitcase. Second, you won’t have to use scratchy, questionably laundered hotel linens to wash your face at night.