What's in my Travel Bag!?

Some of you may already know, I went to Jamaica for a week. It was the first time in a couple of years that I went away and it was much needed. Most people have a hard time deciding what clothes to take, I had a hard time deciding what products to take! Thought I'd share what I decided on :)

Let's start with the most important, sun care!

If I were to do this post a few years back, you'd probably see a chemical filled SPF followed by a tanning oil. Having learned and finally realized how damaging UVA/UVB rays are, I took my sun care a little seriously this trip. I reapplied my sunscreen several times a day, especially after swimming.

DeVita SPF 30 Solar Body Block, *Graydon SPF 30 Sun Cream, Badger SPF 15 Aloe Sunscreen, *SBT Seabuckthorn Sunburn Salve (sample), and George's Aloe with peppermint essential oil

For skin care I took Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk,*Corpa Flora Beaute Divine, Grenadine and Eclat Citrouille, George's Aloe with chamomile and lavender essential oil, *Odacite Eye Cream (sample), and *SBT Seabuckthorn Tea Cream (depotted).

Since I was going to be spending countless hours in the sun, I knew my face would need a few extra treatments. Took Pangea Organics Matcha Mask and *Odacite Hydrating Mask to help bring my skin back to life after a day baking in the Caribbean sun.

For hair and body care, I really wanted to keep it simple. I used Weleda's Calendula Shampoo and Body Wash as just that and must say that it's awesome as a shampoo. I also took *Delizioso Passion Fruit Body oil, *Lina Hanson Global Body Serum (which I use/used in my hair), Weleda Pomegranate Body Oil, Bee 23 Hotty Body Balm (depotted), and Aubrey Men's Deodorant Spray.

Finished several of the products that I took, which you'll be seeing in my empties post :P. I'm debating on doing a makeup version of this post, let me know if you'd like to see that!

*PR samples

Green Beauty Collab #1: Products I'd Repurchase!

The lovely Brianna came up with and coordinated a fun Green Bloggers collab. To see a list of who participated and read their post, click here. I absolutely love posts and videos that involve talking about products, whether it be a tag or not, because it allows me to see what others are enjoying and introduces me to brands/products I wouldn't have otherwise tried. For this specific collab, I needed to pick only 10-15 products that I basically couldn't live without. There are several products that I'd repurchase, but only a few that I actually do. After days of deliberating, hair pulling and cursing, I've finally decided on the products that I'd absolutely repurchase without hesitation. For the record, I could have been way more dramatic than that :P.

Body/Hair Care

Coconut Oil - I use coconut oil regularly. I use it to deep condition my hair, remove makeup, cook, hydrate my skin and just sniff because it smells delicious! It is, without a doubt, an oil that I will always have on hand.

Hugo & Debora Naturals Handcrafted Soap - I have raved about these soaps time and time again. I love how hydrating they are, the scents available, ingredient list and how available they are to me. I have tried other soaps and I have yet to find one I like better. I usually always have a couple of bars on hand, right now I have 3.

Dr. Bronner's Liquid Castile Soap - This brand is just amazing. I love that they use organic and fair trade ingredients, they're available everywhere, they offer great scents (including unscented), they lather well and can be used for a million and one things. I personally enjoy the citrus, eucalyptus and peppermint scents because of how uplifting and invigorating they are. I use this soap to wash my stinky bits, makeup brushes, bathroom sink and tub, and as a hand wash. I find that it can be a bit drying, so that's why I don't use it as a body wash. I pretty much always have a bottle on hand.

Kiss My Face Whenever Shampoo - This is a new love for me and one of the first shampoos that I have actually repurchased immediately after finishing up it up. It has a citrusy lime scent, lathers nicely, deep cleans and works amazingly well for removing hair oil treatments. As long as I do oil treatments, this will be in my shower.

Weleda Skin Food - Do I even need to explain why I love this? It's a cult favourite. I use it as a hand cream but also apply it to dry areas of my body when they need some TLC.

Skin Care

Pangea Egyptian Calendula & Blood Orange Cleanser (not shown above) - This is the cleanser that I keep going back to. I have repurchased time and time again, and just reordered yesterday. It's the only cleanser that I can use on lazy days to remove my makeup (instead of using an oil first), smells nice, keeps acne at bay, doesn't dry out my skin and lasts a very long time. I absolutely love it.

DeVita Solar SPF 30 for Face - I never thought that I'd find an SPF that doesn't break me out, but I did! It doesn't smell like anything, is so light, hydrating, doesn't leave a white case and works. It's pretty expensive here, around $35 CAN but it's well worth it.

Thayer's Cucumber Witch Hazel Toner - This toner is so affordable, gentle and hydrating. It removes all traces of dirt, oil and cleanser. It's a great pick me up and makeup setting spray. I've gone through several bottles of this stuff and it's always on hand. I actually stopped using it for about a year, probably to try other toners, but I'm so glad that I decided to buy it again.

Weleda Baby Calendula Face Cream - Two Weleda products? Geez. This is a brand new love and one I see myself keeping around. It is so moisturizing but never leaves me greasy. It helps soothe the skin and, I think, control acne as well. The smell does linger but it's not overwhelming. I really like using it on my arms and anywhere that tends to get red or irritated. Love, love, love.

Sea Buckthorn Oil - I don't enjoy the bottle of the New Roots one, so I wouldn't repurchase this particular brand but I love sea buckthorn oil in general. It has a tea, almost rosehip, type smell. It absorbs beautifully into the skin, hydrated, softens and just feels wonderful. I love trying new oils but I think this one will be in my permanent collection for a while.

Tamanu Oil - This is a miracle oil! I'm still on my first bottle of this (and sea buckthorn) but I love the combination of the two on my skin. Tamanu has fantastic healing properties which makes it ideal for using on acne (which I get), as well as cuts and bruises (I'm clumsy). The smell is a bit strong but I've gotten used to it.

Makeup & Misc.

Badger Cocoa Butter Lip Balm - These lip balms are my absolute faves. I have 3 on the go right now and reach for them all the time. They're so moisturizing, big and affordable.

Pure+Simple Blush in Glow - The most perfect raspberry colour I've ever found. The formula is a little soft, as you can see above, so it's slowly cracking but I LOVE this blush so much. I wear it alone or over top of a cream blush.

Pacifica Indian Coconut Nectar Solid Perfume - I was on the fence about this solid perfume because it doesn't last very long but I've fallen in love. It's a multi use product really. I use it to freshen up, tame brows and tame frizz. I love the entire Indian Coconut Nectar line.

The All Natural Face Cream Blush - These blushes are amazing! They do vary in texture and the colours online are different but if you end up loving the colour you get, these are a total win. They're super affordable, blendable, natural looking, dewy, moisturizing and last a while on the skin.

That's it! Have you tried any of the products mentioned or have any must haves yourself? Let me know!