What I Packed (and what I tried to empty)

No, I'm not dead. I just went on vacation for a few days. Yes, vacation from the part time job I just got. Vacation where I barely had to spend any money and other people cooked for me. (Checking my vacation privilege here.) I went with my boyfriend to his family's cabin on Lake Michigan. The weather was lovely, though not quite warm enough to do much swimming. The greatest miracle of all was that I managed to avoid a sunburn, despite being in the sun for hours on end, several days in a row. That's almost unheard of for me. Actually, I did burn my scalp a little the first day, but then I bought an awesome linen hat (surely designed for elderly gardeners) and wore it constantly. I even wore the hat swimming. That, and diligent sunscreen application, protected me very well.

Sometimes it's fun to see what kind of things people pack when they travel, so I thought I'd post my version here. This was in no way a fancy trip, so I brought very minimal supplies. The bulk of what I brought was sun protection and skin care shit. I didn't even bring concealer. I just walked around with ghoulish dark circles under my eyes. Gasp.

My general guidelines when deciding what to bring were: (1) small things that didn't take up much space; and (2) products that I wanted to use up and throw away, either because they would expire soon or because they were almost finished already. I only succeeding in finishing a couple of products, unfortunately. I was hoping to come home with several more empties! (I've linked to any reviews I've written for products listed below.)

Bath/Hair/Cleansers

Herbal Essences Naked Dry Shampoo
ULTA Ultimate Clean Foaming Face Wash
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo
Aveda Dry Remedy Daily Moisturizing Oil
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

Everything here, with the exception of the pack of face wipes, is a mini/travel size. I gambled and decided not to take conditioner, for some reason. The Aveda oil, which is amazing stuff, made my hair soft enough and easy to comb through without conditioning in the shower. You only need to use a few drops (3-5), so this teeny sample has lasted me ages. I can't bring myself to spend $27 on 1 ounce of it, though, when there are so many other hair oils out there that might (?) work just as well. I do like this stuff much better than any of the argan oil and its ilk I've tried out in the past, so maybe I should just do it. By the last day for the trip, my hair was getting a little dry, but I found a bottle of Pantene conditioner in the cabin's other shower (the one I hadn't been using). That made my hair a little happier. There was also body wash already at the cabin, so I didn't bring any along with me.

The only thing I managed to use up here were the two cloths left in the Simple pack. The dry shampoo probably has one use left in it.

Four things I didn't pack for my one-week visit to my parents' place in rural Canada

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Well, there are a lot of things that I didn't pack, because I didn't want to check a bag, but these are the only ones I've missed so far.

1. My camera

Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in Mambo Melon

I wish I could take a good photo of my nails right now. Before I left, I used some of the Sally Hansen Real Nail Polish Strips for the first time. I used the Check Please! pattern, and I wasn't sure if I would like how they looked, since I'm not a big fan of nail art (on my own nails). But I found them surprisingly mod and mesmerizing, as well as easy to use. They advertise that they will last "up to 10 days", so I thought maybe I would get a week out of them. But no. They started to chip the third day, even after I added topcoat a few times, and by the fourth day, I couldn't stand it any longer and peeled them off. That's a day longer than most nail polish lasts on me, though.

Anyway, that's not what I wanted to take a photo of. My mother has a bottle of Avon Speed Dry+ Nail Enamel in Mambo Melon, so I decided to paint my nails with that, and it is fucking gorgeous. Plus the formula is amazing. I'm not sure it dries any faster than usual, but it was really smooth and easy to apply and almost opaque in one coat. Two thin coats was perfect. It's a coral red with pinkish shimmer. Unfortunately, without my camera I had to settle for the webcam shot above, so you'll have to trust me on this one. Imagine it just slightly brighter and slightly oranger. If you like that sort of shade, this is an awesome choice.