5 Items to "Travel Size" Your Beauty Routine

When you travel, every inch of bag space is precious. Carry-on bags don’t have unlimited room, but they are essential if you are trying to save money, time and our luggage possibly getting lost by the airline. Packing light isn’t always easy and those 3-1-1 bags aren't that big, especially when you're flying during the summer and have to squeeze sunscreen in there, too. While you can buy it once you get there, many resorts, theme parks and grocery stores have outrageous prices on these items. A better way to pack and avoid checking a bag is by streamlining your beauty routine to take fewer products and those that are multipurpose. Here are five ways you can find room in your travel bag for sunscreen and still look great in all your pictures.

Tinted Moisturizer - You may be used to taking your foundation wherever you go, but a tinted moisturizer can do double-duty as a foundation and a moisturizer. Most have built-in SPF, so you don't have to bring a second sunscreen specifically for your face.

Powder Foundation - Avoid taking two products and opt for just one with a powder foundation. Not only does it save space, but a good one, like Philosophy Supernatural Airbrushed Canvas, will be long-lasting and give you a flawless finish over your moisturizer. This can be paired with tinted moisturizer to give you even more coverage.

Tinted Lip Gloss - Get a fresh summery look by bringing along a tinted lip gloss that also moisturizes. It enables you to leave your heavy lipstick at home and you won't have to tote around a tube of lip balm. Smashbox O-Gloss brings out the natural hue of your lips, plus it gives you a slight shine and locks in moisture. Sugar by Fresh is a lip balm that has a coverage a bit lighter than a full lipstick.

Trial Sizes - Those fun trial sizes that you get with makeup purchases are your best friend on vacation. Save those tiny tubes of mascara, lip glosses, and eye shadows, and pack them in your travel bag. 

Shampoo bars - Shampoo and conditioner can take up a lot of room and could contribute the most to spillage in your bag. There's nothing worse than getting to your destination and having to wash off everything in your 3-1-1 bag because your shampoo or conditioner exploded. Shampoo bars don't ever have to go in your liquids bag, they never spill and are simple to use. They work just like a bar of soap and have all the benefits of a great shampoo. You can also get solid conditioners which will leave your hair silky and manageable.

Not only will these tips help you pack lighter, but having fewer products will help you get ready faster each morning and look less made up. Spring and summer is the perfect time to look fresh-faced and natural when you’re out and about, so lighter applications that are extra moisturizing will give you that dewy beach look you want while protecting your skin from harmful rays of the sun.

If you are planning a summer trip, maybe you'd like to learn more tips on how to save tons wherever you go. If so, check out my summer ebook. Make the most of the money you have and maybe even save enough to take another trip another time during the year. Remember: if you don't have a Kindle, you can read Kindle books on any web-enabled device with the free Kindle app.

What are some of your favorite travel beauty products?

Infographic: How to Travel Stress-Free

With Spring Break upon us, you may need some quick tips on how to travel without getting all stressed out. Pack efficiently, dress comfortably and with purpose and plan well for your airport visit. With the sequester, cutbacks are being seen at TSA and other airport employees, so get there earlier than you normally would in order to make it through security before your plane takes off. I suggest two hours early. If you end up with extra time, grab something to eat and explore the activities at the airport, like museums, walking trails and playgrounds. Just getting up and moving is good before sitting on a plane for hours. You can also see more of my tips for breezing through airport security.

Where will you be going on Spring Break, if anywhere?

Santa Monica's Pier and Park

Am I the only one who is dying for winter to be over? Every time we have a warmish day and I start to get excited for spring, the next day is always cold and/or rainy. I'm not one to complain about the weather usually, because I live in a beautiful city and without the rain it wouldn't be as green and lovely. Truth be told, I'm just sick of boots and jackets and want to wear a pair of flip flops out of the house. Until then, I decided I will smile and look back on a great California day from October the weather was gorge and I took my shoes off and walked on the beach!

Of all the times we have visited L.A., we have never actually gone to the beach. This seemed like something that needed to be remedied and we had some free days that we weren't spending at theme parks, so we set aside a whole day for beach-hopping. We stopped at Long Beach, Venice and Santa Monica. It just seemed wrong to not hit Pacific Park. It's iconic. It's got the longest steel roller coaster on the beach and the only solar-powered Ferris wheel. Obviously, these were on the top of our list when we visited.

We had Los Angeles Go Cards from Smart Destinations, so we ended up with unlimited ride bracelets. The pier is not all that busy in the middle of the week in the fall, so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. The downside to this is that we had to ride rides all alone or with only a few other people and 90% of the food kiosks were closed. That made me sad and made me really want an elephant ear and popcorn. 

Frowny face

Since we barely had to wait in line for anything - stopping only briefly to get our bracelets scanned - we rode that little roller coaster three times and enjoyed the view from the top of the ferris wheel for much longer than the usual 5 minutes. We also found our favorite pirate ship ride there and then terrified ourselves with a whopping four other people on the gondola. Eric sat on one end and I sat on the very other. I do not suggest it, because then you fear more for your life than if you had a hand to hold. Obviously, we lived to tell the tale though.

This ride is SO fun!

As much as I enjoy cheesy attractions, Pacific Park tops the list of cheeseball amusement parks. On a slow day, you can pretty much do all the rides in an hour and go back for more. The roller coaster is creaky and may make you pray that you make it to the end. So, if you are just doing it just for the sake of doing it and saying you were there, buy your tickets online ahead of time and save almost $3 per wristband. It's cheaper than paying for each ride individually, unless your only goal is to ride the Ferris wheel and then shop the pier and run on the beach. If you travel with little kids, they will definitely think Paradise Park is crazy fun even before Dippin' Dots are involved!

There are plenty of other things to do in Santa Monica and nearby - like the Venice Canals - so Paradise Park is not the last thing in amusement in the area. In fact, you may want to visit the tiny and affordable aquarium. If you choose to buy Go Cards and find yourself at the coast, then the pier is a good way to spend a few hours before lunch or shopping - you can even jump on the hop-on, hop-off bus here, which is included in your card activities.

Have you been to Santa Monica? What was your favorite thing there?