Make it a travel mission to pack mini-size items

By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer

Now that the travel season is here, this year, more than ever, travelers are trying to cram as much as they can into a small carry-on bag to make the airport experience as streamlined as possible.

The topic is especially timely for me as I travel to London, Paris and San Francisco. In London and Paris I will take part in a study-abroad program with the fashion design and merchandising students from the University of Hawai'i. Since we're all fashion folk and will be meeting some of Europe's top designers and retailers,we have to uphold the image of polished fashion professionals. This makes packing a special challenge. I have made it my mission to pack light but chic.

Picking the clothes is easy: all the clothes in a mix-and-match color theme, plus some colorful scarves, walking shoes and some dressy footwear.

But the other stuff — skin and hair care and makeup — is another story. It can take a second suitcase. So I went shopping to see what miniature versions might be out there.

First stop: Longs Drugs. There's a whole section in Longs Ala Moana devoted to smaller versions of favorite products. Band-aids come in tiny packets. Mini bottles of mouthwash, styling gel, shampoo, petroleum jelly and deodorant can save space. There are also small tubes of toothpaste and folding toothbrushes, and a favorite, Listerine PocketPaks, only a bit bigger than a thumbnail. Many popular medicines come in single dose packs, and eye drops are small enough to put in your purse for those dry airplane cabins.

We're spoiled in Hawai'i with our soft water, so it's helpful to take along products to soften the water as we wash. I always put Neutrogena Rainbath (Longs) or Space NK Body Wash (Neiman Marcus) in a little bottle to use in hard water.

The new cleansing sheets (Biore, Pond's, Shiseido and Awake are among the companies that make them) help avoid the water altogether. To slough off city dirt or airplane grunge, a small tube of exfoliant can help revive dry skin. I love Frederic Fekkai's shea butter exfoliator (Neiman Marcus) and Aveda's body polish (Malama Spa).

Aveda products, which have no petrochemicals, only plant extracts, are ideal for vacations spent in the outdoors. National parks, rivers and lakes do not allow you to use products that aren't 100 percent biodegradable. Nearly all of Aveda's products come in travel sizes.

Next stop: Sephora. A tremendous space-saver is the tiny five-in-one tube of makeup brushes that includes all the basics. Ellen Lange, the New York aesthetician and skin care specialist, offers her full line of skin care in small flat packets (I've found they last three days each). Rocket City, a hot teen line, makes miniature lipsticks, powder compacts and short mascara wands. B. Box has a clever idea: eye shadows and lipsticks with the pigment imbedded into a Q-tip-shaped thing for one-time-pau use. The Sephora brand offers small nail polishes and practical kits for mini-manicures.

DFS Galleria carries the Manifesto line by Isabella Rossellini, who has a few million travel miles under her belt. Her makeup and skin care products come in disposable packets that last one, two or three days.

Next, to Neiman Marcus: Hip, edgy Prada introduced its complete makeup and skin care line in sleek, white plastic packages that last one day to one week.

Also at Neiman Marcus, Laura Mercier has a weekend palette with eye, cheek and bronzer colors, as well as travel-size bath products in homey scents such as honey and créme brulee.

There are also some compact, practical cosmetic bags available. Neiman Marcus carries the Trish McEvoy's Day Planner, which has magnetized slots to hold your items.

For campers, Aveda created a terry cloth case with lots of pockets. It can be emptied and used as a wash cloth for bathing in the great outdoors.