A few months ago, I decided I needed new snow boots to replace the ones I’d had since college. (Hey, they held up really well!) I also decided then and there that this winter was going to be a doozy and I should replace my winter coat, too.
Like most winters in NYC, this one kind of sucks, but here’s a few of the products making it slightly more tolerable.
1. Maybelline Master Prime Illuminator: I read about this on Racked a few weeks ago and HAD TO HAVE IT. The article said it would give my face a lovely glow, and who can’t use that in the harst NYC winter? Done and done.
2. Clinique Repairwear Sculpting Night Cream: I got this one in a gift with purchase set. As long as the birthdays keep coming, I’m going to keep looking for great moisturizers. Or a reliable place to get Botox. Either one!
3. New Balance Windblocker: When the ground is dry (big when!), I’ve been trying to run outside when I can, unless it’s under like 20. This jacket is my jam baby. Paired with the NBx Minimus Long Sleeve from a few years ago, it’s the perfect combo to stay warm. It looks and feels like this Lulu top for a fraction of the price.
4. Clarisonic Mia:I resisted this for YEARS, but I got one for Christmas, and I get it. My skin is as soft as a baby’s butt, and was more glowy even before I got the snazzy illuminator.
5. Sorel Jane of Arctic:These are heavy SOBs, but they are WARM and keep my feet dry.
6. North Face Arctic Down Parka:Notice a theme with these last two? Yeah…I’m all about staying warm. I’d had the big sleeping bag down coat but wanted something a little classier. The sleeping bag coat was warm, my ski coat is North Face, don’t mess with a good thing.
As I was walking through the Geneva airport to board my flight last month, I thought of a few creature comforts that either made my trip easier or more enjoyable, or just helped me feel like I was traveling like a put-together adult and not a shleppy kid in an adult’s body.
FUZZY SOCKS: I can’t live without fuzzy socks for travel, especially really long flights like the eight-hour flight from Geneva to New York. The SECOND I boarded and pulled out all my tech toys, I immediately took off my boots and pulled on my fuzzy socks, which keep my feet warm and comfy for the flight.
Evian Mist:This one is totally not necessary, but is a fairly cheap little luxury. When I can remember, I love to buy a little bottle of this spritzer to keep my face from feeling really dry during flight.
C. Wonder Makeup Bag: I got this on double sale last year, and I love it. It’s the same fabric as more luxurious makeup bags at a fraction of the cost. It’s big enough that I was able to fit all the makeup and toiletries I needed for the trip. (It helped that I was staying with a friend who works in beauty, and I totally mooched off her products but I usually travel fairly lightly on the beauty products anyway.)
C. Wonder Clutch: The day before I left, I stood in line at the C. Wonder sample sale on the verge of a panic attack. How in all hell would I get everything done before boarding? I reminded myself I would get everything done but that these sales would not wait, and I bought two clutches: one for me, and one as a gift for Ashley for TWENTY DOLLARS EACH. So well worth it. It worked as a good medium-sized bag during the day when I didn’t need to carry a whole ton, and I just wore my camera total tourist-style on my shoulder.
Wrap Sweater: I’m sort of addicted to wrap sweaters, or “wine sweaters” as Kimra calls them, but they are The Best for traveling to snuggle up in. I wore a SmartWool one out to Geneva and a New Balance wrap on the way back. Some people bring scarves for the same reason, but I usually feel like I’m being choked in a scarf, so sweaters for the win.
The Tech I Can’t Live Without for Travel
iPad Mini: For reading books and magazines, obviously, and watching TV? (Long-time readers know I don’t really do TV but Ashley got me hooked on Scandal, and I downloaded some episodes before boarding my flight.)
MacBook Air: Last year I switched from a Pro to an Air, and I couldn’t be happier. I don’t travel a ton, but it’s still nice to have such a light laptop. I don’t find the lack of CD drive or slightly diminished processing power a problem at all. I can use my work laptop for any of that real heavy-duty stufff.
Canon Rebel T3i: For a hot second, I considered only bringing a point-and-shoot, but why have a D-SLR if I’m not going to bring it on vacation? Sure, it’s heavy and annoying sometimes, but the photos are well worth it. I used to have a Nikon, but I find the Canon a lot more intuitive.
SolRepublic Earbuds: I’m in the market for a good set of noise-canceling or bigger headphones, but for now, these SolRepublic babies do the trick. I received them at an event a few months ago, and I use them for everything from running to work to travel.
The Travel Bags
Ironically, my suitcase is the cheapest of these…
Samsonite 25″: I’d had the same old terrible Ralph Lauren luggage since I graduated college. It was so cool then, but it’s showing its age as well as making me look like I have the taste of a showy little thing from NJ, not the refined lady I am. (Ha.) I scored it at the Samsonite outlet up at Woodbury just a few weeks before I left for about $200. If you have time to get up there before a trip (or even proactively), it’s worth the madness, I swear. It also looks like there’s a great sale going on right now on Samsonite.com.
Longchamp Expandable Tote: When Ashley came to visit me last year, I thought this was such a cool bag. Unzipped to its full potential, it’s a great sized weekender. BUT THEN, YOU CAN ZIP IT UP AND IT COLLAPSES to about 2/3 of its size. But really, did I need another bag? (The answer is still no, but I had a gift card from a blog project and thought it was a nice little treat to buy before my trip.) Ashley’s apartment in Geneva served as our home base for the week, but for our overnights to Lyon and Italy, it was a solid size to fit what I needed for a short trip while still looking stylish/not standing out as an American.
Louis Vuitton Speedy: I got this as a 30th birthday gift, and it’s just such a classic bag that will forever be one of my favorites. It fit in well in Europe, and can also hold my camera when I don’t feel like having it out like a tourist or don’t want to forget it at a bar or restaurant.
