After traveling for about three weeks straight, I finally have a week at home!  I’ve been super-excited to catch up with my son, hang out with my dogs, sit and do a couple of LEGO sets (which is basically my version of meditation).  I didn’t really feel like having any pictures of me taken this weekend, but I still wanted to write a post since I’ve been MIA for a few days.  And after all that travel, what better subject to write about than one that was a big struggle for me (and perhaps for other working women) — TO CHECK OR NOT TO CHECK (a bag, that is).

When I first started to travel for work, it was inconceivable that I wouldn’t check a bag.  I had face lotions, body lotion, perfume, eye solution, color-safe shampoo and conditioner, hair spray, teeth whitening rinse and various other liquids that were difficult to size down to 3.4 ounces and stuff into a Ziploc baggie.  But then I discovered two things.  First, if you’re traveling with co-workers, it can be considered bad form to check a bag and keep everyone waiting at baggage claim for an additional 45 minutes.  Second, even if you’re traveling by yourself, 45 minutes can be the difference between squeezing in a good nap once you get off the LA-to-NYC redeye or having to get ready and go straight to meetings.

What to do?  What to do?  What to do?

Some of these items have readily available travel-size options (e.g., eye solution and hair spray), and I ended up ordering those off of Amazon or Sephora in bulk.  Why in bulk?  Because travel-size items run out four times as fast and inevitably you’ll forget you’re almost out the night before your next trip when it’s too late to make a run to the store.

For the other items, I could painstakingly transfer small portions of product to travel-size containers that I get from the drug store, but have you ever tried doing that?  It’s a tedious process that needs to be repeated frequently, and more product seems to spill outside the container than it.  There are some products I can’t even figure out how to open (because they say that exposure to air degrades the product … hmmm), so I couldn’t transfer them even if I wanted to.

Instead, I’ve started packing samples of different beauty products.  They may not be the same brands that I regularly use, but they are of similar quality and do much of the same thing.  Sometimes I even like them better than my usual product and end up ordering the full size for use at home.  And thankfully, it’s pretty easy to collect great samples nowadays using these three techniques:

1.  Subscribe to a monthly beauty box that delivers large-size samples of skin care, hair care and cosmetics directly to your door.  My favorite is Glossybox (pictured above) (http://www.glossybox.com).  For between $17.50 to $21.00 per box, you get five beauty products every month that are tailored to your skin type/tone and preferences.  Birchbox (http://www.birchbox.com) is another option that’s a little cheaper ($10 per box).
2. Maximize the samples you receive with your regular beauty purchases.  Sure, sites like Sephora (http://www.sephora.com) and Nordstrom (http://www.nordstrom.com) always offer three to five samples with every purchase, but almost all department-store sites have various times during the year when you can receive a gift bag with 15 or more samples with a minimum purchase.  I try to time my big beauty purchases with these promotions and just hang on to the samples for my next trips.  I think Neiman Marcus (http://www.neimanmarcus.com) offers some of the best quality samples for the amount you’re required to spend.
3. Make the effort to get to know someone at the beauty counter and actually go into the store.  I know it’s a hassle, but this can often be the best way to get a ton of samples of the products you actually use at home.  So many people have started ordering online that you really are rewarded for seeking out a personal touch.

So now I don’t check a bag, and even though people think I’ve become low-maintenance, I haven’t sacrificed any of my beauty routine.