Unique digital nomad travel adventures from around the U.S.
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In this post I share the steps I took and the products I used to make a DIY airplane facial kit that provided a nice distraction and a little pampering on an overseas flight to Europe.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you buy something through one of these links, we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
On our last trip to Europe, I thought a mini airplane facial would be fun to do during the long, overseas flight. Not only would it kill some time, but it would also be good for my skin. And who doesn’t love a little pampering? Especially if you are stuck sitting in the same place for 7+ hours.
I assumed I would be able to purchase an airplane facial kit somewhere. But everything I found was either too expensive, too many ounces or too limited in what the kit contained. I concluded that if I wanted my ideal airplane facial kit, I was going to have to make it myself.
First off, I had to decide what steps to include in my facial. A steam machine was obviously out. But how many other steps and products did I actually want? Since I am no expert when it comes to facials (sadly), I did a lot of reading and research. Turns out, there is no such thing as a “standard” facial. There are typical steps, but no one-size-fits-all option. So in true DIY fashion, I got to choose my own adventure.
If you get facials regularly, you probably already have an idea of what you want to include. But I was not even sure which order to go in. So after a lot of reading, I finally settled on the following steps for my DIY airplane facial kit:
Honestly, there are no right or wrong steps. Just create a kit that makes you (and your face) feel good.
Once I knew what I was going to do to my face, I needed to find the right products to put on my face. Again, I probably could have chosen a ready-made kit and simply repackaged the products into smaller containers. But by this point, I was having fun with my DIY project and learning a lot at the same time.
A good option for choosing facial products is to simply use products you already own. After all, you will know how your skin reacts to them and it is cheaper. I did do this with a few products. But I really wanted to try some of the different products that I had been reading about. For example, the name Kiehl’s showed up time and time again in my searches. Apparently, it is the unofficial face cream of flight attendants. It got enough rave reviews that I wanted to give it a try. Then on a trip to Portland, Oregon, I discovered a Kiehl’s store right in PDX. That made picking some up easy.
The most difficult product to settle on for me was the mask. I went back and forth about even including a mask. Many travelers swear by sheet masks, but others say they just dry you out. Then there is the embarrassment factor. Although you will never see any of the people on the plane again, I was worried my friends and I would feel too self conscious to try a sheet mask. After spending way more time than I care to admit in Sephora, I found a mask product that could be rubbed in or wiped off easily. I went with it, rather than a sheet mask, and it ended up being my favorite product in my DIY airplane facial kit. It smelled SO good.
Overall, I was pleased with the products I chose. But I would probably go with an exfoliating/cleansing combination pad or wipe next time around. The loofah was a bit rough and hard to hold onto.
Packaging was next on my DIY agenda. I am a sucker for cute packaging. I have been known to make purchases based on packaging alone. So it was important for me that my DIY airplane facial kits were cute. I also needed them to be small. Really small. I was planning on surprising the girls on the airplane with their airplane facial kits. So that meant I needed to be able to get all three kits through security, along with my usual toiletries.
You may think your travel toiletry containers are small, but they actually carry a lot of product and go a lot further than you think. Since I only needed two applications of each product (one for the way there and one for the way home), I went looking for one and two ml containers. Let me tell you, it is a lot harder to find small containers than you would think. Even the local craft stores did not carry such small containers. So I headed to old reliable: Amazon. There, I was able to purchase the perfect-sized containers for all of my products. Of course, the quantity was usually more than I needed, but I know I will use these little guys for future projects:
Finding the right-sized pouch to hold my facial kits was another challenge. Most everything I found was either too big, too small or too ugly. Once again, Amazon to the rescue. Well, Amazon and my mother. I picked up these simple but cute canvas pouches with red zippers
Of course, a cute pouch is not necessary–a plastic baggie will do the trick–but it will feel more like pampering if it is cute.
If you do not write down the steps for your facial, there is a good chance you will forget what they are. I may have spent a little too much time on this step. But again, I love a good presentation. I put together a little tri-fold that outlined the facial steps and described the products. I also made numbered labels for the mini containers. A sharpie would have done the job, but would not have looked as cute. Just do what works for you.
Again, there is no right or wrong answer to what you include and how you include it. This is a DIY project. So do it however you would like it done.
It was very fun having a little facial in the sky. It helped pass the time and my skin was definitely not as dry as it usually is when I arrive.
The project itself was also a lot of fun. I do love a good DIY project. Yes, it would have been easier to purchase mini facial kits. But since I couldn’t find any that met my needs and my budget, DIY was the best option for me. I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot about skincare in the process. And I will definitely be taking my airplane facial kit on any future overseas adventures.
If an airplane facial sounds like just the trick to make a long flight a little more enjoyable, I recommend you make one. You just have to decide what steps and products to bring. Your skin doesn’t care whether you throw everything in a plastic baggie and mark it with a sharpie, or you create a more custom kit. Either way, a DIY airplane facial kit will be a welcome addition on your next overseas flight.
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In 2017, R and I spent our first Christmas on the road and away from home. As the only single gals in our respective families, traipsing across Europe for Christmas sounded like a fine idea. We love our families, but we are lucky enough to see them on a regular basis. And without kids of our own, Christmas just kind of feels like another day off. Why not use that day to see how another part of world celebrates?
It was one of our better ideas and we have decided to make it an annual thing. We spent last Christmas hanging out in Bruges, Belgium. This year, we will be in Cologne, Germany. Experts at holiday travel we are not. But we have learned a few key lessons and are happy to share them with you.
Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year for travel. That means it can also be one of the most expensive. The trick to finding a good deal is to book early. We have gotten amazing deals to Europe during Christmas using Delta Vacations. We found those good deals by looking and booking early. We’re talking March. You might not have to start quite that early, but you are definitely going to want to start earlier than you would for any other trip. When it comes to Christmas travel, spontaneity probably won’t pay off.
Hotels are nice and all, but if you want a cozy Christmas experience, you will want to rent out a home. Obviously, we are big Airbnb fans around here and we found a great one last year in Bruges to celebrate the holidays. Our place had a nice kitchen, comfy couches and even a fireplace to hang our stockings. It was located across the street from a chocolate shop and steps away from the main square where the Christmas market was in full swing. I love home rentals in general. But they are a must for Christmas travel.
Each country, and city for that matter, celebrates Christmas a little differently. You will want to do a little research into hours of operation. Find out what museums are open on the days you plan to visit. Do the same with restaurants and the Christmas markets. The Christmas markets in Belgium were open the entire time we were there, including Christmas day. However, that will not be the case in Germany (from everything we have read), so we are tailoring our schedule and plans accordingly.
Depending on your chosen location for Christmas, you may or may not have some fun options for dining. In Bruges, most of the nicer restaurants were open on Christmas Eve. We did a little research and found an adorable place in Old Town that served a special Christmas menu. So we made a reservation, which was necessary for having the Christmas dining experience we wanted. The plan was to dress up and go all out for this dinner. However, R and I miscalculated our schedule and instead of dressing up, we barely made our reservation at all! Oh well. We still had a wonderful (and interesting) meal with good friends.
Perhaps you will be visiting a country where very little is open on Christmas day, including the restaurants. Even if you have plenty of dining options, it can be fun to cook a nice meal in the cozy home you opted to rent. (If you stay in a hotel, you will most likely be out of luck with this one.) Our friends hit up the local butcher and grocery store before the big day and come Christmas evening, we had a delicious, home-cooked meal. We gathered around the table, laughing and eating until our stomachs hurt.
If you want to make a special meal at your rental home, you will need to do a little prep work. Be sure to check out the cooking options at your rental. Take note of pots, pans, spices, etc. (In fact, it might not hurt to bring a few spices with you.) After that, head to the local butcher and/or grocery store. Try not to leave this until the last minute or you might be out of luck.
There is really no need to bring a suitcase full of presents on a Christmas trip. After all, the point of the trip is to see and do. At the same time, exchanging gifts is fun! R and I decided to bring just enough gifts to fill up each other’s stockings. That way, we would not have to pack too much, but we would still have something to open on Christmas day. When Christmas morning rolled around, after sleeping late and brewing some tea, we sat in our living room and exchanged gifts. It was fun and relaxing.
Other than our stockings (made special by my mother), we did not really think about decorations. But our friend G did! She packed small, lightweight decorations that made their place a lot more festive and fun. I would caution going crazy over decorations, you have to pack them in your suitcase after all. But some small options can bring a lot of cheer to what might be a sparsely decorated Airbnb.
Christmas on the road can be a fun and different experience, especially if you are over commercialization and family get-togethers. However, there is a lot of stress associated with traveling during the holidays. Keep the tips we shared in mind and you will be well on your way to having a wonderful Christmas vacation.
Remember the post I wrote about travel toiletries and how long they really last? Well I decided to try another experiment to see how long SOLID travel toiletries last and compare them to their liquid counterparts. In general, solids go further. A lot further. Solid …
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Mostly for kicks and giggles, I thought it would be interesting to experiment and conduct a wool sock comparison for travel to see which ones I should take on my next trip. Here at Jane Sees the World, we have been quite vocal about our love of all things Icebreaker. Their products have been a game changer for me when it comes to packing light.
Although I am a big fan of Icebreaker, I willingly wear other brands of wool as well. Thinking about those brands got me thinking about which socks I prefer to travel with…which led to this experiment to find out which wool sock could go the furthest on a trip.
I compared four brands: Icebreaker, Smartwool, Pendleton and Wigwam. (Note, no one paid me or gave me a free pair of socks to try out. I bought them all with my own dime.)
All claimed to be merino wool (I do not see this experiment going well with cotton socks). I find wool to be one of the best fabrics for travel. It regulates your body temperature, wicks moisture, dries fast, works equally well in hot and cold climates and can go longer between washings. This last point was the one I wanted to test out. How long could I actually go before I had to wash my socks?
I used my workouts to conduct the test—wearing the same pair of socks for multiple, continuous work outs. Basically, I wore them until they started to stink and then moved onto the next brand. Gross, I know. But it was all in the name of a better travel experience, which is my MO. The results?
The actual numbers will be a little different for each person since we all sweat differently. However, the end result will probably be the same. You can go longer between washings with certain brands, which means you can pack less!
Eight is great and my beloved brand really came through for me on this experiment. Now I prefer to wash my socks more often than an eight-wear cycle, but it is nice to know that in a pinch, these will really go the distance. I know I can pack a lot less socks and/or wash less often depending on the travel situation I find myself in.
Icebreaker makes socks in all colors, sizes and weights (i.e. lighter for warmer weather and thicker for colder weather). I have yet to be disappointed with this brand. The only downside is that they are on the pricey side. Do I think this brand is worth the cost? Absolutely. That does not necessarily make it easy to fork over the cash for it. Bright side! You can find sales and deals. Check out my post on where to find affordable travel gear and clothes for women.
Smartwool is a popular brand amongst travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, so I assumed it would perform well in my experiment. And it did. You can purchase of pair of these socks and get some decent wear out of them on your next trip. They too come in many colors, sizes and weights. Price is comparable to Icebreaker and thankfully, you can find sales and deals.
I love Pendleton. Their blankets are beautiful and I love that they are an old, family-owned business located in the Northwest. However, these socks disappointed me a bit. I assumed they would last as long as the Smartwool before starting to stink. They did not. The price on the other hand, is comparable to Smartwool and Icebreaker. So unfortunately, you will not get your money’s worth in terms of less washes with this sock if you decide to take them on a trip. However, they are beautiful so if that is your priority, you will be quite pleased with Pendleton’s sock offerings.
Wigwam is a brand I had never heard of but I decided to try a pair out. A local department store carried them and they were a lot more affordable than the brands listed above. However, it appears that these socks are a good example of “you get what you pay for.” They did not last much longer than a pair of plain old cotton socks. Three good wears before a washing is still respectable, but I would prefer to pay a little bit more and get a sock that could go longer if needed. You never know what situations you are going to encounter out there on the road and I like to be prepared just in case.
If all you pack are sandals and maybe a pair of Allbirds wool runners, you will not need a pair of socks. However, most of the time, socks are an important part of the packing list when traveling. You want your feet to be as comfortable as possible and your socks play a big role in that comfort. At the same time, no one wants a backpack full of socks! My advice is to get yourself a couple of merino wool ones. And invest in a brand that guarantees quality. You can get the wear you need from them and not have to worry (as much) about sweaty, stinky feet.
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