The Very Best Travel Kit Tips

Let's face it, this summer has been a bit of a bust so the only rational thing to do is to pack your bags and take your well deserved holiday somewhere the sun shines throughout the day. Even if it's just for a long weekend with a carry on there are so many amazing travel-sized skincare goodies available to keep your skin glowing and pampered throughout your trip. Here are my all time top picks.

Travel sized skincare doesn't just have to be a small tooth paste and mini shampoo and conditioner from Boots. Personally, whenever I got away, I love to take the time on my holidays to do some proper pampering to add to the relaxing experience so over time I've learned how to pamper pack with the best skincare products to suit a holiday routine. Here are my all time favourite picks.

Malin + Goetz 1oz Travel Set

New York brand Malin + Goetz's 1oz Travel Kit is pretty much the essential kit for going away, containing everything you could possibly need for a vacation in one handy little travel pack. The greatest thing about this kit is that each product is the highest quality version you could come across. And as a bonus I found this pack was a great introduction for me to all of Malin + Goetz's best products.

The Peppermint Shampoo is one the best cleansing shampoos you could use, leaving your hair squeaky clean; the Cilantro Hair Conditioner is also of the highest quality and to top it all off they both smell so good and so luxurious! For face the Grapefruit Cleanser is another new favourite of its kind for me this year, giving you a simple cleanse that doesn't dry out your skin. After I used the mini of the Vitamin E Moisturiser I immediately bought the large. It's just a simple and perfect moisturiser for your travels. Finally, two more products that have become firm favourites for me this year, the Begamont Body Wash and Vitamin B Body Moisturiser are another perfect pair of simple, delicious smelling and effective products. If you're looking for a really high quality travel pack with luxury versions of all the basics you'll need on your trip away, you can't do better than this.

Malin + Goetz 1oz Travel Essentials are available from Space NK Grafton St retailing at €30

L'Occitane Summer Festive Basket

L'Occitane Festive Basket €36

L'Occitane always has a great deal on baskets and toiletry bags like this and their current one contains some of my favourite products from the brand so I had to include it. Worth €45.50 but with an RRP of €36 currently this pack contains both the Repairing Shampoo and Conditioner I've been recommending to anyone who will listen the for the past year because I was so impressed with the results; the sumptuous shower gel from the gorgeous Arlésienne collection I spoke about here; L'Occitane's renowned super hydrating 15% Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Lotion; two L'Occitane hand creams and the pampering Almond Body Oil I speak about here. Utter luxury but also all the essentials you need on your trip!

Available from L'Occitane stores nationwide and http://ie.loccitane.com/

Urban Decay's Naked Smoky Palette

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette €46

The biggest cosmetic launch of the year surely had to be Urban Decay's Naked Smoky Palette which had a waiting list of 8000 in Ireland alone before it ever hit the shelves and caused Debenhams to open their doors early to cater for demand on the day of its launch. Containing the perfect day to night time palette, Naked Smoky is the perfect makeup pick to pop in your suitcase for a trip away because in one palette you can create so many looks at once while taking up minimal space. Holiday essential makeup!

Wet n Wild

These little gems from Wet N Wild come in a variety of flavours and their SPF 15 makes them perfect to pop into your case. Coming in multiple flavours and retailing at €3 a pop these Juicy SPF 15 Lip Balms are wonderfully moisturising and prevent the dreaded lip burn that often happens when people forget to reapply their SPF regularly on holidays.

Eve Lom Travel Kit

The Ultimate luxury skincare travel kit, Eve Lom's wash bag contains the perfect pamper products to add a touch of luxury to your skincare routine while away and is also a great opportunity to try several smaller sizes of Eve Lom's finest products for less.

The pack contains the cult Eve Lom Cleanser and muslin cloth that I have been absolutely raving about since I first tried it this year (you can read all about what I thought of it here), the slightly lighter but wonderfully nourishing Morning Time Cleanser to start your day with glowing skin; the amazing Rescue Mask which, like the Cleanser, blows me away every time I use it with the obvious difference it makes to the quality and smoothness of your skin; and finally the absolutely gorgeous TLC Radiance Cream which is such a luxurious treat for your skin, full of nourishing ingredients that leave your face radiant and healthy looking.

I can vouch wholeheartedly for every item in this stylish wash bag. Every product in this set makes the most remarkable difference to your skin after one use and taking a little kit like this away with you on holiday is the perfect opportunity to pamper while you relax. Everything in it is of the highest spa quality and such an investment for your skin.

Eve Lom's Travel Kit is available from Space NK retailing at €120

Pick and Mix

La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume 5 (€7.45) - the ultimate rescue for sunburn and dehydrated skin.

La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water (€4.50) - perfect for the spritzing on plane and to counteract the effect of hot climate on your skin.

Nivea Men Creme (€4.49 75ml) - hand cream, body cream and face moisturiser all in one for boys who want to keep hydrated but want to pack light!

Kiehl's Activated Sun Protection SPF50 (€32.50) - high SPF waterproof blanket sunblock.

Ambre Solaire Travel Size SPF50 Ultra Hydrating Protection Lotion (€5) - cheap, effective, simple, and carry on friendly sun block.

Erborian BB Créme Au Ginseng SPF30 (€48) - the perfect mix of sun protection and light makeup coverage while away.

Kiehl's Creme de Corps (travel size €10 for 75ml) - the most moisturising body lotion you could ever use and perfect for hydrating all over after a day in the sun.

Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturiser (€12) - A supremely moisturising lip balm that's ideal for in-flight lip hydration and soothing lips chapped and dried out from the sun.

Bioderma Sensibo H20 Solution Micellaire Travel Size (€5.50) - another perfect carry on that helps you keep up a good but simmple cleansing routine when you're away which is important to clean off makeup and sun block before bed. Also a great quick, cool refreshment for skin irritated by the heat.

Bioderma Atoderm Préventive Nourishing Cream (€8.50) - this one is the perfect all over moisturiser for face and body which helps you stay hydrated on the plane and throughout your holiday and can be used by babies and adults alike so it's an essential tube to pack before you go away.

Caudelie Beauty Elxir (€13) - a spritz of this cult elixir on the plane livens up your complexion and cools your face down and is full of nourishing ingredients to keep in your handbag at all times throughout your holiday to give your skin a quick pick-me-up as you go.

Ultra Facial Cream (€28.50) - This handy 50ml tub of Kiehl's super hydrating moistutiser is a skin saver whatever the climate and slathering it on almost as a mask when you're in the air keeps your skin so soft and smooth and prevents it from drying out. It's also wonderful to use after a day in the sun to keep your parched skin hydrated.

Soltan Active High Resistance Sun Stick for Lips and Face (€5) - a  brilliant little stick with SPF 30 that you can use throughout the day for lips and any other sensitive area of your face for targeted protection from the sun's rays.

Selection of facecloths hand towels by Carolyn Donnelly Eclectic for Dunnes Stores €3.00 for facecloths, €3.50 for small hand towels, €10 for regular hand towels, €20 for bath towel

Owl toiletry bag from Penney's €4