Beauty Tips

I've Been Traveling the World for a Year—Here Are the Beauty Lessons I Learned

Here's what it's like for a girly gal to travel with little to no room for indulgences

by Lindsay Tigar | COMMENT

PHOTO 0/7

Just over a year ago, I found myself sitting cross-legged in the middle of my apartment in the East Village of Manhattan, surrounded by three distinct boxes labeled "take," "keep" and "donate." After going through all my kitchenware, clothes, shoes, books — everything, really — I'd left the hardest task for last: my beauty collection. As a makeup-lover, skin care junkie and beauty journalist, I had curated a wide variety of products over seven years in New York City. I'd somehow amassed a) every shade of lipstick you could possibly imagine, b) every mask under the sun and c) everything in between. Bidding them a permanent farewell felt like an impossible task — but considering I only would have a 23 kg suitcase (and a carry-on packed to the brim) for the next year, it was also an inevitability.

Why the light load? I was offered an invitation to travel the world for a year via Remote Year, living in 12 international cities over 365 glorious days. And glorious is what they were, as I made best friends and lifelong travel buddies, scaling everywhere from Prague and Kyoto to Lima and Mexico City. Along the way, I collected passport stamps and — you guessed it — even more beauty products.

I'd expected change, of course, but I had no idea how much my pampering routine would dramatically shift. Or how I'd become more curious than ever while also remaining true to some of the brands I've been using ever since my mom first gave me the seal of approval to wear foundation. As I tangoed between time zones, experienced new cultures and used Google Translate to decipher the ingredients on labels, I also crystallized my beauty routine into a science. Here's what it was like for a girly gal to travel with little to no room for indulgences.

Image via @lindsaytigar

Cover image via @lindsaytigar

SEE NEXT PAGE: I still love my drugstore mascara

EDITORS' BEST OF