Lipstick and Kilimanjaro

I have a confession to make -- I am a total girlie-girl. I rarely leave the house without mascara and practically live in three-inch heels, and when I first moved to Toronto, I only knew where places were relative to their proximity to malls (for real. Ask my husband.) For the most part, I'm pretty content with this existence, except that I caught the travel bug a few years ago and have a hankering to see the world. Unfortunately, a lot of places I want to see don't have nail salons, sushi bars, heated showers -- or, hell, showers at all -- and this has forced me to learn to live without many of my urban daily necessities in order to really experience life.

 I have traded my need for a morning latte to see the sun rise over the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu. I have stood in the blistering noon sun on a dirt road for three hours on the plains of the Serengeti while our driver struggled to fix the truck radiator with a teabag and an egg, but but was later that same day awestruck at the sight of a baby elephant nursing from his mother. I battled sea sickness and endured the discomfort of a ship toilet to swim with Galapagos sea lions, sea turtles, and penguins. I overnighted on a loud, crowded, rickety, Communist-era train in China for a chance to walk along the Great Wall. However, it was not until I found myself at 3 am in sub-zero weather, with my head lamp turned off (for privacy), Gore-Tex pants around my ankles, my husband holding my hands so that I wouldn't fall off the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro as I struggled to pee, that I realized that I was really and truly a world traveller.

 Experience has quickly taught me that in order to travel lightly, one has to do without some luxuries, but I firmly believe that it doesn't have to be at the expense of a little comfort and class. The key to this is multi-taskers, items and products that are easy to carry and use and also keep you looking cute as you explore the globe. I know, you're thinking of those convertible, lightweight pants that have taken the travel world by storm -- pants that become shorts with the flick of a zipper. What could be more practical and fabulous, right? Not so much -- I have banned these ghastly items from my wardrobe. I have yet to find a pair of convertible pants that don't scream "frumpy" and "totally unflattering" in either incarnation. While they seem like a great idea, the elasticized, pleated, paunch-inducing waistband, nine-inch rib cage-grazing rise, webbing belt, and tapered leg are less than stylish or flattering. And truth be told, in many countries, natives in shorts are seldom seen; furthermore, women rarely ever show their legs. Nothing screams "Tourist!" like a pair of shorts! I much prefer to search out quick-drying, lightweight synthetic pants that are styled like urban wear; often, you can roll up the legs and morph them into capris -- a much more fashionable compromise.

 High-tech and modern will only get you so far, though. The greatest wardrobe multitasker of all is the lowly, low-tech sarong. With a little creativity, a fair-sized rectangle of fabric can be a skirt, a top, a shawl, head wrap, bathing suit cover, blanket, or bed cover. Every woman should needs to have one in her travel wardrobe; the only caveat is that it shouldn't be too stiff or bulky, or it won't transform well. Don't worry about finding one here; they're available in pretty much any warm-weather country in amazing and one-of-a-kind local patterns and colours.

 There's also lots a girl can do to minimize the size of her toiletry bag, starting with ditching the hairdryer, the straightening iron, and the velcro rollers. Get a super short hair cut, or grow it to at least ponytail length. Short hair can be funkified with a mere smudge of hair gel, and long hair will almost inevitably be pulled back. I also take a secret delight in great travel products -- small and multifunctional are the operative words here. Fabulous little hair gel strips in small flat plastic packages smaller than a credit card are a great travel item. Each leaf, as thin as a piece of paper, is moistened with a little water, and gives enough gel for a full head of hair. Another option is to use a tiny bit of moisturizer or sunscreen to keep hair frizzies at bay. Sunscreen will also double as a moisturizer in a pinch, so you can leave your luxury scented lotion at home. Another trick is to use shampoo as body wash in the shower. I've heard that a dandruff shampoo works well here because it helps keep skin fungus (ick) at bay in hot and humid countries and where cleanliness might be less than ideal. Ahem. Then there are tinted moisturizers to give your face that I'm-on-vacation-without-makeup glow, tinted lip balms (I'm convinced that tinted lip balm got me to the top of the mountain), lip-and-cheek or eyeshadow-and-cheek colour products, body lotion as makeup remover, hair conditioner as shaving cream, and good old toothpaste as a pimple treatment.

 There are also ways to help minimize the load of gear and also the time spent primping... the Beauty Addict's Travel Mantra is to keep it simple. When experiencing life in Thailand, one won't want to waste a single second in front of the mirror! To avoid messing with glasses and contact lenses and all that they entail: the sanitization of hands and lenses, the drippy bottles, the leaking cases, the fiddly single-use packages, fogged or dirty lenses, not to mention lugging around all of that bulky stuff -- I had laser eye surgery. For a beach holiday, a pre-trip waxing session can save time and means you won't have to pack your tweezers and razor. Take only simple jewellery that can be worn with a variety of outfits but won't be cause major trauma if lost or broken.

 Of course, the second Beauty Addict's Travel Mantra is: Don't wear a fanny pack. Ever.

 On a serious note, always be prepared and safe, like any good Girl Guide. One place you shouldn't pare down too much is the first-aid kit, which should include pain killers, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, anti-nausea and anti-diarrhea drugs, bandages, bug repellent, sunblock, and every traveller's best friend, gel hand sanitizer (in copious amounts!) Get vaccinated, take your prophylactic medications as recommended, keep your documents and belongings safe, pay attention to your surroundings, and do your best to stay out of trouble while immersing yourself in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for learning and growth.

 Lastly, the best travel beauty essential I can recommend is one that is readily available, inexpensive, fast, lightweight, and works for everyone in every situation: remember to smile... not that I need to remind you. After all, you're on vacation!