Anxiety over packing took its toll. Deciding to travel with only a carry-on to the French Riviera, I gave myself a strict order: "Sweetie, pack light and fast." I selected three products and set off—here are the conclusions, concerns, and remaining questions.
One trip to the South of France, filled with the usual packing dilemmas, led me to an important decision: "Sweetie, let's pack light." My hair dryer, especially after deciding to cut my bob, took on a new form. My daily face wash and creams were condensed into a travel kit—not my usual brand, but it worked. I also upgraded my arrival at the Riviera with a soft landing that included an oxygen mask for "intensive care" for my skin.
1. DAFNI Active Brush
To be honest, and not to brag, I don't usually need a hair dryer. My hair is straight and manageable (touch wood) and generally doesn't require much fuss. What do I need? To smooth out occasional flyaways or hair that strays to the sides if I go to bed with wet hair. I decided to break my habit (believe me, I'm a serial avoider of change) and try the new DAFNI Active Brush. The main reason was its unique detachable battery that meets the strictest flight regulations and can be taken on any plane. So I gave it a try.
DAFNI products have long established themselves in the beauty world. This time, with a small, lightweight, and compact wireless brush, it's perfect for travel and quick touch-ups. It has two heat settings—140°C and a stronger 185°C—that don't burn the hair and help achieve the desired result of eliminating annoying flyaways and static-induced hair with its double, dense teeth, causing minimal damage to hair and scalp.
Pros: Easy to use, lightweight, and a rare travel solution when you don't want to lug around a heavy hair dryer. The hotel hair dryer blows air with the force of a four-year-old blowing on hot food.
Cons: While excellent for "easy" hair like mine, the real question is how the heat settings affect those with thick hair that is hard to manage. I'm curious.
Price: NIS 499 (12-month warranty).
Where: Super-Pharm, Terminal X, Electric Warehouses, Shuk Hamashbir, Duty-Free, and the brand's website.
2. Dermalogica Multi-Vitamin Mask
I can't count the number of skincare products that have promised "repair" or "revitalization" of facial skin. Cheap/expensive/less branded/more branded/properly marketed or not—they've all (or at least most of them) been mine. Between flight delays, long queues at Ben Gurion Airport, and the heat wave that continued from Israel to France, I realized a soft landing at the Riviera was a must.
So, I turned to what's called an "intensive care" mask. Admittedly, the originality of the product description won me over. The multi-vitamin mask from the premium skincare brand Dermalogica supposedly offers skin improvement and repair after flights. I arrived at the hotel, unpacked, and organized (yes, I'm the type who goes crazy unpacking everything from the suitcase) and just before enjoying an overpriced cocktail on the beach in Saint-Tropez, I applied the mask. Cool and pleasant on the skin, it turns into a slight tingle on the face. After 10 minutes and a thorough rinse, it leaves pale, tired skin looking radiant, thanks to a powerful cocktail of vitamins A, C, and E and linoleic acid. Hence, it’s rightly called a revitalizing mask.
Pros: Immediate noticeable change in stressed skin and excellent not just after flights but also for preparing the skin to look its best before an event or important day.
Cons: Slightly expensive. Those with sensitive skin, don't be alarmed by the tingling—it's recommended to have a piece of paper or something to fan yourself for light cooling until the final rinse.
Price: NIS 320.
Where: Online and at the brand's sales points in Israel.
3. Travel Kit with Facial Products
Quantity restrictions and limitations don't apply to cosmetics taken in checked baggage. But when it comes to hand luggage, we need to be mindful of how much, what, and whether it's really necessary to have in the carry-on, so we don't mistakenly exceed the one-liter maximum volume allowed. Although I usually use face wash, pre-serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen from another Israeli cosmetician's brand, for this trip (where only a carry-on was chosen) I thought it would be wise to try Pola Blick's travel kit. Honestly? I was surprised. The anxious part of me said, "No way this will last five days," but I went with it, and it ended up being quite worthwhile.
The travel kit includes three mini products: face wash, anti-aging serum, and a serum essence that helps slow down skin aging. I admit that in the small and practical silicone bag, I only took the face wash and serum (the essence felt unnecessary for the trip, the anxiety of over-weight kicked in). The products lasted, and there was plenty left even at the end of the holiday.
Pros: Perfect for when airport chaos leaves your suitcase behind, and you enjoy the compact kit in your hand luggage.
Cons: Those who don't regularly use the brand's products will have to gamble on products that haven't been tested on their skin. Still, a successful gamble in this case.
Price: NIS 199 for the entire kit (60ml face wash, 10ml each serum).
Where: Pola Blick Natural Medicine Center in Tel Aviv, online, and Duty-Free (a precise addition for forgetful or confused packers).