Japan

Minimal skincare packing for Japan

Beauty, Planning, skincare, Travel

I think you are going to be shocked by how little I am taking to Japan. It’s minimal. But not because I have changed my ways. I love skincare and I am still learning what my skin needs.

I just don’t need to take everything.

I am looking forward to buying and trying some Japanese skincare. I have watched a lot of YouTube. @gothamista strikes again and I have taken notes of all the skincare and a few makeup bits I should get. It will all go in my Japan travel journal which I am in the process of making.

Anyway back to skincare.

I am taking 5 products in total.

Cleanser

Toner

Moisturiser

SPF

Lip balm / everything cream

That’s it! It has to be I want to have room for all the bits I plan to buy and try when I am out there. I already know I can get most of them over here but it’s Japan and exciting, so I am allowed to go crazy.

Cleanser

So normally I would take my Elemis but I have been a bit blue this January and I haven’t eaten well nor have I exercised so my skin has suffered. To me I feel like Elemis is my luxury cleanser, yes I use it every night but I feel like it’s a treat for me where as my Omaravisca is still luxurious it just feels a bit lighter perfect for holiday. Easy to decanter.

Toner

I am actually going to decant this into my little atomiser. It’s the Elemis apricot toner and it’s nice and gentle on my skin. I have enough toners ( I think, so I don’t think I will be buying any more but we will see) we haven’t hit the shops yet!

Moisturiser

It’s back to Elemis again! I am taking a small amount of my day cream and I will use it for day and night. I will be buying moisturiser in Japan there are a few brands I would like to try DHC and Sheseido are at the top of my lists! Sometimes my skin likes rich creams sometimes it just likes an everyday moisturiser. Elemis doesn’t let me down but it’s nice to try new things.

SPF don’t leave the house without it

My La Roche Posay is coming with me everywhere, I will buy a body SPF if it calls for it. But I am going snowboarding and if it’s sunny or overcast my pale skin will need protection. This is a factor 30 which will be fine for my skin I will carry it with me and top up when needed.

Lip balm

Okay I am cheating here. It’s two products not one. This one is from my Lydia Elise Millen Cult Beauty Box. It’s the Lano everything cream. So I can use it for my eyes, moisturiser, hand cream. It’s only 85mls so I don’t even have to decant it! I will also have with me my lanolips lip balm which is the best lip balm ever. Again there is a few lip balms in Japan I would like to try, they have a lot of honey flavoured ones that will be finding there way into my handbag!

Minimalist skincare for me

So that’s it!

6 skincare products. I bought these little plastic containers from Primark for £1,50. Now I know plastic is bad for the environment but these will get reused again and a again. It’s all well and good skincare companies using glass bottles and jars but they are impossible to travel with. They way too much and you always worry they will smash! Foiled tubes are definitely the way forward as they can be recycled, don’t smash and are easy to transport.

I am being greener with my bamboo cotton buds which my husband bought! And my reusable cotton pads that I won in a competition I just need to buy some more!

I am going to write another post on what I plan to pick up in Japan and I can’t wait. Not long to go now.

Are you a minimal skincare packer?

Curating and Planning my Japanese wardrobe

Honeymoon, Organising, Planning, Travel, wardrobe

I am finding planning my Japanese wardrobe difficult. March means it may be cold and warm so I need to bear that in mind: we are also travelling a lot of the country so I needs to be minimum however it’s 3 weeks of clothes!!

Challenges

  • Weather changes
  • Snowboarding clothes
  • 3 weeks
  • Everything has to be comfortable
  • Limited space in the suitcases
  • We want room to bring things back!
  • Shoes need to be slip on or easy to remove

Most of this I already have but there are a few pieces I need to buy. I want my wardrobe to be mix and match

Weather Changes

We are going in March so the weather will cool and mild hopefully but as we are visiting the north and south we will be having all sorts of weather changes. Everything will need to be breathable and good for layering.

Snow boarding clothes

With the exception of my jacket which is pictured I didn’t put any of my kit in the picture. I am taking my goggles, knee pads and gloves as this is my basic amour. I will pack my new snowboarding snood as well because this doesn’t take up any room but it is tricky. I am still contemplating my trousers but I will have to see how small this all packs down. They will definitely deserve a packing cube of there own!

3 weeks

3 weeks is a good amount of time but at the moment I feel like I have a few too many pieces so I may have to edit this down even more. It’s about everything working together. We will be living out of our suitcases travelling the country. I have looked into laundry places and I think it will probably be a good idea to visit them at least once.

Comfort is king

I generally don’t wear uncomfortable clothes nothing is ever too tight but in Japan I need to make sure my clothes and especially shoes are super comfortable. We will be walking everywhere!

Gavin mentioned to me he will be buying new trainers ones that slip on so he can get out of them easier. This is smart thinking so I won’t be taking my knee high boots. My Chelsea boots and sandals will be fine although I will have to go bare foot when I wear them. I will have to have a pack of sockettes in my bag at all times.

I am also taking my gym gear. Incase I get up early and want to go for a run plus I can use them as a layer for snowboarding!

Chosen items

There is still a lot to consider but I have started washing and ironing my clothes and hanging them up on my rail to see if I need anything or better yet if I have anything I would rather take. I bought a pair of Marks and Spenser jeans and they fit so well I am going to buy another pair. My vests are a little bid grubby so I will be buying some basics and I think that’s me done!

I never wanted to spend a fortune on my wardrobe but a few nice pieces to spark it up. I will keep you informed if I buy anything else or add to it. Looking at this as a picture I know I can cut back and we have also looked at some of our hotels that have laundry service so we can invest in that and hand wash any items by taking some liquid detergent with us.