I have been packing for our upcoming trip to France. Once again, The Frenchman and I are headed to his motherland. Once again, the summer area of his motherland. The Côte d’Azur.
A sight I never tire of. Happy Landings!
Although we have been staying at our apartment rental for the past 15 years, I have not traveled light. I travel heavy. And by that, I mean, I travel with checked-in luggage. Every year, I ponder bringing only a carry-on but my husband continues to remind me he paid for the tickets which include one checked-in piece of luggage per person. I shall return to this thought as my mind is randomly wandering.
We shall return to this subject in a moment!
The past month, I’ve been working on an important project at work. Auditors will be visiting the hospital and I’m diligently working on an Excel workbook that is so unforgiving, I feel that I could possibly become a patient in the very hospital in which the State of Pennsylvania employs me. Truth be told, I happen to enjoy working on this project immensely because I can work independently and my office is delightfully quiet. My goal was to finish the project before traveling and I have reached that goal. It is such a satisfying feeling.
My life as I know it. But I am loving what I’m doing.
So then just why is packing such a pain-in-the-ass? We’re going to be gone for two weeks. (My son will be house-sitting because he is on hiatus from work for a few summer weeks.) That means packing a plethora of clothing. That means swimwear. Enough for two weeks. I am not bringing a bathing suit; I am bringing several. I am also bringing whatever clothing suits my moods!
Wear the shorts too. And the short dress. Nobody cares. We are only important to ourselves!
It also means packing sundresses. Not just one but a few. And lightweight linen pants. And tops. And underwear. And various pairs of sandals. And coverups for the beach and pool. And wigs. Quite an assortment of wigs.
This madras frock from Free People is discontinued. I’m glad I purchased it on sale. Cotton. Breathable. Comfortable. I can tell you now, it’ll be a “most-worn” dress!
In fact, all of these dresses are packed. The second from left dress is embarking upon it’s fourth return!
In addition, it means packing chargers for small electronics and the cords. And my journals. And books to read whilst lolling at the pool like the princess I am. And tweezers for those chin hairs that pop up on the hour. And earrings and other inexpensive bijou. I never travel with good jewelry.
One of my journals. I’ve already written a grocery list.
And all that stuff, in addition to beach towels and sheets (Yes. We pack sheets for the car rental because we want to keep the back clean of beach sand so we cover the seats and trunk with sheets. Crazy? Not when the car rental charges one for cleaning the vehicle.
My oversized pink Samsonite suitcase gets filthier by the year. This year I purchased a cover for it. I’ll show ya later!
There is also no way I’m wearing a sun dress to a fancy restaurant. It’s our vacation. We dress for dinner. We like to. And in St. Tropez, I want to look halfway decent—especially when we visit my Father-In-Law’s grave—I want to be respectful.
This maxi dress. It’s the third year in a row I’m packing this. It’s perfect to wear to dinner.
Let’s face it. And it’s fine if you disagree with me but we’ve, as a society, become too casual. I’m uncomfortable traveling and looking like a slob. I want to respect the places I travel too and want the locals to see that not all Americans dress in pajama bottoms and flip-flops while playing tourist.
This year’s travel ensemble. The joggers are from two years ago-J. Crew. The shoes Repetto. I decided on navy because I’m tired of black. The sleeveless Tee is from Old Navy. It’s an incredibly comfortable look without appearing like a slob. My husband questioned wearing the shirt as it can get cold in the air. My life is one hot flash so it won’t be bothersome. Besices, it’ll be hot when we land in Nice. I need to be prepared!
These days, it seems that carry-on luggage is the only way to travel—according to a great number of travelers—especially on social media. I’m both fascinated and flummoxed as to how someone can travel for over a month with only a carry on. These travelers proudly proclaim that they can wear the same outfit multiple days in a row—even in hot climates. Sorry not sorry but I sweat like a ho in church and I need clean clothing every day. Granted I have the luxury of a washing machine at the apartment, but I still want a personal choice of clothing to don my old-lady body.
My carry on. A Longchamp weekender purchased in Paris..or was it Nice, some years ago. It has a should strap which makes it even better. I have a number of wigs packed in here.
Some of the wigs. But there’s more…
And they are all packed. Ladies. I tell you, even if you are blessed with a full head of bio hair, buy a couple of wigs for vacation. You can swim all day then plop a wig upon your head when you head to dinner or a club. You’re welcome!
Believe me, I am not condoning those who travel with but a carry-on. However, those of us who check luggage do not need to be shamed for it nor do we need to listen to the constant pontification of how carry-on luggage is better and how those who travel with carry-ons only are the pro travelers.
And here it is. A delightfully tacky cover over my filthy suitcase, my carryon and my “travel” purse, a LV vintage Randonee GM” I’m all set.
I’ve seen you at the gate. You do have a carry-on. And you also have a backpack larger than the carry-on piece which you claim as your “personal” item. And I’ve sat next you and your personal item that took up most of the floor space in our row. You are the ones who will also show up with a plastic bag or two chock-full of other items. You are the ones who will also try to stuff all your shit in the overhead leaving others sleuthing down space for our one piece.
Yeah. I see you buddy. You’ll be at my gate. You’ll be sitting across from me hogging up all the overhead space. Not on my flight.
So please don’t shame those of us who chose to check our luggage. I’m not that person who has a capsule wardrobe at home so I’m not going to travel with a capsule wardrobe!
A lot of thought went into packing this suitcase ..and a lot of stuff was, to be honest, just thrown in.
I realize that airlines lose luggage. I’ve had that happen to me and received my luggage a few days later. I get that. But I’m taking my chances by placing an Apple Air Tag in my suitcase and we will see what transpires.
I also realize that luggage isn’t handled with care. That’s why I don’t buy expensive suitcases.
This brings me to another thing. I travel with quite a bit of skincare and beauty items. Having these items close at hand makes me feel better. And with that, at my advanced age, I’m becoming more particular about what I put on my face. Especially since these days the price of drug store makeup and skin care is climbing the dollar ladder to just under luxury pricing.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I decided to purchase items by Typology. Typology is a French brand that sells online. There are a couple of pop-up stores in Paris, located within department stores. The brand is also vegan and sustainable.
Another brand I’ve tried for you!
I purchased the following:
Glow Drops: These have a serum-like consistency. One or two drops will give your face a beautiful glow. You can also tone the glow down by mixing it with moisturizer. This product soaks into your skin without leaving a filmy or greasy feel. For summer, this is fantastic after being kissed with color by the sun. For winter it will give a nice glow to dry skin. I’m very happy with this.
The Glow Drops. So Nice!
Lip Oil. Ohhhhhhhhhh. I purchased the shade, Powder Pink. This is a wonderful product. It isn’t too “oily” and leaves the lips soft. I like to use this over my bare lips and sometimes apply the Merit lip oil over it or an inexpensive lip gloss. Most times I just leave in on alone. It doesn’t last all day but what it does do is softens the lips and gives a nice flush of color.
The Lip Oil is so pretty. Don’t mind my nails. They have been destroyed by working at the hospital. Tomorrow I have a mani-pedi appointment!
Tinted Serum: This is the wonder product. I was floored when I applied this the first time. It’s a serum but the tint is amazing. It blends into the skin so well and you cannot even see that you are wearing product. For the first time in my 69 years, I cannot spot any caked-on product in my fine lines and wrinkles. It tones down the redness of my skin and I was left speechless. In fact, there is no way I will go back to any foundation. This is for every mature woman out there. I have the shade light. With a tan, it’ll be too fair for me so I’ll be ordering another in a darker shade.
I’m ga-ga over this stuff! It’s amazing.
Tinted Concealer: I’m not much of a concealer person so I purchased this on a whim. A tiny bit is all that is needed. A very tiny bit. It works very well to cover the blue areas between the nose and eyes. However, since I use less product in the summer—this will be great for winter.
Since just a minute amount is needed, this’ll last a long time!
Eye Serum: This is supposed to work for dark circles, of which I don’t have, and bags under the eye of which I do slightly have. For me, one drop is all that is needed for both under eyes. This doesn’t get rid of the slight bags but it does assist in making my under-eye area appear less lined and softer. It has a slight bit of plumpness but for the most part, I am a fan of the hydration it offers.
The eye serum. You might not think of purchasing but after a while, you’ll be happy you did!
100% Squalane Serum for Dry Skin: Again, not much is needed. I use two drops from the dropper and this spreads over my face in a most luxurious way. It soaks into the skin as opposed to sitting atop it. I use this in morning and night.
Nine Ingredient Soothing Face Serum: This white serum is another gem. Soaks in and feels great.
I think this is my favorite of the serums.
Nourishing Moisturizer. Wow! Now this is a moisturizer. You need but a touch. Don’t overdo it because this spreads generously over the face and really does a great job of hydrating!
The moisturizer is also quite wonderful!
Now—here’s the weird thing about the Typology products. It isn’t until after using them for a few days that you see such a subtle difference. I’m not lying. I received the products about two weeks ago. And the other day, I noticed that my skin looked better.
I have them at the ready in my bathroom. All products are TSA-approved but I may leave them home because I don’t want to chance anything breaking.
Did I look ten or twenty years younger? Of course not! Only a face lift will do that for me. However, my skin looked healthier and in better condition. Proof of this is an age spot on the side of my face. It is still there but it’s lighter.
I certainly don’t look younger but after a couple of weeks with these products, I’m liking the way my skin looks. The skin tint is incredible. See how even my skin tone is?
Another asset is the size of the bottles. They are smaller than the usual sizes. At first my thinking was that I paid a good amount of money for less product. But, since only one or two drops is all that’s needed, you don’t go through the bottles and tubes the way one normally does. Speaking for myself, I’ve always been heavy-handed with skincare products. With Typology, I’ve learned that less is more.
I’m not an affiliate nor am I sponsored for this. I purchased these items to try them so I could tell you how I feel about them. These are no BS products. And they work well.
Give it a go. I think you’ll like it.
Let’s see how much more I can stuff into my luggage!
Those plastic bags from Temu are fantastic packing accessories. I’ve rolled clothing and placed them in the bags. Thank God after all the packing, my little makeup room will be back to normal!
Now that summer is upon us and after tomorrow, the days will get shorter, enjoy the longer days while we have them! The winter will be here before you know it!
Plenty of sunscreen, Lip Oil, Sunglasses are all you need in this weather!