Frequent travel often calls for a pared-down beauty routine, but what if your trip entails six nights spent on a luxury Silverseas cruise around NZ’s north island? Beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti shares her cruise beauty essentials.
“What on earth should I pack?” was one of the first thoughts that crossed
As one of the largest ships in Silverseas’ celestial-themed fleet, our six-day trip on the Silver Nova saw 728 guests and 544 crew embark in Auckland before setting sail for Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier, before we disembarked in Wellington and the ship continued its voyage across the Tasman, bound for Hobart and finishing in Melbourne.
While I was confident that the amenities on board a ship as grand as the Silver Nova would be impressive (spoiler: they were), the beauty editor in me knew it would be against my better judgement to not pack a handful of my trusted beauty essentials.
So with that, I retrieved my two toiletry cases (yes, two) and started packing. I typically travel with a smaller case to house my hair and body essentials (including three hairbrushes — a comb, Tangle Teezer and boar bristle) and a second case to house my skincare and makeup.
If this sounds high maintenance, that’s probably because it is. Read on for every item I packed for six days spent in the lap of luxury this summer.
Sunscreen
Because I’m a serial over-packer, I took two sunscreens — one which I layered under makeup and one worn over bare skin. The new Emma Lewisham Sunceutical SPF 50 Mineral Face Crème, $85, sits beautifully under makeup — the blush pink skincare-suncare hybrid spreads evenly over skin and perfectly preps it for the steps to follow. The recently renovated mineral sunscreen offers broad-spectrum SPF 50 protection with a 20% concentration of zinc oxide, to fend off both UVA and UVB rays, while niacinamide, biopeptides and saccahride isomerate help brighten, restore and hydrate skin.
La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+, $30, is another in my regular rotation, which I love to apply over bare skin for its ability to impart a healthy-looking glow. It contains the innovative new UVMune filter which takes broad spectrum protection to a whole new level, yet the formula is gentle enough for use on even the most sensitive skin types.
Skincare
While most people would opt for a simplified skincare routine when travelling, exposure to the elements (hello, UV rays) alongside regular dips in a chlorinated pool called for products to protect and repair.
For this reason, I stashed a bottle of makeup artist favourite Lancôme Génifique Ultimate Serum, $260, which helps to soothe and hydrate skin, reducing redness and irritation thanks to its blend of beta-glucan, pre- and probiotic fractions, hyaluronic acid and licorice extract.
Next, a pipette of the Dr Lara Devgan Vitamin CBE Ferulic Serum, $272. It smells like shaved ham (as many ferulic acid-based serums often can) but the skin benefits make it worth the stench. The formula is brimming with antioxidants to fend off environmental stress, promote an even skin tone and leave skin hydrated and plump.
I’ve been obsessed with Estee Lauder’s cult-favourite Advanced Night Repair Serum for as long as I can remember, and the eye cream version is equally impressive. Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Cream, $160, targets dark circles, lines and signs of eye ageing with the brand’s exclusive night peptide ingredient, suspended in a gel-creme texture which is a delight to apply.
A layer of Aspect Platinum Optimum Hydration, $192, locked in all the goodness from the products layered underneath — a creamy moisturiser that promises to offer skin a dose of hydration with hyaluronic acid and enzymes to balance, soothe and restore.
Hair care
My hair doesn’t tend to play ball when I deviate too far from my regular routine, so for this reason I stashed miniature versions of Auckland hairstylist Chloe Zara’s Silk Hair Wash and Silk Hair Condition, $92 (for the full-sized duo). She’s since re-branded to CZE Hair in the time since I was kindly gifted these travel-sized minis, but the science-backed formulation remains the same. Together, the Silk Hair range helps to gently cleanse hair without leaving it feel stripped or dry, with ingredients that help to hydrate, restructure, strengthen and nourish.
As we were spending a lot of time outdoors for our shore excursions, I wanted to bring products to help smooth flyaways and lend shine when pulling my hair back into a slicked high ponytail or topknot. The CZE Styling Defining Creme, $52, did just that, I used it like you would a gel to smooth strands, except it didn’t leave my hair with that “crunch” you can often get from slicked styles.
Body care
I was fairly confident that I’d be happy using the supplied body products in our en suite, and Silversea’s Otium-branded body care smelled as heavenly as it was to apply.
Both the shower gel and body lotion felt luxurious, smooth in texture and left my skin feeling hydrated and nourished after. They were also the cornerstone in what was known as the Otium Shower Ritual, an experience set up by our personal butler, Chester, who delivered faux candles, chocolate truffles and an effervescent shower steamer to enjoy one evening.
In my personal arsenal, a travel-sized bottle of the Sans Ceuticals Activator 7 Body + Hair + Face Oil, $79 (for the full size), which earned a spot in my toiletry case for its multi-functionality, and I applied this to sun-warmed limbs post-swim, over my facial moisturiser in the evenings, and to smooth any frizz or flyaway hairs.
My latest obsession is the Bonnie Golden Gradual Tanning Lotion, $42, which rivals some of the big-name tanning brands in my opinion. I used the medium-dark version twice while we were away, for more of an instant tan than a gradual faux glow.
Makeup
It’s rare for me to go completely makeup-free, so naturally my tried-and-true makeup favourites had to come with me.
Easily one of my favourite products from dupe brand MCo Beauty is the MCo Beauty Xtend Lash Mascara, $30, which promises to create maximum definition, length and hold. If you’re a fan of Hourglass Unlocked Extensions Mascara, you’ll love this.
Fragrance
Abel Pink Iris Mini, $55. This scent has long been my go-to, and I practically squealed with delight when Abel released it in miniature. It’s floral, yes, with notes of orris root, rose and jasmine, but the addition of Sichuan pepper adds an unexpected element. It’s become a comfort blanket of sorts, and elicits compliments wherever I go.
Packing Notes
Quick tips and things you need-to-know
- Despite packing everything besides the kitchen sink, my biggest error related to the hot styling tools I’d toted. My curling wand and straightening iron went unused for six days for that reason – it didn’t fit any of the plugs. Had I known, I would’ve rushed out to buy an adaptor. Thankfully, there’s a Parlux hairdryer in the bathroom so I mostly styled my hair into a blowout or a sleek bun for fancy dinners.
- The room didn’t include a shaving kit either, so keep that in mind if you’re wanting to go fuzz-free while onboard. I made a dash to the chemist in Tauranga.
- Beauty tools like scissors aren’t permitted onboard for safety reasons, but a nail file is a good idea to keep hangnails at bay.
- If you’re prone to sea sickness, a bottle of Sea Legs wouldn’t go amiss. Our cruise was mostly calm, except for our final night which had us feeling like we’d had more than one glass of champagne with dinner.
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