Let’s face it. While we all dream about traversing through the Himalayas or deep diving into the Great Barrier Reef, there are times when traveling doesn’t look all that glamorous. Sometimes, we lose our toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and god-forbid our underwear. We won’t talk about HOW we lost our underwear, that will be saved for another post *wink wink*. It happens, when we’re on the road full-time, we take what we can get. Cold showers? We’re a pro. Gross hostel bathrooms? No worries! Repeating the same outfit at least 30 times? Please, that’s what accessories are for! We’re good at looking like we have it all together through those little squares and posts we see on social media.
The Stinky Truth
What no one knows is that we haven’t showered in the past three days, there’s a stench that follows us, and we really need to find some clean underwear. Or socks; dirty, smelly socks are the absolute worst. Imagine backpacking through Europe, hopping around Asia, or hitchhiking all the way down South America. What did you imagine? Cute outfits, cute people, adventure? Did you picture losing your backpack, having your shoes break, or not having running water to bathe yourself? Probably not. The stinky truth is that when we travel for long periods of times, things get lost, and we don’t always get a comfortable bed to sleep on or a hot shower to sing under.
To make sure you look your #selfie best, and because I want y’all to look good (in general), here’s how NOT to look dirty while traveling. Trust me, you WILL look dirty at least once on your trip. I’m here to make sure that your dirty still looks dang good!
- DRY SHAMPOO
Oh yes, dry shampoo works wonders! I’ve had short hair for almost 10 years now, and unfortunately, don’t have the luxury of pulling my hair into a ponytail. Dry shampoo always comes in handy because if I’m dealing with “interesting” hostel bathrooms or no hot water, a little spritz and I’m good to go! It also makes my hair look much more voluminized and hides the oily roots! Ladies, it’s necessary. Grab a travel size and bring it with you for those just in-case no shower moments.
- A good lipstick, some mascara, and blush
When you’re tired, sleepy, and look like a zombie, a pop of color can kick some life back into you. My go-to’s while traveling are always lipstick, mascara, and a bit of blush. I usually don’t wear makeup much while I’m on the road, but these three little things can really brighten up my face and make me feel more energized! I always opt for a bold, red lipstick, black black mascara, and a little rosy blush.
- Fresh Wave Odor Removing products
Ever felt like people could smell you from a mile away? This is when Fresh Wave comes in. Their products smell great and don’t use harmful chemicals or poison the environment. They’re made with all natural ingredients like water and plant extracts from lime, pine needle, aniseed, clove, and cedarwood. When I travel, I pack a travel size odor removing spray and odor removing packs. The spray is just the right size to bring on your carry-on and spritz on the clothes that lived through a great adventure. I use the packs when I prep my luggage. They’re small and perfect to fit in different pockets to get rid of all the dirty deeds you got into the night before (just kidding, sortof).
- Moisturizer (and probably sunscreen)
There’s nothing like the thrill of moving around and sleeping in strange places! I’ve slept in the airport, on a train, on a bus, on a boat, on the floor, on a stranger’s couch I met in Munich, and other various places. What happens to your face is that it absorbs all those strange toxins, air molecules, and more. Gross. This also makes my face extremely dry, pale, and dull. Everywhere I go, I always make sure to pack my favorite travel sized moisturizer with me! It hydrates my face and gives me LIFEEE! This is especially a must after getting off of a plane and sharing the same air with who knows who…
- Scented body lotion
I’m not a big perfume person. I’ve never liked the idea of putting it on, probably because I never found a scent that I really loved. What I do like are scented body lotions. No, not those cheap ones you get from the drugstore that make you smell like too much of something. I love lightly scented ones that double as body lotion and add a nice scent to your everyday. If you haven’t taken a shower in a few days or your clothes are smelling a bit weird, perfume may “mask” the smell, but scented body lotion won’t be as strong! I make sure to carry a bottle everywhere I go!
The Dirty Details
There’s only so much you can do to mask over all of the dirty details, clothes, and hair. While a lot of these products are great for covering up the stinky truth we all like to hide, Fresh Wave is one product that will completely remove odors. There are a few combinations of how Fresh Wave and my four other go-to products can go hand in hand:
Dry shampoo + Fresh Wave Odor Removing Spray = Messy, tousled, and volumized hair with clean, fresh, smelling clothes!
Good lipstick, mascara, and blush + Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs = A pop of color and vibrancy and a clean bag that’s actually hiding all your dirty secrets!
Moisturizer + Fresh Wave Odor Removing Spray = Hydrated, bright face after a night of drinking and clothes that don’t wreak of alcohol and smoke!
Scented body lotion + Fresh Wave Odor Removing Packs = So you don’t smell like alcohol sweat because you’re hungover and your clothes don’t smell of regrets!
Smelling & Looking Fabulous
Social media may give others the illusion that we’ve got it all together, we’re having the time of our life, or we are wearing clean underwear. BUT – I know your dirty little secrets, and I know you’re probably not wearing underwear. HAH! Just kidding, this post is getting a bit raunchy, isn’t it?! The trick to convincing everyone that you’re NOT dirty is to make sure you smell good and at least don’t look hungover all the time. Creating a “NO REGRETS & NO SMELL” travel pack with all of these items could actually save your butt. Maybe today is the day you meet your foreign soulmate and you haven’t washed your clothes in days? Spray some fresh waves and start smelling and looking fabulous. You may end up on the Quirky Pineapple as an International Couple *wink wink*!
What do you use to make sure you don’t look dirty while traveling? Have some tips? Share them in the comments below!
*This post was sponsored by Fresh Wave. As always, all opinions are my own. Y’all know I want you to smell good anyways… ya nasties.
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You made me laugh throughout reading this article! Great tips & must buy this product for my next travels!
It´s a real struggle for sure! Just as I´m clean again it´s time to hit the roads again. It´s a never ending story, but I like it!
Hahahaha! Sometimes it’s all the dirt and grime that really stick to us… I’ve had moments where I felt like I needed to shower twice just to make sure I was actually clean and smelled decent!
Wish any of that could help me after the Sahara desert but even though I showered twice I still look like a mess. With a purpur nose I might ad! ?
Im beyond pretending?