Not only is New York a 22-hour flight from Sydney, but it’s also sweaty, humid, and can leave you slick with grime after only a couple of blocks. Come September fashion week, the assaults on skin just increase ten-fold: late nights, early starts, and a diet that’s 80 per cent caffeine and 20 per cent carbohydrates (spicy rigatoni from Carbone, if you’re interested). It’s for that reason that picking out skincare to take was important (second only to my passport, if I’m being honest). I wanted stuff that worked and had relatively instantaneous results but wouldn’t irritate or make me break out. The results? Tried-and-true favourites, plus a few hard workers that are perfect for travel.

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water

This product is a staple for literally everyone (makeup artists, beauty editors, skin therapists) because it’s simple and effective and doesn’t irritate the skin or cost a lot. It’s a micellar water, so perfect for removing makeup thoroughly late at night and while flying. If you’re only away for a short period of time, it’s all you need.

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Water, $30. SHOP NOW

La Mer The Regenerating Serum

This newly launched serum couldn’t have been more welcome addition on this trip. La Mer is known for its supremely luxurious formulas jam-packed with miracle broth, and this one absolutely lived up to the brand’s extremely high standards. It’s milky but light, almost like a gel-cream hybrid that literally melts like butter. It’s got lime tea and the storied algae ferment for firming and protecting collagen stores. Because miracle broth is so soothing, it was perfect for nixing irritation as a result of flying and jet lag, too.

 

La Mer The Regenerating Serum, $490. SHOP NOW

Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion

This lotion is a true miracle worker and one of my favourite chemical exfoliants out there (the other is Rationale’s Catalyst Serum, which I also really love). No trip to NYC for me is complete without a Biologique Recherche facial at Rescue Spa in Flatiron, so it felt right to take my P50 along. It’s called ‘facial in a bottle’ on the Internet, and while it smells like salad dressing, the stories are true. A few swipes before bed and you will wake up with brighter, clearer, more refined skin. The smell, by the way, is thanks to the addition of horseradish and vinegar and the absence of fragrance-masking ingredients (which are a potential irritant). It’s an AHA and BHA formula, so will work on all sorts of ailments from congestion to lines.

Biologique Recherche P50 Lotion, $91. SHOP NOW

Rationale Immunologist Ultracreme 

An old favourite, this day moisturiser really works for my combination to dry skin. It’s relatively light but still feels nice and dewy, and it’s loaded with antioxidants, so is great under SPF for protecting the skin from non-UVA/UVB aggressors like pollution – which is plentiful in NYC, let me tell you.

Rationale Immunologist Ultracreme, $175. SHOP NOW

Ultra Violette Supreme Screen SPF 50+

I typically find that I like the feel of chemical sunscreens better on my face (especially somewhere humid like NYC in late summer). What’s great about this Australian formula is that it has broad spectrum coverage, a super light, clean feel on the skin, and is the perfect base for makeup, no matter how long my day is. It’s really hydrating, so it can double up as a moisturiser when you’re travelling, too.

Ultra Violette Supreme Screen Hydrating Facial Sunscreen SPF 50+, $45. SHOP NOW

Dollar Hippy Club Jade Gua Sha

If the flying/rose/truffle fries at Sel Rose don’t make you puffy, you must be superhuman. I for one am a constantly inflated mess when I travel, so a gua sha tool is particularly useful (jade rollers are also lovely, but I find the gua sha gives me more power and control). I use it in the morning to really carve out what little bone structure I’ve got and move fluid from around my eyes and cheeks down and out towards the lymph nodes. I also grind my teeth, so a little pressure where the jaw meets the skull is painful but worth it. Pop it in the mini bar fridge if the hotel AC hasn’t chilled it enough before you use it of a morning. If it’s been a long day, run it under hot water at night too and use it to massage serums in. If you’re not sure what you’re doing or where these lymph nodes are, this tutorial is useful.

Dollar Hippy Club Jade Gua Sha, $33. SHOP NOW