Beauty advice for the frequent flyer

ARRIVALS: The Obamas may be able to step off the plane looking good, but for the rest of us it isn't that easy.

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I love reading reports that announce the arrival of Hollywood celebrities at some fabulous destination or other.

"A gorgeous Jessica Simpson seemed to be enjoying her day as she stepped off at London's Heathrow Airport," gushes one celebrity website, while across the pond at LAX, Victoria Beckham "breezed past paparazzi after a flight from Milan, looking like she had just stepped out of a beauty salon".

That's all well and good for the privileged few who sit at the pointy end of the plane every time they leave the country. If I had the opportunity of travelling in first class, even I could arrive at my destination looking like a rock star.

In the real world, however, most of us fly in cattle class, where you quickly discover that attempts at looking good are a lost cause.

But it's not just in the air where beauty junkies are challenged. Thanks to increasingly stingy airline baggage allowances, looking your best while you are on holiday can also prove to be a dilemma.

When flying long haul, Emirates has an allowance in economy class of 30 kilograms (except on flights involving North America and Brazil). Most other airlines, including Qantas, Virgin Atlantic and Thai Airways, allow 23 but budget carriers such as Jetstar only allow 20.

So what's a beauty junkie to do? By the time you've packed all your goodies, from basics such as body wash and shampoo to essentials such as fake tanner, anti-ageing serum and facial scrub, there's precious little room left for anything else.

The good news is there are clever ways to trim down the number of products you travel with. For example, there are more multitasking beauty products on the market today, from body washes you can also shave with to exfoliators that can be used on the face and body.

Increasingly, more men are admitting to using their female partners' products, which means there are certain things you can share on the road. A survey carried out by a US-based men's grooming website in 2007 revealed that seven out of 10 men admitted to using beauty products designed for women, largely thanks to a greater awareness among males of the importance of good grooming.

But there are some rules you need to follow when sharing. For one, men are generally happy to use products where there is less distinction between the sexes, typically basics such as body lotion and shampoo. What they don't like, however, are products that have a particularly feminine fragrance or that look too girlie.

On the flip side, women are also dipping into personal care products designed for men. For example, shaving gels and creams are one of "his" things that women often steal from their partners, myself included. Ideally, however, the best ones for women should be free of fragrance and aimed at people with sensitive skin.

The only potential area of possible trouble in grooming - and for good reason - is skincare. A man's facial skin differs from a woman's in many ways, including thickness and oiliness, and it is often more irritated and dehydrated as a result of shaving.

As a result, it's better that you both stick to your own moisturisers but there are still ways to economise on weight. One is to buy travel-sized versions of your favourite products or pour a little of them into smaller containers. This will leave a bit of extra space for those strappy sandals you just have to take with you.

After all, a girl should be rewarded for being innovative, right?

- © Fairfax NZ News