Once upon a time, those tiny bottles and miniature soaps that lined hotel sinks were filled with generic and subpar, for lack of a better word, crap. Only the most indiscriminate of guests would dare to lather up with them — and even then, it was for off-brand uses like shaving our legs with hotel conditioner. (Which, by the way, still works like a charm.)Then, suddenly it seemed that rooms were stocked with legit brands and luxurious products that we not only wanted to use, but weren’t embarrassed to scoop up and dump into our suitcases (possibly stalking unattended cleaning carts to pilfer a few more). And airlines got in on the action, treating fancy fliers sitting in the front of the plane to Dopp kits packed with petite versions of prestige skin-care offerings.
With that in mind, ahead, we rounded up our favorite beauty loot — with images of exactly what you'll get every time you fly or book a night in a hotel. Trust us — these will definitely help relieve the stress of travel.
The Brand: Le Labo
Where You'll Find It: Fairmont Hotels
Every scent this cult New York City-based fragrance brand creates is addictive — but Rose 31 stands out. Perhaps it’s because its creators have managed to make rose, a floral note associated with grandma’s potpourri, chic and pleasing.
Now, you can hoard generously sized bottles (1.5 fl. oz.) of Le Labo’s shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, and lotion — plus bar soap spiked with the perfume — if you stay at any of the Fairmont Hotel properties. Seems reason enough to book a night there, stat.
The Brand: Cowshed
Where You'll Find It: United Airlines flights
Flying in first or business class is pretty awesome in and of itself (Flat beds! Free drinks whenever you please! Edible airplane food!), but receiving a Dopp kit stocked with Cowshed goodies is a pretty nice bonus. And that’s exactly what you get when you fly United from the U.S. to some far-flung locale.
When you sit down in business class, you'll find a leather pouch on your seat packed with the British brand’s Cow Pat Moisturising Hand Cream (.34 fl. oz.), Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm, and a Chamomile Refreshing Toner Towelette, plus essentials like socks, an eye mask, and ear plugs. Meanwhile, lucky ducks in first class receive the added benefit of Jasmine Toning Eye Balm and just enough of the Quinoa face cream (.17 fl. oz.) to get them through the long flight.
The Brand: Malin+Goetz
Where You'll Find It: Morgans Hotels
Morgans Hotels is known for its cool, on-point interior designs. Every detail is considered and that extends to the rims of the sinks and showers, which are lined with aesthetically and olfactively pleasing Malin+Goetz hair- and body-care.
Created exclusively for the hip chain’s properties, including NYC’s Hudson Hotel, various Mondrians, and Miami’s iconic Delano Hotel, this deluxe sample set consists of a small Rum Bar Soap plus bottles of Rum Body Wash, Peppermint Shampoo, Cilantro Conditioner, and Vitamin B5 Body Moisturizer (all 1.35 fl. ounces). These are amenities you'll definitely want to stock up on before you ship out.
The Brand: Fresh
Where You'll Find It: Meritage Hotels
What’s better than bunking at one of Meritage’s four (soon to be five) spa-like California properties? Leaving with an armful of TSA-friendly Fresh goodies. Debuting the Fresh Amenity Collection, the hotels and resorts come fully stocked with generously sized bottles (1.35 fl. oz.) of Hesperides Grapefruit Bath & Shower Gel and Body Lotion and Seaberry Revitalizing Shampoo and Conditioner.
Bonus: Anyone shacking up in a suite will find the cult-fave Soy Face Cleanser in their colossal bathroom. Score.
The Brand: Clarins
Where You'll Find It: Air France flights
For travelers flying in the business-class section of Air France, there is skin-care salvation in the form of Clarins. Prepare for hours spent soaking up dry, re-circulated air by indulging in one of four 20-minute facials in the airport lounge.
Once on board, crack open the super-cute wash bag to reveal the usual comforts like a comb and toothpaste, and best of all a HydraQuench Cream to slather on your parched face as well as lip balm to soothe your chapped lips. If you prefer not to sleep in your makeup (you shouldn’t!), the mini beauty bar offers two types of cleansing waters to take it all off.
The Brand: Bulgari
Where You'll Find It: Emirates Airline
If you’ve seen those Jennifer Aniston ads for Emirates Airline, you know the ultra-rich don’t travel like the rest of us. Got money to burn? You can book your own private suite, luxuriate in an onboard shower, and drown your flying anxiety in fancy booze at the bar. So obviously the swankiness extends to the amenities.
The Emirates travel pack includes a scented Bulgari towelette (because a baby wipe just would not do), plus small bottles of the brand's indulgent body lotion, facial moisturizer, and even a .5-fl.-oz. flacon of its signature fresh, woody fragrance. It's basically like spending a day in a mini spa — only waking up 8,000 miles away from where you started.
The Brand: Elemis
Where You'll Find It: British Airways flights
Most of us step off the plane looking worse for the wear. But if you fly up front on BA, with all the fancy people, chances are you’ll disembark looking fresh as a daisy. The reason, you ask? The airline has teamed up with fellow Brits Elemis to put together a four-step skin-care set.
The pack includes a Soothing Apricot Facial Wipe, teeny-tiny (.2 fl. oz.) tubes of Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, and a mini Ultra Conditioning Lip Balm, which all address high-altitude-related skin-care needs.
The Brand: Red Flower
Where You'll Find It: American Airlines flights
Red Flower's ingredients and scents are inspired by beauty rituals around the world, so it seems like a no-brainer for the brand to offer travel amenities. And American Airlines offers its business and first-class passengers the appropriately named Wanderlust collection.
The fragrance is inspired by globetrotting journeys, but its aromatherapy properties also help you chill and lift the brain fog that inevitably descends during a long flight. Use the included .34-fl.-oz. Moisture Balance Face Cream, .5-fl.-oz. Soothing Hand and Body Lotion, Nourishing Lip Balm, and Reviving Hand and Face Towelette liberally and often throughout your flight. (And ask for a refill if you need one!)
The Brand: Birchbox
Where You'll Find It: JetBlue flights
Flying in JetBlue’s new-ish first-class section, Mint? You’re in for a treat. Birchbox has collaborated with the airline on a deluxe kit designed to help you look fresh when you disembark. There's a "grooming option" for dudes, FYI.
To keep things interesting, Birchbox will be switching up the offerings every few months. The current assortment includes a mini tube of Eyeko Black Magic Mascara (clutch after a red-eye), a .17-fl.-oz. tube of Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré (a pro travel staple), a .34-fl.-oz. tube of Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum (don't forget to wear SPF in flight), and a .5-fl.-oz. jar of Number 4 Fluoro5 Elixer Oil. Sign. Us. Up.
The Brand: Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Where You'll Find It: Baccarat Hotel in New York City
Legendary French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian had whipped up fragrances for just about everyone when he decided to create his own namesake, ultra-luxe perfume line. One of his latest — Rouge 540 — is inspired by New York City’s super-posh Baccarat (as in the crystal) Hotel, and is now available beyond the original 250 hand-signed, crystal-flacon-encapsulated versions.
If you happen to find yourself ensconced in one of the hotel’s obscenely fancy rooms, you will find shampoo, conditioner, body cream, and a candle infused with Kurkdjian's intoxicating woody creation. Or you can just splash out for the fragrance, hang out in the lobby, and pretend you’re a high roller.
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