msdiggerj

Hi all - we have been on our Alaskan cruise and returned safe and sound.  It was amazing!  Just as a follow up, at the last minute I became so overwhelmed with packing that I put all toiletries, including my makeup in our hanging toiletry bag and placed it in the checked luggage bag.  I did put anything liquid into small ziploc baggies in case they were to break or spill.  Thankfully, the toiletry bag and makeup survived the checked bag to Seattle and back.  No leaks or issues.  I do appreciate the advice on decanting some items; that saved quite a bit of room in the toiletry bag.  Thanks again for all of the tips!

Your trip review is wonderful!  We had an amazing time, as well.  I'm sorry we missed meeting you and your wife; we were in a Neptune Suite, too.  We were thoroughly impressed with Holland America and with our first cruise experience.  We would definitely go again.  Didn't you love the port authority worker sending us off in style with the saxophone?

14 hours ago, NorthernLite said:

I try to stay minimalist on trips and so my make up and medicine and Nook go in my small item Vera Bradley bag. My brush set I toss into a checked bag last thing along with my make up mirror (wheelchair user and theirsee are never where I can use it). Flights to and from I have discovered Magic! Clinique now sells actual tint in a BIY (Blend It Yourself) very tiny plastic squeeze bottle. You find your tint then a few drops can be added to moisturizer or color corrector and mixed on the back of your hand then just apply liberally. I have tried many tinted moisturizers and none seem moist enough so this is perfect for me. You can also add it to sunscreen. I save foundation for evenings and I get compliments about being younger than I am. I also just found 2 new MAC eye shadows for summer and one easily doubles as a tiny bit of blush which I normally do not wear. What I pack going in checked baggage are make off remover towelettes and just leave any I do not use onboard. As long as you close the pouch anD then turn it over so weight keeps it sealed a 24 pack stays damp for a full 24 day B2B like we do most Januarys. This next trip starts in Barcelona and end a week after we hit Greenwich 14 days later so I will bring a long a few single samplers for those last few nights. I need to get in my beauty sleep as we head to Chicago tomorrow for a relaxed night before a late flight to Spain on Friday and we board the Journey on Tuesday.

Thank you for the tips; much appreciated!  I love Clinique products so I'll look for the BIY tint. 

Your trip sounds amazing - have a fantastic time!

On 5/18/2019 at 1:36 PM, GlennaRoseGoes said:

Ahhhhh......I’ve heard of the Miami and FLL ports having similar programs, but I didn’t know any of the NW or Alaska ports did this. Sounds like a great idea, but I personally would be a little suspicious!

 

I travel pretty much exclusively carry-on but don’t go super minimal with make up. I decant foundation and B.B. cream into these tiny tubes: https://camerareadycosmetics.com/products/yaby-12-ml-refillable-empty-tubes-pack-of-3. A cream blush (I have one from Kevin Aucoin) can do double duty as a lip tint AND can be blended with fingers or Beauty Blender (no need for additional tools). IF I take a setting powder, I decant my huge Laura Mercier container into a tiny jar (either old Sephora sample or new one from Container Store) and take this retractable kabuki brush which packs down pretty well: https://www.sephora.com/product/kabuki-brush-P384066?om_mmc=ppc-GG_1533944608_60212794764_pla-300930874042_1578137_291191670156_9061214_t&country_switch=us&lang=en&ds_rl=1261471&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2v7mBRC1ARIsAAiw34_cRKkSdu27kVOCNSDrHDr0uUCkQJ4we3X9JPBerF58OMYdv_u5eUoaAo3wEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

Yes, Seattle is one of the ports with this program but I found out today it's $19.95 per person so we'll be skipping it! 

Thanks so much for the link to the camera ready tiny tubes; these are fabulous!  I'm going to get a pack so I can decant foundation and moisturizer.  These will save me tons of space in toiletries bag.

It's so beautiful there today!  Hope it's this way 5 weeks from today.

Just got here, I don't think I've missed them yet.

8 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Go for it!!!  Give your face a vacation, let it breathe!!   I'm 65.  At work, I do my mimimalist deal every day (my bronzer is the Too Faced Chocolate Gold Soleil powder in a compact - looks great and it really tastes like chocolate when you get some on your lips).   No one at work believes I'm 65 - they think I'm maybe 55.  I truly believe that's due to being a minimalist all my life with my face!  Well, that and coloring my hair (just got my Summer Blonde highlights put in today in advance of my trip to Florida).

 

I can't stand wearing makeup when I fly - it's just my moisturizer and let the rest of it go natural.  It's not like I'm going to be having high tea with Queen Elizabeth 😉

 

I've been hearing a lot about bronzers lately.  Can you tell me the difference between that and pressed powder?  Is it better for mature skin?  I feel my makeup routine needs a facelift (ha) but I'm intimidated by the abundance of product out there.  Also, I'm not confident in having a twenty-something at the Ulta counter try to advise me concerning my 50 year old skin.🤣

10 hours ago, GlennaRoseGoes said:

Can’t you just put your makeup bag in your purse, disembark, then place it in your suitcase once reunited with it? Your checked bag isn’t going straight from outside your cabin to your final destination without you seeing it again, right?

Well, I've been told the port authority in Seattle has a program where if we fill out the forms prior to leaving the ship, our checked bag will be taken directly to the airport, we'll be checked in and won't see the bag again until we arrive back at our home airport.  I was considering using this program so that's what prompted me to think I wouldn't see the makeup kit again if it's in the checked bag.  However, I can't confirm this program is true (and whether I trust it) so if we stick to the normal way of doing things, yes, I should be able to put the clear bag of makeup in my purse, leave the ship and place in the checked bag when we are reunited.

Thanks everyone for all of the helpful advice.  I've decided to take the makeup in my carry-on.  I don't have that many pieces to carry and my liquid foundation is in a 1 oz bottle; way less than the 3 oz rule.  I'll put it all in a clear quart bag and stop over thinking it.  I know this seemed a silly question but I honestly had hit a point where my brain was too full with trip madness.  This trip has had so many layers to plan (thank goodness we've had 6 months to do it) and this simple decision seemed like a mountain to climb.🤪 

1 hour ago, lab_love123 said:

I always keep my makeup in my carry-on. I've had tubes explode and pressed powders cracked a few times when I keep in checked luggage... and it's too expensive to have to chance having to replace it after travelling! Most liquid makeup is less than 3oz, and if you don't use a lot of liquid makeup, you don't have to keep most of it in the TSA-approved bag. I don't really like too much liquid makeup, so most of my stuff are powders.

 

If your makeup doesn't fit this approach and you want smaller containers of makeup, you could check out stores like Ulta or Sephora. Right by the registers, they have displays with smaller, sample sizes of stuff. For foundation, you can always ask for a sample at Sephora. They can sometimes give you a tiny sample. Not enough for multiple applications - but enough for a single day. 

Thank you for this helpful advice.  I hadn't thought about how the rough ride in checked luggage might damage pressed powders, etc.  And you are right, makeup is too expensive to have it damaged that way.  I've decided to put all of the makeup in my carry-on.

8 hours ago, slidergirl said:

How much makeup do you need to wear?   Do you need to wear a full-face for travel?  You can do like Daisyloo said and just add it to your big bags between picking it up act the terminal and transferring to your next mode of transportation.  Or, you can make room for it in your carryon.  Or, go minimalistic - moisturizer, maybe eyeliner, maybe brow (if you have none left, like me), and go.  I'm minimalistic 90% of my time anyway - I add some bronzer to my pale white face before I go to work, but that's it and I'm fine with it.  I live my my grandma's words she told me when I was first able to do makeup: "you don't need to tart yourself like a Shanghai whore."  Yes, she really said that!!!  Remember, back in the day pre-Mao, Shanghai was a rather risqué place, opium dens, brothels, speakeasys, gambling.  I guess some movies she saw had all those "painted ladies" or she had some friends who served in the Navy who told her about Shanghai...

Love your grandma's advice, slidergirl!  I'm certain both of my granny's would agree with her! 🤣  I don't wear heavy makeup, just enough to keep from scaring people.  HA!  This trip is to celebrate my 50th birthday so I should learn to embrace the "real" me, scary face and all, right? 

Hi all, quick question - heading to Alaska on HAL next month -first cruise and first trip to Alaska.  I was planning on packing my makeup bag in the checked luggage but it hit me last night that our travel agent mentioned we would need to place any checked luggage out in the hallway the night before disembarkation.  How do I put my makeup on the morning we leave to come home if it's already gone with the checked bag?  I'm guessing I need to carry makeup in the carry-on, right?  How do those of you who wear makeup handle this?  Thanks for considering my silly question!

On 5/9/2019 at 5:42 AM, Realblonde474 said:

I have found my people!  Sorry to be late to this party/discussion...this is great.

 

Quick question, we have traveled/cruised a great deal but this is our first trip  to Alaska.

 

Regarding our jackets and heavy stuff, I plan to use those vacuum bags.  I did this years ago on a trip to China and it worked great.  

 

Does anyone know if the cruise lines will give me a hard time about my tiny portable vacuum for the bags?  It uses AA batteries and I am bit worried about the Suitcase Police  sending my checked bag to the naughty room on our ship.  Would it be better if I carried this on-board in my carry on.

 

Thanks in advance!

Donna

I'm late to this discussion, too, but wanted to tell you there are compression bags out there that you can squeeze the air out of without a vacuum. I purchased one from our travel agency but have since discovered they are out there online at different vendors.  I plan to use the one I bought for our puffy coats, scarves, etc. for our trip to Alaska next month.  I see you are going to Alaska, too?  This is our first cruise and first time in Alaska.  I'm beyond stressed over packing!  I have a mental list that I keep going through non-stop.  I believe another poster called it "hamster on a wheel"...yep, that would be me.

DH is taking it all in stride...says he can ship what he needs to Seattle via UPS.  Sometimes I think he's almost serious.  🤔

Lovely arrival for Eurodam.  Looks to be a beautiful day in Juneau.  I hope we get this fortunate.

Just now, Scrapnana said:

Glad you joined us today.  I live in the Richmond area.  Where are you?

Central Virginia area - between Charlottesville and Lynchburg.

This is my first time watching the Eurodam sail in; very exciting!  Six weeks from today hubby and I will be on Eurodam making the arrival into Juneau.  Even more exciting!

17 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

Just a quickie, and this usually takes place at/in the aft/Seaview pool rather than in the Lido pool, but HAL is known to organize a "Polar Dip" during Alaska cruises

I'm not sure I'm brave enough for a Polar Dip...although, you never know! 🤔

Thanks for all of the great responses!  This has been extremely helpful; I will definitely pack our suits.  😊

Hi all, DH and I will be taking our first cruise (ever!) to Alaska in June and I'm trying to determine if the Eurodam pool is covered for the Alaskan itineraries?  I think I read somewhere it is covered.  Also, for those who have traveled to Alaska on the Eurodam, did you find you actually used the pool?  I'm trying to decide if packing swimsuits for DH and I is worth it.  Thanks!