I’m afraid that today’s About Face is a little off the cuff. This week I’m swanning around in London and I’ve only gone and been a bad blogger and forgotten my camera! What a fool I am. I’m here for an extended stay this time around because Matt is here on a training course as part of his PhD, so I figured I’d come down too. Yanno, see some friends, do some shopping and have a little change of scene. Please try to forgive the iPhone snaps, because this week’s face could teach you a thing or two; it’s all about travelling light.

If I’m travelling to London I often have only a large handbag or holdall with me and therefore I want to keep things light. If there’s no chance to go and drop my bags off before the fun begins, I don’t want to be carting around my whole make-up collection on my shoulder. Products can really weigh you down, so I try my best to pick products which multitask.

My Dr Jart BB Cream is a great multi-tasking base. I have the Regenerating version. It’s super hydrating (great for the changing temps of the big city – bracing cold, fierce air con, super heating, humid public transport – all of which really dry my skin out) and provides more coverage than other BBs or tinted moisturisers I’ve tried. It can be built up and more coverage can be added to necessary areas with a powder or concealer. I like to carry this on trips as with my dry and flaky skin I’d always rather have a lighter option to hand than a heavier one.

On weekenders I usually skip my beloved highlighter as they can be bulky and delicate to transport. Instead, I opt for a versatile eye palette with a champagne-like shade – this time it’s the Urban Decay Naked Basics. I use the lightest shade, “Venus”, as a brow bone, inner corner, nose, cheekbone and cupid’s bow highlighter, and the rest of the shades work well for day and night eye looks.

Old favourites like Illamasqua Blusher in Promise, plus Revlon Grow Luscious Mascara and my usual MAC brow pencil come everywhere with me. Remember, cream products are great for multitasking and a cream blush can be used as a lip tint too! Other versatile lip products include the Revlon Lip Butters which provide a subtle yet definite wash of colour and can be built up where needed. Today’s pick, Sugarplum, is one of the new shades and my absolute favourite at the moment.

What do you wear on the go? How do you keep your packing down to a minimum?

Pssst! While you’re here… look what I treated myself to on today’s trip to Westfield: an Inglot Freedom System Palette! Come back soon for more deets.

Ahhh, so excited to use this one :) Have you splashed out on anything recently? What’s your favourite recent purchase?