I travel a lot with my business and some times space is at such a premium as all weight allowance is taken up with products or samples. Sometimes I just plain forget things as well and have become quite adept at improvising products using the hotel amenities and sometimes supplement with things from restaurants ( salt sachets, wipes etc). Here's my top ten!
- Forgot your toothpaste? -this will tide you over until you can find a replacement. Use a sachet of table salt and mix with a little cold water to form a paste and use to brush your teeth. Make a mouthwash using 1 green tea or jasmine tea which always seem to be in a hotel room. Only make half a cup and cool it- place in fridge. This will make an emergency mouth wash. If you have a stash of duty free grog add about 1 teaspoon of vodka to make it stronger. If you have a mouth ulcer miss out the alcohol and add a sachet of salt and have the mouthwash warm.
- Forgot your conditioner and the hotel doesn't supply it or it is too weak? Use the shampoo and rub into your dry hair and try and get it the ends. After a few minutes wash it out as usual. For a final rinse use one of those tea bags again and pour through your hair and rinse out. Again jasmine or green tea is best but black tea is fine.
- Puffy, jet lagged eyes? Use the left over tea bags from 1 and 2 and place in the freezer part of the hotel fridge if it has one. When cold place over your eyes. It is good to do this while you have the shampoo in your dry hair!
- For an energizing body scrub mix 1 sachet of sugar with 1 sachet of coffee and some of the hotel bath or shower gel ( usually half the bottle is enough). Stand in the shower or bath ( not running) and rub over your body. This is quite messy so be kind to the hotel staff and don't do this in the room or on the bed. Once you have covered every where wash off with the shower and continue to rub it in. Your skin will feel great afterwards!
- Dry, cracked heels- make that paste again with a sachet of sugar and this time a small amount of the UHT milk and rub into your heels and wash off. Then using the bar of soap work your hands and make a thick lather in your hands and apply to your feet. It should feel slippery but not wet. Don't rub in. Put your feet inside the plastic laundry bag ( must be plastic) and wrap tightly and leave for a few minutes to soak in. Wash your feet off in the shower and they will be nice and soft. If your hotel is more upmarket and there is a shoe shine pad this also can be used as a foot buff. If you are lucky enough to have hotel slippers use them to give your feet a break. If your shoes are a bit smelly sprinkle some slat in them over night.
- Forgot your body lotion? After showering lightly dry your body and while it is still slightly damp rub in a small amount of hotel conditioner to soften the kin. Don't use too much otherwise you feel quite slippery!
- Forgot your nail polish? - use the shoe shine pad to buff up your nails.
- Feeling congested with smog pollution. A steam inhalation will help. Again use the green tea if you can otherwise black is fine. Make your cup of tea and put your head over it covered with a hotel towel. Just be careful your don't burn yourself. This really helps to open up your sinuses
- Something for the guys now if you have forgotten your shaving cream. Use the condition and apply to a wet face and massage in to soften your hairs and your skin. Shave without removing the conditioner. If necessary use a soap lather over the top.
- If you fancy a quick face mask which will soften the skin and tighten it slightly then use a sachet of the non dairy creamer powder and mix with some of your toner to a smooth paste. Warm water works just as well. Massage this into your face then remove in the shower. It really will feel amazing! You can add 1/4 sachet of coffee grains if you wish to have a more energizing face mask. Be careful with the coffee though if you have sensitive skin.
This is not really a beauty tip but if you need to wash out your small delicate items in the hotel sick add some of the hair conditioner to the final rinse. It acts as a fabric softener and makes them smell nice.
