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When it came to curating our list of best travel pants, we put in place a set of criteria to meet: They should look versatile enough to wear straight off the plane and for the next stop on a jam-packed schedule, be comfortable enough to withstand whatever weird contortions you end up in when trying to catch sleep on a long-haul flight, and coordinate with the rest of your wardrobe for mixing and matching. Along with those requirements are a handful of secondary concerns like wrinkle resistance, technical fabric, and, of course, pockets.
“While I have big, bald plans for Lumi (face, underarms, my big toe), I started small with a test patch on my thigh, just above my knee. I already wax my upper legs because, well, I did it once and got hooked — the level of smoothness can’t compete with shaving. But such smoothness is, of course, temporary, and you have to let the hair grow in quite a bit before it’s waxable. I hadn’t had a wax in over a month in the before photo, although my hair now grows more sparsely than it used to from years of semi-regular waxing (RIP hair follicles). The instructions say to shave before using Lumi, so I did that first. Then I tried the most simple of its three modes: stamp. It’s essentially point-and-click hair removal. Place the device on the area you want to treat and click the pulse button. Although it was flush against my skin, a bright red light leapt out. It was bright. Very bright. Was it so bright I shouldn’t look directly at it? No. I reread the instructions: Short of photosensitive epilepsy or other sensitivity to flashing light lights, it is safe. Still, I kept my glance just askew when I started the Lumi back up. It did not hurt, but when I turned Lumi to auto mode, which is recommended for larger areas like legs, I felt a rising heat. This is probably because auto mode plays with intensity levels (there are six), and I had previously kept it at level one).
“When I’m dead and gone, people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen,” no truer words were said by the late designer. In many ways, the legacy of Lee Alexander McQueen is one that still shapes the world to this very day, as his desire to push the boundaries of our imaginations has cemented him into our collective memory. McQueen heralded from the bustling streets of London, where he began working as a tailor at the humble age of sixteen until enrolling in Central Saint Martins. After graduating, he founded his eponymous label in 1992, which quickly caught the attention of fashion insiders because of his avant-garde approach to womenswear.
“I was sceptical about powder shampoo at first. Would it lather up a treat like my trusty L’Oréal Elvive Hydra Hyaluronic Shampoo, or fall flat, quite literally? Would it leave behind residue like dry shampoo? And would I have to use half the bottle for it to work? A capful was enough to prove me wrong. On contact with water, it created a substantial amount of suds that made washing my thick hair both enjoyable and simple — something I thought I’d never say. I think that’s because you’re encouraged to create the lather in your hands, rather than directly on your scalp or in your hair. This made it really easy to distribute the shampoo throughout my mid-lengths, ends and scalp. When I rinsed out the suds, I really couldn’t tell the difference between my current shampoo and this powder version. It left my hair feeling soft, clean and airy. I can’t speak for its stimulating properties just yet, as I want to finish the entire bottle first, but I think this would make a great travel companion, especially if you’re prone to suitcase spillages. It’s slightly more expensive than my current shampoo, but I could’ve gotten away with using far less product. I also like that one tree is planted for every bottle sold. However, I’m not swayed by the ‘clean’ messaging. This is an unregulated term in the beauty industry, so it doesn’t mean much. In this case, the shampoo is water- and plastic-free (both better for the environment). It’s also sulphate-free, but sulphates can be very beneficial when it comes to cleansing your hair thoroughly. They help remove product buildup, which can lead to scalp issues. For this reason, I’d alternate this shampoo with a version that contains sulphates to keep my hair and scalp happy in the long run.”
