Globetrotter: Guinevere Van Seenus

Traveling the world like a supermodel seems oh-so glamorous, until you think about the hours spent away from home. Here, one of our favorite faces shares her tips on how she stays balanced and healthy around the globe.

What are the beauty-essentials you travel with?

Oh boy, where to start! For cleansing I use either Three Cosmetics cleanser or Epicuren Herbal Cleanser. Then I go for Three Cosmetics toner, moisturizer and sunscreen or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen. For concentrated effects I use Three Face masks either on the plane or once I land and Decleor Aroma Night Face Balm or Colbert M.D. Illumino Face Oil for a nice heavy moisturizing treatment overnight. Also I like a mix of the SkinCeuticals facial tonics with vitamin C when necessary. Since flying so much really does a number on the lips and hydration, I have special Muji detachable pots (an absolute MUST for travel containers and organizers….a true obsession) filled with a variety of lip balms and ointments as it seems sometimes one works well and sometimes it’s another. These include: Neosporin, Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, Homeoplasmine, Purol (a Dutch lip balm), Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream and Egyptian Magic. I also use any and all of these on my eyes, around my nose or in any area where I might be struggling with dryness.

Once I land, I often buy salts for the bath, either Epsom or even regular table salt, and I use this with a combination of essential oils I might have with me. I also use these essential oils (the ones allowed directly on the skin) on my body, specifically chamomile for calming and peppermint or grapefruit for digestion on my stomach, and I throw lavender onto the pillows before sleep.

For my hair I simply travel with Wen. If I do need a shampoo I use what is supplied by the hotel, but generally Wen, being an all-in-one shampoo and conditioner, does everything I need in the way of cleansing and conditioning. It is the best product I have ever found so far as removing hair extensions and glue and is a great moisturizing mask to just leave on the hair if it needs a little extra loving.

When it comes to my makeup I keep it fairly basic with an eyelash curler and Three foundation. I go between Three, Laura Mercier and Kevin Aucoin Concealers as my skin tone changes a bit during the seasons, despite my best efforts to avoid the sun. Then usually just an array of lip colors from Nars, Three, Kevin Aucoin and Mac. I like a strong pigment and will often dilute it for a cheek or eye color or will simply put some Eight Hour Cream (or one of the other pot balms) on my lids and lashes. And then I always have a black eyeliner in case I want a stronger look for night. And the final random product would be my fairly new discovery of CryoDerm. I tend to run into a lot of back and sciatic problems with so much time spent in an airplane seat or makeup chair, as well as the weight of luggage and peculiar work poses. This has been an incredible help. I put it on usually at night before sleep but really it works at any time. Also if I happen to be going to a particularly hot or sunny location I bring SPF clothing, hats and umbrellas from Coolibar. Sunscreen can only do so much after 8 hours of shooting in the sun.

What’s your exercise routine when you’re traveling?

Whenever possible I stay in hotels with a gym. It can be hard to try and get the body moving after a 14-hour flight or when waking at 2am, but if I can tell myself to just get on the treadmill and simply “walk” usually it all starts to flow. Or even just stretching makes a world of difference. But generally it is a bit of cardio (whatever my body can handle) and then I make do with whatever weights they have or a combination of routines I have from yoga and Pilates. I am also very grateful for Yoga Works online videos. Prior to that it could be very hard to stay in any sort of consistent routine. I also carry with me a resistance band and a jump rope, so there is always something I can do.

How do you manage your health & eating routine when you’re away from home?

It can certainly be tricky as the food is continuously changing and very unpredictable in quantity, quality and timelines so I usually have some sort of food with me just in case like almonds or even good quality chocolate. But mostly what seems to help me keep a balance is I start my day with a simple protein shake in water. My preferred one is OptiCleanse. With jetlag and environment changes sometimes my stomach needs to start with something gentle in the morning. Especially just before a workout. This helps with blood sugar and has a lot of detoxifying ingredients such as turmeric. It is also very easy to carry in a Ziplock bag and mix with water when necessary, so it is my go-to emergency snack as well. I also travel with an inordinant amount of supplements…. too much to explain and it’s very particular to me but I do find that Lipo-Spheric Vitamin C helps tremendously with the immune system challenges that come with travel and simple things like tryptophane and fish oils help keep the mood balanced, and I take liquid B12 for energy. Whenever possible I try to stay in areas I know with restaurants I am familiar with, and though Japanese food is always my favorite, at times it seems smarter to stick with local cuisine for freshness and flavor…..meaning, I try not to eat fish when I am in the desert or raw in areas where that would not be wise. etc. Overall I do try and keep it simple and light so as not to shock my body too much. And of course, drink lots of water!

How do you deal with jetlag?

I tend to need an enormous amount of sleep, so I sleep as much as possible especially when heading east or overseas. Then once I land I do my best to walk and take the stairs through the airports to get my circulation going again. I try and hit the gym as often as my body will allow, take baths with salts and aromatherapy oils, and practice some circulation massages—especially on my legs and feet. And then again more sleep. I also am addicted to earplugs, eye masks and even a black soft scarf–my favorite is a Falerio Sarti scarf wrapped around my head. That, along with some essential oils thrown on, can pretty much block out anything during a long flight, an unfamiliar hotel room, or changing times zones and lighting.