Noora with her husband Ryan (above); Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech (below).When we heard that Noora, our VP of communications, was taking a ten-day trip to Morocco, we imagined a glamorous jumble of Vuitton steamer trunks would be making the trip with her (she is one of those people who drips with effortless but serious style and élan); we could not have been more wrong. “I once had a tragic incident with lost luggage,” she laughs. “Ever since, I’ve avoided checking a bag at all costs.” Her ten-day itinerary involved everything from hiking in the Atlas mountains in gym clothes and lunch in Riviera-casual at the Kasbah Bab Ourika (“the prettiest hotel in the mountains with a garden onsite, local everything…”) to poolside cocktails post-Yves Saint Laurent garden tour and black-tie with (faux) fur for dinner at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Royal Mansour. Somehow, she fit it all in a carry-on.
Noora was also unfazed at the prospect of switching out her conventional (and super-luxurious) makeup and skincare essentials for the trip. “The goop by Juice Beauty had me kind of pre-sold on switching everything over,” she explains. “One by one, I’d converted to the entire line of skincare—it’s so good—so I was ready to go totally nontoxic!” Below, the star items from her complete travel bag swap-out (and how they performed):
goop by Juice Beauty Discovery Set
goop, $125“This kit, which includes moisturizer, face oil, night cream, and the instant facial, is TSA-friendly and has lasted well beyond my 10-day vacation. I kept the face oil in my handbag and dabbed it on during the flight. And I kept to my at-home schedule of three days a week with the Instant Facial: I do it before I go to bed and each time, my skin emerges softer, smoother, and plumper.”
Grown Alchemist Hydra-Repair Eye Balm Helianthus Seed Extract & Tocopherol
goop, $99“I love everything Grown Alchemist does and the packaging looks so pretty, so I was thrilled to try this eye cream. It’s worth every penny—especially for the jet-lagged.”
Kosas Weightless Lip Color
goop, $24“Gwyneth used these lipsticks in a video for Vogue.com, and I of course fell in love with them. I’m Indian, so I have darker skin, a kind of in-the-middle complexion that makes finding the right lipstick an endless struggle. But these colors are so rich and flattering. I like Royal when I need a just little color for day, and Electra when all I want is a bold red lip—I’m obsessed!”
Ursa Major Force Field Daily Defense Lotion with SPF 18
goop, $54“I was shocked when I started reading about how irritating and toxic chemical sunscreens are. Non-toxic mineral ones, however, actually deflect the sun instead of disintegrating over the course of a day. You have to rub this one in the tiniest bit more, but then you forget you’re wearing it.”
Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
goop, $45“I saw our beauty director Jean Godfrey-June wearing this one day at the office and bought it immediately. I never wear foundation (I tell myself it’s a French girl thing to do but it’s actually just laziness) but this is so light and weightless and you just glow—so yes, I was pre-sold on this one, too.”
RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
goop, $38“Highlighter is like a secret weapon. I just started using it recently and the amount of compliments I receive tripled. Switching to this one on my trip was an even bigger upgrade: There’s something so natural and soft about it—you look like your skin is candle-lit at all times.”
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigment Ultra-Natural Mascara
goop, $38“I loved my old, totally toxic mascara and dragged my feet on making the switch. This gives me even fuller, more feathery lashes than my old one.”
Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum
goop, $185“ I really love the fact that this is the only product the company makes. It’s a super active, totally potent…miracle. I now use it twice a week instead of retinol.”
Related: How To Detox Your Makeup Bag