I am one of those people who rather travel North when it gets hot. This could also have something to do with the fact that the only time there’s any point in visiting the Nordic capitals is in the summer, when the weather is reasonable and there’s lots of light (as opposed to the rest of the year when it is depressingly dark). 

Stockholm is a bit like the annoyingly cooler bigger sister of Helsinki – cooler in that most trends are first tested in Stockholm before they eventually make their way eastward across the Gulf of Bothnia. Annoying in that the Swedes are happier and more content with themselves than the Finns, and while it is an universally acknowledged fact that anyone is happier and more content than an average Finn, somehow their proximity makes things more difficult for Finns to tolerate.

Stereotypes aside, I am preparing for a couple of days of catching up and seeing an exhibition about the Bloomsbury Group, visiting the fantastic  Fotografiska (runs an exhibition about Linda and Mary McCartney) and pay through the nose for drinks in impossibly hipster company. If it is not insanely hot (as it’s predicted to be), I will contemplate getting a new winter coat. 

Given that I have had all the time in the world to curate a travel ​trousse (this idle activity has also been a fantastic distraction from Putin’s botoxed visage  that has dominated all screens the last days) I thought I’d share some of the staples with you:

​Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r 

It’s an eyeshadow primer. I ran out of NARS primer (-> initial panic, but also am having slight issue with NARS testing on animals again) and found this in London. I’ve tried and tested it in extreme conditions and it is a very solid product indeed. I don’t know what more there is to say about an eyelid primer – I find that I absolutely need one regardless whether I use cream or powder eye shadows. This one makes the gunk stay put until the very last second I wash it off. So this comes with.

General remark: Fenty Beauty have good colour-stuff as in fantastic, ballsy shades. They just came out with a new line of eyeshadows and things. Also Rihanna is fabulous in Ocean’s 8.

IKG Beach Club Volumising Texture Spray

I only bought this because of the smell. Really there’s no excuse for this product otherwise. I don’t hang out on the beach and am not particularly keen on the idea of having messy sea-salt curls. I don’t need the spray for anything, but at a stretch one can pretend it doubles as a hairspray, which it kind of does. Also the Americans do hair products far better than us Europeans. 

(Honestly I bought it because I have an inner surfer-chick called Frankie (because they are all called such) in my head who comes to life each summer and tells me this will be the summer of chasing the perfect wave with perfect surfer hair. Frankie makes me buy stuff that smell of coconut and parallel life.)

Mahalo Vacation Glow for body and hair

Everything Mahalo do I want to have. Especially this shimmery oil, which again is not something my life would strictly speaking depend on, but it’s one of those products I love using. As far as natural body products go, I always rather go for body oil than creams. As most cosmetic preservatives are not allowed in natural products,  especially lotions can sometimes have a funny consistency and sometimes smell a bit off. Oils keep better and many high-end natural body oils (May Lindstrom, Mahalo, Susanne Kauffman) have a far more luxurious feel than creams and lotions. 

Derek Lam sandals

I love. So much.

There’s also a cushion by Swedish Svenskt Tenn in the picture. I am not taking it with me to Stockholm, but shall be visiting their store, which you also should if you happen in the neighbourhood.