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This Works: In Transit

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There are just a few words you have to drop in to a sentence to get my beauty radar beeping; holiday, multi-functional, skincare. Ok, ok I’m easily intrigued. But with alarm bells ringing enter the newest range from This Works, In Transit, a curated capsule collection straight from the suitcase of ex-Vogue Beauty Ed and This Works Creative Director Kathy Phillips. Five multi-tasking, travel and tote-friendly solutions, dinky enough to stash on as hand luggage or come along for the ride in your everyday handbag.

So what have we got here? Well my pick out of the bunch is the über lightweight, most un-SPF-like sun protection I’ve ever used Skin Defence with SPF 30, that delivers broad-spectrum protection without a hint of tack or grease. Muscle Therapy is your rollerball-formed impromptu mini massager to wave goodbye to aches, pains, headaches and twinges. The Mary Poppins’ of the group need First Aid to pop in their bottomless bag; a one-stop natural rescue remedy for spots, itches, bites, burns and the rest. No Traces rosewater and water mint infused pads take care of cleansing in one quick, very refreshing and non-scratchy may I add, sweep. And finally to fill that mask/moisturiser/primer void in your stash there’s Camera Close-Up that takes care of all three – mind blown.

So with Kathy’s jet-setting being the light bulb moment behind the range (she’s now International Beauty Director of Condé Nast Asia), I fired her over some questions to pick that beauty brain of hers…

VDM: What was the inspiration behind adding to the This Works line-up with the In Transit range? Kathy: Since my work involves being all over the place at odd times- breakfast meetings, launches at the end of the day, photo shoots, events that are part business, part pleasure as well as travelling regularly – I need to be organised. This was a capsule idea for those, like me, with not much time  – a portable collection of essentials that fit neatly into a handbag without spilling. And I’m someone whose Celine handbag was ruined by an exploding bottle of foundation.

Given your strict ‘no-nonsense’ ingredients criteria – how tricky was it to squeeze an SPF into the line? The problem for me was two-fold. Firstly to get the message across to British women (and men) that sun protection is vital if you want to keep your skin looking good (sun damage is the single most ageing thing) and secondly, the realisation, after the latest, latest research that the only really safe way to get broad spectrum protection (i.e. UVA and UVB protection) was to use a chemical rather than a physical sunscreen. I have never wanted to use chemicals in anything but my conscience told me this was the honest way to protect our customers’ skin. So we have made a very sophisticated formulation with everything else of course being high quality naturals. Incidentally – this is not a combination you’d find in the average sun protection range.

The standout products for me are the Skin Defence and Camera Close-Up, what’s your star travel companion from the five? Well – I’m always very practical. No Traces does it for me. A really good natural cleanser in a wipe that is also in a non-breakable, non-leaking container. Perfect for travel. But truthfully, I’d want all five products in my flight bag.

Where will you be lugging the In Transit range to this summer? To Antigua – a little villa on the beach on an island with no cars.

A sleep range, anti-ageing range, a travel range – any hints as to what’s coming next in the This Works dynasty? I’m always thinking about what is missing in the ranges. We’re working on a special night cream at the moment and then there’s all the Christmas present ideas we’ve just signed off to come at the end of the year.

The In Transit range is up for pickings now on This Works and have a click on the video above to watch a video of a day in the life of yours truly featuring the In Transit range and a slab and a half of a brownie, minus the copious amounts of pyjama sporting that usually occurs…

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