I TOTALLY agree! Taking special products with me when I travel makes the trip a little better. Sure helps to relax at night!
I have been hitting all the TJMaxx stores stocking up on Molton Brown products.
The retail is 25.00 for 10 oz bottles at Nordstrom, Neimans, Sephora and even Bath and Body Works Flagship stores.
I have been paying 10.00. I even got a gift set with face moisturizer, shave cream and bath gel for 10.00... and these are products that ACTUALLY retail for more than 80.00 combined.
Tomorrow I will be close to a 'fresh' TJ Maxx and I plan to hit it too!

My daughters and I find Bumble & Bumble (Bb) to be special products that sound like exactly what you are looking for. Good luck with your search, and thanks for the great thread . . . I think we'll all be trying some of the suggestions mentioned here! ;;)

I LOVE Lush! Check out their website and see if there's one near you or your vacation locale. It's worth a side trip, IMO.

But, if you don't like intense smells, their stores might really turn you off. So many scents competing with each other.

If your hotel has a nice bathtub, Lush has great fizzy "bath bombs", soaps ("Honey I Washed the Kids" is my favorite), etc. Also, the massage bars are fantastic.

I walked to the BART station on Powell in SF every day after work and passed the Lush store - I had to really control myself to not blow my paycheck. And to bring this story back to travel, my husband and I were walking around the Rialto area in Venice this summer, people watching and whatnot, when I thought "hey! I know that smell!" What do you know, but there was a Lush!

Anyway, highly recommended for a splurge.

Dear Margot,
I don't want to rain on your parade. However, please, please, please do not spray or slather the vacation scent before boarding or while on a plane.

I get horrible, throw up migraine headaches from colognes and scented lotions. Scents are the most frequent allergy problem creators.

I am not telling, I am begging, please have mercy on allergy people like myself. Enjoy the scented things other places. Also, did anyone know that after a person wears a scent for a little while, they don't smell it anymore (hence the people who reek with scent from the other side of the room from reapplying every little while).

Thanks a lot and enjoy the lovely scents when not in crowded confined places.

Bumble+Bumble seaweed shampoo and conditioner. Good all rounder. If you plan to spend a lot of time in the pool or if you use a lot of products on your hair, a travel size bottle of their Sunday shampoo is a good choice for getting ride of the built-up gunk. Use it once a week (hence the name).

Weleda's Iris brand soap. Great clean, fresh smell. The Iris body lotion is excellent too if you like a lighter body lotion (it's a little watery compared to some of the thicker, creamier ones)--I use it in summer. Can be found at Whole Foods and many health food stores. Very moderately priced.

If you can find Avene, their cold cream soap (actually soap-free) is great for dry skin.

I'm not a Lush fan. I think most of their bath products smell like hippie stuff from 1968.

If you live in the Philly area, or have a friend who does, HUGE recommendation to try the L'Erbolario products from their boutique at the King of Prussia Mall. Wonderful Italian soaps and lotions and the KOP boutique is their only outlet in the U.S. Their packaging is absolutely beautiful, too.

I always buy something special for travel, too. One line that hasn't been mentioned is Crabtree & Evelyn. Their website is <www.crabtree-evelyn.com>. They have lots of little travel bags filled with products. I especially like the rosewater scent. They also have a great hand moisturizing product called Hand Therapy. For those who don't live near a Bath and Body Works, they have recently launched a website on which you can purchase products, <www.bathandbodyworks.com>. My favorite is Cherry Blossom, but they now have some newer scents (Japanese Cherry Blossom, White Cherry Blossom, and one other I think) that you might like. I also love Lush products although you should keep in mind that I don't think they have preservatives so their shelf life is shorter. If you order some of their products during hot weather, they WILL melt. (I found that out the hard way last summer when I brought some things home from New York City and had a watery, greasy mess in my suitcase when I got home.) I was excited to read someone's comment that TJ Maxx has Molton Brown products. The Bath and Body Works website also sells them, but at a much higher price. Enjoy your trip!

you may also want to try Dr Hauschka products- they do little travel packs as well and are gorgeous to use

Kiehls

Bulgari http://www.bulgari.com/bulgari03.asp

L'Occtaine....how I love this stuff - it is my indulgence! It is difficult to find though. I don't believe they carry their products in many or any department stores, but they do have their own stores in malls throughout the country and they have their own website. Their shea butter hand cream and soaps are the most luxurious I have ever used.....

http://usa.loccitane.com/index.asp?ck=1

I always take my regular shampoo and condition (poured into small travel bottles). I would never want to experiment with new product on vacation. Yikes!

That said, I do often buy soap or lotion on trips, and the fragrances reminds me later of that special time.

Wow! What a great thread.
I cannot believe that someone mentioned L'Erbolario. It is a favorite of mine and EXTREMELY hard to find. I have a friend in Milan who ships it to me at a fraction of the US price.
Staples of my travel case are Weleda and Dr Hauschka products. I use Weleda Calendula oil after a bath and Dr Hauschka Normalizing face oil as a moisturizer and Neem oil on my hands.
All great products. Dr Hauschka is quite expensive in my opinion.
I also use L'Occtaine Shea Moisturizer on my face. No matter how sensitive my face is, this mild formula never burns or makes my eyes water. It is a must have for me.
I am a 'product junkie' no doubt about it.
Oh, and instead of regular cologne, when I travel I carry a bottle of Demeter Laundromat and spray it directly on my cotton shirts and sweaters (not on stuff that may stain).
Keeps me smelling like freshly washed clothes all day and is never overwhelming to people around me.

I have to agree with one of the above posters--Philosophy products!!! You can buy it at a good price on QVC's website, their products are so clean smelling, everytime I wear it everyone around me tells me 'you smell so good!'

Absolutely love L'Occitane and Philosophy, both of which are easily available from OVC. I can buy them in my town in stores (Nashville has the biggest L'Occitane store in the nation according to the sales staff) but QVC often has good deals.

ttt

I love travel sizes I got from ORIGINS...and use Neutrogena alot too.

I love L'Occitane and Origins. Delta Frequent Flyers can get 10% off L'Occitane.

I keep an eye out for the travel kits.

Oh, and the Peppermint Foot Creme from the Body Shop is absolutely incredible on sore travel feet!

I agree to take small bottles of your usual shampoo and conditioner "just in case" the new stuff wrecks havoc on your hair :-)

My recommendations are Origins for lotions and Aveda for hair products. The Origins lotions come in lots of scents and the quality is excellent.

I stumbled upon this site in my research of bath and body products. I am openning a bath and body boutique in Honolulu. I would like any feedback on products I should consider carrying in my boutique.

I'm addicted to Aveda hair products and make-up -- I even had to get my husband addicted to their shampoo and shaving cream to keep him from screaming about the salon bill. I'm such a pusher :)

For skin, I just discovered C.O. Bigelow's rose hydrating treatment gel for skin that's a wonder for you face, hands, whatever during a long flight. It's a great moisturizer, just disappears into your skin and doesn't feel "lotion-y." I've even patted some on over my makeup without disaster. Feels great. You can get it at Bath & Body Works or BBW's Web site.

I think Bath & Bodyworks has an Italian cafe smelling line and one of the fragrances is Amaretta and the scent smells like vanilla coffee. The smell is heavenly.