10 questions with Melissa Lau aka @wanderfultraveler

We love picking the brains of our Bloomeffects friends. Who better to share some pearls of wisdom than the wonderful (or should we say ‘wanderful’) Melissa Lau, aka @wanderfultraveler. Melissa was born in Los Angeles and now calls London home. She went from dodging the traffic in LA to mastering bikes in Amsterdam and is now minding the gap in London. Her extremely popular Instagram page and website share tips and tricks to help you with your travel planning, while discovering great products and tools

View this post on Instagram

Did you know papers can be recycled? Sorry if that was old news 😉📰 jokes aside, recycling is very important as waste has a huge negative impact on the natural environment and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle climate change. Here are some recycling tips: ♻️ All plastic bottles can be recycled, from water bottles to salad dressing, so put all of them in your recycling container. ♻️ Glass can be recycled endlessly; it does not wear out after several recyclings, so be sure to always recycle your glass bottles and containers. ♻️ To help your recycling center and to keep down foul odors, make sure you wash food waste off of any plastic or glass food containers before putting them in the recycle bin. Once you make the decision to recycle, do not feel as though you have to jump in 100% - every little bit helps! 🌍💙

A post shared by Travel + Style • Melissa (@wanderfultraveler) on Jan 11, 2020 at 9:02am PST

We asked Melissa 10 quick-fire questions from what her go-to skincare products are to what she would tell her 16 year old self. See what she said below! 

What do you love most about your skin? 
I’ve been pretty lucky that my skin, for the most part, doesn’t break out often so that’s helpful in maintaining clear looking skin.

If you were stuck on an island and could bring only 3 skincare products, what would they be? 
Although I don’t usually like the feeling of SPF, if I were stuck on an island, this would definitely be crucial! A deep hydrating night cream and cleanser would be essential too. 

What type of skin do you have? 
Normal skin most of the time and combination/dry skin during winter.

View this post on Instagram

Happy Fri-YAY!! 🍸

A post shared by Travel + Style • Melissa (@wanderfultraveler) on Dec 21, 2018 at 1:11pm PST

What is your best skincare hack? 
Cleansing is a crucial step so I like to double cleanse if I’ve been out, and especially when I’ve worn makeup. This entails cleansing first with an oil-based cleanser or micellar water to remove the surface layer of dirt and makeup, followed by a foaming, rinse-off cleanser to wash it all away. If there is still some makeup or dead skin on my cotton pad when I am toning my face, I wash my face again to make sure it’s all clean.

What excites you most about Bloomeffects? 
Firstly, Bloomeffects' packaging is elegant and beyond its beauty, I love that it’s ethically-sourced, cruelty-free, sustainably packaged and works well. And let’s all cheer for the boss babes behind the brand as well!

View this post on Instagram

My morning stroll when I use to live in Amsterdam 😉🌷⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ If you want to see rows of flowers like this, keep in mind they’re not actually in Amsterdam (since there's no large fields in the middle of the city). Of course, there will be tulips all over the country during Spring, but to see fields like this you can go to some of the below areas:⁣ ⁣ - Keukenhof (world’s largest flower gardens)⁣ - Lisse ⁣ - Flevoland ⁣ - Noordoostpolder⁣ ⁣ Tip: The best month to see tulips in Holland is April. Tulip season is pretty short though, from mid-April through the first week of May 💐

A post shared by Travel + Style • Melissa (@wanderfultraveler) on May 16, 2019 at 9:34am PDT

Why do you take care of your skin? 
It makes a huge difference in keeping a youthful look.

Describe your go-to morning skincare routine. 
Mild cleanser, toner and a light moisturiser. I need to be better about wearing sunscreen though!

If you could go back in time and give you 16 year old self some advice, what would it be? 
I would tell my 16-year-old self that you are on a journey, which means things will change. Even important things will change, sometimes unexpectedly. But it is nevertheless a good journey and worth every step!

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? 
The grass is greener where you water it. This can apply to anything in life, even your skincare regime!

Loved these answers from Melissa? Make sure to check out her own blog at http://wanderfultraveler.com/ for more nuggets of wisdom!