The dry air. The insomnia. The copious free booze and coffee. The terrible, terrible mirrors in the bathrooms. Air travel can be quite unkind to one's looks.

In an ideal world, we would all be able to invest in a long, rejuvenating nap after deboarding. But in reality, there are weddings, meetings, interviews, always waiting for us in that destination city. No rest for the weary.

Having just returned from a business trip where I did not have the option of flying in pajamas with messy hair, a pillow, and a Chihuahua (I was traveling with my boss!), I now present to you Beauty Addict's Best Practices for Beautiful Travel:

A heavy duty moisturizer, to combat the tight, dry skin caused by the incredibly arid compressed air on the plane. I highly recommend Creme de la Mer. But then again, I tend to recommend Creme de la Mer for everything, including insect bites, rabies, and to ward off the Evil Eye, so you decide.

An equally heavy duty hand cream, to keep your hands from drying out and looking like bird talons. L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream is the classic pick, or if you want to try something new and different, check out Aretinol Q Nourishing Hand and Nail Cream from Polish skincare leader Ziaja.

Moisturizing, redness-reducing eyedrops, because you really don't want to look like Michael Lohan when you get off that plane. I stand by good old Visine.

A brightening face powder, because really there's nothing worse than looking like a cross between Michael Lohan and Linda Blair in The Exorcist. Normally I'd recommend Bare Escentuals Clear Radiance, but since it's a loose powder and therefore not the most user-friendly during a bumpy landing, try Becca Pressed Shimmer Powder in Gypsy.

A little something to brighten up the eyes - try Benefit Eye Bright, a pale pink pencil specifically designed to make you look like you've had a nap. A little bit in the inner corners and the rims of your lower lids banishes that unattractive zombie look. Another great pick is the shimmer shade in the Nars All About Eve eyeshadow duo. Press a little in the inner corners and on browbones.

A lip gloss with added benefits, for moisture, shine, and - you guessed it - PLUMPING. I find that the LipFusions - all of them - handle all three quite well (and no, I am not revealing my review of LipFusion XL until tomorrow, you will just have to wait, my pretties).

An unobtrusive scent, because you want to smell pretty, but without giving your neighbor an allergy attack. Tight quarters, people! L'Occitane's Amande Blossom Dew smells divine (same scent as my beloved Amande Shower Oil) AND it won't dry out your skin; it's in a liquid-gel base rather than the usual alcohol.

And most importantly, water! The best thing you can do for your complexion is to stay hydrated. Both alcohol and caffeine dehydrate, so lay off the coffee and the vino (even if you're in business class and it's free...resist, resist). I recommend Trump Ice. Kidding.

One last point, I am not among the Evian devotees who carry the little spray bottles of Evian with them on airplanes. I think this is a cute idea, and it can be quite refreshing on a hot day at the beach, but for air travel it makes absolutely no sense to me.

Travel beautiful, friends!