What did I bring to Antalya from my recent trip to Russia?

A lot of you guys asked if there are some products you can’t get in Turkey. I was spending a week at home in St. Petersburg and I decided to share with you few items I bought there specially to take with me back to Antalya. Maybe you’ll find it helpful for your next trip home or if you’re planning to move and need ideas on what to stock on.

1. Pain killers. Turkish Advil or paracetamol don’t work on my migraines which I get from time to time. And if you suffer from it too you know how this pain affects the quality of your life.

2. Eye drops for contact lenses. You can buy liquid storage solutions at any pharmacy however there are no eye drops you can use with your contacts on. My eyes are usually getting very dry from the sun so it’s very important for me to have good moisturizing eye drops.

3. Essie nail polish. I’ve been using only Essie nail polishes for the last decade and doing my manicure and pedicure at home. Unfortunately there are no quality brands available in any stores or online shops in Turkey.

4. Eyebrow tint. Same as with nail polish, I’m always tinting my brows at home. In Turkey you can find natural tints somewhere but I don’t trust ingredients on the package which could cause allergic reactions and harmful for your skin and hair.

5. Dried calamari and Japanese noodles and sauces. This is probably what I miss the most here - Asian food! I grew up in Vladivostok and we used to have Asian food on a daily basis (because of the city’s location close to China, Japan and South Korea).

I would also add buying more cosmetic stuff because for me this is a huge problem to get something in Antalya. Of course there is Sephora but the number of brands and range of products is very limited for my needs. There is also a ban on imported cosmetics, it means that you can’t even order it online from abroad. So if you’re a huge fan of quality makeup and skincare - it’s better to stock up before you move.