As an American now living abroad, let me tell you, whenever I fly home, my very first stop is a CVS. There is something so therapeutic about seeing all those familiar products that you can’t find outside the States. And it turns out, just like how American travelers love heading to French pharmacies, South Korean beauty stores, and Swiss chocolate shops, travelers coming to the U.S. adore visiting a CVS, Trader Joes, and Target as much as I do.
“I’m gonna show you everything that I bought back from America from my recent trip,” TikTok user Mollie Layton shared. “How I fit this all in my suitcase? I genuinely don’t know how.”
First up, Layton pulled out a set of Tide Pens, which, again, to Americans, may not feel like much, but when you don’t have access to these tiny stain-removing miracles, you realize it’s truly worth the hype.
“If you don’t know, get to know. They’re just an on-the-go stain remover pen, and I think they’re genius,” she said.
Next up out of her magical America bag is a moisturizer by Eos.
“This is a moisturizer that went viral on TikTok,” she said, noting she got the vanilla cashmere scent. And while she notes you can purchase it in the U.K., it’s far cheaper to pick up in the States.
Next up was some seasonal decor — at the time of the post — as she pulled three tiny pumpkins out of the bag, noting she snagged them for $3 each and “couldn’t leave them behind.” And honestly, the pumpkins slay. Great choice. And, naturally, she picked up a full-sized pillow reading “Hey Pumpkin” to match. “It was $5. This in the U.K. would cost at least £10. It was $5.”
Also in her haul were “lots of deodorants,” which, again, as someone now living in Portugal, I can attest to the fact that European deodorant just doesn’t stack up. “I got a double pack of these Mitchum deodorants. You can only get the small ones in the UK. They’re so big, I had to get them,” Layton explained.
Then, it was onto the “hygiene bits,” which included toothpaste (though Layton, rightfully so, added that she wished she had picked up more of it) and Listerine strips.
However she swiftly transitioned to something delicious: Trader Joe’s Cookie Mix.
“I had this from Trader Joe’s in America. I made them, and they were so good, I had to get it here,” Layton said.
Next on her grocery list is something I literally had shipped from the U.S. just a few weeks ago: canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice mix. Because no, you can’t find this easily in Europe. She also snagged some Chick-fil-A sauce in two flavors, a bottle of Ranch dressing (hot tip: You can also buy the dried Ranch seasoning packets, so you don’t have to worry about them going bad), and some Taco Bell sauce.
“I love the hot sauce from Taco Bell. It’s not even that spicy, but it is so good, and I put it on everything,” she noted. She also picked up the vanilla syrup from Alfred’s, Trader Joe’s Hot Honey, and the coveted Everything Bagel seasoning, along with Crunchy Chili Onion sprinkle seasoning to keep things spicy.
She also expressed her love for the Trader Joe’s hand sanitizer, which is indeed flying off the shelves for just $1.99. “It’s so good. It smells delicious.” For good measure, she picked up a Trader Joe’s tote, too.
At the end of her clip, Layton asks if viewers have “any other recommendations that I can get from America next time I go?”
And we want to know: What else should people visiting the U.S. pick up at a grocery store or pharmacy? As for me, I can’t wait to get there to restock my Annie’s Mac n’ Cheese collection…
