We all want to look amazing in our travel photos! We also don’t want to spend more time in front of the mirror or cleaning up leaks, than sightseeing and experiencing an amazing destination. Save yourself the hassle of lugging around a ton of makeup and skincare products on your travels with a few key products and packing techniques. Here are 6 top tips for travel makeup that will ensure you’ll look great wherever your vacation takes you!
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1. Pack your clothes first
First, think about what clothing you are packing. I always recommend sticking to a colour palette so you can mix and match your wardrobe while you’re travelling. That also means you only need makeup in colours that compliment that palette. For example, if you’re packing warm-hued clothes, take warm-hued makeup and vice versa.
Bonus tip: Choose clothes in your best colour palette, that will automatically cut down on the amount of makeup you feel you need to wear. When the colour we’re wearing washes us out, we naturally reach for more cosmetics to compensate. So, wearing the hues that make our natural skin tone glow, is a great way to start streamlining what travel makeup you need on the road. If you’re not sure which are you best colours, watch this video.
2. Adapt to your destination
Think about the climate in your destination and the types of activities you’ll be doing. If it’s a tropical island and you’ll likely be doing a lot of water activities, you’re going to need more sunscreen and less makeup. If you’re going somewhere cold and/or windy, you might need a heavier moisturizer so your skin doesn’t dry out.
Bonus tip: Consider getting your lashes and/or brows tinted before you go. This means you can leave your mascara and brow pencil at home, and skip that step in your routine. Having a brow/lash tint is especially helpful if you are going somewhere you’ll be spending a lot of time at the pool or doing water sports.
3. Multi-purpose and two-in-one products are your friend
Using multi-purpose products helps you to reduce how much skincare and cosmetics you need to pack, but also reduces the application time. Here’s a few ideas:
- A tinted sunscreen or moisturizer can replace the need for foundation.
- A lipstick can also be a cream blush.
- Bronzer makes a great, matching eyeshadow. Apply more or less to create dimension across your eyelid.
- An eye liner doubles as brow pencil.
- Combination wand with mascara at one end and brow gel at the other.
- Double-ended makeup brushes are more space efficient.
- Muslin was cloths remove makeup effectively and provide light exfoliation.
4. Leak-proof your travel makeup and skincare
Decanting only what you need for your trip into smaller tubs or bottles saves space and lightens your load. However, DO NOT skimp out on your containers. The money you think you’re saving will end up being wasted through spilt product and time cleaning up the mess. GoToobs are highly popular among travellers, as are quality, stackable cosmetic jars and contact lens cases.
Decanting products is often easier for skin and haircare products than it is for cosmetics. If you’re taking your makeup in its original containers, then you may experience leaks. This is especially so for air travellers, as changes in air pressure during a flight compresses containers (like you are squeezing them).
You can prevent this somewhat by taking the lid off any liquids and putting some plastic wrap over the mouth of the container before re-attaching the lid. Also, don’t fill your containers right to the top, leave some space for the liquid to move when the container is compressed. If you have a part-used product, that is enough for the length of your trip, pack that instead of a brand new bottle.
There are also multiple cosmetic brands waking up to travel-friendly packaging. One of my favourites is Trinny London – get a free full-size Eye2Eye T-Tone with your first online order over $40 by clicking this link.
5. Choose your travel makeup bag wisely
Just like containers, when shopping for a travel makeup bag or organizer, quality is always a wise investment. Here are a few features to look for:
- Structure and padding – A well-structured and lightly padded bag keeps its shape, helping protect the contents.
- Organisation – A makeup or toiletry bag that allows you to organize your makeup saves time on the go. Pockets and divided compartments are great and elastic loops help prevent your brushes from being smushed.
- Water-resistant lining – A plastic or vinyl lining helps to contain leaks and prevent them from ruining the entire contents of your suitcase. Also, they are easier to wipe clean.
- Hanging accessory –Not all accommodations or bathrooms have generous vanity space or shelves. Being able to hang your bag with a strong and reliable hook or loop, will give you more flexibility and keep your belongings off potentially dirty surfaces.
6. Keep to security requirements
Remember that if you are taking skincare or cosmetics in your carry-on luggage, you need to conform to airport security requirements:
- All liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers of 100ml (3.4oz) or less.
- Those containers must fit in one transparent, resealable bag measuring less than 80cm when you total all sides (or 1-quart in volume). If you travel frequently, I recommend getting yourself a security-approved, resuable, zipper bag—they pack much better than a sandwich bag because of their flat bottom.
- Powder-like substances must be less than 350ml (12oz) and may need to be x-rayed separately or examined by security personnel.
Bonus tip: There are lots of solid skin and haircare products on the market that can help you reduce your liquids. From shampoo to moisturizer, sunscreen there are so many options these days.
Let me know if this was helpful, or if you have any travel makeup tips to add in the comments below.
Peace, love & inspiring travel,
Madam ZoZo
