My how my travel beauty bag has changed. I’ve been pretty strategic and realistic when it comes to packing clothes for trips, but I would still go ham with how much makeup and skincare I took with me. But it took ONE time when I forgot my travel beauty bag on a connecting flight coming back from Grenada (see my Grenada travel series posts here) that I had to change my ways. I lost some pretty expensive things—I mean, some of my beauty PR peeps were kind enough to replace most of what I lost, but still, who wants to lose an expensive beauty bag?
So now I carry things that are relatively inexpensive and/or come in palette form so it’s easier to carry and takes up less space. Here’s what I typically carry in my travel beauty bag:
NOTE: these are items that have been HEAVILY used and look so in the pics…lol. I usually photograph products before I even use them when they’re still brand new, but obviously couldn’t do that here…lol. If you click on the product reviews for the individual products, you can see them in new condition.
It’s a great idea to stock up on those samples you get when you order product from Sephora/Ulta or to shop at department stores when they have those cool gift with purchase sets. I also make sure I get 100 point prizes with my Sephora VIB points whenever they have products I use pretty often or want to try. They make for GREAT travel-sized beauty. If you’d rather not go that route, you can of course buy a set of travel-sized beauty containers so you can put product from your full size items in it.
NYX Cosmetics Warm Neutrals Palette (see review and swatches here)
Cover FX Contour Kit (see review and swatches here)
Black Radiance Contour Palette (see review and swatches here)
L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in Brunette (see review and swatches here)
Sleek Makeup Blush by 3 Palette in Sugar (see review and swatches here)
Make Up for Ever HD Concealer (see review and swatches here)
Cover FX Total Cover Cream in N110. I have this in the little Cover Click stick tbut sometimes I also bring along the whole compact. (see review and swatches here)
Urban Decay Primer Potion (eyeshadow primer that I’ve been using for yeaaaaars)
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion (see review and swatches here)
Urban Decay Perversion Mascara (I actually have no real mascara preference right now—I usually just use whatever I’m sent, but when I buy I tend to aim for drugstore) (see review and swatches here)
NARS Pencil Sharpener (I’ve had this for quite some time and loooove it for both regular-sized and bigger eye and lip pencils)
Make Up For Ever HD Setting Powder (I got this as a 100-point Sephora VIB reward—I love the way it blurs and sets but would love for them to make this in a darker tinted version)
NARS Powermatte in Don’t Stop (this is a mini but see review and swatches of the larger ones here) I also keep a few glosses like Anastasia Beverly Hills Lipgloss in Sepia and LORAC Alter Ego Lipgloss in Flowerchild in my purse.
Cover FX Mattifying Primer (this was a 100-point Sephora VIB reward)
I also carry around a bunch of makeup brushes—a fluffy one for powdering my face, a bunch for eyeshadow, my brushes for contouring, and my beautyblender. Need help with makeup brushes and what different ones do? Watch this video below.
See more about this in my Instagram post here
I LOVE this makeup bag which can be hung from just about anywhere. I got it at Marshalls and it’s perfect for travel because it can hold so much and keeps your beauty loot organized PLUS you can easily work right from it and pull your products if you get a bathroom that doesn’t have much counter space. I have TSA Pre-Check so I don’t have to separate my liquids, so if you DON’T have Pre-Check, you’ll still need to separate your liquids as per the TSA guidelines listed on their website.
Skincare
(note: my skincare tends to get switched up depending on where I’m traveling to and the weather there)
Murad Resurgence Starker Kit (I wrote about this here and here)
Olay Daily Facials (these are great for everyday but I especially love them for travel because I can quickly pop a few in a ziplock bag and then when I’m ready to use them, I just wet them. They can remove makeup, cleanse, and gently exfoliate all at the same time. See my review and a demo here)
An SPF moisturizer equipped for the weather of my destination. I usually can take a full-sized moisturizer with me since most of them have no more than 1-2 oz of product in it. The moisturizer I take with me varies as it would when I’m home during the year. Read more about this and why YOU should also be switching up your moisturizer in The Moisturizer Switch-Up How it Can Help Your Skin & Makeup.
Hair
I don’t always need to take hair product with me (aside from my Scalp Soother, a brush, my bonnet, and a comb) when I travel, but if I’m going on a longer trip, I’ll carry some sample packets of some sort of moisturizing shampoo, conditioner, leave-in, etc. I have curling irons and flat irons that have UK and European plugs so when I’m overseas I don’t have to worry about shorting mine with a converter.
I’m usually in a protective style when I travel so I don’t have to worry about styling my hair as much. If I were to be rocking my natural hair during a trip, I would keep my hair in a super easy up-do and carry products to make sure I keep my 4C hair moisturized.
I also keep an insane amount of perfume samples in my beauty stash at home so that when I travel I pick one and take it along with me. These samples are mostly press samples, but I do get some from department stores when I’m looking to buy a new scent.
See previous travel beauty bag posts here
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