When three out of the four weeks of every month are spent living out of a suitcase, you learn what works for your beauty routine. I don't believe in spending hours getting ready. I never bring along hot tools to style my hair (not even a blow dryer) and I like to pack the essentials. I pride myself on packing as little as possible but still want to look my best. So I'm showing you my guide to foolproof travel beauty: everything I pack and what products I use most on my face and hair. All can fit in your carry-on bag!
Travel packing tips:
Avoid liquids when packing. I carry on almost every time I travel (it's easier and saves time, you can see why I always carry on here.) In order to carry on, I only pack a small plastic bag of 3 ounces or less per bottle of liquids. Liquids can include sunscreen, foundation, lipgloss, and mascara. So I always lay those out beforehand to see what I'm bringing. I also use stick deodorant and towelettes for my spray tan to cut down on the liquids I bring.
Find items that are compact. I love a good compact that has a blush and bronzer together, that way I'm packing one thing instead of two. (I love this one from Charlotte Tilbury). I like to bring brushes that can do double duty: a blush brush plus can also be used as a powder brush, etc.
Try your best to have a low maintenance style. Will it make or break your trip if you hair is curled? Probably not. Realize that the pictures you take and the memories you make won't be tarnished by how you look. Believe me, I'm a travel blogger and I love taking Instagram photos that are pretty. BUT I don't want to waste precious time not exploring. So here are my travel beauty staples.
P.S. anything in bold below is my holy grail product.
Skin Care
My skin care routine is extremely low maintenance. It always has been. I always bring wet wipes if I don't have tons of time to wash my face. If I do, I use Colleen Rothschild Radiant Cleansing Balm. This is a staple of mine and have been using it for a few years now. It's so luxurious and easy to pack since it's solid. In fact, I pretty much exclusively use the Colleen Rothschild line. I have a whole post on the products I use and swear by. For moisturizer I use the Colleen Rothschild Extreme Recovery Cream and put some in a travel sized container. It's whipped, lightweight and really hydrating and small enough to pack on-the-go. Now that
Of course, I might use more products when I'm at home, but for travel I only bring these two along to save space. They are great for most kinds of weather and environment.
Read more: How to Pack for A Long Trip in a Carry On
Makeup
Estee Lauder Double Wear is my holy grail foundation. You put it on and it lasts ALL DAY. It also has SPF 50 so it's an added bonus for when I'm out in the sun. For concealer I love the cult fan fave Tarte Shape Tape. It's long wear and helps cover up any late nights I have while traveling. For bronzer I love the Too Faced Sun Bunny because it looks very natural and contains two shades. For blush I love the natural looking Mac “gingerly.” For eyebrows I use the two-in-one It Cosmetics eyebrow pencil and spooli brush.
I love a good highlighter to take your look up a notch. I have tried so many but I love Tarte's Amazonian clay 12 hour highlighter in exposed. It lasts and it also smells delicious. I always take along powder, I like the loose setting powder from Maybelline. Also good for very sweaty days. To set it all and make sure it lasts I use the Mac Prep and Prime makeup setting spray. It comes in a travel sized bottle and lasts for months.
I usually don't pack many eye products except for mascara. I ADORE L’Oreal Double Extend Mascara and have blogged about it many times. I've used it for years as I think it's really the only mascara you need. I've tried probably 100s of mascaras and this one is my favorite. However, I tried the L'Oreal Lash Paradise and I am really loving it. Really gives a lot of volume. I am really picky about mascara because I despise having any mascara under my eyes. I'm talking about the type of mascara that you go to sleep in and you wake up and it's not under your eyes. The L'Oreal Lash Paradise (now using it for the past 6 months) and this is my holy grail mascara.
Lipstick products I Swear By
As for lipstick, I am a lipstick junkie. But consistently my favorites are the Maybelline creamy matte lipsticks. I probably have 15 and I have two of “Blushing Pout” – one for at home and one for my purse so I'm never without it. And while I do love these (and never travel without them) my favorites are those that don't budge the whole day. I'm talking about eating snails in France WITH a baguette and my lipstick is still in tact. My two most used are the Maybelline (they just make awesome products at drugstore prices) Super Stay Matte Ink Lip Color in the color “Lover” and Mac Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color in the shade “Lady be Good.” This is my go-to every day color. There isn't a day that goes by without someone asking me about these products.
Extras
I like to keep everything in a neoprene makeup bag because it tends to stay cleaner and is more durable. I try to fit all toiletries in here so I know exactly how much I'm bringing and it keeps me from over-packing makeup and hair products. I also travel with a clear, plastic toiletry bag (this one is approved by TSA) so that I can put liquids here. This is perfect for airport security and is durable enough to last for years.
My hair routine is pretty simple but I have to have a brush, leave-in-conditioner, and dry shampoo. I used to love the wet brush, and still have one, but I've been loving over the Tangle Teaser. I have a SUPER tender head and this somehow never hurts me. I save smaller plastic bottles or use travel size bottles so I can pour my conditioner and shampoo to take on in my carry on bag.
Some other things I pack are: these self tanning towelettes, crest whitestrips (I use these about once a year to whiten my teeth) and sunglasses cleaner wipes.
So there you have it! These are my travel beauty (and really, everyday) staples. I love to look my best but, to me, travel is about the experience. The more low maintenance you can be, the more fun you can have.
You might also like:
How to Pack for A Long Trip in a Carry On
6 travel tips to make packing a breeze
Super easy and pretty travel hair
The Ultimate Guide to Packing Like a Travel Blogger
Free packing checklist
Absolutely everything you need to take on a trip.
