Tips to Minimize Your Makeup When You Travel

This article contains links to quite a few products.  These are products that I use and recommend based on my own personal use.  We receive no compensation for recommending any of these products.

I read an article recently that stated that the average American woman owns 40 cosmetic items.  Initially, I thought that seemed pretty high, but when I started considering my own stash, it did not seem so crazy.  The problem is, even though I may have a lot of cosmetics, I really do not use most of them on a regular basis.  I tend to have my ‘favorite’ items that I use over and over again. But still, the number of individual items is substantial.

Previously, whenever I traveled, especially for more than a few days, I tended to pack most of those favorite items.  I felt like I had to have them, ‘just in case’.  However, once we committed to travel with only our carry-on luggage, I began a quest to reduce the size and number of products that we brought along on trips.  Now, after every trip, I usually try to reflect on the products that worked well and what items we really used.  One thing that kept popping up after every trip, is the fact that I never used all of the makeup that I brought. Typically, I was packing a couple of different foundations, eye shadow pallets, setting sprays, bronzer, highlighter, etc.  But the truth of the matter is that I never used most of it.

TIP: You may want to read one of our previous articles, “How to Pack for the TSA – Fitting it all in that Little Quart Bag”.  In that article, we provide a lot of tips about all sorts of ways to minimize the amount of liquids we pack in our carry-on luggage.

I’m not going to try to convince you that you should never take your full compliment of products.  For example, if you are attending special events or if you are just not comfortable or confident without your full face, then by all means bring along whatever makes you feel your best!  However, if you are looking for some tips or products that might be helpful for minimizing your makeup bag – read on!

How Much Product Do You Really Need?

The first thing you may want to consider is just how much product you will really need over the course of your trip.   For example, do you prefer liquid foundation?  Next time you apply your foundation, take note of how much you really use.  I generally use 1 pump of foundation.  So, over the course of a week, if I apply once per day, that equates to only 7 pumps.  To me its just not worth bringing the entire bottle, so I just decant what I think I will need (plus a little for contingencies) into one tiny bottle. You can apply this same approach to primers, concealer and any other liquids.  Contact lens containers are perfect for holding small amounts of these sorts of products.

You can decant all sorts of products that you may not have considered.  I sometimes like to use a setting spray, but bringing along a big bottle takes up so much space!  I discovered these tiny refillable atomizers on Amazon that can be used not only for setting spray, but even liquids like toner.  These little bottles emit a fine spray, do not leak and the 10ml-sized bottle lasted more than a week.

Travel Sizes

Using travel sized makeup can be a good alternative to decanting.  However, finding your tried-and-true products in travel sizes can sometimes be difficult.   But did you know that eBay is a great place to look for sample and travel sizes?  I have been able to find new, brand-named sample sizes of all sorts of makeup on eBay, including eye shadows, concealers, foundation and more.

Leave Some Products at Home

Think about all of the activities that you will be engaging in during your trip and what types of makeup you really need.  Most of our trips involve some sort of indoor/outdoor activities during the day like hiking, beach combing, sightseeing, etc. and then going out for dinner in the evening.  I have found that I typically need minimal makeup for these daytime activities. Usually I only wear foundation/tinted sunscreen, mascara, a touch of blush and tinted lip balm during the day.  For dinner, I may add some concealer, eye shadow, liner and some lipstick.  Dinners out are rarely ‘fancy’ and since its usually just my husband and me, I generally do not feel the need to add highlighter, bronzer, contour, etc. 

Just Bring One

One of the biggest changes that I have made is to stop bringing multiple versions of the same products.  Now, I try to bring along only one product in each category that will work for both day and evening.  That means I bring only one foundation, one small shadow palette, one lipstick, etc.  If you select more neutrally colored products, they easily will go with everything in your wardrobe.

Bring Double-Duty Products

Another way to reduce the quantity of makeup in you bag is to bring along products that can perform multiple functions.  For example, this Cali Face Palette from Smashbox contains 6 pans of contour, bronzer, highlighter and blush.  However, not only does this palette contain all your face makeup, but these colors also make excellent eye shadows, eliminating the need for a ton of separate products!

Another example of a multi-use product is Benefit’s Gimme Brow + Volumizing Brow Gel.  This product provides color, thickening and hold – all in one little tube. And, it can be purchased in a mini-size, which is ideal for travel.

I frequently bring along either this Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick or Nudestix Lip + Cheek Pencils.  They take up very little space, can be applied with your fingers and since they can be used on both lips and cheeks, they are great double-duty products.

Consider Using Alternative Products

I have used liquid foundation exclusively for most of my life.  However, I recently discovered this stick foundation by Lancôme.  It is perfect for travel because since it is not a liquid, it’s not taking up precious space in the ‘liquids bag’.  It has a built-in brush, and I do not need to bring along a primer for this foundation to work well.  Not only that, but stick foundations are great time savers because they apply so quickly and do not require as much work to blend. There are a lot of stick foundations on the market at all price points, so consider replacing your liquid foundation with a stick!

Over time I have been pairing down the size of my eyeshadow palettes.  I used to pack full-sized palettes, sometimes more than one!  In the last few years, I moved to small palettes, even duos.  However, in my most recent trips I have been taking only eyeshadow sticks and I really prefer them.  In our last trip, I brought along only 2 Nudestix in complementary colors.  They can be worn alone for a ‘one and done’ look, or paired together for simple eye shadow looks or even used as an eyeliner.  Shadow sticks are also convenient because you do not even need a brush to apply them.  

Speaking of brushes, consider using products that do not require them.  Cream products like eyeshadow sticks, blush, and highlighter can be applied without a brush, saving even more room in your makeup bag.

Buy a Makeup Kit

If you would prefer to buy a ‘ready-made’ makeup kit that would be perfect for travel, there are several popular ones on the market.  I have not tried any of these personally, but they look interesting and they certainly are compact.

• Boom – This company was started by a former super-model and is geared for minimal, multipurpose makeup. Boom makeup is sold individually and also in kits, that include some skin care items.

• trèStiQue – This company offers all sorts of quick and easy makeup, including customizable makeup kits ‘that fit in the palm of your hand’.

• Jane Iredale Pure & Simple Makeup Kit – This kit gets pretty good reviews and includes most of the items you may be looking for in simple kit, with the exception of mascara and eye liner.

TIP: Large international airports with a lot of duty-free boutiques are great places for picking up makeup, including travel sets.  Take a look the next time you have some free time to shop before your flight!

Before and After

Here is a look at all of the products that I used to bring versus what I brought on my last trip:

Before:

Face Primer

Eye Shadow Primer

2- Liquid Foundations

2 – Blushes

2 – Lipsticks

1 – Tinted Lip Balm

Powdered Bronzer

Powdered Highlighter

2 Eye Shadow Palettes

Eyelash Primer

Mascara

Eyeliner

Setting Spray

4 Face Brushes

5 Shadow Brushes

After:

Eye Shadow Primer

1 Foundation Stick

1 Cream Blush

1 Lipstick

1 Tinted Lip Balm

2 Shadow Sticks

Eyelash Primer

Mascara

Eyeliner

Tiny Setting Spray

1 Face Foundation Brush

1 Blending Brush

After reducing the number of products, replacing some full sized products with travel sizes and substituting cream products for powdered, thereby reducing the number of makeup brushes, I was left with these items.  I used everyone of them and never missed all the stuff I used to bring!

So, what do you think?  I think it’s a pretty significant change and since I always pack my makeup in my carry-on bag, I have more room for other stuff! Not to mention how much more room I have in my 1-quart liquids bag!! I hope you have found some information in this post that is helpful and if you have any tips of your own, be sure to share them in the comments section!

Until next time, safe travels!