12 Travel Makeup Tips

One of my favorite things to do is applying makeup. One of my least favorite things to do is packing makeup for travel. As someone who loves variety and gets stressed out about packing things and forgetting to pack things, it’s crucial to follow some travel makeup tips.

Whether you’re going on vacation or travelling home from college for the weekend, these tips will help you be organized and fabulous.

1. Pack a palette.

I have one shimmery neutral palette that I love to pack because I know it has any shade I could possibly need for my go-to eye shadow look. It’s also fairly compact and fits comfortably in my makeup bag. Only pack a palette if it’s space-saving, though. If you’re packing a palette but the palette is missing three shades you also want to bring, don’t bother with the palette.

2. Seal liquid products in Ziploc bags.

If they do leak at least they won’t be leaking all over your other products. Another tip that I personally haven’t tried is to unscrew the product, put saran wrap over the opening and then screw the cap back on. This sounds like it would totally work. Also, sidenote, if you have a compact product that tends to not stay shut, be sure to put rubber bands on them so they stay closed!

3. Invest in a brush roll.

They can be really inexpensive and many brush sets come with them. Just don’t toss your brushes into a bag with all of your makeup–it’s not the most sanitary thing in the world and it can lead to bent and damaged bristles.

4. Use sample-sized products.

All of those samples you hoard and never use can now finally have their time to shine. This includes things from beauty boxes, makeup orders or even things you’ve taken from hotel rooms in the past like those little travel lotions and shampoos.

5. Plan your looks in advance.

I typically do the same look every day when I’m travelling or on vacation but if I know I’m going to be going out at night I might pack a smokey shadow palette. I also plan my lip colors so I know how many different shades to pack. If you plan on having some variety, do so in advance to avoid packing your entire lipstick arsenal.

6. Pack cotton swabs and makeup remover.

This isn’t much of a tip, it’s more of a reminder but it’s very important! Cotton swabs always come in handy when you mess up your liner or smudge your lipstick. Makeup remover is key because going to bed with your makeup on, as we all know, is a horrible crime to commit.

7. Bring multi-use products.

This is such a handy way to save space. Some examples of this might be a shimmery shadow that can also be used as a highlighter or a lipstick shade that can also be used as a blush.

8. Clean out your makeup bag.

All of those nasty eyeliner pencil shavings and bits of powder that’s sitting on the bottom need to go. Use a disinfectant wipe and wipe down the inside and outside of your makeup bag before and after packing.

9. Use a clear makeup bag.

This will make it so much easier to find what you’re looking for. Digging around aimlessly in a bottomless pit of a makeup bag is frustrating.

10. Pack a decent sized mirror.

Just in case where you’re going doesn’t have a great one or your products don’t come with sizable mirrors. My mom has a great standing mirror that’s about the size of an iPad and comes apart so it’s perfect for travel. I can also prop it in front of a window when I travel so I can do my makeup in good ‘ol natural lighting.

11. To avoid forgetting products, write down what you use as you do your makeup.

Use this list as a packing list later on when you’re getting ready to pack for your trip. I did this once when I was getting ready for class and have since used my “step by step” sort of routine as a baseline for packing for months now.

12. Pack tried and true products, not experimental ones.

Vacation and travelling is not the time to test out a new lipstick or foundation. Try it out before you go to make sure it works well and won’t make you break out! Being stuck with a crappy product while you’re travelling and trying to do your makeup isn’t going to be much fun at all.