9 Travel Makeup Bag Essentials

Traveling isn't an excuse not to look your best! While it's a challenge, since you can't carry many things, with the right travel makeup bag essentials, you can still look glam and fabulous.

Traveling is one of the most thrilling and life-changing experiences you can have, visiting a variety of places, meeting new people and even becoming friends with some of them.

You get to discover another culture and the offerings of the land you’re visiting, and, the best part, who knows if you’ll meet Prince Charming as you stroll through the land’s hottest destinations, right?

Before you get too worked up with all these things, tough, you’ll have to figure out one crucial thing: how to fit in all your beauty needs in your not-so-huge travel bag.

You obviously can’t take your entire vanity because it will be expensive! Plus, there’s that new TSA regulation that limits the beauty products you throw inside your suitcase.

We know that this can be a struggle for you so we’ve rounded up all the must-have travel makeup bag essentials (which are TSA-friendly, too) you should pack to have that selfie-ready face anytime, anywhere.

1. Sunscreen

Beach things

Regardless of the time of the year and where you’ll be vacationing at, sunscreen is a must to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. You don’t want wrinkles and dark spots to appear earlier than they should, right?

When deciding on a sunscreen, choose that that is stored as a thin stick so you can cut back on the liquid but still have enough to wear and keep you protected throughout your vacation.

2. BB Cream

A tube of BB cream is like having sunscreen and foundation in one. It’s very helpful when you’re paring down the beauty essentials you’ll take on vacation.

Buy a new, medium-sized BB cream rather than packing a used one to make sure you have enough of what you’ll need during your time away from home.

3. Concealer

Unless you don’t have any spots or blemishes, pack a concealer to keep them hidden in less than two minutes!

4. Eyeliner (pencil)

Makeup set

While eyeliner is designed to make eyes look bigger, who says that you can’t experiment and improvise when you feel like it or when the situation calls for it?

You can also use your eyeliner as a brow pencil if it’s a darker shade to keep those brows defined. It can also be effective as a lip liner, to give your lips the attention they deserve, if it’s a lighter shade.

5. Mascara

Mascara will help your eyes to stand out even without eyeshadow. So, pick up a travel sized tube from beauty stores near you before you leave!

6. Tweezers

If you have thick eyebrows or those that never fail to be all over the place the moment you rise from bed, tweezers will be your best friend. Make sure to pack a pair so your eyebrows will always be in check.

7. Nail clippers and file

It’s not like you’ll know where the nearest nail salon is in every country you visit. Aside from that, there are places that may not even have salons at all!

For this reason, carrying clippers and a file makes sense because they will always be handy.

8. Lip balm

lip balm on hand

Choose one with SPF so your lips can not only be moisturized, but protected from the sun as well. This is recommended especially if you have sensitive skin.

There are also those that are tinted, so your lips will look fuller even if you don’t wear lipstick. They’ll save you space while giving what your lips need.

9. Facial cleanser

Your essentials toiletries kit will never be complete without face wash. Why? Because you can’t jump into bed while you still have your makeup on.

You have to wash it all off and make sure there’s no residue so you can keep your skin clean, clear and younger-looking all the time. If your trip will be more than a week or two, be sure to bring an exfoliator so you can get rid of the dead cells that you’ve accumulated.

Depending on your preferences, you may or may not need to carry the following in your beauty essentials kit.

1. Eyeshadow

If you can’t live without painting your eyes, bring eye shadow in three shades that you can mix and match. Choose a palette that will also complement the clothes you’ve packed.

2. Powder

Cosmetics on the table 2

Compact powder can be a challenge to bring when you’re flying since there’s a higher chance of breakage. If you can’t go out without it, put a cotton ball between the mirror and powder to reduce the risks of breakage.

3. Blush

If you must wear blush to feel that your look is complete, choose a color that you can also use as shadow for your eyes to save on space.

When deciding on what to stash inside your travel beauty kit, consider which items you can and can’t live without for some time. Prioritize the basics and then add items according to your needs from there.

Remember also that more than the makeup you wear, your genuine and beautiful smile is what will make people around (and Mr. Right) smile and notice you!

What other beauty essentials do you think we should stash in our suitcases? Share your thoughts in the comments!

About the author

Maine Belonio

Maine Belonio is a twenty-something mom and writer who has a penchant for coffee, long distance running, Tolkien, Switchfoot, and Jesus.

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