Some of you who follow my Twitter timeline may remember this question that I threw out to you a couple of weeks back. I asked on Twitter if I was the only one who chooses not to travel with my favourite makeup pieces in case they get lost or damaged, especially limited edition pieces.
The primary response that I can remember was that most didn’t mind because there was nothing truly irreplaceable while others were like me, preferring to travel with something that is easily replaceable in case anything goes wrong.
What say you? 🙂
I packed the bare minimum for my most recent trip and it comprised products that I know work but which I’m not too attached to. If anything happens, I know they can be easily replaced. I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup when I’m on holiday anyway so this was truly the bare basics and on most days, all I ever had on was base, concealer and some powder… if I was feeling hardworking 🙂
For the first time, I replaced foundation with a BB Cream (Diorsnow BB Creme) which when paired with the dual tasking Shu Uemura Point Cealer and Guerlain Meteorites Pressed Illuminating Powder gave me a good enough base to last the day. The last item is actually discontinued so that was an exception to my rule. That and blush was all I wore most of the time.
For eyes, I opted to go with just a swipe of L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Hourglass Beige, lined with my trusty Guerlain Kohl pencil and Maybelline The Falsies mascara. Fast and polished 🙂 I actually forgot my brow pencil but the benefits of a thick hair fringe is that I didn’t actually need one! 😀
I’m pleased with my kit this time around. Everything works, its all compact and fits into a slim pouch, and if something happens to any of them, I won’t be upset 🙂
Your Say: Do you travel with your favourite makeup? Or are you like me and prefer to stick to something accessible and easily replaceable, but that works even if it may not be your favourite?
Paris B
Petrina says
I’ll only bring items that I know will work – powder, blush, eyebrow pencil, neutral shadow & lipstick ( and gloss which is in my handbag anyway).however, on most holidays I dont go bare faced as we take a ton of photos and would like to look presentable when my parents inevitably forward them on!
Skin care on the other hand I do bring quite a bit but in miniature sizes which I will toss as the trip progresses.
Paris B says
I find that I look so relaxed and happy in holiday sits that it doesn’t matter if I have makeup on hehe but yes, having some makeup on most certainly enhances looks especially in close up shots. I usually go with sample sized skincare when I travel. I don’t skimp on my skincare although I do sometimes travel with packet samples that I can toss as I go 🙂
xin says
i usually will bring what’s convenient and something that i know will work for sure even if in a hurry 😉 of course the easily replaceable product, just in case I forget to pack the item back with me!
Paris B says
Oh yeah! Forgetting to pack stuff. I’ve lost a couple of items before but nothing major so far. These days, I travel with a list of the most important things I’ve packed so I remember to pack them when I go home
makeup.addict says
When I’m traveling, the essentials I always bring is sunblock, 2 liquid foundations (one long wearing & one more dewy/natural looking) and a setting powder. I have this horrible tendency to shop at duty free counters even before my plane departs (a blush is a MUST purchase item for every single plane trip! to and fro!), so I don’t usually pack to much makeup.
But if I am off to Australia (cosmetics is hella expensive there!), I do pack quite a bit of makeup and most of them are makeup I rarely use since I just want to be done with ’em FAST. If any of them happens to shatters (or forgotten to be repacked..oops!), I definitely won’t be crying myself a river. 🙂
Paris B says
You must have a very nostalgic makeup collection fom all your travels 🙂 I know someone who buys a fragrance from every trip and she has amassed quite a collection! I’m always browsing duty free too – some brands have travel only exclusives and I’m always so tempted by them although I’ve stopped with the palettes. They just don’t work for me.
adeline says
I always try to bring the things that work and as little as possible since you know, DFS reels us in before we even leave the country… hah! I prefer putting at least a polished neutral face forward while traveling, especially in places like Japan & HK where NOT putting makeup on makes you the odd one out.
In the kit: Lancome BB (doubling as sunblock with SPF 50), concealer, eyebrow pencil, canmake/Bobbi brown cream blush, a lipcream (awesome for sheer in the day, layering on more for the night), Bobbi brown eye palette. Skip the mascara and it saves me one less thing to clean off at the end of the day!
Paris B says
Mmm I like the sound of your kit! It’s so compact and everything sounds like something I’d use myself. I know what you mean about mascara. It’s usually the one thing that is hardest to remove although most of my cleansing oils do the trick 🙂 I sometimes cheat and just curl my lashes, without mascara. Helps open up the eyes 🙂
Michelle Beh says
Concise makeup travel pack!! Oh ya! how did u find about the Maybelline Falsies Mascara? Nice?
Paris B says
I really like the Maybelline Falsies mascara 🙂 the post has a link to my review or it’s also here.
Shay says
I hardly have any makeup which I love and is irreplaceable. But I do believe in efficiency during travel. For work, I might travel from 1 to 3 weeks. So, I don’t like to bring brushes. I would feel icky if I don’t wash for 1 week. No brushes.
Well, maybe except a face brush. To use with powder to set a face of cream products. 🙂
Paris B says
Wow I can’t imagine traveling that long for work. Packing not only makeup but clothing must be quite a pain. As it is I agonize over what to pack for short trips. When it’s for work it’s usually just for a day or two. I don’t think I could go any longer 😛
Shay says
Actually, no matter if it is 1 or 3 weeks, I would just pack 1 week’s clothes. Coz I’ll send them to laundry. ????
shusheshe says
What I pack depends on where I’m going, how long, and doing what. For a beach vacation or something where I’ll be outside a lot, it’ll be suncreen, brow pencil, and a neutral cream eyeshadow. For work, I’m expending the above list by a BB Cream, Nars Multiple to use as blush (and maybe lips), pressed powder, and the longest lasting pencil eyeliner I have in dark brown, and if the stay is longer than 3 days, I’ll toss in one of Bobbi Brown’s neutral palettes.
Paris B says
That makes a lot of sense 🙂 when I go to places like the beach, I actually don’t bother with makeup at all. I’m only a bit more particular when I go to a city. It’s probably the city girl in me 🙂
milktea says
When I travel I am into buying new makeup but not into wearing it. Laid back look for me. 🙂
Paris B says
Haha that makes sense! So have you amassed a nice little collection yet? 🙂
KS says
Interesting. I am currently packing for a work trip for tomorrow. I packed a Chanel Travel Palette which has 4 e/s and 1 blush. Not the most adventurous, and definitely not my favourite but it’ll do since it’s all in one (I don’t use it much if I’m not travelling). I also packed an additional blush for the variety. 1 base, 1 foundation, 1 loose powder, 1 eyebrow pencil. That’s it. 🙂 I usually will bring more than 1 lippie though to have an option of changing my look subtly through my lip colour. 🙂
Paris B says
I have a couple of travel palettes and they aren’t much of a fave for me too! They will do in a pinch but I’m not crazy about them so taking them on a trip makes sense 🙂 I also do carry more than 1 lipstick although I also realize that I rarely apply lipstick at all unless it’s for a specific thing e.g. Lunch or dinner 😛 sometimes I wonder why I bother 😛
Lisa says
I try to go very minimal when traveling. Liquid foundation squeezed into tiny mini ziplock bags to be used and discarded, one blush, one dark eye shadow (to be used for eye brow too) and one neutral shimmery shade to give the eye area some brightening, one eyeliner, one lip product. And a sample powder compact which i always try to get from the BAs during my makeup purchase (very useful). I also travel with a sponge, a powder brush, a blush brush and a flat eye brush. My makeup and tools also travel in my handbag with me. I’m pretty insecure that anything might happen to my makeup if they are checked in regardless they are easily replaceable or not. I can’t go without makeup usually. I also pack one set of light, basic clothes in my handcarry for unforeseen circumstances. One can never be ‘too prepared’ these days.
Paris B says
Wow you actually squeeze out foundation into zip lock bags? Do you then use a brush to apply? I find this very fascinating as you can tell 😛 I usually carry my skincare in my carry on handbag but am a little more flexible about my makeup pouch because if I carry a larger camera, the bag is heavy enough without the makeup pouch weighing it down further 🙂
Lisa says
I use my fingers and ????? makeup sponge (have you tried these? They are amazing!!!) to apply the liquid foundation. I also squeeze hair styling products into these mini ziplock bags. I got the idea of creating personalised sachets like those sampling ones from the makeup counters. This so far works ok for my short getaways of about 5 days. One mini ziplock bag can last me the entire trip in fact. Best of all they don’t take up much space and weigh almost nothing.
Lisa says
Ha… I can’t see the Chinese characters in my post. In case you can’t “read” the Chinese characters like me, translated to be “yong he San mei Ren” makeup sponges. 🙂
Paris B says
I going to have to look up the sponges you mentioned and the sampling bag thing is a clever idea. A bit fiddly for me, but such a great idea!
Mira says
I don’t have much make-up to begin with. So, wherever I go, I just bring the regular. My Diorsnow compact powder, Diorblush, Diorshow Iconic Mascara & MAC eyeliner. I’m basically a Dior girl, from skincare to make-up, all Dior (mostly). Because my skin kinda sensitive and I can’t try much products. Dior is good for me so I just stick with it.
Paris B says
Aww you’re a Dior girl! 😀 there’s no need to own a lot of makeup, I think. If you’ve already found the ones that work for you, why stray right? 🙂 I love the Diorsnow powder and Diorblush too!
Alyssa says
nice! going to Vietnam this coming April but im going there for dance shows and events..may need to bring my whole makeup kits along. sigghh.
Paris B says
Sounds like a fun trip! If you need the whole kit by all means bring it! 🙂
jen says
I don’t, cause I like to travel light. I hate packing all those bottles and tubes. and secondly, I buy a lot when I travel anyway. :)). As long as I have my sunblock, cleansing wipes and lip balm I can survive. Shocking, eh?
Paris B says
Not shocking, I do the same sometimes. To survive I just need my skincare and a good sunblock. To look better, then I have my makeup hehe 😉