Style
Going on holiday is great, but packing can be a nightmare, particularly if you are a beauty stan. For those among us who have a strict skincare regime, can't be without a specific eyeshadow palette, or won't use anything other than our regular shampoo and conditioner, travelling can threaten to ruin everything in our routine. Luckily, there are a number of clever hacks for maintaining your beauty routine abroad, from investing in mini versions of your favourite products, to sticking to solid formulations and shopping for multi-purpose makeup. Keep reading to discover the very best I have realised over the years.
Just to give you a bit of context, I am the type of person who thrives on routine when it comes to beauty, particularly when it comes to skincare. My skin enjoys continuity, not change, so finding ways to bring my beloved skincare products away with me is at the top of my priority list after I have booked my flights, organised my AirBnB, and sorted my swimwear.
If you're not the type of person who would be satisfied with the minis you receive in a hotel (I feel ya), keep scrolling to discover my top tips to keep the quality and consistency of your regular beauty routine while you're away.
1Minis
The most obvious way to travel smart while still maintaining a routine as similar to the norm as possible is to search for your favourite products in mini sizes. You'd actually really be surprised at the amount of beauty favourites that now come in minis. Here are my top five:
- Windle London Traveller Packs for all your hair care and styling needs in handy sachets.
- Drunk Elephant Rise + Glow for your day and night time serums.
- Sunday Riley Mini Tidal Water Cream to moisturiser in the morning and before bedtime.
- Malin + Goetz Body Essentials Duo to wash and moisturise your body in the most boujee way possible.
- Milk Makeup Werk It Set for all your basic makeup needs.
If you really can't find your favourite products in mini sizes, go old school and de-canter them into mini bottles, which are easy to find on Amazon or at your local Boots.
2Solid formulations
An invention that has made holiday beauty packing a million times easier is that of solid formulations. Solid skincare such as the options from Milk Makeup and We Are Wild offer brilliant ingredients worthy of your normal every day routine, packed into a compact, plane-friendly stick. Stores such as Lush also offer brilliant solid shampoo bars and casings, and top perfumer brands like Jo Malone now do solid fragrances. Not only are these options high quality, they won't take up crucial space in your on-flight liquids bag.
3Flannels & reusable wipes
Removing your makeup on the go is a bit of a chore, and face wipes are never more appealing than in these situations. While refraining may be hard, remember how bad wipes are for the skin and the environment, so refrain you must. Instead, you can take a couple of flannels with you to use alongside your cleanser, or even better, a compact, reusable option such as these Face Halo pads. Environmentally friendly as well as easy to pack and use on-the-go? Check, check, check.
4Multi-purpose makeup
When it comes to packing your holiday makeup, it's worth picking products that can double up without compromising on quality. For example, this Dr Sebagh product combines an SPF with a brightening primer and brilliant skincare properties from the vitamin C. You can also pick up plenty of lip and cheek products, and tinted brow mascaras that can also be used on lashes.
5Handy palettes
Another top tip for packing makeup smartly is to invest in a professional palette which you can then decant your favourite cream formulas into. You can add everything from blusher, concealer, foundation and highlighter in here, saving valuable space and yet still bringing along your all-time hero products. Clever, huh?
6Travel mirrors
One thing I have learnt during my travels is that the main issue with out-of-home makeup application is lighting and mirror space. Hotels often have terrible lighting, and if you're travelling with someone else, chances are they may hog the mirror while you're trying to use it. Solve this issue and ensure application that's just as good as home by buying a fold-up mirror, such as this one by Muji.
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