Inside My Travel Makeup Bag

I wanted to share the makeup items I took with me on holiday this year. To be honest I don’t wear as much makeup when I travel as I do at home. I honestly want to spend the least amount of time possible in my hotel room and enjoy the trip as much as possible. Now this doesn’t mean I don’t wear makeup at all, unless I’m on a long haul flight believe me I’m wearing makeup. I just like to bring multipurpose items that I know work well for me, are travel-friendly and make applying makeup quick and easy. 

Furthermore I tend to not experiment with makeup or skincare when I travel; the best advice I can give when it comes to travel makeup is stick to what you know. I also recommend keeping your makeup bag light that way you have room to buy all those beauty bits you can’t get at home. #Sleekmakeup

Now without further ado here are my picks…

For base I used the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30, (1.90z/$44.00) my shade is Light 3 Groenland. This is my favorite tinted moisturizer at the moment; I use it non-stop in the summer. The coverage is pretty decent and it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin; it’s easy to apply with fingers and done, glowy skin in seconds. For concealer I brought my old faithful MAC Studio Finish Concealer SPF 35 (1 oz/$30.00) I’ve used this for years and it never disappoints. This is my concealer of choice for travel. This is the duo version with the shades NW20/NC25. I use the lighter shade under my eye area and the darker shade to conceal.

In previous trips I survived with just one blush; yes I used the word survived. This time I took two blushes. The first is Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow in Patrice (0.130z/$26.00) I love a good cream blush and this one is super pigmented so a little goes a long way. It looks scary in the pan but it blends beautifully. I heard this is one of Miranda Kerr’s favorites. Creamy Glow has been reformulated so I don’t know how this one compares to the new version but I absolutely love this product. It’s also a staple in my everyday makeup bag. Every time I use it I think of my grandmother, in the best possible way of course. She loved her rouge and I think she would have loved this.

The second is the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (0.12oz/$7.49) Need I say more? No but I will. This blush is Unicorn perfection. Luminoso is my second favorite blush after Nars Deep Throat. It’s exquisite and versatile, I like using it on my eyes as well. 

For eyes I always put together a MAC Quad, I use a different combination every time I travel. This one has MAC Naked Lunch, Sumptuous Olive, Woodwinked and Soft Brown. A separate blog post about my MAC Travel Quad is coming up soon. For eyeliner the Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Glide-On Double-Ended Eye Pencil in Perversion/Rockstar ($18.00) I always take one of these with me. Double ended products are so convenient and these pencils are buttery soft and stays put throughout the day.

Traveling is the perfect time to bust out those samples you have accumulated in your drawer and use those Sephora 100 point perks. I used the YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils in Black for my mascara and for my highlight Benefit Watt’s Up! Cream-to-Powder Highlighter, both were 100-point perks from Sephora. I love you Sephora. For brows I used the Benefit Gimme Brow in Medium Deep. For lips I decided to go with Nars Lipsticks in Damage and Rosecliff (0.12oz/$28.00) Rosecliff is the perfect nude; it’s very similar to Barbara from their Audacious range and Damage is a great dupe for MAC Syrup. For lip gloss Nars Super Orgasm, (0.18/$26.00) this is perfect for the evenings, the shimmer in this gloss is beautiful.

Last but not least makeup brushes. I opted to take smaller brushes because they’re easier to clean and can be used in many different ways. First, the Zoeva 110 Face Brush (€12.80), it’s become my favorite foundation brush. The Real Techniques Setting Brush ($7.99) and Duo-Fiber Contour Brush ($15.99, part of a set) both can be used for blush and highlight. Dual ended brushes are awesome for travel, this RiRi Hearts MAC Double-Ended Brush 217/239 ($35.00) is a limited edition but any similar double-ended brush will do. I wanted one that could pack on color and blend unfortunately the 217 can be a bit scratchy. The Smashbox Double Ended Smudger brush ($24.00) is so handy; it works great for smoking out the eyeliner. Some additional items include Q –Tips and lip balm. My favorite is the Aquaphor Lip Repair ($3.60) A good lip balm or treatment is essential.

What are some of your must have makeup items for travel?