Traveling Light

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustav Flaubert

Over the past 3 years, I've traveled more than all of my 30 years combined. This is not due to coming into a small fortune or having loads of free vacation hours. It is solely due to overcoming some of my anxiety and being encouraged that I can travel solo yet still enjoy the experience alone. Because of this newfound freedom, I have developed a serious love of exploration and am determined to continue my typical skincare & makeup routine wherever I am to maintain a sense of consistency.

Collection of travel-sized products for skincare

Thanks to TSA regulations and airline weight/size restrictions, I've found that travelers have to give up certain products to make room/downsize for flight, but I've found ways around that in bringing along multi-purpose makeup products and utilizing empty travel containers to pack in more skincare options. I wanted to share the tips and products I typically pack in the chance that it might help one of you to travel lighter but more luxuriously too!

Amazon is a great place to grab the empty travel containers pictured above (these here)! Weirdly enough, sometimes "travel-sized" products are larger than they need to be and take up unnecessary space, so you can downsize in a tiny refillable container and even save money by putting some of your full-sized daily products in (stores always mark up travel-size products since they're a novelty item).

Flying is drying (I like rhyming), so I bring along my own moisture in the form of facial sprays, eye patches, moisturizers, serums, eye drops, and an empty plastic water bottle to refill once past security. I also pack things that could help prevent or heal a potential sunburn like sunscreen for the face & body and aloe.

Vaseline is my go-to for lips and lashes at night, and micellar water or toner is perfect from removing the makeup and grime of the day.

A perfume rollerball keeps me fresh and smelling nice, but it is the most expensive piece of the traveling entourage.

Eyedrops are soothing for weary eyes, a rose quartz facial roller massages out excess fluid (e.g. puffy undereyes), and the random Tan Towel packet in there is for faking a quick bronzy glow once outdoors if you're feeling a little pale.

Collection of makeup must-haves in travel-sized and full-sized products

If you've been reading the blog for a while, you'd know that I'm obsessed with dual-use products, especially highlighters that can be used as eyeshadows and cheek-and-lip sticks. Keeping with weight and liquid requirements, you'll want to travel as light as possible with makeup too without sacrificing a potential glam look for those nights out on the town.

Try to pack small travel-sized brushes, and in my case, I only bring along brushes that are absolute necessities: eyeshadow blending brush, small paddle-shaped eyeshadow brush, blush brush, contour brush, highlighting brush (the last two could be found in a single, double-ended brush!), and foundation brush. My fingers can apply the concealer, and the spoolie in my double-ended eyebrow pencil brushes out my brows.

I also find travel-sized mascara, lipstick, primers, etc. from online makeup/skincare companies that throw in a few free goodies in each online shipment. Those I save specifically for travel! The NARS case pictured above contains three blushes, a lipgloss, and in the bottom, a highlighter and bronzer. Any bronzer I use as the transition shade for crease eyeshadows, and highlighters I use as lid shimmer.

Pressed powders are preferred over loose powders with sifters as they are mess-free and can be patted on with a lightweight sponge or tiny kabuki brush! If you find one containing an SPF, that's even better.

Eyeshadow sticks, too, are great for a quick, effortless lid color, easily blendable, and for packing purposes, indestructible. You can draw a concise sketch at the lash line or swirl it around and blend for more of an all-over shadow effect.

I hope these tips have encouraged you to reevaluate your travel routine and given you inspiration to try new packing ideas & products! Happy trails...