Travel Makeup: What to Bring and How to Pack

There’s nothing quite like the thrill of a trip away. We book them months (even years) in advance, make detailed itineraries and itch to put that long-awaited “out of office” email response on… And yet, the night before always seems like the best bet when it comes to packing.

We’ve all been there. Convincing yourself you’ll travel light while toying up the importance between your entire underwear drawer, several miniature bottles of shampoo stolen from a hotel in 2012 and three pairs of shoes that you haven’t worn in a year but you just never know...

Let’s keep one thing simple – your beauty bag. We have the perfect guide to packing makeup for travel whether it be for a long weekend or a month-long road trip.

How to pack your beauty bag for travel

Plan your glam and your routines in advance

Our number one rule? Approach packing your beauty bag in the same way you approach packing your clothes. There may be some of you who have a nonchalant "figure it out when I’m there" take on packing (please teach us your free-spirited ways) but, for the more regimented among us, you may prefer to plan an outfit for each day of your trip. We recommend the latter when it comes to your beauty essentials.

This doesn't have to mean a carefully curated palette for breakfast, lunch and dinner – but establishing which products you'll need for each day means you can better understand how much you'll need to pack. For days exclusively reserved for the beach, SPF and a pop of colour may be all you need. For those evening meals, you may prefer to bring along a few eye shadow shades to see you from dinner to dancing al fresco. And, of course, a mini nighttime serum for the very best beauty sleep.

A good place to start is by looking at how many days you’re away. From there, you can work out which skincare routines you might want to pack and how many makeup looks you’ll want to create. While we love spur-of-the-moment makeup looks, we recommend planning specific looks so you know exactly what to bring.

Multitasking products are your best friend

Packing multipurpose products is the easiest way to save on a huge amount of space. For your lighter makeup days, one-product makeup looks may be the ultimate space-saving trick. Here is one of Trinny Woodall’s favourite ways to use our multitasking hero Lip2Cheek:

Base

For your base, take your favourite Lip2Cheek shade and apply it to the apples of your cheeks using a brush or clean fingertips and blend upwards and outwards to create a flattering flush of pigment. One of Trinny’s top tips is to softly apply a wash of colour across the forehead to bring a sun-kissed glow to your complexion.

Lips

For your lip colour, simply apply the product to your lips and build up as you like. You may choose to use a lip brush here for a more defined lip or use a clean fingertip to add a wash of colour and keep the look soft.

Eyes

Trinny’s top time-saving tip? She takes whatever product is left on her brush and fingertips and applies it to her eyelids for a touch of pigment that ties the look together.

Overflowing beauty bags, begone – one product may be all you need to create natural looks on those minimal makeup days. Trinny London products are all cream-based, making them the perfect multitasking superheroes. Cream-based products can provide looks from a soft wash to a bold pop of colour. Consider experimenting with where you apply your shades and how much you build up your colour to see how many looks you can create using just one product.

When in doubt, think stacks

For some holiday-goers, minimal looks and routines just don’t meet the mark. What if you’re travelling for a wedding? You need a little confidence boost on your first work trip? Or you just fancy a full glam moment on your last night away? There are many reasons to cram in your favourite tried and tested products, but there’s an easier way to bring them without a full beauty bag…

Our handbag-friendly stacks and stackable skincare minis are the perfect travel companions, with everything you need in one streamlined routine. And don’t forget – BFF SPF 30 Cream and BFF De-Stress both arrive at your door with an empty T-Pot, perfect for decanting so you can snap them onto your stack.

The Smoky Eye stack

Lip2Cheek, Sheer Shimmer and two shades of Eye2Eye. Your evening look, sorted. This is your one-stop shop for an effortless smoky eye with glowing lips and cheeks, perfect for those “let’s see where the night takes us” evenings

The 5 Minute Makeover stack

BFF De-Stress, Just A Touch, Lip2Cheek, Sheer Shimmer and two shades of Eye2Eye. Got a minute? If busy city breaks are your thing, this is the stack for you. Everything you need to create a radiant look in just 5 minutes because we know (from experience) those tour guides wait for no one

The Statement Lip stack

Lip Luxe, Lip2Cheek and Eye2Eye. Let your lips do the talking with the Statement Lip stack, the easiest way to create a bold look with minimal effort needed. Start with a wash of Lip2Cheek on the cheeks and a subtle Eye2Eye shade and dial up your look with a pop of pigmented Lip Luxe – statement looks made simple

Mini Skincare Sets

The Non-Negotiables (Normal/Dry or Normal/Oily)

Start and end your day with the fundamental building blocks of any good skincare routine. Our highly active, stackable cleanser and moisturiser minis keep skin nourished, balanced and radiant – this set is the perfect foundation for a good skin day, every day…

Daily Upgrade

Ready to upgrade your skincare routine? Take your everyday skincare line-up a step further with our mini skincare set. Suitable for skincare novices and experts alike, this stackable set features mini sizes of Tiptoe In, our gentlest liquid exfoliant, and Plump UP, our clinically proven peptide and hyaluronic acid serum. Consider this your morning ritual for plump, radiant skin…

Overnight Renewal

Bring balance back to unhappy skin with our blemish-battling, fine line-tackling set. Our stackable, mini-sized Overnight Clarity Retinal/Niacinamide Serum and our mini Energise Me Niacinamide Moisturiser help balance congestion and smooth fine lines, all while keeping skin thoroughly nourished and hydrated. If you'd rather build your own stackable skincare routine, our minis are available individually too.

How to travel with makeup on a plane

Read your airline’s guidelines

Every airline is different and may have different restrictions on their luggage allowances, it’s important to check beforehand to ensure you avoid any last-minute makeup disposals.

Check hand luggage allowances

You can take makeup in your hand luggage however, double-check what products need to be in a clear plastic bag and which can stay in your luggage. Since Trinny London products are cream-based, it’s best to take them out of your bag to avoid being stopped at security. However, cream-based products are perfect for travelling as their thicker consistency makes them nearly impossible to spill – kiss eyeshadow explosions goodbye.

In the bag

Ensure your stack essentials arrive unscathed with turbulance-proof beauty bags. Trinny Woodall’s favourite travelling essentials? Clear beauty bags and a label maker.