If you read my previous post on this subject, 10 Tips for Packing Light without Sacrificing Your Style, then you know I only travel with a carry on and a personal item no matter how long or where I’m traveling to. How do I do it? I’m glad you asked.
The following 10 tips explain in detail how I manage to travel light in the beauty department without ever damaging my skin or sacrificing my style. I highly recommend you apply the tips in both blogs because while this one focuses on beauty, the other one tackles everything else. They go hand in hand.
1. Less is more
I am not a makeup artist but I own enough products to be one. What can I say? I like to wear a full beat. This doesn’t mean that I have travel with all my makeup, however. At the end of the day, this is how I see it: if your beauty products take up half the space in your carry on something is wrong. Believe me, you do not need a whole lot of products to create a flawless look. On any given trip, I travel with my complexion products, one brow powder or cream, one eyeliner, one pair of lashes and multiple lipsticks.
2. Lay off the shadow
When I am out of town, I try to create simple but impactful looks with clean skin, sculpted brows, sharp eyeliner and a bold lip. Yes, I skip the eyeshadow! I know this one might be hard for some of you but it will save a lot of space in your luggage. If you must bring eyeshadow, limit yourself to one versatile eyeshadow palette. No more than one. I mean it!
3. Sample it
I never travel with full size products above TSA approved guidelines. Most of my makeup products pass with flying color but skincare and perfume is where this usually gets tricky. To solve the issue, I make sample sizes of my cleanser, lotion and serum. I use smaller TSA approved containers or get samples / travel sizes from each brands. As for perfumes, I don’t make my own samples but get them from Sephora or department stores.
4. Oh brushes
Like most makeup girls, I need my brushes. Using the wrong brushes or forgetting to pack one, can make or break your look. Thankfully, I discovered the MakeupDrop which I use to apply my foundation, concealer and skincare. I like that it is small and effective. Another multi-tasker I never leave without is a small angled brush which is perfect for brows and eyeliner. The other brushes I bring are: powder, blush, contour and eyeshadow brushes if I packed that ONE eyeshadow palette.
5. Don’t leave without it
I cannot stress the importance of packing sunscreen enough. Regardless of your destination, you should always wear sunscreen. The sun is very harsh and can cause premature aging, darkening of hyper-pigmentation and skin cancer. So protect yourself at all times, even when you are home. If your sunscreen is too big for TSA standards, make a travel-friendly size of it or buy a new full size bottle upon arrival to your destination. Lavanila makes a healthy sunscreen with SPF30 which is 2.5 oz. Please note that if you have dark skin like I do, it will leave a white cast on your melanin so you have been forewarned.
6. Location, location, location.
This tip is a game-changer. If you are traveling to a city where you know you will find a pharmacy and a Sephora, you can plan to purchase your products there instead of traveling with them. Makeup remover wipes, cotton pads are things you can get from the pharmacy and use up during your trip. You can also sample products from Sephora at no cost to you. This works well for eye treatments, concealers, primers, masks and perfumes. You welcome!
7. Lip action
At any given time you can find 4 lipsticks in my purse even when I’m not traveling! It’s true, I love wearing lipstick and on trips I rely on different shades to change up my look ever day! Depending on the season, I will pack a red, orange, nude, pink, purple and plum lipstick so I have options. A new lip color is all I need. It will work wonders for you too. Try it and thank me later!
8. Don’t make me blush
When I travel, I stick to one blush and one highlighter to complement all of my makeup looks. In the winter, plums and dark pinks tend to look best on me. In the summer, I go wild with the oranges, peaches and pinks! As for highlighters, I stick to gold and rose gold year-round. I choose the best combo based on my destination and my mood!
9. Multipurpose
If you decide to take this tip to heart, it will revolutionize your packing. Using multipurpose products can save you a lot space and time. Some of my favorite multipurpose products are Josie Maran’s Argan oil which I use on my face, lips, hair and hands. I also have multiple uses for coconut oil. It is a great sealant for my hair and moisturizer for my body. I love how it makes my skin glow. Whenever I have it on hand, I also pack the DIY Shea butter coconut body butter and use it to moisturize my hair, body and keep a small container in my purse to use as hand cream. In the makeup department, I mix and match products so I can use eyeshadow as highlighter, blush as eyeshadow, black eyeshadow as eyeliner, brown eyeshadow as brow powder and lipstick as blush. As you can see, the possibilities are endless!
10. Trust your hotel
I gave this tip in my 10 Tips for Packing Light without Sacrificing your Style blog and I can’t stress enough how important it is to book accommodations that meet your standards. If the hotel or Airbnb you booked causes you to feel the need to pack towels, extra sheets, a pillow, basic soap, shampoo and conditioner, may I suggest you find another place to stay? I never pack any of the above at the exception of travel sizes of my shampoo and conditioner because most hotels don’t provide Afro natural hair friendly haircare products. Maybe I should make that suggestion the next time I stay in a hotel!
Bottom line, I hate carrying heavy suitcases and spending hours packing and unpacking. That is why packing light is a must for me. Not to mention the money I save on airfare and time once I reach my destination. Baggage claim? Lost baggage? Ain’t nobody got time for that!
READ: 10 TIPS FOR PACKING LIGHT WITHOUT SACRIFICING YOUR STYLE
