9 Travel Makeup Must-Haves + Best Product Multi-taskers

Last updated on March 6th, 2019

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Travel makeup presents quite a dilemma.

If you pack too little, then you won’t have everything you need. If you pack too much, then you’ll end up kicking yourself because now you have to carry all this stuff around.

It’s a no-win situation.

Fortunately, it is very possible to have everything you need in just a very small capsule of items. If you’re curious about how to establish your own daily makeup capsule, click here and I’ll show you how!

For now, on to the products that I absolutely cannot live without when I’m away from home. I’ve taken this little collection, (plus a few other things, let’s be real,) everywhere I’ve traveled recently, and it has never let me down.

Space is a luxury when traveling, and these are the products that give me the “most bang for my buck,” so to speak. If you need help figuring out precisely what you should pack for your next business trip or weekend getaway, read on.

Okay, enough rambling. Let’s check out the makeup!

e.l.f. Makeup Remover Pen, because, obviously

If you haven’t already, definitely check out my post all about the E.l.f. Makeup Remover Pen. Trust me, you’ll want to see it. It’s right here >> E.l.f. Makeup Remover Pen Review + Uses

Makeup disasters happen at home, and they happen even more away from home. With the E.l.f. Makeup Remover Pen, you’ll never have to worry about crooked eyeliner, mascara smudges, migrating lipstick, cakey concealer, or a dribbling, makeup remover soaked Q-tip ever again. That’s a lot of benefits if you ask me.

E.l.f. Makeup Remover Pen >> Purchase at Elfcosmetics.com

Double ended brushes

It’s such a simple concept, yet it’s so underutilized. While double-ended brushes aren’t the most practical at home, (if any has figured out a great way to store them, please let me know,) they make the perfect travel companions.

Instead of carrying eight regular brushes, I instead simply pack three or four double ended brushes.

I typically go for two double-ended face brushes and one or two double ended eyeshadow brushes. I prefer to have separate brushes for my powder, blush, bronzer, and highlighter. But thanks to the next product, I’ve actually only been packing one double-ended eyeshadow brush in my travel makeup kit.

Recommended — Ecotools Boho Luxe Duo Make Up Brush Set >> Purchase on Amazon

Daily brush cleaning spray

Dirty brushes are so not the business. And when you’re on the go, there’s no way you’ll make time to wash and dry your brushes before the next use.

A daily brush cleaning spray is indispensable when you’re short on time, and when you don’t have all of your brushes at your disposal. This makes it super easy to switch up colors without muddy, or spreading yesterday’s bacterial all over your face.

Recommended — E.l.f. Daily Brush Cleaner >> Purchase at Elfcosmetics.com

Foundation in stick form

Thanks to airline luggage fees, I think everyone’s main travel goal these days is to cram everything they own into a carry-on. It’s a great idea. Unfortunately, this limits your liquid product carrying capacity.

To conserve valuable space in your one quart-sized baggie, try to pack as many non-liquid toiletries and makeup as you can.

Foundations are rather large, and take up a lot of real estate in the bag. By choosing a stick foundation instead, I can leave it in my regular makeup bag and save space for items that really need to be in the liquids bag. Think shampoo bars instead of liquid shampoo, a bar of soap instead of liquid body wash.

Besides that, stick foundations are unlikely to make a huge mess in your bag, plus they’re awesome for slipping into your purse for mid-day touchups.

Recommended — Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation >> Purchase at Sephora

Powder foundation

Like a stick foundation, a powder foundation can hang around in your general makeup bag. That’s already a plus.

By packing a powder foundation, I eliminate the need for two products, liquid foundation and setting powder. I get oily, so I can’t wear liquid foundation without setting it. Instead, I buff powder foundation into my skin. This keeps the oils at bay, and plus it gives me the light, natural coverage I like when I’m scurrying around a new place.

Recommended — bareMinerals Original Foundation >> Purchase at Sephora

*Note – I’m aware that I have a MAC powder foundation pictured, but it’s just what I have right now. I’m currently using it up, but it’s not my favorite and I won’t be repurchasing.

Neutral, bronzy blush palette

Unless I’m going to a special event, it’s not necessary for me to have both pinky blush and a separate bronzer on my trips. Neutral blushes are a perfect compromise. Use either of the colors individually, or mix them to create the perfect neutral cheek color. I even give my hairline and jaw a light dusting, and it never looks too pink.

I like this palette from e.l.f., but there are tons of options out there. Once you travel with one or two neutral blushes, you’ll forever wonder why you made things so complicated in the past.

Recommended — E.l.f. Matte Blush Duo in Soft & Subtle >> Purchase on Elfcosmetics.com

Compact, matte eyeshadow palette

Honestly, you can do just about anything with the right matte shadows.

Sure, you can use it as eyeshadow, but it’s also great for filling in your brows.

Choose cool shades I have, and you have a built in contour powder. If a lack of definition without a bronzer concerns you, then this is your answer.

Recommended — Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics >> Purchase at Sephora

Lip butters are your friends

For one thing, our poor lips get awfully dry when traveling. And all the liquid lipstick we glob on doesn’t help.

Lip butters are moisturizing, they’re easy to apply, and if you select the right one, have a surprising amount of color payoff. My favorites are Revlon Lip Butters and Almay Butter Kiss Lipstick.

Toss these in your bag for comfy, hassle free color. Your lips will thank you.

Recommended — Almay Smart Shade Butter Kiss Lipstick >> Purchase on Amazon

Handy tiny bottles

Okay, so this one is a little strange. Yes, pictured above is a Sephora Liquid Makeup Remover, a category of product that I denounced for travel in a previous section. Let’s get past what’s in the bottle, and focus on the adorable little bottle itself.

Tiny bottles are your friends. Fill them with hair products, lotions, face soap, you name it.

Most travel bottles you can buy are around 1 ounce. But if you’re only going on a 4 day trip (for example,) there’s no way you’ll get through a whole ounce of face soap. You will have carried all that for nothing. Instead of wasting space with larger bottles, fill smaller bottles with just enough product for the length of your stay.

Tiny bottles like these are super easy to collect if you’re looking out for them. I acquired this little beauty from a Sephora point reward. I also have a teeny bottle that came filled with Smashbox Primer Oil in an Ipsy bag, but I now use it for my on the go Argan oil.

Recommended — 2 ml Glass Bottles, Cobalt Blue (Set of 24) >> Purchase on Amazon

That’s all for today!

Like this post? Check out this one for more goodness >> Adaptable Travel Makeup + Easy Travel Makeup Routine

If you find this post interesting, informative, or just plain entertaining, tell me about it in the comments below. And don’t forget, sharing is caring. Share this post!

Till next time. ♥︎

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FTC- Not sponsored. I purchase all products myself. All opinions are my own. Some links may be affiliated.