Make-up Moves: 5 Tips for Packing Your Makeup

By Torrey, Make-Up Maven

A note from Erika: A few weeks ago we did a post on packing tips.  Today, Torrey is teaching us how to pack our make-up for a trip!  Now you’re set for those fabulous summer vacations!

1. Invest in a sturdy makeup case (traincase) or bag – This will help to ensure your makeup stays safe and doesn’t crack or break, particularly if you’ll be flying. TSA does not handle with care. Makeup bags/cases can be purchased anywhere makeup is sold.

2. Don’t forget your brushes – You do not have to bring all of the makeup brushes you own. You can get away with five: 1) Foundation, 2) Powder/blush, 3) Brow (spoolie), 4) Eyeshadow shader, and 5) Eyeshadow blending.  With these five brushes, you can create any type of look you want. Instead of using a gel liner, which requires a liner brush, use a liquid or pencil eyeliner.

Pack your brushes securely. Invest in a brush roll. This will keep them relatively clean and free of dust. You don’t want to use dirty brushes on your face. You can also purchase a travel brush set. These usually come with 5-6 brushes, including the ones mentioned above. They usually have a shorter handle than full size brushes, which will save you more room. If you plan on wearing makeup daily, to keep your brushes clean during your trip, bring a small bottle of brush cleanser or brush cleansing wipes.

3. Use palettes! – Palettes are huge space savers and allow you to bring multiple shades of eyeshadows, lipsticks, or blushers. Using palettes, you’ll have enough shades to create any type of look! You can create your own palette, purchase a pre-made palette, or purchase multiple eyeshadows or blushers and an empty palette separately.

In your palette you should include colors that can be worn either day or night. Neutral is the easiest route with a few darker shades to turn your day time look to a night look easily.

You can get away with wearing the same blush each day, but keep in mind the looks you’d like to wear during your trip. You wouldn’t want the blush to drastically clash with the rest of your makeup. Instead of a deep plum or bright red blush, opt for a more neutral tone, even one with a rosy tint. Peaches, soft corals, pinkish/rosy browns are the best way to go. These shades could be worn with just about any eye look or lipstick shade you choose.

4. Only bring the items you use on a regular basis – Unless there is a special event you’ll be attending, don’t pack excessive makeup that you know you won’t touch. If you have specific “everyday” makeup items, just pack those!  A lot of people like to have options, but that’s where the palettes shine. One palette can provide all the makeup you need.

5. Here’s  a list of all (or most) of the items you’ll need:

• Foundation/tinted moisturizer and/or concealer
• Face powder
• One single blush
• Eyeshadow palette
• 2 lipsticks or glosses (neutral shade and fun shade)
• Mascara
• Pencil or liquid liner
• Eyeshadow primer
• Eyebrow pencil/powder

If you’re a makeup novice, you probably don’t have issues with overpacking your makeup. These tips can still be helpful for you by creating a template of what items you can start with when building your collection. But for those of us who are makeup enthusiasts or artists, it’s very tempting to bring just about everything we own on vacation with us. Try to fight the urge and use these tips to ensure you’ll have only what you need.