My Top Beauty Travel Essentials
Over the past couple of months, I’ve gone on two week-long trips (one cruise, one road trip) and another long weekend trip. That’s a lot of travel for someone that hasn’t traveled much at all since COVID, and it’s a lot of travel in general for me! (I saved a lot of vacation time knowing that we’d have a bunch of trips this year.) Every time I pack for a trip, my liquids bag contains many travel-sized beauty essentials I bring along on any and all of my trips.
Since the Sephora Spring Savings Event is happening now through next Monday, April 24, I figured now was the perfect time to share my top beauty travel essentials! This includes my favorite travel-sized skincare and hair products.
If you are a Beauty Insider at Sephora (which only requires signing up for their free rewards program), you get 10% off your purchase. If you spend $350+ at Sephora in a year, you become a VIB and get 15% off your purchase (that’s me). Those that spend the most in a year ($1000+) are Rouge status and get 20% off their purchase AND also get to shop the sales early. All the Sephora Collection products are 30% off for everyone!
My Regular Skin and Beauty Routine
Since I don’t really dabble that much in beauty and skincare, I’m very low maintenance when it comes to beauty, makeup, and skincare in general. I don’t have a morning skincare routine and only use product at night. My problem areas tend to be my forehead and chin (T-zone), and my skin is what I would consider combination (it tends to be oilier on my forehead and drier on my cheeks). I break out most often around my period—lucky me!
My Travel Skin and Beauty Routine
My skin and beauty routine is even more low maintenance when I travel! I really pare it down to just the essentials because I try to pack all of my things in my own liquids bag (and I also wear contacts, so I bring a small bottle of contact solution just in case, along with eye drops). I usually stuff a few things in Korri’s liquids bag that we’ll both use (usually sunscreen, toothpaste, etc.).
My travel essentials really boil down to a cleanser, acne treatment, eye cream, moisturizer, lip product, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner, and hair treatment. I usually also throw in random samples I have of fragrances, serums, or other products I want to try; I’m fortunate that my skin doesn’t freak out when I introduce new items. I know most people don’t recommend doing this, especially when traveling. I also include a deodorant and chap stick! (I also bring my usual makeup products but don’t call them out specifically in this post.)
My Top Beauty Travel ESsentials
My best tip for picking beauty items to travel with is to purchase mini sizes of as many of your current favorite products as possible. I totally used to be that person that went to the travel-sized section in the grocery store and grabbed a few items, and sometimes that worked fine, and sometimes it didn’t. I have since discovered that I don’t mind spending a bit more to bring along my favorite products.
Plus, if you shop at a retailer like Sephora, you can earn points and use those points towards mini versions of products you like that are available as rewards! I’ve done that so many times. I also always browse the samples and either pick products I want to try or products I already own and love and want minis or for travel. Remember that each liquid/gel/cream product needs to be 3.3 ounces or below and fit into a quart-sized clear bag.
Cleansers
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser (also available at Sephora)
This cleanser has been a mainstay in my travel beauty routine for years, mostly because it’s almost always available as a reward at Sephora. It’s not my absolute favorite cleanser (I love a sudsy cleaner like the Kiehl’s one below, and this one isn’t like that) but it does the job.
Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash (also available at Sephora)
This is my current favorite cleanser to bring on trips (and my favorite Kiehl’s cleanser)! I need to figure out how to get enough mini size like the one I have. I love how sudsy it gets and how clean my face feels after using it. The calendula extract soothes and cleans your face without stripping.
Acne Treatment
This tiny little bottle is so small, it can fit pretty much anywhere! This is the main spot remover I use at home so I always bring it along with me on trips just in case.
Eye Creams
I received a sample size of this eye gel and it’s perfect for travel! Keep your eyes peeled for this being offered as a reward on Sephora because I’m pretty sure that’s how I got it (or there was a coupon code good for a small sample size if you spent a certain amount, I can’t remember now). This eye gel is spendy, so it’s nice to try out a smaller version of it to see if you like it before purchasing the full size. I’ve really liked this eye gel so far!
Kiehl’s Avocado Eye Cream (also available at Sephora)
Mini/sample sizes of this eye cream are perfect for travel! This eye cream provides hydration while also de-puffing and brightening. This eye cream has a slightly tacky texture when you go to apply it, so it almost feels like I’m pulling at my skin a bit and that is not super ideal around the already delicate skin of the eye area but it’s still one of the better eye creams I’ve tried.
Moisturizers
I got a couple of small sample sizes of this sleeping mask and it’s been one of my favorites to use as a moisturizer before going to bed! It is lightweight and feels cool as it’s applied. It does make my face feel a little bit sticky until it’s dry. The Midnight to Morning Hydration Set includes a sample size of this sleeping mask as well as my favorite lip sleeping mask!
My bathroom cupboard has no shortage of moisturizers; I have a lot of sample- and travel-sized moisturizers I will bring along with me once this mask runs out.
Hand + Body Lotion
Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (also available from Sephora)
If you’re looking for a great everyday and travel hand lotion, THIS is a perfect option! I keep a small bottle at my desk in the office because the soap in the bathroom always makes my hands dry. It’s a super rich hand cream that provides lots of hydration, which is especially useful on flights.
I also have a few other random travel-sized lotions that I sometimes bring along instead, and sometimes I opt to use whatever is provided by the hotel.
Lip Product
I looove this lip product! Someone said the scent/flavor reminded them of Lip Smackers as kid and the millennial in me was like OMG, YES! That’s exactly what it’s like! Haha. The full-size of this product is small enough to pack but I prefer bringing a sample size if I have any just because it takes up less space. (The Midnight to Morning Set includes a small sample size.)
Masks
Sometimes I throw in a sheet mask or two to give my (and Korri’s) skin a boost while on vacation! I will say that most of the time we don’t end up using them, but I like having the option.
Sunscreen
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen (also available from Sephora)
Sunscreen is a necessity! I love the unseen sunscreen; it’s a clear, smooth consistency that almost feels like a primer (and can probably be worn like a primer under makeup). This is also one of the only sunscreens Korri will actually put on his face. I also pack Supergoop Lip Screen or a chap stick with SPF with me. Definitely recommend not forgetting that!
Powdered mineral sunscreen
While I would always recommend some sort of small bottle of liquid SPF, sometimes you just gotta cut something from the liquids bag and pack a non-liquid version. In that case, pack a small tube of powdered mineral sunscreen. Supergoop has an option available at Sephora.
Hair Products
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Shampoo + Conditioner (also available from Sephora)
I love using this shampoo and conditioner at home, but the first time I used it was actually while traveling! I had purchased a kit similar to the one linked with travel sizes and loved it so much I purchased the full-size bottles for home. The bottles are a little bit big (but still under the limit) but it’s worth it to avoid having to use whatever the accommodation provides. (That said, sometimes I will conserve my bottles if the provided shampoo and conditioner is nice quality! I almost always use the provided conditioner as shaving cream, too.)
Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Hair Mask (also available from Sephora)
You might prefer a different shampoo or conditioner (or don’t mind using what is provided by your accommodation) but like using the deep conditioning hair mask every once in a while to give your hair a boost. That can be purchased separately from the shampoo and conditioner in a 2 ounce size for travel.
I use Moroccanoil Treatment at home and when I’m traveling! It’s a great lightweight hair oil that I apply to the ends of my hair when my hair is damp after a shower. It makes my hair softer and shinier once it’s dry!
If I don’t have any Moroccanoil Treatment, I’ll usually pack my Verb Ghost Oil. They serve basically the same purpose. The Verb Ghost Oil is a little bit bigger and takes up more real estate in the quart bag. (Of note, I always put any oils in their own small snack-size baggy before putting them in the liquids bag to keep them from leaking over everything else.)
Fragrance
Last but not least, I always throw in a few sample sizes of fragrances. It’s fun to wear a specific fragrance for each trip so that when you wear or smell the fragrance after the trip, you’re reminded of how much fun you had and all the memories you made. (It’s the same reason why people recommend picking a “signature scent” for your wedding or other major life event!)
Sephora offers a wide variety of fragrance samplers with lots of different options so you can find the scents you like best and that work with your body chemistry, and I know there are also fragrance samples available as an option when you check out. They also offer the slightly larger sizes/fancier scents as rewards!
Shop the Sephora Spring Savings Event through 4/24!
What are your top beauty travel essentials? Any that I didn’t mention? I would love to know what your favorites are and what you always travel with!
