Once I developed a real a skincare routine (aside from “wash face with whatever soap happens to be available” and “remove makeup at night”), it seemed like the biggest items packed are for skincare and cleansing! I haven't always had the easiest time finding travel-sizes of my Olay serum or night creme; and repotting just a small version of the serum, in particular, is a real pain in the neck. I'll not take my Clairsonic unless I'm going to be away for more than a week…and since I don't often travel for that long, I can honestly say I've never packed that item up. (I don't even think I'll bother taking it to Europe next year when I go. It's not like I use the thing more than 2x a week anyway! More than that, and my skin gets cranky.) It may seem strange to think about it, but…when I'm travelling, I'm putting my skin under more stress. I'm often sleeping less, eating more irregularly (or eating more sugar- and fat-filled foods - guilty as charged but OH SO GOOD), and spending time in airplanes, which are effectively pressurized metal tubes with recirculated air. If I keep my skin clean, any makeup I use will look good. If I don't keep my skin clean, the makeup could start looking…kind of not-so-great.

So aside from the basics - toothbrush, shampoo+conditioner, deodorant, comb, soforth - here's what I packed in my overnight bag, in terms of beauty and makeup stuff. While the individual items may change for different trips, and while I pack more eyeshadows for longer trips, the overall item list stays pretty much the same.

elf's Makeup Remover Wipes

I stock up on these whenever I can, and use them daily. The packaging is great! There's the metallic-backed flap that sticks back closed, then the plastic lid that snaps closed to help further protect against leakage/drying out. These really travel very very well.

Cetaphil gentle cleanser

I started using this a few years ago, and while it's not a miracle product, I don't feel the tightness that I'd sometimes feel after using bar-soap. It's also easy enough to pour a bit into a travel bottle.

Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen in travel size

Yes, sunscreen. Yes, even in the fall in the Pacific Northwest. Sunscreen is a daily thing on face and neck (I often forget about my arms, and while my farmer's tan is lighter, it's definitely there.) I have a little travel-size bottle that I fill from whatever tube I'm currently using, and I take that with me.

Skindinavia primer and finishing sprays

I got the travel-size versions of these during one of Skindinavia's sales a while back, specifically so that I could have these little travel-size bottles. When these are emptied, I'll refill them from the larger bottles, which I store under the vanity...and then I'll keep using these smaller bottles until the pump mechanisms wear out, or until the bottles split. I originally got these so that I could have travel-size versions for my trip to Oregon, but I quickly found that it's just so much nicer for me to use this size day to day, than the larger 8-ounce bottles. (The 8-ounce bottle is a better deal, which is why I routinely buy that size...)

Olay Regenerist serum

First I tried looking for a travel tube pump-container. Then I just gave up and stuck the whole big Costco-size thing of serum in my luggage. Compact, it isn't; but this serum stuff is truly excellent and amazing. I know that everyone has different results with different skincare products, as well as different preferences. Olay does quite well by me! I don't trust Olay's most out-there claims about its Regenerist line, that it will magically turn back the clock after 7 days; but then again, I don't trust that kind of statement from anything that doesn't involve cosmetic surgery, so there you have it.

L'oreal Studio Secrets color corrector

I love this stuff. Love, love, love. I haven't been diagnosed with rosacea, but I haven't really asked, either. I know that my nose sometimes gets redder (usually in the winter) and around my nose and mouth is a little redder. I pat on a few drops of this stuff, blend it out, and...there's more than half my facial work done, right there. I can go without foundation if I'm in a huge rush, but I always use color corrector.

Missha Perfect Cover BB cream

My current foundation-of-choice. It's very lightweight, it lasts well and doesn't oxidize or slide off, and it gives me excellent coverage. It comes in travel sizes, and every other year I'll get a travel-size and use that in alternation with my full-size tube. That gives me something that I can take on the go, but still use up within a year so that I won't run the risk of the product separating due to age. (I think that the expiry date is primarily for the SPF, but there are moisturizing ingredients in there too. And I do like the way my skin feels since I've started using Olay+Missha daily. It's not miraculously wrinkle-free, but it feels nice, doesn't get dried or irritated easily, and I'm not seeing much in the way of wrinkles except around my eyes. And those are from laughter, so while I don't want hardcore crows-feet, I'm not urgently trying to erase the laugh lines.)

elf Studio Brush case (with mostly elf brushes, a few BE retractables)

The elf Studio Brush kit is a pretty good value...especially when it's on 50% sale, which is when I got mine. I like elf's eye brushes better than their face brushes, but the carrying case that came with this kit holds any brush. I have it filled with several elf eye brushes, one elf face brush, and a handful of BE eye brushes.

Wet n Wild Fergie primer

I love this primer! And the tube that it comes in is smaller, thin, nicely compact...it fits just fine in the travel bag as-is. I wouldn't travel without my For My Primas primer.

Revolution eyeshadow palette

I got this as a gift from Becky, so naturally I put it in the travel bag for our Oregon trip. It travelled pretty well! No shadows knocked loose, no loose powder falling out, and the shadows themselves are decent - maybe on par with, or just slightly below, Sleek's. I love my loose powder for daily use, but for travel, I tend to want things that are not as mess-prone and possibly with a thinner profile than my 10-gram jars. Normally I'll pop 5-6 of L'oreal's Infallible eyeshadows into the kit when I'm travelling. They're small, they're tidy, and the pigmentation is amazing.

Sephora retractable matte eyeliner

I picked this one up at one of our first stops. These eyeliners wear very well! (I actually had several of these, because they had a burnt-orange liner that I just had to try out. And a deeper green. And of course a lovely grey.)

Tarte lash curler

In around 2010 I tried the Tarte lash curler and found that it worked excellently for me. It fit my eye shape, it curled my lashes nicely without putting a hard crease into them, and the handles were good for a firm, non-slip-prone grip.

Revlon Grow Luscious Lash Potion

Sleek Rose Gold blush

For a while I'd travel without a blush. Then I'd travel with one loose-powder blush, with a small strip of painter's tape to hold the lid firmly in place. When Becky brought me two Sleek blushes to try, I immediately popped Rose Gold into my travel bag. The blushes, unlike the i-Divine eye palettes, travel fairly well. (Possibly because they're smaller? I have no idea.)

Revlon's Colorsensational Balm Stains in Darling and Honey

These two are my "everyday" lip shades. Darling has been discontinued, and as soon as I found that out I stocked up...but that doesn't mean I won't pop it in the travel bag. Both Darling and Honey are lighter shades, one cooler and one warmer. These may not perfectly match every outfit, but they're the most versatile...so, unless I'm planning a longer trip, these are the lippies that I grab by default.

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