Packing has to be the most painful part of going on holidays (aside from long-haul flights). You don’t actually need everything but somehow you feel better if you come prepared.  For beauty addicts, it’s even harder to know which products to leave behind. Here’s my travel makeup kit essentials which fit conveniently into a single bag.

Photo: Julia Hammond

Photo: Julia Hammond

THE BASE

The best travel makeup products are multi-functional. My go-to foundation is Revlon Colorstay since it’s long-lasting, great for combination skin and has some sun protection. You can put it on first thing in the morning and rest assured it won’t budge through sweat, wind or humidity until the evening. I like to mix two shades in Summer for a better colour match with a tan. The only drawback to this foundation is the SPF can create flashback with photos. Not a big deal in the daytime with natural light but not ideal in the evening or on a night out.

Photo: Julia Hammond

My other favourite is the Maybelline Fit Me foundation in Matte + Poreless. It has light-medium coverage, is easy to blend and build upon. But it does tend to budge throughout the day, which is why I’ve also thrown in a travel-sized translucent powder by Tarte. With a dewy, fresh-faced finish this is my preferred choice for evening looks and it won’t create flashback.

EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS

You didn’t come on holiday to spend ages getting ready each morning. With a flawless base under your belt all you really need is a few finishing touches for a natural, everyday look. My go-to finishers are brows, mascara and a signature scent.

Photo: Julia Hammond

I’ve been using Benefit’s Goof-Proof Brow Pencil and High Brow highlighter for years now and they’re still my favourites. For lashes I’m a big fan of waterproof formulas. Even though they take a bit more elbow grease to remove they last much better and don’t smudge. The Maybelline Full ‘N Soft gives me volume and length and is waterproof as promised (tested in tropical rainstorms and snowfall). I also like to carry a roller of my favourite perfume. It’s a nice last touch to make you feel pretty, day or night.

GLAM IT UP

The key to a travel-friendly beauty product is in the size. You can fit a lot more into your glam kit if it’s in miniature. With a few carefully selected extras on your side you’ll have more than one glam look up your sleeve.

Photo: Julia Hammond

I’m a big fan of drugstore products, as you may have noticed, since they’re budget-friendly and allow me to save money for holidays. But there are some times where a high quality, highly pigmented product is going to give you better bang for your buck. Eyeshadow is one of those times. You get a much better colour from a high-end product in my experience and they don’t have to cost too much either. Single shades are around $20-40, depending on the brand. I prefer a glitter shadow for glam makeup but keep it soft with subtle shades like golds and pinks.

On the drugstore side, you can get away with a cheaper eyeliner. Maybelline’s HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner has a fine point for thin lines and a thick side for easy-to-apply wings.

Lipsticks can go either way. You may have a preferred brand but I find both drugstore and high-end to be good quality. I’ve included two mini Smashbox lipsticks here simply because they’re a perfect travel size.

Lastly, the Sweet Peach Glow palette is a bronzer/blush/highlight trio you can mix and match for different levels of shine. Dust your cheeks with blush to liven up the complexion, add a light contour using bronzer or layer all three for the full glow.

No matter where you’ll be visiting or what you plan to do; it’s easy to look flawless while travelling if you know what to bring.