Scaling down from our MUJI packed stashes to a portable edit of makeup essentials for travelling is a process that us beauty junkies always tend to struggle with. Am I right? There is something about a parred back lineup of options that could easily fit in one acrylic drawer that I find very appealing. Streamlined, no dithering allowed and a picture that’s just asking to be Instagrammed. But in reality I end up halfway around the world with an eyeliner sans pencil sharpener, a powder without a brush and one foundation that’s way too light for me. In recent years though I’ve become a little better – bringing a pencil sharpener and brushes galore along – so today, from a little desk in the corner of my very Faulty Towers-esque hotel room in Milan (we’ll save those stories for another day), I thought I’d share some pointers I’ve picked up along the way…
AVOID GLASS. If you can. It’s heavy, breakable and makes things bulky. Decanting is the secret to streamlining; a hefty skincare routine can be slimmed down into a week’s worth of cleansing, moisturising and the rest by the aid of a few miniature plastic bottles. There are exceptions to this rule though, where decanting isn’t available (see last point).
THE PALETTE PIMP. Remember all those palettes you buy, then hoard and gather dust? Yeah those. Now is your time to crack them out. Eyeshadows palettes that house everything from nudes to taupes, blacks to browns and everything in between, blusher-packed pans and those do-it-all kits that cover lips, cheeks and eyes – they can form the main section of your makeup in one slim compact. Easy.
FOUNDATION STACKIN’. At the last minute I decided to solely bring along NARS Sheer Glow Foundation along with me on this trip and while it’s a fab base, my skin has been calling out for CHANEL Vitalumiere Aqua on its dry days and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk on its ruddy, ‘will not behave’ days. Lesson learnt that I should have stuck with my original plan. But instead of lugging around three bottles of the stuff, invest in a stacking tower (as pictured) which can be picked up in Boots etc. A great solution for bringing around a shedload of products in the space that would normally fit one.
THE ESSENTIALS. Here’s a list of common beauty objects that I always forget so you don’t have to: eyeshadow primer, the correct brushes for each packed product, tweezers, nail scissors, cotton buds, razor, toothpaste, dry shampoo. If there are items that you can’t pack until the morning of your trip – make a list and tick them off as you throw them in last minute.
PACK LIKE A PRO. I’ve learnt this one the hard way, as there’s nothing quite like finding out that a nail polish has decided to make its explosive exit from its bottle in your suitcase. Now they find their home in my socks. Pop unavoidable glass packaging into your underwear and liquids into plastic bags. Always, always pack toiletries in a waterproof pouch – shower gels just love to escape – and tape down any lids with cello tape (throw a small roll in your suitcase to do the same on the return journey). Beauty packing, sorted.
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