Half the fun of going on a holiday is in the preparation and packing you do before you set out for the airport with your suitcase—planning where you’ll go and what you’ll do, putting together different outfits for every day and packing a cosmetic case with everything you need to look and feel your best.

Part of the vacation preparation process involves crossing items from your pre-travel beauty routine off your checklist.

Freshen up your hair with a cut and colour—check.

Get a manicure and pedicure—check.

Book in a lash lift and tint—check.

Squeeze in a microdermabrasion treatment or other facial at the skin clinic—check.

The point of full beauty prep before you fly? You can land looking refreshed. Not only that, it helps you cut down on what you need to pack. After all, the more room in your luggage, the more souvenirs you can bring back.

So, your flights are booked, your itinerary is sorted and your clothes are neatly arranged in your luggage—all that’s left to pack are your travel beauty essentials. To make things easier for you, we’ve put together a mini getaway guide full of travel beauty essentials you need to turn on vacation mode.

What to Pack for the Plane

While your suitcase won’t be something you’ll need to lug around, your carry-on is a different story. With restrictions and baggage limits, it’s all about packing light.

If you’re a frequent flyer or someone who has done a long-haul flight before, you’ll likely know all about plane-induced skin issues. The higher altitude, drier air and lack of sleep can do a real number on your skin, causing it to become dry or dehydrated and pimples to pop up. That’s why you’ll need to put together a pack of mini products in a clear cosmetic case to take with you on the plane. 

Here’s what’s worth having on hand in your carry-on:

  • Hydrating face mist
  • Sheet mask
  • Moisturiser
  • SPF
  • Lip balm
  • Hand cream

In-flight essentials all revolve around hydrating the skin. To combat dry skin, chapped lips and scaly hands caused by the recirculated, pressurised air in the plane, you’ll want to focus on packing cosmetics that moisturise and lock in hydration.

Travel Beauty Items for Your Toiletries Bag

You won’t want (or need) to take absolutely every cosmetic item that’s on your bathroom shelf with you on vacation. Because let’s face it, there’s no worse feeling than toiletries you don’t even end up using taking up precious space in your suitcase. Below are the absolute essentials you won’t want to be without.

Travel-Sized Bottles

Whether it’s luggage limits or you simply want to pack light, it’s worth investing in travel-sized toiletry bottles. Perfect for skincare and haircare products, these travel-friendly containers are more conveniently sized to help save space when packing cosmetics.

Bottles for shampoo, conditioner, hair treatments, cleansers, moisturisers and other skincare products often come in bulky bottles and packaging that can be tricky to pack and take up lots of space. Transferring your cosmetics to compact travel-sized bottles is a great way to save space when packing, leaving more room in your bag for other belongings and lightening the load you have to carry with you.

Travel Skincare Routine

The skincare products you pack will depend on where you’re headed and whether it’s a warm or cool climate. You won’t need to bring your entire routine. Keep it to the following basics:

  • Makeup remover
  • Gentle cleanser
  • Targeted skin treatment
  • Moisturiser
  • Sheet or regular face mask

Sunscreen

A non-negotiable no matter where you’re headed, your toiletry bag is incomplete without a high SPF sunscreen to protect your skin against sunburn and UVA and UVB radiation.

Multi-Use Makeup Products

If you want to keep beauty essentials to the bare minimum, investing in multi-use makeup products is the perfect way to keep your packing light. Opt for a multi-tasking cheek and lip tint duo that comes in one pot. Invest in a double-ended makeup brush. Choose a complexion compact that contains everything you need for a full routine—we’re talking colour corrector, concealer, blush, bronzer and highlighter.

Travel Haircare Routine

Whether it’s sweat or seawater, the weather and water in different countries can affect your hair and make it harder to manage. You’ll want to make sure you’re prepared with the non-negotiables:

  • Hairbrush
  • Shampoo suitable for daily use
  • Conditioner or a hydrating hair mask
  • A leave-in styling product (hairspray, anti-frizz cream, heat protector or serum)
  • Hair styling tool (hair straightener or a heatless curl kit)
  • Dry shampoo

Packing Like a Pro

From in-flight saviours to must-have on-the-go minis, we hope this quick guide helps make packing for your next getaway a little easier.