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How do you pack/store your makeup when you travel?
How do you pack/store your makeup when you travel? How do you ensure everything arrives safe and sound?
I haven’t checked a bag in five years or longer (I also have not gone on any trip in excess of a week), so I pack everything in my carry on, which ensures less handling (and better handling when there is) and that nobody is going to steal anything. I cushion makeup bags or palettes between sweaters and pants–anything thick and soft–or else keep it in my shoulder bag.
Thanks to Erin for today’s question!
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I usually use my hard case makeup bag and carry it on the plane with me
I never bring my most valuable makeup while traveling. I put all the liquids and on travel containers or contact cases an clear containers since I usually travel with cream eyeshadows rather than powder shadows because I don’t want them all over my suitcase.
My travel makeup bag is the size of a small/ medium accent pillow and I just toss it in my carry on if I’m leaving for the weekend or something.
zip lock baggies…ugly but simple and goes thru the TSA…I dont want TSA to touch my makeup
i carry it in a vintage samsonite vanity case.
What about makeup? Do you use one of those MAC makeup case/trolly?
That is how I pack my makeup! I don’t use any makeup traincases or suitcases.
i keep it safe with me, i never really want to check it in. its like my baby that i never want to be apart with. Lol.
I love your site christine. everytime i open my laptop it usually facebook that i open first now its this site!
Thanks! 🙂
i just take them in my make-up bag 😀 and then put it in the big bag.
I will usually put anything that can be broken or squashed, i.e.compacts or eyeshadows, in between thicker clothes to protect it. I will put any small amount of liquids like foundation into the little plastic bags and will leave it on the top.
I put everything in a big makeup zipper bag. Inside this zipper bag I put a putch where I have my brushes. I dont carry paletes.
I pack my powder products like eyeshadows and foundation in my cabin luggage. Everything else is in my suitcase.
I use a Unii palette to put some fav eyeshadows and for the skincare I prepare some little pots with labels and dates. I also put some Mac Fix+ or some alcohol in small refillable perfume atomizers with labels. I use alcohol for sanitizing the brushes after I wash them for example… it is useful but maybe not that necessary 🙂
I always use a small insulated make up bag (it looks a bit like a lunch bag…) so that it is a little bit protected from the heat, depending on where you are going or if you are travelling by car it can help 🙂
Palettes are in my shoulder bag and in a thin but solid cosmetic bag.
Same for the brushes, in a solid pouch, I have tried the little brush guards but they were damaging the bristles…
… sorry for my english I hope it is understandable :))
excuse me where you buy the insulate bag? I think i need one
Hi Eva, I got it in a supermarket in Spain, but you can find some on the internet searching for example “cosmetic insulated bag”, hope you can find one 🙂
I just bought one,but it is actually one of those insulated bags that you use,say,for a 12 pack of soda.It was much cheaper than the one actually made for makeup.If you’re really concerned,add one of those freezer packs(like the soft type one uses for injuries).
Whether I’m travelling by car or on a plane, I always pack my makeup in a bag. I have a cute slimline makeup bag for travelling (one that zips up like a book and has binder rings) with a couple of separate pouches and a few pockets for brushes! I pack light when I go away, so I usually just bring primer, foundation, powder, a small eye shadow palette, a couple of brushes, mascara, eyeliner & blush! Not all that much when you pack it up, really!
When im travelling for a day or a few days, it all sits in my handbag as im a fan of oversized bags. I try and organise it in this dermologica toiletries bag but it always manages to end in the bottom of my handbag. But it if im travelling abroad, i put everything in my luggage, all in a large lunchbox. I dont like wearing makeup when im on the plane
It depends on where I’m traveling. If I’m just going for a weekend somewhere I’ll just throw my make up in my backpack. If I’m actually flying somewhere for like a week I put all my make up in an Estee Lauder hard make up bag that I’ve had forever. Its solid yet soft so I know my make up will be safe.
I do it basically the same way as Christine – I try to keep all I can in my carry-on or purse, and pack in my bags only what I must when I do check bags. I used to bring so much but not anymore! I also pad my makeup bag(s) between clothes for extra insurance, and all of my palettes are already padded with cushiony drawer liners.
I use my Bobbi Brown organizer. She had a slick black leather organizer during the holidays a while back and I ABSOLUTELY love it! It fits everything that I need and then some (even brushes…although now I just place them separately in a brush roller). And I ALWAYS put my make-up in my carry-on. I would hate to lose my favorite items in lost luggage.
I usually pack my makeup bag a week in advance. lol The last thing I add before going is my mascara.
I do the EXACT same thing as you christine! Natural cushioning between soft clothes 😀
I always put my things on a little bag, a necessaire, and I pack it until it’s full so there’s not a lor of room for things to move, than that goes into my big travel case. The brushes go seperate on a mini brush roll.
I have a small cosmetics bag that I tell myself I have to fit everything in (minus brushes) because I like to pack light with my makeup when I’m traveling. I haven’t been on a plane in years, so I just tuck it into my handbag and go. I try to use drugstore products when possible (so I can easily replace it if broken/lost) and loose powder instead of pressed powder (prevent breakage).
Good lord, I’d like to know how you manage to pack everything in a carry-on! I can’t even do that for a weekend trip! I don’t take a ton of makeup with me when I travel, but I do need my hair dryer and flat iron, which take up a lot of room. All of my toiletries go in travel size bottles, in my suitcase.
I try to plan my clothing, and take stuff that doesn’t wrinkle, and can be washed easily. I still end up filling a suitcase, and then taking all of my makeup/hair products in a carry on. I’ll wear my heaviest clothing and shoes on the plane.
For car trips it’s easier, everything goes in one medium size suitcase, since it won’t be getting thrown around. Every time we go somewhere though, it’s usually a trip to see family, so we always end up having to haul a bunch of extra “stuff” with us. Gifts and whatnot. I guess that makes a difference.
The one time I traveled with just a backpack was a 4 day trip to San Antonio. I wore my hair up the whole time, so didn’t take any of that stuff. I packed exactly the outfits that I needed. What I didn’t factor in was the August heat. I had to shower/change clothes twice a day. I ran out of clothes on day 2, and had to do laundry. LOL
It’s a rare thing for me to travel by plane – I usually go by car or train. So I pack everything into 1-2 smaller soft pencil cases and put them into my oversized purse. I like to keep my mu and nail polishes by my side all the time so it won’t get stolen or handled roughly. Just like Christine, I try to cushion it a bit with a scarf and I try to not let it sit next to hard-cover anythings like a book or my laptop.
I have a couple of smaller make-up bags I’ll wedge between layers of clothes. I usually pack enough that there’s no extra room for any shifting around and I’ve never had any problems, even with checked luggage. Occasionally a shampoo bottle will leak but that’s it.
I just need to preface this by saying I always take too much. Depending on the type of travel (air or land) I either use a hard travel case from Sephora or that Mary kay roll up bag. I keep HG necessities in my makeup bag in my purse or carry on.
I pretty much pack like you Christine.
SUGGESTION to those that want to travel with Guerlain Rouge Gs: it’s better if you don’t, unless you have it/them in a pocket where they can pull it out quick. They look at it through the scanner and think it looks like a weapon and will search all over. I say this from experience, and I also have a girl friend who went through the same experience. So like I said, its a strong suggestion that can save you time.
LOL! I carried 5 one time, and they thought they were bullets, haha.
I’ve only been stopped that one time – when I had 5 together.
I’ll admit it: I’m an over-packer. I usually take vacations that are around five to seven days. I always have one makeup bag in my purse which is half-full, but while on vacation I pack that to the brim. Then in my suitcase I have my makeup brush roll and a larger makeup bag stuffed completely full. (I’m matchy-matchy, so all three are zebra print.) This can become a problem when I buy more makeup while on vacation. 😉 Also, I never bring large palettes. I like to take several of the 4x color MAC palettes and make each one a certain color combination. Christine, I also cushion my makeup bags between my clothing!
I will be travelling overseas for a week and it is already stressing me out what to pack. Since you can only bring one small ziplock bag of stuff on board – how do you ladies manage to bring everything on board? I am definitely taking a lipgloss, eyedrops, foundation and they will fill up the mini bag!
I just spent 10 days in Peru with just what went in the zipper bag, and it was plenty. The quart bag holds more than it looks like. I didn’t take foundation, but did take lots (lots! We were on a tributary of the Amazon river!) of bug repellant, hand sanitizer and sunscreen that took up just as much space if not more. I try to reduce size whenever possible – the smallest size eyedrops are plenty, put only enough moisturizer and foundation for the week in small pots, take sample sizes if I can, and switch to non-liquid on as many things as possible. Remember only liquids and gels have to go in the bag! It can be done!
I find makeup easy to pack (in waterproof toilet kit, cushioned with clothing), but hair and skin products are a giant PITA due to the liquid restrictions. And I have the kind of hair that needs a lot of product, so I end up having to check my bag if I’m taking more than a couple of days worth with me.
Hi ladies! Just a quick question, i’m leaving for a vacation in 3 weeks and i’m not going to take a lot of makeup with me. Is it safer/better to bring my powder eyeshadows, eyeliners and mascara with me on my carryon or just throw it all in my suitcase? Will TSA take away my shadows etc? thanks in advance 🙂
Bring your make-up in your carry-on. It will be safer there because you can control how it gets handled, for the most part. Make sure your mascara goes into your quart sized plastic baggie, otherwise they will confiscate it. Your eyeshadows are fine; the TSA does not care about powders or creams so you can bring as much of those as you want. Just be careful with how you pack things because they may want to take it out of your bag if it looks suspicious on the x-ray machine. To be on the safe side, I’d say bring those in clear baggies as well, and pack those on top of everything else or in a separate compartment of the bag, that way if they want you to take it out you can do so with ease. Also, you want to do this just in case they make you check your carry-on at the gate, so you can just take out your make-up and bring it on board with you to protect against breakage.
(Though, having said that, if everything is packed securely and you make sure to fill the empty space between the tops of the products and the lid with something cushiony like cotton balls or bubble wrap or tissue, there is no reason anything should shatter unless handled inordinately roughly. I still wouldn’t trust my cosmetics to the TSA searches regular luggage go through, but if you absolutely have to check at the gate, they’ll be fine to leave in there.)
For my last trip (overnight), I took two small zip-lock bags and put my makeup in those (one quart-sized bag was for liquids, including liquid makeup) and the other was for the rest of my makeup. Before that, I’d take a pencil box and just put in what I could fit and would use.
Yes, shadows have a tendency to break when you check them. I carry mine now. I limited myself to 3 Z palettes, a pencil bag, a cream shadow bag, a general purpose bag, and my ‘travel’ bag. It was way too much makeup, but, that’s just how I roll. One time I took my train case and TSA was in awe.
I travel carry-on only as much as possible when flying. Regardless, I often use a plastic pencil box. For road trips and stuff I put everything in it, for flying I’d put the liquid stuff in a ziploc per regulations and everything else in the pencil box. Usually there’s enough in there that it doesn’t move around much (I stuff some cotton balls in there too), and since the box is sturdy it keeps it from getting crushed.
If I’m going camping with my sister in her RV, I use a MAC travel bag with a built-in brush holder since it can be packed in the bathroom and doesn’t have to be carried in a suitcase, but for anything else it’s the pencil box.
unii palettes. Liquids go hand-luggage.
I usually try to keep most of it in my carry on. Liquids in travel size containers and in a clear plastic baggie as per TSA. Dry products and brushes I keep in a smallish makeup bag the size of half a normal tissue box. My brushes I place in a pencil case style pouch to keep them from getting damaged. As well, I generally pair down to the basics (&multi-use products) with a few fun items as well. I have packed makeup in my checked in suitcase in the past and have generally had stuff go missing.
Anyone have any tips for moving internationally with my makeup for 2 years??? Should I just suck it up and part with some of it and only bring my ultimate loves? I’ll be able to buy makeup over there… but still lol..I have quite a few eyeshadows and blushes and such. I’m not sure I can fit it all into my carry-on and still have room for anything else! Would it be OK in my checked baggage? Also, I’m wondering about foundations…most of what I have are 1 fl oz…Is that OK to put in the carry-on plastic ziploc? Are you allowed more than one plastic ziploc?
I always check my bags because I have 2 childrens and I need so many stuff, but I”m gone travel to Las vegas with my husband only and I have one hard little case for my makeup and the pallets are small like too faced to go and i pack a lot imagination, but a dont know how pack the inglot pallets im think buy in Las vegas, hahahahaha I need more ideas or maybe in the husband bag between yuour pants hahahahaha
I put my pencils, mascara, lip products, creams, and tools in a bag that I put in my suitcase. Then I put all powders into a makeup bag that goes into my purse so that they don’t get tossed around/spill onto everything else. I put the liquids into zip-lock baggies; the baggies then go into another bag together that also goes into my suitcase.
I take my whole train case. I mean you never can have too much makeup ^-^ !
I used to go back Taiwan to visit my family. However most cosmetics r over price than state so I carry all make up with me. All make up and tools with check badges.
If I travel difference state and I Just curry some travel size cosmetics put all in a zip bag. For eyeshadow, UD naked must have.
NYX Carry All Beauty Bag! Also planning to buy the Sigma Brush Cup Holder soon.
Hi guys! I’m leaving for college in a couple days so naturally I want to take all of my makeup with me… I brought a train case and a good half of my makeup fits but I was wondering how I should go about with this…. Should I just put the train case in my suitcase? Or should I somehow try to get it past airport security?
I use a makeup bag. If I’m travelling with a lot of makeup, I use my train case.