What's your makeup routine when you travel by plane?

It’s all over the map! I usually wear a tinted moisturizer, do a more natural brow, and a coat or two of mascara with balm or gloss on my lips. If I need to have more makeup when I land, then I’ll wear a whole lot more but I prefer to wear less while traveling.

— Christine

17 Comments

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Heather Avatar

I usually take red eyes (so no need to impress fellow passengers) and am flying to meet family (so no need to impress whoever’s picking me up). Makeup is either minimal and removed with a wipe before I go to sleep, or simply not worn in the first place. I have occasionally reapplied makeup during layovers so I show up at thr destination looking nice, though!

Nicole D Avatar

For a short flight of approx. 1 h (i.e. Montreal-Toronto), if I don’t need to go straight to meetings, I will wear a tinted moisturizer, eyeliner, mascara, blush, lipstick. If I need to go straight to a meeting, then my usual office makeup.
For longer flights and especially for transatlantic flights, I wear no makeup except a lip product that can be reapplied in the plane.

Brittany Avatar

I used to travel by plane more frequently when I was younger, like on family trips. Ever since I turned 18 (I’m 28 now), I’ve only been on a few planes since and usually won’t wear any makeup, unless I feel like putting some on while on the plane because I got bored. 😛 Brows are the only thing I ever prioritize, but if I don’t feel like doing them, I just throw on some moisturizer and lip balm.

Alecto Avatar

The same as any other time (full coverage and the works, except I rarely do anything with my brows); I do change things up by almost always go with my weekend “natural” look rather than my weekday “unnatural” look, even if my flight is on a weekday and I went straight there from work.

Mariella Avatar

It depends how long the trip is….NYC, the plane hardly gets airborne and it’s time to start preparing for landing (bit of an exaggeration but not much) so I wear what I’d normally wear. Long trips – Toronto to New Delhi was the longest in recent years and it was direct – was pretty minimal – moisturizer, powder in my handbag for later during the flight/before landing, a bit of blush, shadow primer and liner, no mascara (which is pretty usual for me) and lip balm for during the flight. Hand sanitizing wipes and face wipes all the time.

Deborah S. Avatar

Truth be told, I haven’t flown in quite a while. I had a bit of a scare on a plane back in the late 80’s and haven’t been on a plane since. I use to wear a full face of makeup, however. People didn’t put masks on and fly back then!! My trip to Europe at the end of the month will be my first since that incident. My Doctor has prescribed a tranquilizer for me in the event I have trouble. I don’t think I will but I did look into cruising over and back. I will be taking a night flight so will arrive in Iceland about 9 AM and we have decided to hit the ground running so I will wear minimal makeup and then touch up on the plane before landing. We are headed to the Blue Lagoon first so a wonderful opportunity to get pictures in the milky, blue water and I don’t go in front of the camera without makeup!

Alice Avatar

My travel routine for anything over 3 hours is the same no matter the transportation mode:

1) Wash my face and start with a heavier moisturizer because the recycled air on planes/trains/the car is sooooo dryyyyyyy.

2) The same base I always do because I don’t wear foundation: primer + BB cream + translucent setting powder.

3) Light brow + single shadow all over lid and smudged on lower lash line + mascara.

4) Liquid lipstick – usually a matte – so I know it won’t smudge/transfer if I snack or nap and don’t have to worry about reapplying. When I flew to Hawaii I wore Pretty Zombie Cosmetics Blue Moon and it didn’t budge even though I ate a full 3 course meal, had a snack, drank 2 alcohol drinks + coffee + a ton of water, and slept for 2 hours with a pillow.

Nancy T Avatar

It’s been 14 years since I last flew. Since I wore a fairly full face then flying from Phoenix to New York and 2 weeks later, back again, why would I change up what I do whenever I know I’ll be out of my home? I wear a BB cream or moisturizing light weight foundation, brows, simple eye makeup using mascara, liner and just 2 or 3 e/s’s, blush, and lipgloss or balmy lipstick. I would now also bring a bottle of misting water to add back some moisture to my face, as the cabin can dry out one’s skin.

AB Avatar

It depends on the situation — length of flight, if it’s personal or business trip, if I am to to to meetings or something upon arrival or not. Generally, the longer the flight, the lighter I go.

For any flight, I’ll spend extra effort on skin care ahead of the trip and bring eye cream and lip balm in my purse for application during flight. I usually err on side of lighter makeup; if I have a meeting upon arrival, I’ll freshen at the airport with gentle cleanser and foundation (if a long flight), blush, lipstick, maybe add a/o brighten eyeshadow.

thirteenthirteen Avatar

I don’t usually bother wearing or bringing makeup when I travel. I don’t have to travel for work or maybe it would be a different story. The last several flights I’ve been on were all quite long (the shortest was seven hours) and if I’m going to be sleeping on the plane, or arriving at the airport at 4 am or whatever, I am going for comfort – I don’t want to be worrying if my mascara has smudged on the little airplane pillows.

I bring face wipes and moisturizer on the plane along with toothpaste and a toothbrush, though, so I can freshen myself up. Last time I flew my lips got SUPER chapped, and I didn’t have anything handy to put on then, so I think next time I will bring my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask.

Debra Avatar

I just returned from my vacation and flying yesterday. Since it was a long haul across country, I just went with moisturizer, one light coat of waterproof mascara and a tinted lip balm in Pomegranate from Burts Bees.

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