This is how to pack your beauty essentials for a stress-free trip

Sometimes the love of traveling and packing don’t come together. If you’re one to get excited over the thought of seeing new sights but dread the idea of figuring out what and how to pack makeup and skincare for your trip, here’s something to help you out.

Take note of the season/weather in your destination.

Before packing, make sure that you’re bringing the right products for your trip. The weather will play a big role in what you will need, so make sure to do some research before putting things in your luggage. Heavy moisturizers are great for helping your skin cope in cold climes, but you'll need to keep your skin care light for the tropics. 

Keep it to a minimum.

Pack light, and bring only the essentials – the things you can’t go a day without. If you can, opt for travel-sized versions of your favorites. The products you should take will depend on what you deem necessary, but here’s a tip: you can choose not to bring soap and shampoo because most hotels stock up on them. (If you have a specific bath routine, though, just bring what you usually use.)

It’s also great if you can bring multi-purpose products. Start getting creative and re-purpose products you already have! Use a shimmery eyeshadow as highlighter or use a lipstick as blush.  Try to go brush-less, too. Use the provided sponge in compact foundations, your fingers for blush, and cotton buds for eyeshadow application.

Distinguish what’s for carry-on and what’s for check-in.

Avoid getting your products confiscated by making sure that you don’t bring liquids and gels that weigh more than 100ml in your carry-on bag. Aerosol sprays like hairspray, dry shampoo and spray-on foundation should be checked in with your luggage.

If you’re worried about looking like a zombie after a long flight, you may bring products for a quick fix-up like mascara, concealer and lip balm in your carry-on. A product that weighs more than 3.4 ounces like foundation will be subject to inspection, though. Products that are flammable, like nail polish, will also not pass easily.

Make a list and start decanting.

Making mental notes is fine, but sometimes our brains fail us. So make sure to list down everything you need. That way, the chance of forgetting something will be slim.

Once you’ve made a list, start decanting. If your favorite products don’t have mini versions, transfer a portion of them into mini bottles or containers. True Value has inexpensive pump bottles, and they go for as low as P30! Muji also has some nice tiny squeeze bottles if you want to save even more space.

After filling your containers, make sure that they don’t have excess air because it might react with the pressure of the aircraft, and pressurized air has the tendency to explode. To avoid leakage, take the lid off the bottle and place a cling wrap or a piece of plastic over it before putting the lid back on.

If you’re still scared that your favorite skincare product would leak, use contact lens cases to store them instead. They’re virtually leak-proof!

Now, we also want to avoid the mishap of washing the face with shampoo or using skincare for the hair, so label your products accordingly and clearly after decanting and sealing them.

Organize and group.

Group your products. Don’t mix your face products with your toothbrush, your body care products with your makeup, and so on. You may use any kind of bag or pouch for organizing your things, but a Ziploc bag or any thick, re-sealable plastic bag is ideal. Using plastic will help in keeping any leakage from seeping into your clothes.

As for makeup, products that are leak-prone (foundation, liquid bronzer, etc.) should be kept together. Those whose cases might break should also be kept in the same bag.

Secure your makeup with bubble wrap if possible but if that’s not an option, use tissue instead. You may also roll the product into a sock after putting them inside a bag.

Now, if you’re worried about breaking your favorite powder product, make sure that the sponge that comes with it is in place before you wrap it. If you’ve already thrown the sponge away or if it doesn’t come with one, use cotton pads/balls in its place. And then, stuff them in a bag filled with tissue or cotton. (The tissue or cotton will act as cushion for the makeup.)

Keep them in the middle of your suitcase.

Lastly, put your makeup and skincare products in the middle of your clothes; your sartorial pieces will act as cushions for them, making them less prone to breakage. Accidents happen, though, so make sure that you don’t put a valuable (or sentimental) piece of clothing that you’d be heartbroken to find stained beside your beauty products. As for the proper way to organize your clothes, make sure to check out our post on how to pack for a big trip!

So there, we hope this helps! Do you have a packing tip to add? Share away!

Sources: StyleCaster, CNN Philippines, Julep, The Beauty Department