Beauty, Style, Travel, Travel Products, Travel Tips

My Five-Minute Travel Makeup Routine

Mini bottles of makeup products on a tray

A white countertop with makeup products

Confession time: I used to bring way too much makeup with me when traveling (actually, I used to bring way too much everything with me). But once I started unpacking mindfully, noting everything that was used during the trip and everything that was not used, I was able to whittle it down.


This post contains affiliate links. Some items in this post are no longer available, and a similar product is linked.

I stopped packing any makeup or skincare for those “just in case” situations that never seemed to occur, and started packing only my tried-and-true essentials. Now, all of my makeup fits in the smaller of the two Leather Travel Cases from Cuyana (reviewed here – with an updated review here; or get the look for less at Quince).

Best of all, my daily makeup routine at home has changed too – when I noticed how little I needed to feel “ready” while traveling, I reduced the number of products I use on a daily basis.

Today I’m sharing what I consider my “essential” products and steps. Everyone’s routine is different of course, and for my brow-pencil-and-lipbalm friends, this may seem like a maximalist’s list. But this is my routine that takes me from fresh-faced to all-done in five minutes or less (because I promise you don’t want to be stuck in your Paris/Milan/NYC hotel or Airbnb doing makeup – you want to be out enjoying the place you came so far to see!):


MY FIVE-MINUTE ROUTINE

STEP ONE: START WITH A CLEAN FACE

Though this post is more about makeup than skincare since everyone’s skincare needs are unique, I’m going to climb on a (TSA-approved) soapbox and tell you that it’s really important to keep up with washing your face.

Sweat, dirt, and city grime are all major by-products of travel, and messed-up skin is not the souvenir you want to bring home. At the very least, wash your face at night before bed; if water is not available I recommend using micellar water (I love this one) to cleanse on the go.

A photo of Alyssa wearing no makeup

STEP TWO: PREP AND PRIME

I start with eyedrops, which help reduce redness (buh-bye redeye from last night’s flight), quickly pass a caffeine eye-roller under my eyes to deflate puffiness, and swipe on some shimmery, eye-opening eyeshadow primer to seal in the eyeshadow I’m going to apply. Time spent: 45 seconds.

Alyssa holds a caffeine eye roller from Garnier

Alyssa applies a caffeine eye roller from Garnier

Alyssa holds a tube of eyeshadow primer

STEP THREE: BROWS

My eyebrows are so light that they are nearly clear, which means I tint them at home every few weeks and always right before a long trip. When they are freshly tinted I can usually get away with a quick swipe by a spoolie brush, but I prefer to sweep a little Boy Brow through to thicken, darken, and help them stay in place. Time spent: 40 seconds.

Alyssa applies Boy Brow from Glossier to her eyebrows

STEP FOUR: SUNSCREEN

Because I said so, that’s why. We’re outside a lot more than usual when we’re away from home, so I try to be really diligent about sunscreen application. Applying at this stage allows the formula to settle in before you layer any foundation over. I really like the clear, non-greasy sunscreen from Glossier. Time spent: 35 seconds.

Alyssa holds a bottle of sunscreen from Glossier

STEP FIVE: EYES

Now that the eyeshadow primer is dry, it’s time to line, color, and add mascara. I don’t typically go full-on eyeliner during the daytime; instead, I smudge it along my lashline from about the midway point to the outer corners of my eyes to give just a little definition.

On my bottom lash line, I use a pale pink inner-rim eyeliner, which brightens my eyes and makes them look larger. Finally, I add a quick swipe of two neutral eyeshadows, dipping my brush in both the matte and shimmer shadows so I just get a nice sheen (I’ll touch on which shadow palette I use later in the post, along with two palettes that didn’t quite work for me).

After eyeshadow, a quick comb-through of black mascara on my top and bottom lashes adds the finishing touch and makes my eyes look more open and awake. Time spent: 1 minute, 25 seconds.

Alyssa holds two eyeliner pencils

Alyssa applies black eyeliner

Alyssa dips a brush in a travel eyeshadow palette

Alyssa applies mascara to one eye

Alyssa applies mascara

STEP SIX: FACE

Due to rosacea, my pale and ruddy skin tone is difficult to match. Once I found this light-coverage formula from Chanel, I knew I’d never need to buy another foundation again. To make the foundation look even more natural, I mix in a little lightweight lotion before applying.

Right now I’m not setting it with a powder, but that’s because I’m still on the hunt for the perfect small, lightweight pressed powder to reduce the risk of spillage. Any leads? Time spent: 45 seconds.

Alyssa applies foundation to her cheek

Alyssa applies foundation to her cheek

STEP SEVEN: LIPS

I don’t have much luck with lipstick when we’re traveling; it either flakes off or disappears onto the edge of the many cups of coffee we consume. Instead, I stick with the ’90s-essential Black Honey. It’s sheer but buildable, still looks good as it starts to fade, and it’s never flaked on me. It’s a classic for a reason. Time spent: 15 seconds.

Alyssa applies lipstick

Finished, with 35 seconds to spare!

Alyssa wears light makeup

Alyssa wears light makeup and smiles at the camera


A TALE OF THREE EYESHADOW PALETTES

Three travel eyeshadow palettes

Three open Travel Eyeshadow Palettes

I didn’t mean to purchase three travel-sized eyeshadow palettes. It’s just really tough to get a sense of the way the eyeshadow colors truly look and how they will hold up through the course of a day while you’re standing in a store with a salesperson breathing down your neck. So, in the midst of somewhat of an existential crisis, I purchased three palettes before ending up with my Goldilocks version.

The City Mini Palette in Chill Brunch Neutrals, by Maybelline

The City Mini Palette from Maybelline
| City Mini Palette |

Initially, I purchased The City Mini Palette in Chill Brunch Neutrals, by Maybelline. The price tag was right, the size was right, and they are heavily pigmented – the only thing is that the colors were too shimmery for daytime wear. I used this very lightly over the course of a few weekends away and finally purchased a replacement.

Naked Basics, by Urban Decay

The Naked Basics palette from Urban Decay
| Naked Basics |

The next kit I ordered was Naked Basics, by Urban Decay. At home, I use the now-defunct Naked Smoky palette (RIP) which I love so very much. Purchasing my favorite four shades and placing them in UD’s custom tin (no longer available) would set me back $90.

I figured the Basics palette would be close enough to my favorite shades, but I was wrong. They are beautiful, but even when layered over a shimmery primer, are still very matte. I probably could achieve the look I’m after by combining these two palettes, but why bring two when I really only have space for one?

Full Exposure Travel Palette, from Smashbox

The Full Exposure Travel Palette from Smashbox
| Full Exposure |

Enter the Full Exposure Travel Palette, from Smashbox. A combination of four shimmery shadows and four matte shadows in a case slightly larger than a credit card. I wear the lighter colors during the day and add a quick swipe of the darker ones in the crease for the evening (and I’ll probably never wear that shimmery silver shade, which is a bit of a waste). Perhaps by the time I need to replace it, I’ll be able to find a palette where all shadows work for me; for now, I’ll be using this one.


FINAL THOUGHTS ON STREAMLINING A TRAVEL MAKEUP ROUTINE

Streamlining my travel makeup routine has been a game-changer, not just for my suitcase, but for my everyday life as well. Learning to discern between what I truly need and what I simply think I might need has not only lightened my load while on the go but has also simplified my morning routine at home.

So, whether you’re jetting off to a far-flung destination or taking a staycation, I encourage you to take a moment to reassess your own routines for travel. You might just find that by paring down, you’re not limiting yourself, but freeing your time and energy.


Enjoyed this post? You may also like:


How much time do you spend on your makeup while traveling? Do you have any time-saving tips? Or is there something you think you could swap or skip moving forward? Be sure to share!

I’ll be taking a few days off to recharge – see you some time next week!

Share this post:

4 Comments on “My Five-Minute Travel Makeup Routine

  1. It’s so fun to see your routine, and I’ve been very curious about Black Honey. I’ve been looking for a lip product that makes me look a little less dead, but still natural, you know?

    If I’m travelling in a hot country or doing outdoorsy stuff, I usually don’t wear face makeup, even though I don’t have perfect skin. Doesn’t make sense to me if it’s just going to slide off!

    I keep makeup pretty low-key and use just the basics:
    -Tinted moisturizer
    -Sunscreen
    -Mascara
    -Dual ended brown eyeliner and highlighter
    -Chapstick
    -Eyelash curler

    Actually my routine isn’t that much different than my everyday one!

    1. Black Honey is the only lipstick I continuously buy replacements for, and the price is quite reasonable (I buy about a tube a year). True – I should have mentioned that I don’t go through my full routine when we’re going on outdoor “adventures.” I typically stick to waterproof mascara and Boy Brow for that! I’m curious about this magical eyeliner/highlighter combo, however…

  2. I used to pack a ton of makeup when I went on vacation, but discovered that I didn’t end up wearing even half of it. I always think I’m going to want to get dolled up, but in reality I just want to enjoy my time without worrying about my face. I don’t wear a ton of makeup everyday ( brow pencil and lip balm is my jam), so I pretty much bring my everyday face stuff with me. This includes: brow pencil, mascara, blush, eyelash curler, and lip balm. I usually throw in a lip pencil and a single shimmer eye shadow for any fancy thing we do. Having only a few products means I can keep stuff in my usual makeup bag and don’t have to worry about it taking up space.

    1. This is so true! Space is at a premium when traveling and I grew so sick of toting products I didn’t use. What kind of eyelash curler do you use? I’ve had such an aversion to them after ripping out several lashes, but am willing to give it another try!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *