Travel Essentials - what are your must-haves when traveling?

[itsfi]

Makeup, skincare, body care, hair care, etc. - what are your must-haves when traveling?

Whether your approach to packing for a trip is a minimalist, moderate or maximalist one, whether you're going for work or play, by train, plane or car, or whether your vacation plans involve playing in the sun & sand, or with skis & snow, or anything between, let us know your travel essentials. 

Also, be sure to check out The Travel Beauty Thread 

[missjeanie]

@itsfi I'm going to need to spend some time with this thread this weekend.  I've been doing a lot less travel for work so my travel bags were set aside for the last few months.  I pulled them out a few weeks ago and have been trying to use up the items I had in there so that I can start fresh this month with new mini's.  I'll be curious to see what products everyone else is loving for travel!

[itsfi]

@missjeanie, please do come back and share. I love seeing what people take with them for travel - foils? deluxe sample size? full sizes decanted into travel size bottles?

Packing for work travel is so much easier for me. As I think about it, I guess I don't pack for so many options in those scenarios. My makeup this next trip is more simplified but has a few options built in. I almost done pulling some things for my hair care (and may need to edit that one just a little more).

[kinetic88]

I never have the same products on me since I'm always using travel size or samples, but my must haves are:

- face wash

- toner

- moisturizer

- sunscreen (a MUST)

- hair serum (since the water might be hard)

[missjeanie]

@kinetic88 Great point about hard water!  Never know what you'll get when you're staying in new places!

[SportyGirly125]

There’s a new product that will be launching soon at Sephora and I have been using it. I am also going to be taking it on my trip soon.  

Will update more on it when it officially launches. 

[itsfi]

It can be hard for me to find that happy balance between having a straightward set makeup products as well as have options I may need or want when I'm traveling for non-work purposes. Having put together a few smaller capsules for the makeup capsule challenges this year and in past years has helped. I have been working on finding a good mix of products to take with me on an upcoming trip and so far, these beauties have made the traveling squad:

I'm really close to finishing the Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation and Urban Decay Face Bond Self Setting Waterproof Foundation and have decanted those into smaller airless travel dispensers along with the Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist 2.7 oz / 80 mL. Between the Tower 28 and Urban Decay foundations, I'll have a skin tint and medium-to-full coverage base to choose from and can mix them and/or sheer out / build up to get more or less coverage. 

Product Details:

Spoiler

Base:
** I'm testing out the Erborian CC Red Correct Green Color-Corrector SPF 25 to Cover Redness, with Korean Centella Asiatica... this week and may take it or the older version of Dr. Jart+ Cicapair™ Soothing Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30 with Centella Asiatica Extracts .5 oz... with me as a primer and color-corrector in one

** Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation and Urban Decay Face Bond Self Setting Waterproof Foundation for foundation

** I'll mix a couple of the shades in the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Face Essentials Long-Lasting Full Face Cream Palette for concealing blemishes and redness and the Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bade The Concealer Pen for the under eyes. 

** LYS Beauty Triple Fix Setting Powder primarily for my T-zone and Danessa Myricks Beauty Mini Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Mattifying Setting Spray 1.7 oz/50 mL for all over. It'll be a last minute decision but I may also pack Skindinavia The Makeup Finishing Spray Oil Control.

Eyes:
** I'm not sure if my allergies will act up while I'm away so I'm keeping it simple as far as what eye makeup I'm taking with me -
Danessa Myricks Beauty Infinite Chrome Waterproof Micropencil Eyeliner Bronzite for liner and eyeshadow
Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Brightening Pencil  - Light 1 (discontinued) for waterline
MUFE palette for eyeshadow
MERIT Brow 1980 Volumizing Tinted Eyebrow Gel-Pomade - it's quick, easy and I'm almost done with this tube
Clio Kill Superproof Mascara 04 Extreme Volume - I wouldn't say it gives me "extreme volume" but it stays in place and does make my lashes look a little more full and keeps them lifted

Cheeks:
** Relying on the MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Face Essentials Long-Lasting Full Face Cream Palette for all my cheek needs

Lips:
**  Again, a few shades in the MUFE palette can be used for lip color, topped with rhode Peptide Lip Treatment Nourishing Glaze Unscented (this balm is a limited edition one from her collection before she launched at Sephora) but I'll primarily be going with the SEPHORA COLLECTION Lip Tint Felt Lip Stain & Liner 04 Cocoa Swipe (swatch to be posted later today Lips on Lock 🔐: List Your Lip Combos 💄👄 thread)

Tools:
** MAKEUP BY MARIO Mario's Essential Cosmetic Brush Set 
** Eye lash curler - haven't decided on which one yet, probably Shiseido Eyelash Curler or Tower 28 curler

I'll post skincare and hair care products soon. My skincare choices are already picked out but I'm still finalizing which hair care items I'll bring which will include a few samples that I'll talk more about next month on the Foil Challenge thread. In terms of fragrances, I may bring some samples with me, particularly from the BORNTOSTANDOUT Fragrance Discovery Set if I find a few I like. This brand was on my list of brands to try for myBeauty Goals for 2026 so I'm excited to see if there's any in the set that stand out enough to make a trip.

[ather]

@itsfi  I am loving this capsule for travel!!! It’s so good!!! 😊 

[itsfi]

Ahhh, thank you @ather; you're too kind. I'm trying to better at packing light. I used to be so much better at it.

[itsfi]

Cold Weather Travel Essentials: The Quick & Easy Edit

I've been trying to come up with a more minimalist set of beauty items for travel but it's been harder than I thought it would be. I tend to overpack, probably trying to account for too many "what if" scenarios, but I think I may have gotten a solid set down for travel in the colder season (to non-tropical locations); or, at least, I'm trending in the right direction. The Forum's been a little finicky with tagging products, so I'll focus on posting photos first and come back later to tag products and provide comments to some items.

Skincare:

These have been good at home and away during the colder months.

• Skinfix Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid 6 oz/ 177 mL works beautifully as a first cleanser (or a first and second cleanser especially when my skin is feeling very sensitive or sensitized). The travel size is available through the brand direct or on Sephora as part of the #Skinfix Nourishing Cleanse + Moisturize Skin Set
• Biossance Squalane and Elderberry Jelly Cleanser (discontinued), one of my all time favorite cleansers, has been discontinued. I've been filling travel sized bottles with it when I go out of town. Another similar type of cleanser I enjoy is the Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel (Unscented)
• rhode Mini Peptide Glazing Fluid Dewy Gel Serum 0.5oz/15ml 
• rhode Mini Barrier Butter Intensive Moisture Balm 1.35oz/40ml 
• The INKEY List Hydrocolloid Invisible Patches 22 patches / pack is a go-to GOAT 🐐 product for me. I travvel with a pack of pimple patches even if I'm not experiencing a breakout when the flight takes off, because you never know, or, at least, I don't. I'm told by Sephora's AI that I've purchased 5 packs of these in this year alone. Greeeeaaaat. 😏 I'll be happier when I don't need to use these. But since breakouts happen, these work well in the battle against blemishes, alongside the travel-friendly zit zapper I mentioned on the It's Tool Time - The BIC Beauty Edition Thread
• LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Plumping Lip Treatment 0.42 oz / 12 g and Typology Lip Peeling Serum (not pictured) are a good pair for exfoliating and moisturizing my lips
• Saint Jane Beauty Luxury Sun Ritual Pore Smoothing Face Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL doubles as a primer and sunscreen. 

Makeup:

• MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Face Essentials Long-Lasting Full Face Cream Palette 
• Tower 28 Beauty SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation is another GOAT product for me. It evens tone, and gives my complexion a nice glow. 
• ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder is in that small travel size container. This I use primarily on my nose and to set concealer under the eyes and over blemishes.
• Danessa Myricks Beauty Mini Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Mattifying Setting Spray 1.7 oz/50 mL 
• EADEM Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm Pain au Chocolat - caramelized brown with... 
• Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Lip Cheat Contour Duo Lip Liner Fair 
• DIOR Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Gloss 001 Pink (promo gwp)
• SEPHORA COLLECTION Clear Long-Lasting Brow Gel 0.16 oz/ 5mL (from Sephoria 2024 Atlanta, GA)
• Beautyblender ORIGINAL Beautyblender® Makeup Sponge Original (promo gwp)

Hair Care:

• BondiBoost Mini Interchangeable 2-in-1 Hair Straightener Brush and Curling Iron null has been a surprise hit. It takes up much less space than the original (see post below) and I actually find it works better for me. The length of the iron isn't that much different but the barrel/handle is so much shorter and that has made it easier for me to use and control - and did I mention it takes up less space? Among my top purchases of 2025! 💖
• Not pictured are the following hair styling products: Kerastase Elixir Oil (mini) and Mini Cult Favorite Firm + Flexible Hairspray - COLOR WOW | Sephora
• For shampoo and conditioner, I take whatever foil samples I have on hand - it's typically K18, Oribe, Kerastase or Pureology. Depending on how long I'm away, I may take a mini or sample size scrub and/or hair mask for me but oftentimes I'll just use them before or after my trip.

Body Care & Fragrance:

• Forgot to take photos of the items for these to categories, but the Hanni Cocoon Cleanse Solid Body Serum Cleanser with Shea Butter 3.7 oz / 105 g and a mesh soap bag is very effective. Foil samples of body cream or oils have come in handy as have travel size hand creams (for both hand and body).
• For fragrance, roller ball travel perfumes (or sprays) are great. As are mini's that are usually available as promo gwp's. For the cooler seasons, it's usually one or more of the following: Kilian's Angel Share, Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit, Maison Francis Kurkdijian Grand Soir Nest Vanilla Bourbon, or Tom Ford Vanille Fatale

[itsfi]

Travel Essentials: The Hair Care Edit (SEPHORiA 2024: Atlanta, GA)

Spoiler

- Kitsch Spray Bottle for Hair - I try to avoid washing my hair every day - even though I really, really want to. Some days I would like to start off with damp hair because the hair product(s) I want to use work better applied to damp (vs dry) hair. Enter the spray bottle! 👍 Any spray bottle will do, but I have been enjoying this one from Kitsch. 

- Kerastase Thermique Heat Protecting Serum (I have a vague recollection that Sephora carried this at one point) is a good prep for use on color-treated hair before any type of heat styling. It has an herbaceous scent to it that may not be a hit for everyone; I didn't mind it. I like this but have since found something I like even more. I'm almost through with this bottle - @Mellmars1185, I took this with me thinking I might be able to finish it, but didn't quite make my way through it completely. Maybe this month though. 🤞 

- Kérastase Elixir Ultime Refillable Hydrating Hair Oil for Shine (gratis) is one of my favorite hair oils. Slightly thick-leaning oil with an almost gel-like consistency to it that means I only use it on the length and ends of my hair - it nourishes, hydrates and leaves my hair feeling soft and silky with a lovely (but not greasy) shine to it.

- amika Rising Star Volumizing Finishing Spray 5.3 oz / 165 mL (gratis) gives my hair some nice lift and volume, particularly at the roots and on my bangs. Works best on just washed or second day hair. 

- COLOR WOW Xtra Large Bombshell Volumizer is great for adding some extra fullness and volume to the hair, all over. This is a mini I picked up before receiving a full size as gratis.

- SEPHORA COLLECTION Sephora Collection x Wet Brush Luxe Detangler

- BondiBoost Clever Curler 1 ¼” Curling Iron with Ion Technology has a few different heat settings. It heats up quickly and is comfortable to use.

- 2 in 1 Hair Tools Travel Case with Heat Resistant Mat - this takes up a bit of space but comes in handy for travel. Except for my hair dryer, I was able to fit all my hair care tools and products in the case; love that it comes with the mat for placing my styling tools on.

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi I love how you captured all of your hair travel products! The spray bottle is such a smart idea! Great lineup of products!  It will be nice to finish up that Kerastase. Especially since you have something else to look forward to! Did you bring your own hairdryer or use the one at the hotel. I didnt have room in my luggage for my Drybar Buttercup Blow-Dryer 

[itsfi]

@Mellmars1185, I went back through my photos and notes and it's been 2-1/2 years since I purchased and started using the Kerastase heat spray. 😲 Two-and-a-half years! I don't keep many similar hair styling / hair treatment products open at the same time (one of the few categories where that happens, lol) so I am pretty sure other products have just snuck their way into the mix and that's one of the reasons it's taken me so long to finish this one. In general, I really like Kerastase products; and this one's not bad at all - good but not great. There have been products that perform similarly and that consistently smell better. I don't mind this one but some days it does take some getting used to. 

lol, I almost decided to leave my hair dryer at home - I took that Drybar Buttercup one with me!! We would have been hair dryer twinsies. I need to come up with a better way to manage the amount of hair care items I pack with me when I travel - I've found that I fluctuate between really minimalist (shampoo, leave-in conditioner and brush) or I bring practically everything currently in use when I'm at home, like this last trip. I really need to come up with a better, more balanced, system when I travel in this regard. 

[Mellmars1185]

@itsfi Wow 2.5 years is a long time! You are almost there! It will be an exciting day when you get through the Kerastase spray. It takes me a long time to get through hair products too. Good call on the Buttercup! It is very lightweight, yet powerful. I love it more than my Dyson. I regret not bringing it with me. I find it is hard to know what products to bring because my hair behaves differently in different climates. Maybe you can convert some products into smaller travel containers ?

[itsfi]

Travel Essentials: The Sunblock Edit (SEPHORiA 2024: Atlanta, GA)

These are the SPF beauties I took with me on my recent trip to Atlanta; a couple of these are ones that were  active in my summer sunblock rotation (and ones that I'll continue to reach for this fall).

Hair/Scalp: I didn't pack a hat with me this trip so I made sure to include the COOLA Scalp & Hair Sunscreen & Color Protection Mist with SPF 30 in my toiletries bag. This keeps my scalp protected without making my hair greasy. I've had this in my SPF stash for 5+ years; there are other scalp SFPs out there that perform well, but I keep coming back to this one.

Face: I have gotten into the habit of bringing at least 2 different SPFs with me when on vacation - one with a thinner consistency (on this trip, it was Summer Fridays ShadeDrops Mineral Milk Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL) and one with a thicker consistency (OLEHENRIKSEN Banana Bright Mineral Face Sunscreen SPF 30 1.7 oz / 50 mL). To be fair, the OleHenriksen isn't thick - it has a light whipped texture but it's more of a cream whereas the Summer Fridays has more of an emulsion / lotion texture. Both are favorites and in my top 5 as far as face sun protection go

I also packed Dr. Jart+ Mini Cicapair™ Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment 0.5 oz/ 15 mL in the event I experienced a rosacea flare up. I use this more often as part of my makeup routine (makeup with skincare benefits) as a primer, to conceal redness on my cheeks and even tone. In my everyday, this is something I reach for occasionaly on weekends when I'm wearing minimal makeup (for both a no-makeup-makeup look as well as no makeup / bare minimum makeup). While this has an SPF in it, I use this in addition to whatever sunblock I'm using and not in lieu of.

Body: SEPHORA COLLECTION Daily Mineral Sunscreen Cream SPF 30 1.7 oz. / 50 ml is often overlooked, which is too bad, because they have a lot of amazing products, at a fraction of the price. They're not just good for the price point; they're good period. One of those items is this mineral sunblock. I picked up a backup when it was 50% off ($10) and like to use it for sun protection on my body (as well as my face).

Cross posted to National SPF Day ☀️ 

[heartsmyface]

@itsfi  Okay, I didn’t know hair sunscreen was a thing!  Does it feel like hairspray?  Tell me more! 

[itsfi]

Yes, I'm all about SPF for the scalp, especially on vacation @heartsmyface . I don't usually wear a hat/cap when I'm in the ocean or pool so this is nice to have. It feels like I misted water on my head/scalp. It doesn't make my hair greasy or weighed down but then again, when I wear this, my hair is usually up in a ponytail or bun so it'd be less noticeable if it was greasy/heavy. Some things that may not be for everyone is that it has a light scent that I'd describe as an herbal - ocean mix. I don't find it heavy or unpleasant. Ingredients-wise, it does contain denatured alcohol but I don't find it drying - I wouldn't say it's hydrating but it's not drying either. It's also contains chemical filters. As of now, the INCI list for it is compliant with Hawaii's sunscreen laws. Sun Bum also makes a similar product. 

[ather]

@itsfi  Omg I am sure I just asked you about the Scalp SPF!! Nice to hear this has been a fav of your for years!! I 100% agree with you on the Sephora Collection products! They are amazing! 

[itsfi]

A few of the Sephora Collection items are HG / GOAT 🐐 products for me @ather. They can be overlooked, underrated sometimes. 😞 

[itsfi]

Travel Essentials: The Skincare Edit (Summer-to-Fall)

The summer-to-fall months can be a challenge for me when it comes to my skincare. This year, the weather at home has deviated from what I've been used to, with more humidity than I've been accustomed to. Looking at the weather in Atlanta, it seemed as if my current summer-to-fall (and fall) skincare routine could work so that's what I packed with me. 

As you can see, my skincare travel essentials is much more pared down than say, the makeup I took with me - 

itsfi's SEPHORiA makeup bag - which was, admittedly, overkill. 🙄 

Cleanser: The Tatcha The Indigo Cleansing Balm Moisturizing Makeup Remover 1.9 oz / 54 g served as both my first and second cleanser (and morning cleanser). At home, I usually use a water-based cleanser with a gel consistency for my second cleanse, but there are evenings when I will do two passes of this Tatcha balm if I'm just too tired (or lazy) to reach for a different cleanser.

Essence & Serums: I employ the lightest to densest or thinnest to thickest approach when it comes to my essences and serums as some of my go-to essences, like the CosRx, are thicker than traditional essences. It's a couple drops of EADEM Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum with Niacinamide and Vitamin C 1 oz/ 30 mL and when that has absorbed, I apply a layer of the CosRx Snail Mucin Essence, followed by the Rhode Glazing Serum. This makes my skin feel supple and hydrated. All 3 are GOATs 🐐 for me. For my morning routine, I occassionally will use just 1 or 2 of these items, depending on how my skin is doing or how I'm feeling. 

Moisturizer: The warmer weather has meant that I've been able to more consistently incorporate the Rhode Barrier Restore Cream into my routine as a moisturizer (look @ather, it's in my routine as it is meant to be used and not repurposed in the serum step like I sometimes do in the winter months). 

SPF: I brought a few sunscreens with me on this past trip - I'll post those to the National SPF Day ☀️ thread later this week or early next (making note to self...)

Eye Product: Okay, let me just start off by saying that my knee jerk reaction to the LANEIGE Bouncy & Firm Eye Brightening Sleeping Mask with Peony + Collagen Complex™ .7 oz / 20 g was to wonder if this was more gimmicky than anything. Well, I was proved wrong. This has been performing well as a nighttime eye cream. At first I wondered whether my having gotten better sleep might have attributed to my under eyes looking bettr in the mornings and that certainly doesn't hurt, but this has helped with the puffiness and dark circles - I've noticed a slight difference the morning after nights when I have had a harder time with sleep - usually getting up early and not really being able to fall back to sleep (or if I can, not for any long periods). I need more time with this product and need to be more consistent with using it, but so far, after about a month of use, I've been happily surprised with the results. 👍

[heartsmyface]

@itsfi  I love this photo!!!  And your layering sounds heavenly!  I’m nearing the end of a Dr Brandt Dark Spots No More and once that’s finished I want to try that EADEM.