It’s a largely unpopular opinion, but I love packing. For me, it’s the first little step to going on a great adventure: The pre-game for a vacation. I have so much fun packing my life into a tiny little suitcase, and I feel like I’m playing a game against myself every time to try to get my clothes and toiletries smaller, smaller, smaller than the last time. My travel-friendly beauty essentials are something that I spend a fair amount of time fine-tuning (probably more time than I should admit in a public forum), but I just love figuring out how to best minimize my beauty routine with the products and travel accessories I have available to me.
My white whale is, of course, the ultimate low-budget baggage trip: A personal-item-only, carry-on-free trip on an airline like Flair or, abroad, Ryanair. I think I can do it.
Downsizing skincare products for the plane
For short trips, there’s nothing like breezing through the airport without any checked baggage. I love travelling light: It’s great not to have to worry about lost luggage, baggage lines, or extra fees.
(I also, admittedly, love that feeling of airport superiority that you can really only get by travelling ultra light. Oh, me? I’m just jetting off to another country with nothing but this little carry-on luggage for the month. Why yes, I am indeed better than everyone else; why do you ask?)
The one downside about travelling light is worrying about your liquid limits at security, but that’s easy to combat.
I recommend travelling with travel bottles every time you fly. Some products are easy to get in ready-to-go travel formats, like a basic deodorant or shampoo at the drugstore. Others will need a little extra prep work: travel bottles are great for this. For short-trip travellers, they’re an indispensable travel accessory that’ll help you fly through security. Travel toiletry kits are often available in either plastic or silicone, and the great thing about them is that they’re reusable. Their twist-off caps make it easy to rinse out an old product and fill up the same bottle with a new one, so they can follow you around the globe for as long as you need.
Opt for solids when you can
Another travel tip that I can’t get enough of is to opt for travel-friendly beauty essentials in solid formats whenever possible. When I’m at home, I love my liquid and gel products–especially when it comes to makeup. I love the way that they blend easily, sink into my skin, and deliver a second-skin finish. (Not to mention that liquid and cream products are great for dry climates.)
While travelling, though, that quart-sized liquid limit really gets to me. So, I swap out any liquids I can for powder or solid alternatives. They tuck neatly into a travel toiletry bag and can skip the liquid quart bag altogether. My favourite swaps are my cleanser (cream at home and a solid balm when I travel), foundation (liquid at home; powder on the go), body moisturizer (lotion at home; solid balm abroad), and acne treatment (cream at home; stickers on the go)!
Pack for where you’re going, not where you’ve been
One final thing to remember for maintaining your routine on the go is that you need to pack a product routine for your destination–not your departure city. Research the average humidity of your destination city before you take off and adjust as needed while you pack. If you’re travelling from somewhere very dry to somewhere very humid (for instance, from Saskatoon to Penang), swap your heavy moisturizers for light gels. If you’re travelling from somewhere humid to somewhere drier, bring an extra balm or two just in case you end up needing it.
It’s surprisingly easy to miniaturize and simplify your beauty and skincare routine to get it ready for travel–and once you do it, you can reuse the same kit again and again for every trip. After all, why spend more time at the airport when you could be enjoying your exciting new destination instead?
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