Makeup Packing Tips: My Travel Essentials

It’s that time of the year again: in a few days I’ll be leaving for my summer vacation. YESSSSS! The one thing I hate about traveling is packing; every time, I find myself wishing I were Merlin the Wizard in ‘The Sword in the Stone’ (please, tell me you know what I’m talking about).

Thank God for Ryanair who taught me to downsize my luggage, otherwise I would be traveling like a Jane Austen character going to Brighton for the summer: instead of the 10 kg trolley case, picture a huge trunk that could hold all my earthly possessions as well as myself, comfortably.

But let’s get to the point here. I have an almost infallible system to pack my travel makeup bag: I review in my mind my default makeup routine and pack the relevant product for each step.

Below, you’ll find a list of the items I’ll bring on my beach vacation, in my usual order of application.

• Foundation: Guerlain Terracotta Joli Teint in Natural (which is in my ‘sunkissed glow’ arsenal).
• Concealer: Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Rewind in Nude. Despite being marketed as a ‘dark circle eraser’, it is great for blemishes as well.
• Bronzer: Guerlain Terracotta Healthy Glow Foundation in shade 02 Brunettes. This is a lightweight foundation that I like to use as a liquid bronzer in the areas where the sun would normally hit me.
• Blush: Rimmel Stay Blushed! in 004 Sunkissed Cherry, a long-lasting liquid formulation.
• Powder: KIKO Colour Correction Powder, luminous and finely milled.
• Eye primer: Too Faced Shadow Insurance (I have a convenient travel size).
• Eyeshadow: Collistar TWIST in 106 Bronze. I love this one for summer nights out, paired with bright lips. I apply it straight from the stick and smudge the edges with my finger for instantly shiny, wet-looking lids.
• Eyelash curler: Shu Uemura.
• Mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex.
• Brows: Anastasia Perfect Brow Pencil in Dark Brown. Even when I leave them natural, I still use the spoolie to brush them upwards.
• Lipstick: purple – MAC Heroine (did you catch my post on purple lipstick for the shy?); orange – Clinique Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in 46 Matte Mandarin; fuchsia – Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 872 Mona Lisette for a juicy, comfortable finish.
• Brush (please notice the singular form, I’m only bringing one!): Real Techniques Setting Brush, which I use to apply liquid bronzer and set my base with powder.

BLOW ME TO BERMUDA!!!