If you know me or follow me enough that you’ve seen my photos from traveling, you know that I’m not one of those girls who looks like they reapplied a face of makeup before heading to the beach or made 18 outfit changes in a day. I’m not one of those girls nor am I one of those bloggers who will do anything to paint the picture perfect (and unrealistic) photo while traveling. Now don’t get me wrong, I like looking nice in my day-to-day but when I travel my priorities are usually a bit different. I prioritize comfort and practicality. What pieces of clothing should I bring that will be the most versatile, comfortable or cool (if I’m traveling somewhere hot). The same goes for my beauty routine.
When I’m not traveling, I do wear makeup every day with the exception of days I’m just being lazy or don’t have to work. However, I’ve always said: “I want to be the girl who my future husband will wake up next to in the morning, when I’m makeup free, and he still recognizes me.” Therefore I’m 95% of the time a more natural makeup wearer. When I travel, it is really dependent on where I’m traveling to and what I’m doing which determines if or what I’ll wear in terms of makeup. For example, if I’m visiting somewhere that rains a lot like Ireland or is insanely hot every day like the Philippines, I may opt to stay makeup free because it’ll end up being more of a hassle than anything else. However, if I’m traveling to a place like New York City, or somewhere that is a bit more practical and easy for me to keep makeup on all day, then I’ll definitely wear my regular face. 😉
Saying that, I still have some go-to products I love and a routine that I like to stick to even when traveling.
On the plane
Being on a plane filled with recycled air can easily dry up your skin and make you feel incredibly shitty, especially on a long-haul flight. I recently became a lot more conscious about my face and skin when traveling because it really does make me feel refreshed and better while flying when I take care of myself. Here are a few things I count on when in flight:
- Cleansing wipes
First things first, if you’re wearing makeup when you board the plane you’ll want to take it off because no one should have makeup on for a 19 hour flight. I also like having wipes on me to quickly give my face a wipe periodically throughout the flight to keep me fresh and clean. - Night face masks
These masks don’t have to be washed off so right before I’m about to get some shut eye on a long flight I’ll apply one to keep my skin refreshed and moisturized. I find the Sephora brand great because they have individual, airplane friendly sizes. - Refreshing spray
Sprays like Caudalie Beauty Elixir or a gentle rose water spray can be great on a flight when you’re starting to feel exhausted and dried out. Just spritz them here and there throughout the flight directly on your face and let it soak in. - Moisturizer
Like I said, planes dry you out, so I always carry a face and hand moisturizer on the plane with me so after wiping my face I can moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!
While traveling
My usual skincare routine when I travel is pretty basic. I’ve used the same face wash since I was a kid but am lucky in the sense that I can always switch up my face wash and don’t usually break out when I do it. My go-to is the plain old Cetaphil. I usually only wash my face in the shower or if I’m wearing makeup, otherwise I just splash water on my face in the morning or night. Afterwards I apply Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer (bonus is that it is SPF 15) which I’ve also been using since I was a teenager.
In the daytime I’m a big believer in sunscreen however I hate how greasy and gross it can make you feel so I’ve found a few that I love: Neutrogina Ultra Sheer Face Sunscreen for my face and Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Weightless Sunscreen for my body.
If I do apply makeup while traveling it’ll be basic. Here is what I usually do:
- Put primer or moisturizer on my face
- Use foundation sparingly only around the places I need it (under my eyes, around my nose, and my chin) however, I’ll skip this if I’m tanned
- Light sweep of bronzer unless I’m traveling somewhere that I may have a bit of a tan
- Blush on my cheeks, followed by highlighter on the top of my cheek bones, as well as my nose
- Mascara
- Voila! Simple, easy and natural
My favourite makeup products I can’t live without
- Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush
Seriously the best blush! I love the shimmer/highlighter it has built right into it. - Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Paaarty
Originally I got this for free in Sephora’s birthday gift this year but now use it every day. Perfect matte blush for my complexion.
- Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint Mascara
Love this mascara for day-to-day wear. - Benefit Cosmetics They’re Real! Lengthening & Volumizing Mascara
This mascara by far is the best out there for making tiny eyelashes look unreal. However, it is waterproof and hard to get off so I don’t use it daily.
Face:
- Luna Highlighter in Calypso
I actually got this in my Ipsy bag as a sample and will definitely buy the full-size once I run out. Love the shade and glow it gives to my face. - Cover Girl Clean Foundation
I have been using this since I was a kid and competitively danced and no matter what brand name foundations I buy, I always come back to this! - Quo Mosaic Bronzer
Also another fav I’ve been using since my competitive dance days. - Smashbox Primer Water
A great, refreshing primer to put on before or after applying makeup! - Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
Love this primer when my face is feeling a bit dry. It also smells so yummy!
- MAC Lipstick
I own a lot of lipsticks but my favs are always MAC. Some of my go-to colours are Rebel, Sin, Viva Glam I for night or dressing up and Faux and Fanfare for casual/day wear.
There you have it, the secrets behind my super basic beauty routine for when I travel and also in my every day life. But my biggest tip of all is to not overdue it. You don’t need to pack three bags of makeup on a trip and you definitely shouldn’t be spending all your time getting yourself ready instead of out exploring!
What are some of your fav beauty rituals when traveling? Share below!
1 Comment
Becky
November 2, 2017 at 12:58 pmI had to laugh a little because your “simple travel beauty routine” is more complex than what I do at home for special occasions 😉 Good call on the sunscreen though!