What’s In My Travel Makeup Bag?

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Looking for my current routine?

This post is a fun archive of what I traveled with back in 2020. My packing style and shopping habits have changed quite a bit since then. If you want to see my updated, current low-buy beauty favourites, head over to my most recent most recent post.

At the end of December, I spent a couple of magical days in Disneyland Paris. We traveled on the Eurostar, which meant, luckily for me, there weren’t any strict liquid restrictions.

A few years ago, I was absolutely terrible when it came to packing makeup for holiday. I’d start out with the sensible daily products I knew I’d use, and suddenly find myself throwing in an extra ten things “just in case.” While I thought I had gotten much better at streamlining my collection for this trip… looking back at this bag, I definitely still managed to overpack. Apparently, my version of a “travel capsule” involved double-masking and two different setting powders.

Apparently packing makeup for holiday means cramming as much in the bag as possible.

From 7:00 AM park drop to 10:00 PM fireworks, here is the exact (and slightly extra) makeup lineup I brought to Disney.

The Base

I always start off with a good moisturiser before going in with base products. It’s absolutely no secret on my blog that I love the Too Faced Born This Way Foundation, and that’s what I relied on for long days in the park.

To conceal, I packed my Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer, it’s high coverage but never leaves my under-eyes looking dry. Now, here is where the overpacking crept in: to set everything in place, I had to bring two separate powders. I used the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder exclusively under my eyes, and then the classic Rimmel Stay Matte Powder to lock down the rest of my face. Which is a bit much isn’t it?

Highlight & Bronzer (Why bring one when you can bring two?)

Because I have a slightly larger makeup collection, I like to try and use as much as I can to rotate through everything. Naturally, that meant my travel bag suffered.

Instead of choosing one versatile cheek product, I packed a duo for every step:

• The Bronzers (RIP): I used the Milani Silky Matte Bronzer to add some contour and structure, and then warmed up the perimeter of my face with the Kiko Ocean Feel Bronzer. Sadly, you can’t get either of these anymore, which is a massive shame because they were beautiful formulas!

• The Highlighters: To get that Disney glow, I started with Wet n Wild’s Blossom Glow as a base, and then topped it with a little bit of the ColourPop Super Shock Cheek in Stole The Show.

To ensure all of these layers actually stayed on my face through the winter air, I made sure to pack my Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. I received this for Christmas and I’m so happy to have it back in my collection—it really is one of the best out there.

The Eyes: One Palette, Two Mascaras

Can you believe that I actually managed to only take one single eyeshadow palette? I consider that a massive win! I brought my custom ColourPop Single Shadow Palette because it holds pretty much every neutral shade I could ever need.

For eyeliner, I took my all-time favourite: the Soap & Glory Supercat Liner, which had been my go-to for at least five years at this point. And to finish the eyes, my classic double-mascara routine made the trip. I packed the Too Faced Better Than Sex and Maybelline Lash Sensational because together, they make the absolute perfect volumising duo.

The Lips: Safe & Hydrating Nudes

Knowing I’d be running around a theme park, eating snacks, and braving the weather, I knew I wouldn’t want to mess around with a bold lip color. I decided to play it safe with comfortable, hydrating formulas.

Well, surprise surprise… almost this entire lip routine has also been discontinued by ColourPop since I wrote this!

My perfect Disney nude combo was the ColourPop Velvet Lip Crayon (RIP) paired with the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fussy (thankfully, this one is still a classic!). It gave the perfect plump look without feeling drying. Finally, I kept a ColourPop Lippie Balm in my pocket because a hydrating lip balm is always a necessity.

The Verdict on My 2020 Travel Bag

There we have it! That is all of the makeup I packed for Disneyland Paris. Even though I brought duplicates of almost every category, I can’t complain about how the products performed. This face lasted from the moment we left the hotel at 7:00 AM until we finally got back into bed.

Let’s chat in the comments

Are you a ruthless minimalist when it comes to packing makeup for holiday, or are you a secret over packer like me who needs two of everything “just in case”?

Thank you for reading!