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Travelling can present a nightmare for those of us who dress to the nines for every occasion – especially when it comes to cosmetics. It’s often impossible to fit in everything you have at home, and if you do manage to squeeze it all in, you often run the risk of damaging your makeup, not to mention making your already heavy luggage heavier. If you can’t fit it all in, there’s the inevitable quandary of what to take and what to leave behind. Luckily, there are a lot of travel cosmetics on the market, and some hints and tips will help lessen your load when packing.

Travel bag

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First things first, a good quality makeup travel bag is a necessity. These bags are not only practical with lots of little compartments so that you can find and store your travel cosmetics easily, but they are also designed to protect their contents. Nothing brings on that sinking feeling quite like your favourite eyeshadow being reduced to dust! Bag maven Stephanie Johnson has a ton of different shapes, sizes and colours of makeup travel bags to pick from, so that you can not only have something practical, but also attractive, to protect your travel makeup. About.com also has some helpful suggestions.

Pack light

iVillage spoke to some industry pros about what they take when travelling, and their biggest tip was to take the necessities but otherwise pack light. Consider your makeup application process from start to finish, and whittle down the list to the bare necessities. If you’re worried about forgetting something, consult Temptalia’s checklist to make sure you’ve got it all.

If your existing makeup is too bulky to take along, the first logical step is to try and get your favourite products in mini sizes. Many beauty ranges sell their products in makeup travel kits, but if you can’t find the specific one you’re looking for, you could also ask for a sample or demo kit.

Travel makeup needs

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It is also important to consider that you might need different makeup to what you usually wear at home or to the office on a day-to-day basis. Whether you’re going skiing or snorkelling, if you’re going to be outdoors you might want to consider items such as waterproof mascara and eyeliner, and cosmetics such as foundations and moisturisers with added SPF protection.

Once you’ve got your travel cosmetics selection in order, don’t forget to pack the applicators. There are plenty travel brush sets out there, packed neatly to avoid the bristles getting smooshed.

Travel skincare

When travelling, it’s just as important to take makeup off at the end of the day as it is at home. Consider facial wipes, rather than face wash, to make life easier. This eliminates the chance of the liquid spilling open inside your bag and turning everything into a sticky mess. Nivea cleansing wipes work wonders, and come in a nifty travel-size pack too!