Don't let your beauty bag/dopp kit stop you from packing light! Learn how to downsize your skincare, makeup, and hair routine so you can carry on and become a pro at packing light!
I find it comical that my cosmetics bag used to take up more space than my clothing on those short weekend trips.
When your carry-on has plenty of space, you don’t think twice about the size of your beauty musts. For longer trips, every inch and ounce counts. You start to evaluate your packing skills and wonder why your beauty products take up so much space.
After several years of learning to become a minimalist packing pro, I've learned that having a small cosmetics bag is essential.
I've listed 8 tips below on how I sized down my beauty bag by more than half. These tips aren’t just for female travelers either! Jake was able to dramatically decrease his dopp kit after I reorganized his entire bag for him helped him put these tricks into practice.
Become a carry on only rockstar by implementing these tips on how to pack light!
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Size Down Your Beauty Bag or Dopp Kit | Tips on Packing Light
Sample sizes save the day...that's the majority of my morning skincare and foundation routine
1. Collect samples and use throw away items
This is a game changer for becoming a packing light pro. I collect and ask for samples everywhere. Spas, makeup counters at the mall, and beauty stores like Sephora, Kiehls, and Make Up For Ever.
Sometimes this means I get a sample I will actually use while traveling like a packet of eye cream or a face lotion. 1 or 2 tiny sample eye creams take up much less space than your full-size eye cream.
Another plus is you can throw these samples away at the end of your trip, which will save space for the trip home.
Other times I don’t use the actual sample product, but the sample size packaging ends up being useful. I find that many of the sample size bottles and containers are just the right size for a one to two week trip.
If you switch out all your products for sample size you will be shocked at how much space you save and become a packing light queen (or king).
favorite Travel makeup bags
Lululemon Pouch: for those who like to throw everything in and be done.
This is a larger version (dopp kit style).
This open flat toiletry bag from Amazon (under $30) is also great and keeps things organized.
Tumi Madina Cosmetics Bag: for those who like to be organized and hang their makeup bag (great when your hotel has limited counter space).
I've had the Lululemon pouch and Tumi cosmetics bags for years. They've held up well and I highly recommend.
This is a cheap copy cat version of the Tumi cosmetics bag for under $20.
Pro Tip: I always buy my Tumi items directly from Tumi for the customer service and 5-year warranty. I've never had issues with my backpacks or makeup bags, but Jake had an old briefcase where the strap broke. They replaced it for free because he bought it directly from Tumi.
2. Buy concentrated...my top tip for how to carry on with your beauty liquids
Airports around the world have the same rule when it comes to liquids when you're carrying on. You must fit all your liquids into one plastic baggy. It's tough, I know.
Even if you have TSA Pre-Check (where you don't have to take your liquids out of your bag), you won't have those benefits when flying home (or connecting in) from an airport abroad.
Limiting your liquid products and buying ultra-concentrated formulas will be your life safer.
Yes, the higher end, concentrated products are more expensive, but when you do the math on how much less you use it tends to equal out.
My drugstore Neutrogena face wash required at least a quarter size amount. Once I switched to higher-quality brands like Caudalie, Elemis, and Skinceuticals, I only needed to use a pea-sized amount.
When shopping for products tell the salesperson you need a highly concentrated product so you don’t have to pack as much when traveling.
I never bring shampoo with me, but if you can’t bring yourself to use hotel shampoo, look into these super-concentrated brands:
- Oribe - the magnificent volume is my favorite. I held off from buying this brand for ages because of the price point. Now I know why so many swear by it. It's so concentrated I use about one-fifth of my typical shampoo dose.
- No. 4 Bond Maintenance - for those with damaged hair.
- Pureology - there are several concentrated shampoos to choose from hydrating, volume, repairing, smoothing, etc.
Instead of bringing conditioner, pack a small container of a hair mask. You'll need a fraction of the product and can mix it with the hotel conditioner or use it alone.
Use these travel pouches for conditioner and shampoo since they will lie completely flat and take up no space when empty.
See how much bigger the biotin 3.3 oz bottle (top left) is? The other travel bottles last me for a 2-3 week trip
3. Skip 3.4 oz. travel bottles and opt for smaller options that are 0.17 oz. to 2 oz.
3.4 oz. is the typical size you will see when shopping for "travel containers". It's no surprise since that's the maximum liquid amount airlines allow.
Don't buy these! They are way too big if you're trying to carry on and pack light (unless your upcoming trip is a month or more).
If you really need a full 3 ounces for your trip you need to rethink that product and why you need so much of it.
Instead, buy containers that are under 2 ounces. For a two week trip I'll use:
- .35 oz. glass containers for my face creams, SPF, and lotions
- 2 oz. tubes for face wash
- 5 ml (.17 oz.) for eye cream (if I don't have a smaller "sample" container)
- 5 ml droppers for serums and liquid foundation
4. Multipurpose is a must for packing light
When I’m at home, layering a sunscreen with a BB cream and a powder is all fine and dandy, but no way will you find me bringing those 3 products with me when I could find one product to do the job.
Think about ways you can combine your products into a multipurpose product when you need to travel light.
I use a BB cream with SPF and light enough coverage that I don’t need powder or foundation when I travel. My current favorites are IT Cosmetics CC+ (matte version) and Tarte BB Cream.
Do you use a makeup remover and a face wash? Skip packing the makeup remover and find a face wash that removes everything, including your waterproof mascara.
My current favorites are Skinceuticals Simply Clean and Philosophy Purity Made Simple.
If you want to go all out, think about multipurpose makeup. I’ll buy a cream blush that I can also use as lip color. Make Up For Ever has a good one, but many brands offer nice cream products.
I recently stopped packing conditioner and just use the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Heat Protectant Leave-In Conditioner Primer.
Stores like Ulta and Sephora have entire sections dedicated to travel size and minis
Sizing down is worth the effort...see the difference with just a few products
5. Size down EVERYTHING – travel size and mini beauty products are easy to find
This should be an obvious packing light tip, but I’m always surprised when traveling with friends to see the full-size items they pack like hairspray and skincare products.
These items may not seem big on their own, but put everything together and it really adds up. Every beauty item should be travel-size when packing light.
There's no excuse not to with the sheer amount of travel-size beauty products now available.
I also buy “mini” versions of staple items like my detangling brush and my 2 in 1 mini hair straightener and curling iron (it's AWESOME) when packing light.
This isn't a "mini" size, but I love the T3 curling iron switch kits. It's basically a dissembled curling iron with a base and interchangeable barrels (both wands and curling irons).
It's easier to pack since you can break it down and saves space because you're packing just one base plus whatever barrels you bring (instead of several full-size curling irons/wands).
6. Makeup palettes are your new best friend
Makeup palettes have made downsizing your beauty routine and packing light so much easier. There are many palettes available that are travel size and have everything you need in them from a few staple eyeshadow colors to blush and bronzer.
If you're super picky you can always make your own palette by buying a palette case and then choosing your own colors to fill it.
For premade eyeshadow palettes, I really like:
- Morphe Palette
- Urban Decay Naked Mini Palettes - I like versions 1 and 3
- M.A.C. Eyeshadow Palette - this is one of the smallest palettes
*Fold a tissue and place it between the eyeshadows and lid when traveling. Palettes tend to crack and crumble because there is too much space between the eyeshadow/blush and the lid.
7. Forgo items your hotel can provide
When you're focused on packing light you MUST stop packing items your hotel will provide. I know hotel shampoo and conditioner aren’t the best, but trust me, your hair will survive without your designer shampoo for a few days.
If you have super finicky hair, make do with the hotel shampoo but bring a tiny bottle of super thick conditioner to keep your locks under control.
I'll fill a small bottle with a hair mask (the kind that's so thick it looks more like a face cream). I only need to mix a tiny bit of that with the hotel conditioner to achieve soft/detangled hair.
Other unnecessary items that I see people pack are cotton rounds, razors, body wash, and shaving cream.
Oh, and don't pack a hair dryer. It takes up so much space and almost every hotel provides a hair dryer these days. I'm really surprised by how many people are still packing hairdryers. Again, I think your hair can survive a few days without your designer hair dryer.
8. Simplify...the name of the game to packing light and carrying on
I love my Clarisonic and Sonicare, but no way will I bring those bulky items with me when traveling light. Think about what you can survive without for the length of your trip.
Do you layer 3 different face creams at night? Do you bring several different lip gloss, eye shadow, and blush colors? Simplify! Make do with 1 face cream and 1 lip gloss.
No one is going to notice that you are wearing the same color every single day. Heck, you might even find you like this simplified life and will want to minimalize your routine when you get home.
In summary
I hope this post helps you to size down your beauty bag and become a minimalist packing pro. I've often found having a small makeup bag/toiletry kit makes the difference between being able to carry on or having to check a bag...which can become costly and annoying.
To sum it up, samples are king, skip 3.4 oz bottles for smaller options, buy concentrated products, travel-size and minis of staples are a must, skip what the hotel provides, simplify your routine, and find travel-size makeup palettes.
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Size Down Your Beauty Bag or Dopp Kit | Tips on Packing Light
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