Keeping on top of your skincare and makeup routine while on holiday doesn’t have to include checking in a heavy bag.
Sure, the 100ml restriction doesn’t offer much wiggle room, but never fear, because beauty brands have made it their mission to serve up all manner of savvy, compact beauty products, from solid cleansers to Instagram-worthy mini lipsticks, to make packing lightly so much easier.
The key is compatibility, not compromise, so forget about decanting your creams and concealers into tiny jars, leaving your brand new moisturiser at check-in, or taking an 11th-hour panic trip to Boots' travel aisle (we've all been there).
Instead, go from arrivals to pre-dinner cocktails with our edit of the best travel-friendly, multipurpose beauty essentials, all 100ml and under, to save you from battling with airport security.
Introducing Clarins’ clever update on a pencil case favourite. Not your typical retractable ballpoint pen, this contains a red lip liner in classic Clarins red (it also doubles up as a great blush, FYI), and three soft kohl eyeliners in deep black, charcoal grey and brown, so that you can create and customise an entire look from scratch while on the go.
Clarins 4-Colour Pen, £28, available at Clarins
Simplifying skincare routines for the time- and travel-conscious, Tri Balm is the brainchild of makeup artist and expert facialist, Frances Prescott. It combines an innovative, cruelty-free formula of blackcurrant, starflower, echium and oat extract with native English oils to cleanse, exfoliate and moisturise all in one.
Our new favourite travel companion, simply twist it up, Pritt Stick-style, and apply either to your hands or directly to your face to melt away makeup. (Yep, that includes the most stubborn of mascaras.) Once rinsed or tissued off, you’ll be left with squeaky clean and sumptuously soft skin.
Frances Prescott Tri-Balm, £46, available at Cult Beauty
If your city break involves catching a flight at an ungodly hour, enlist these clever under-eye masks. Pop them on immediately after take-off to deflate eye bags, minimise dark circles and prevent delicate skin from drying out. They’re particularly handy if you’re going straight from the airport to the office on your return – no one will ever know you've only had three hours' sleep...
Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks x6, £48.50, available at John Lewis
Cabin pressure, intense sun and humidity? Your skin need not suffer if it's treated to a slathering of this multifaceted Universal Emulsion. A day cream, nighttime moisturiser and serum base all in one, it's lightweight but intensely hydrating and provides natural UV protection thanks to the SPF10. Even cleverer? It delivers molecular water into the skin, boosting its ability to retain moisture. As a result, skin feels smooth and plump and looks a hell of a lot more glowy.
Lixir Skin Universal Emulsion 50ml, £29, available at Lixir Skin
This palm-size mineral sunscreen is the ultimate skincare-makeup hybrid. Slightly tinted, it provides a sheer, matte finish for those who like to skip foundation on holiday but still want some level of coverage, and with a high SPF50, it protects as it blurs. It’s also water-resistant and infused with Avène’s signature thermal spring water, which reduces inflammation and sensitivity. If you weren't already sold, the formula is easily blendable and not at all sticky (unlike some others).
Avène Tinted Mineral Fluid 40ml, £17.50, available at Boots
This uplifting and hydrating facial mist is ideal for when you’re feeling less than fresh mid- or post-flight. You can also spritz it liberally for a revitalising boost after a day in the sun, when your face feels tight and uncomfortable, or use it to set makeup in place, because melted foundation isn't cool.
Caudalie Beauty Elixir 30ml, £12, available at Feel Unique
There's something about mascara that has the ability to completely revive tired eyes. Brand new to Eyeko’s ever-expanding mascara family, this budge-proof formula (really, it doesn't move) boasts coconut oil and waterproof pigments to ensure colour won’t end up down your face, whether you're battling humidity on the beach or making the most of happy hour. The best part? It contains SPF to stop your lashes from becoming brittle.
Eyeko Beach Waterproof Mascara, £19, available at Space NK
Earlier this year, MAC brought out their bestselling products in miniature and we’re hooked on the lipsticks, especially. Smaller than your ring finger, shades include Russian Red – a classic scarlet with blue undertones (great for whitening teeth), which will jazz up any outfit – and Instagram-famous Velvet Teddy – a matte beige-nude with flecks of rose pink. Compact and so cute.
MAC Little MAC Lipstick, £10, available at MAC
What's worse than losing your luggage? Sunburn, of course. Thanks to that lobster-esque tinge, your makeup doesn’t match and just touching your face feels like a form of torture. Garnier has come to the rescue with a handy solution: their After Sun Tissue Mask. Enriched with witch hazel and hyaluronic acid, it soothes, hydrates and revitalises sensitive skin, and slots neatly into hand luggage.
Garnier After Sun Cooling Face Sheet Tissue Mask, £2.50, available at Boots
This fuss-free, blendable eyeshadow stick ticks every single box. Gorgeous shades? Check. Stunning finish? Yep. Easy to apply? Absolutely – and the best part is that it won't crumble like powder eyeshadows. Just swipe onto the centre of your eyelid and blend with your fingers or a fluffy brush to soften edges; it lends lids a shimmering foil effect that stays bold all day. Molten Bronze is our favourite shade, coming up as an intense brown on fair skin tones, and a subtle bronze glow on darker skin.
Bobbi Brown Longwear Sparkle Stick, £23, available at Look Fantastic
Not about intense makeup on holiday? Add just a touch of colour with this gel-based lip and cheek duo. The ultra lightweight, non-sticky texture blends easily when patted onto cheeks and lends lips a silky, matte finish. The blend of natural jojoba, sunflower and mimosa waxes softens instantly, and makes lacklustre skin look healthy.
Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush in Teasing Pink, £28, available at Selfridges
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