Editors On... The Travel Essentials Worth Packing In Your Beauty Bag

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Our experts have holiday make-up and onboard beauty rituals down to a fine art.

There was a time when my luggage real estate was reserved for make-up. Where others fought for shoe space, my suitcase struggle saw bronzers, powder brushes the size of small rodents and a foundation series to match my ever-deepening tan all battling for room. But that was when sunbathing was popular (in 2023, UVA damage isn't the one), and before Muji made it into our travel vernacular. Now, my kit has been edited, streamlined and repotted into a few teeny-tiny containers.

The move to cream blushers and bronzers has helped –not just because the texture works so much better on warm weather skin, but also as I can pack a pea-size portion of every favourite. Using a spatula, I slice samples from each before putting them into a contact-lens case – bronzers on the left, blushers on the right. I use those cheek colours as lip tints, too, so no extra sticks are needed.

I don't bother with foundation either (too bulky to carry, too hard to decant, way too heavy on summer skin), and instead take two concealer shades to bookend my holiday. With more sleep and less stress, you invariably need less coverage and I find a patchwork approach to covering up blemishes is all that's necessary. Blotting papers have gazumped finishing powders, too, meaning more breathing space in my bag and, ultimately, my pores.

I use fingers to apply all my make-up on holiday, though there are some lovely mini brushes if you prefer; both Bobbi Brown and Charlotte Tilbury do good baby-size sets.

Mascaras are the anomaly – generally speaking, it's the wands that make us fall in love with our favourites, not the formulas, but in travel versions brands always tend to forgo the unique shapes. Instead, I practise some diligence with lash growth serum on the run-up to a holiday, and book a lifting and tinting treatment a few days before.

Am I travelling lighter? With all those new shoes in my bag, absolutely not.

When I'm on holiday, my skincare routine, like me, gets a little more relaxed... but only to an extent. My objective in a new environment is to keep my skin calm and happy, so I pack smart and take products I know will work when my complexion is adapting to the change of scenery. For calming any breakouts (that I find often happen on holiday) Malin +Goetz's Sulfur Paste is a must, as it reduces the appearance of spots overnight, and 1% hydrocortisone cream is perfect for any random rashes and bites. It's a steroid, so be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging (and use sparingly), but it really is like a magic wand. I also love using sheet masks –you can pop them in the fridge before use for a fantastic post-sun cool-down.

If my destination is somewhere warm (which it usually is), I leave the exciting active ingredients, specifically retinol and acids, at home (not least because they increase sensitivity to the sun). Attempting to keep up with them is a recipe for disaster, especially as my skin is more reactive on holiday, and the last thing I want to deal with is a peeling face in sunny weather. Instead, I gravitate towards hydrating, calming ingredients (such as centella asiatica and niacinamide), antioxidants (including vitamin C) and sun protection, of course. Caudalie's SPF is my go-to for when I want maximum protection without the grease, residue or white cast that typically comes with heavy-duty sun creams.

Because I am a very lucky woman indeed, my job involves a lot of travel. The beauty industry loves a trip, whether that's to the rose fields of Grasse to handle the raw ingredients for perfume, a spa for that all-important hands-on experience of a new body range, or just a gathering of journalists in a hotel to hear about a release or innovation. A typical month can see me doing overnight stays three or four times (or even more), and life's too short to unpack and repack my beauty kit every trip. So, I keep a bag prepped at all times. As RuPaul wisely said,‘If you stay ready, you ain't got to get ready.’

My approach to assembling my travel essentials is what I like to call ‘boy-scout boujie’: always be prepared and include the best you can. I favour a clear pouch (no need to unload it at airport security). Space NK does a great one for £26, or you can invest in Anya Hindmarch's leather-trimmed ‘Things’ pocket.

Then, I’ve curated a one-stop shop of travel-friendly products that cover all beauty bases, because I’m never quite sure what each trip will throw at me. Eye drops (SPF tears are not chic),ear plugs, paracetamol, tampons, a toothbrush and mini tooth-paste. So far, so unexciting. So now for the luxury minis. Treat travel-frazzled hair to Le Labo's Hinoki Body & Hair Set; give parched aeroplane skin a pro facial with Soho Skin's adorable travel size products; and prepare for some much-needed sun with Supergoop's Unseen Sunscreen SPF30, which works on all skin tones.

Make sure you smell incredible on arrival with Celine's elegant ivory-and-gold portable perfume. And, finally, a mini Elnett hairspray solves almost all holiday-hair issues and brings a heady air of glamorous nostalgia to the situation.Now, stash your kit in a drawer next to your passport and wait for life to throw you a mini break.

Passport, boarding pass... bath salts? Check, check and check. Travelling, to me, will always signal that rest and relaxation are on the horizon – even if it's just a quick bath during a hectic work trip. Next to packing the necessities,I often find myself throwing in something extra, not only to make the most of the experience, but also to settle any anxieties that can arise from being in a new place.

Unless you’re really lucky, most hotels provide mediocre toiletries, so I make room inmy check-in luggage for Buly 1803's scented salts – Berkane Orange Blossom fills the bath-room with a luxurious waft of sunny florals - which come in a lightweight packet with no risk of spillage (just seal with a crisp-bag clip). A pillow mist or room spray is also a worthy addition. While the smell of freshly laundered, 500-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets is always welcome, having a waft of something familiar and grounding is useful if you find it difficult to fall asleep somewhere new. And finally, as travels often involve much more walking than anticipated, a muscle balm is indispensable to relieve tired calves and prepare them for another day of adventure.

I read somewhere that the reason we are more likely to cry watching films on a plane is to do with the air pressure, and because dehydration can make you more emotionally sensitive. This would explain why, years ago on a long-haul flight,I sobbed uncontrollably to Russell Brand's Arthur – not famously a tear-jerker. The dehydration also accounts for why you’ll often find that plane journeys wreak havoc on your skin.

The best way to counteract this is to drink water, and lots of it. But some savvy skincare choices will make sure you don't disembark looking like a tired raisin. If I board a long flight wearing make-up, I’ll take it off swiftly and smother myself in a balmy, skin-barrier-protecting moisturiser. Murad's Quick Relief Moisture Treatment is super soothing, and also works as hand cream or even on limbs to prevent your tan from flaking off before you’ve even landed. I pop a layer on as lip balm, too.

During the flight, I’ll liberally douse myself with a face mist to rehydrate from the outside in. Yes, a bit might waft past me and onto my neighbour but, really, they should be grateful for the free facial.

Before landing, I’ll wake up my face and attempt to de-puff with a travel-friendly face tool like a gua sha or roller, and will harness the power of some under-eye patches, too. Elemis’ are lovely and cooling, coated in a generous amount of serum(enough to swipe around and boost my whole face) and seem to instantly undo any signs of dehydration, lack of sleep or unjustifiably excessive Russell Brand-induced tears.

As an avid make-up devotee - yes, even on holiday - my personal relationship with SPF used to be fair-weather. I have no problem with putting on a liberal layer (roughly a half-teaspoon measure is recommended) of factor 50 at the start of my day; it's the two-hourly reapplications that catch me out. Even in scorching temperatures, you’ll find me wearing a vibrant lip and healthy sweep of faux-glow bronzer, so smearing a fresh layer of sunscreen on top of that was never an appealing prospect.

Until now, thanks to the arrival of new, foundation-friendly SPF textures. Clever compact formulas like Supergoop's fuss-free setting powder make short work of topping up your protection while cutting the need for clunky tools. Garnier's Ambre Solaire Over Makeup Super UV Protection Mist is my personal tried and true. Lightweight and affordable, it gives my sunburn-prone skin a refreshing, dewy glaze of defensive coverage without messing up my hard work.

I’ll start with a base from Tower 28, Ilia or Ultra Violette, which make SPF skin tints in a generous range of shades, add a juicy layer of Sheen Screen balm to my lips for a pretty factor-50 flush and, voilà, I’m safe from the sun (and any unfortunate make-up smudges) all summer long.

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