Welcome to the latest installment of Makeup Wars, where we are breaking down just how high maintenance each and every one of us is! So, you might think that my "essentials" are way overboard. Or, you might think I didn't possibly pack enough! For those of you worried that I only have 1 lip product, do not despair I always have between 5 and 10 lip products in my purse at all times!
This edition of Makeup Wars was inspired by a few of our members scheduled trips... to Disney World! Unfortunately for me I am not going ANYWHERE so my trip is a hypothetical one. If I travel by car I tend to over pack. I can have a complete overnight bag devoted to personal care - makeup, skincare, shower necessities, hair tools, etc. But for this hypothetical trip I can going on an airplane - so these are my "true" essentials - I have pared it down as much as possible!
So lets start with the bags. They are the most crucial decision one has to make when it comes to packing your makeup, because they dictate how much you can bring! I started with my favorite Missoni for Target bag by filling the bottom with products (which you can see below) and topping it off with my adorable Tarte cosmetics bag that I purchased from one of their holiday sets last year.
I don't like to fill this bag up - that is why the Tarte one was placed inside of it. Where I live we don't have access to a lot of good shopping, so I am always prepared to fill my bag with new goodies from Sephora or Nordstroms. While we do have a Sephora here in Iowa is it literally the world's smallest Sephora and they only carry the "big" brands, not the cool new brands that Sephora has been picking up lately.
Let's take a look at what I have in the bottom of my Missoni Bag:
AmorePacific Moisture Bound Rejuvenating Essentials Set - I love this skincare line, and this set has everything I need to keep my skin looking fab.
Degree Deodorant - Enough said.
Living Proof Prime Style Extender - I recenlty recieved this in a Glossybox and immediately fell in love with it. It can be used on it's own or under another styling product. For the sake of simplicity when traveling I would use it on its own.
Travel Brush holder - My brush holder is from this set at Sephora but I use different brushes than it came with. Mostly eye brushes. I would say 75% of the brushes I own are eye brushes. I love eye brushes.
Shampoo and Conditoner - If I was traveling by car I would bring full sized bottles, but since my hypothetical trip is by plane I will bring sample sizes sachets from my favorite brands: It Factor (which I have raved about here and here) and L'Oreal EverCreme. Be sure to "Like" L'Oreal on Facebook because they are constantly giving away free product samples.
Sunscreen - Can't forget sunscreen, especially on vacation! I like this travel size sachets that you can keep in your purse and makeup bag for emergencies. This one is (of course) from AmorePacific.
Clip and Ponytail holders - I often remember to bring ponytail holders but forget to bring a clip for sectioning off my hair when I dry it, so now I just leave one in my travel bag at all time.
This cosmetics bag from Tarte is truly amazing. YOU CAN FIT SO MUCH STUFF INTO IT! And a full size palette lives behind the mirror! I have broken the products down to the "left" and "right" sides.
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Eyeliners - My eyes are my best feature so I like to bring a lot of options with me to play them up! I have a Holika Holika Wonder Drawing Dot Liner I picked up from eBay. (There is a Too Faced version of this now.) I also have Tarina Tarantino Hyperliner in Ultraviolet, Bed Head Big Fat Fun Black Smudgie (which is apparently discontinued), a random dark brown eyeliner from a Physician's Formula Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio for Hazel Eyes, and Tarte EmphasEYES Inner Rim Brightener.
Laura Geller Double Ended Face and Blush Brush - I got this as part of a set when Laura Geller was pulled from Sephora several years ago. While it is not the softest brush, it's very sturdy and has held up very well through the years. I love using the smaller end for highlighters.
Palettes - I like to bring at least two palettes whenever I can, because I hate having to rely on just one. I get easily bored! I really love the Stila Sensational in Syndey palette. I bought it on a whim from Sephora (just $10) and I really like the neutral colors in it. I especially love the Convertible Color shade! The Tarte palette came with the gift set I already mentioned. It has a ton of choices from cool to warm, so it's great to have on hand.
Shiseido Eyelash Curler - this is my "old" curler, I have a newer one exactly the same but in a different color. I am always afraid that my eyelash curler is going to get destroyed when I travel! Am I the only one?
Eye-Scrub Sterile Makeup Remover & Eyelid Cleansing Pads - I stumbled upon these on drugstore.com one day when I was trying to use up all of my FSA dollars. They are great for a few reasons - they are sterile, they come in individual packs, they smell good (like almond extract, strangely), they can take off eye makeup very quickly, and they soothe my allergy eyes.
Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal in Barely Branded - I haven't found any of the original Color Tattoo's that I like (gasp!) but I did fall in love with Barely Branded. It's a great base for eyeshadow, or I can wear it on its own - if I put primer on first.
Skin79 VIP Gold Super Plus - This is a travel sized tube of my favorite BB cream (you can find my detailed review here).
Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara and Mascara Remover - This mascara is truly magic, and worth all the effort I have to go through purchasing it from eBay. However it is such an intense formula that it does not come off with regular makeup remover! It's actually really easy to use - you just brush it on, wait a minute or two, and wipe it off. For traveling, it's actually very convenient.
Concealer - Right now I haven't found the "perfect" concealer so I just grab whatever I have lying around.
Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - I received this as part of a 500 point gift from Sephora. Whenever my UDPP gets to be to drying to for the skin around my eyes, I turn to this. I do think it makes your shadows last, but it doesn't make the color "pop" as much as UDPP.
Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil in New Lover - Another Nars product I received from my 500 point gift. I didn't really like it at first - I thought it was frosty - but I am warming up to it.
Tweezers - Because you can always see those annoying stray hairs in harsh hotel lighting.
Check out what the other members of Makeup Wars consider to be their Travel Essentials!
