A friend once lifted my hand luggage at the gate and nearly dropped it. “What is in this?” she said, in the tone usually reserved for finding out someone’s packed a bag filled with heavy books and tomes. But it wasn’t the books. It wasn’t a heavy laptop. It wasn’t even the giant water bottle I’d just refilled. It was my make-up bag, a small, unassuming, normal-sized pouch – or so I thought. Mine was full of the exact products I used daily. Then she showed me hers. It was a compendium of mini make-up products and smart multi-taskers. I was totally impressed.
So I went on a mission to build a travel-size makeup kit that could survive a long-haul flight, a gym bag and my actual handbag, without me needing a trolley to actually carry it. And I think I’ve nailed it – to the point where people now ask me about my make-up. Here’s the edit that earned its place. Below, find my tried-and-tested guide, featuring the best make up bags and top tips, plus the products that I take on every trip.
The make up bag
First things first: which make-up bag is best? A mini make-up bag naturally helps you keep things minimal due to restricted space. This one from Space NK is a favourite because it’s easily wiped clean and it’s clear, which makes things easy for travel. And the Hightide Nahe Packing Pouch (in size small) is also a great choice for the same reasons.
The environmental factor
Smaller products mean more packaging, more often than not – I won’t pretend otherwise. But minis are increasingly refillable or decantable, which changes the equation a little. I’d also like to add that having a drawer of unlabelled pots filled with mystery products you’ve decanted for previous trips is not helpful or effective. To me, the smarter move is buying an actual travel-size version of something you already use, then refilling or recycling it appropriately after.
The flying bit
Not everything in your make-up bag needs to go in the 100ml pouch, but more of it counts as a liquid than you’d think. The UK Department for Transport and the TSA both class anything that pours, pumps, sprays, or spreads as a liquid – creams, lotions, mascara and lip gloss included – so a “solid-looking” product isn’t necessarily exempt.
UK liquid rules are frustratingly inconsistent right now – Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh and Birmingham have scrapped the 100ml limit for hand luggage in favour of two litres thanks to new CT scanners, while Manchester, Stansted, Luton and Glasgow still enforce the old rule. My advice? Pack for the old rules so you won’t get caught out.
The expert tips
A deliberate omission: pencils and liners. Smaller versions do exist, but regular ones wear down so fast that the maths on mini ones rarely works out. My workaround is simpler: keep any pencil once it’s worn down to travel-size, and set it aside purely for that purpose.
If you’re handy with decanting, it’s also worth looking into keyring kits from Vueset – they’re the same ones make-up artists carry on shoots for touch-ups between takes.
The travel-sized make-up products I swear by
Jones Road mini Miracle Balm
This little cheek pot does colour, highlight and summer skin in a single swipe, no brush required. The full-size pot is genuinely enormous so it’s easy to decant into the smaller size pot if you wish.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush travel size concealer
This concealer is so heavily pigmented that a full-size tube would genuinely outlast several holidays before you got anywhere near the bottom of it. It’s full coverage, with a satin finish that doesn’t crease into fine lines – even after a long haul flight.
Estée Lauder Double Wear travel size matte foundation SPF 10
This iconic foundation is the ultimate pick for full coverage, long-wearing foundation that survives humidity, recycled air and long flights without needing a midday top-up. It’s easily refilled from the larger version if you wish.
Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc volumising mascara
The same lift and lengthening as the full-size wand, just packed into a barrel a third of the size. There’s no compromise on the formula, which matters when this is doing the work of eyeliner and mascara combined on a trip where you’re keeping things simple.
MAC Macximal Velvet Teddy silky matte mini lipstick
A proper, full-pigment version of the classic bullet, it can also double as a cream blush in a pinch, pressed onto the cheeks with a fingertip, which is exactly the kind of two-job trick that earns this lipstick a permanent spot in a minimalist travel make-up kit.
Huda Beauty baby blush duo
A little goes further than you’d expect with this pigmented blush, which means there’s one less full-size compact taking up prime real estate in your make-up bag.
Maybelline Brow Inserts brow multiplying tool
It’s not mini as such but does have two products in one – a micro-fine pen for individual hair-like strokes plus a tinted gel to set them, so you’re not packing a separate pencil and gel.
Benefit mini Hoola matte bronzer
A mini version of the iconic bronzer that’s ideal for topping up your colour post-flight. It gives a natural hint of colour that rivals the Mediterranean sun.
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Victoria Beckham Beauty eye wardrobe refillable compact
This refillable eye palette system means you’re not re-buying the outer case every time, just the palettes themselves. The shades work for day and night, and if you buy a few you can switch up the colours when you travel.
Kiko Milano travel brush set
A proper compact set that still holds a full face’s worth of brushes because they’re doubled ended (clever!) and the mini carry case means you won’t end up with a messy make-up bag either.