We’ve talked about various tips and tricks for packing light when you’re a beauty junkie on holiday, but hoarding samples aside, it’s also important to figure out which beauty products in particular will save you even more luggage space. To help, I’ve rounded up six of my personal multi-tasking travel must-haves.
I think of Nars’s The Multiple as the first popular multi-purpose makeup stick. The thicker size makes it easy to use as blush or any makeup application using a brush. Makeup sticks like The Multiple can be used as eyeshadow, blush, and lip colour, as long as you bring along a shade that’s neutral enough.
The various uses of concealer are no strangers to us, and most of us won’t even leave the house without a concealer of sorts in our makeup bags. With that in mind, it’s definitely worth a spot on this list. You can use it to brighten areas of your face, cover dark under eye circles, hide dark spots, scars or pigmentation, and even priming your eyelids and lips where needed. I still have the most love for Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer, which topped my favourites list last year.
When i’m on holiday, I want a product that’s going to be a moisturiser, foundation, and sunscreen all in one. Tinted moisturisers are my favourite if i’m going to a dry climate as they have more hydration, but mattifying BB creams or CC creams are great for more humid climates. A BB cushion provides the ultimate convenience on the go.
I’ve become entirely dependent on dry shampoo to bring convenience to my life. It saves me from having to wash my hair everyday (which can strip your hair of natural oils!), and even gives parts of my hair a nice little volume boost when I need it. If you’re not someone who enjoys the stiffness of hairspray but just wants a little extra volume and slight hold from time to time, dry shampoo is an excellent multi-tasker for the job.
I discovered this gem on recommendation from my best friend while studying in Australia. I picked it up from the check-out section at a Target while shopping for a few dollars, and it’s saved me from so many skin irritations. A good salve should have multiple uses, from dry skin to sunburn, mosquito bites, and rashes. I keep this Lucas’ Papaw Ointment in my handbag whenever I travel, and I even use it on chapped lips.
If you don’t want your makeup creasing, translucent powder should already be a staple in your travel makeup bag. What you might not know, are a few other ways this powder can come in handy. Instead of using a mascara with fibers to get fuller lashes, you can apply a light amount of powder to your lashes after a coat of mascara, and then go in with a second coat once that dries. I’ve also used translucent powder in a pinch as a substitute for dry shampoo, just dusting it lightly along your roots wherever it looks greasy. I wouldn’t recommend it for that if your hair is extremely greasy, but for second day hair it works great.