Packing Beauty Essentials for Vacation!

One of my favorite Cosmetic Bags from Anne Taintor. The words on it just get me every time! haha

When it comes to packing my beauty bag for vacation, I am always a mess. I feel like I over pack because I never want to forget something and then regret not packing it once I realize I need it! Are any of you the same way? If so, hopefully through my trial and error, this blog post will assist you on being able to more efficiently pack your beauty essentials without ending up with a bag that weighs more than yourself! I thought it was fitting to post this blog now being that this weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, I will be packing this very bag, as I am heading out of state for vacation myself. :)

Here are the things that I am always sure to include in my travel beauty bag:

Skin/Face: 

1. When traveling in heated areas, I am sure to pack a tinted moisturizer, you will find that you can avoid having foundation etc. slipping off of your face in the humidity and be glad that you opted for this instead!
2. A facial cleanser that doubles as a body wash (ex. Burt's Bees Milk and Shea Butter Bar). You may think I am crazy for this, but my Burt's Bees bar is all natural and this allows it to be gentle enough to use for my body AND face. This also means you have to pack one less thing :)
3. A good SPF to protect your beautiful faces! I personally like ones that are all natural and non-comedogenic. I have been using all natural/organic things on my face and let me tell you, it has completely changed how clear my skin is, this is so worth it. I would suggest ones like "Suntegrity, Kiss My Face, and Alba Botanical Organic Lavender Sunscreen", these are all great options and come in a variety of SPF ranges. Remember to ALWAYS apply this, even on overcast days, you are still at extreme risk for UV Ray damage!
4. Pack a Bronzer and or Blush that is compact and does the job. I like the Blush and Bronzer Duos from NARS, they are two things in one which means that they take up half the room! ELF also has a pretty good one that I am testing out myself at the moment :)

Lips:

1. SPF lip balm. I had a friend who went to the beach and neglected to cover her lips with any UV Ray protection and ended up blistering horribly, and get this, the sun wasn't even out! Just because you don't see or feel the sun's harmful rays, doesn't mean they don't exist, protect yourself at all times. Your lips are one of the most sensitive things on your face, as well as your nose.
2. Pack two shades of lipstick that are on different ends of the color spectrum. These can be mixed if need be and you will find the colors you can make are endless and you are only using space for two separate lipsticks as opposed to 5 or 6. I usually bring a red and a nude :)
3. A lip gloss that will look well when put over any shade of lipstick. I love my NYX Beige lip gloss because in all honesty, it looks amazing over ANYTHING. This is definitely going in my travel bag this weekend.

Eyes:

1. An all in one eyeshadow palette. For this, I think of my Urban Decay Naked Palette instantly. Not only is it an amazing array of neutral shades, but there are also shades included that will give me everything I need to have a sultry eye :) This is my favorite everyday palette because there are so many different looks you can get without straying outside of it. If you don't have this, I recommend maybe your favorite MAC Quad? or a tiny palette by any other company. Remember, you want to avoid packing tons of eye shadows all colors of the rainbow, this defeats your mission to pack efficiently!
2. Eyeshadow Primer, this is a must, no matter what the weather is like, but ESPECIALLY in heated environments. This assures that your eye makeup stays in place and doesn't shift and crease all over the place. I will be packing my UD Primer Potion for this.
3. A good waterproof mascara. More often than not, a vacation entails some type of pool or ocean, and instead of going in the water looking gorgeous and coming out with trails of black mascara smeared all over your face, go waterproof! haha I never ever use waterproof except in weddings and on vacation and believe me it is a lifesaver! I love my L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black for this :)
4. An eyeliner of your choice. Don't go packing liquid, gel and pencil, that's just overdoing it! Choose one that you know you can use for both the top of your lid and your waterline, I recommend a Gel Liner, as  it can be used on both unlike the liquid.

Misc:

1. Makeup Remover Wipes in a soft plastic container. I find that these can be squeezed pretty much in any crevice in your bag and or luggage and won't take up much room at all. I especially love my Yes to Blueberries ones, they have a soft plastic outer but a hard plastic seal to assure that all of that moisture stays inside :) They are also all natural, which is amazing for your face!
2. Blotting Paper, again these take up almost no room at all, but can be a life saver if you are having one of those "extra shiny" days, the humidity does that to us sometimes!
3. A razor
4. Pack the color of nail polish that you currently have on your toes and hands and or a good top coat. You may find that midway through your vacation your lovely mani/pedi chips, and this is a pet peeve of mine although it is inevitable at times. To avoid being the girl in the picture with the chipped fingernails, apply a top coat of clear every few days or when it chips, you have the color on hand for touch-ups. You will thank me later for this gals!

** I didn't include any shampoos/conditioners etc in this blog post because those are a given, be sure whatever else you pack is in a travel size. This can be done by purchasing the miniature sizes or taking some of the product that you love from your regular stock and putting some of them into travel containers :)

Well that about sums up what I will be packing in my travel beauty bag tomorrow. Everyone has a different way of packing, and this may not fully satisfy the things you need on a trip, but in my experience, these are the only things necessary to bring without over packing. All of these things fit easily into my bag and I still have some room for more! Keep it stress free and minimal, the only thing you are missing from this bag is the sun and a drink with an umbrella, but I am SURE you will find this somewhere on your getaway! :)

Happy Memorial Day Weekend to everyone celebrating this weekend, and for those who are out of the country, this can be used for any vacations you are taking as well!

xox