*Wear sunblock as you’ll be exposed the the suns harmful rays for several hours!

While you’re away, you’re most likely going to have a fun packed agenda with little time to pamper. A couple of days before your trip, make sure to tweeze your brows and any other strays on your face so you won’t have to worry about tweezing on your trip. Also, exfoliate and shave your legs and apply a moisturizing lotion to your whole body. You don’t want alligator skin while you’re lying out at the pool. Also, while you’re in the shower, spend an extra 5-10 minutes using a leave in conditioner in your hair to keep any dullness at bay. Trim and file your nails so you won’t have any jagged or hang nails. If you’re going to give yourself a manicure, using a very light color is best, because if your nail polish chips, it won’t be as noticeable as if you were wearing a darker color.

Carrying a lighter load when traveling always feels so much better than lugging around a bag you can barely move. Try bringing travel friendly sized items with you. If you’re going away for the weekend, you won’t need a 12 oz bottle of shampoo, conditioner, lotion, etc. You can find a good variety of travel sized items at Target for around $1-$2. Their selection of travel items have gotten much better than in the past. Most drugstores have travel sized items as well, but I usually find that Target has the best prices. Some Wal-marts have a pretty decent selection as well. An alternative to purchasing new items is, purchase a pack of assorted travel containers and pour your own products in the containers. There are many places you can purchase them from, I’ve even found a 4-pack of assorted containers at my local Dollar Tree.

• Shampoo & Conditioner. To save space, you can opt for a shampoo + conditioner.  
• Heat Protector. Pour a little of your favorite heat protector in a travel container to keep heat damage and dullness away!
• Hair Spray. Depending on how the weather is, your hair may fall completely flat. So make sure to pack a travel sized bottle of your favorite firm-hold hair spray for any hair disasters!
• Hair Brush.
• Styling Tool. Flat Iron/Curling Iron? I usually just bring a flat iron because it can double as a curling iron. Most hotels have blow driers.
  
• Shower Gel. Again, pour a little of your favorite shower gel in a travel container. If you aren’t very picky, you can always use what the hotel provides and skip this all together. Four star and up hotels usually have nice toiletries, so if you’re staying somewhere luxurious, don’t worry about it.
• Razor. Just bring one. You can get double uses from your conditioner and use it for a shave cream.
• Tweezer. Emergencies?
• Nail File. 
• One Nail Polish. Like I mentioned earlier, opt for a light shade that is wearable with any item of clothing in your wardrobe and isn’t very noticeable when it chips.
• Toothbrush & Paste.
• Deodorant. My favorite is Secret Clinical Strength. 
• Q-tips and/or Cotton Balls. For multi-purposes.
• Loofah/Sponge.
• Feminine Items. For a quick refresher! Make sure to check the calender, you may be un-lucky and end up with your period on your trip. Pack a few pads if you’re unsure – or if you’re traveling with a bunch of friends.
• Perfume. I don’t like bringing my full size bottle with me, so I usually take a body spray or if I have any perfume samples/decants on hand of my favorite fragrance.
• Sunblock. A must have if you’re in the sun. Especially if you’re going to be outdoors a lot and spending hours driving in a hot car.
• Body Lotion. *If you use it daily! But, still good to have.
• Facial Cleanser & Moisturizer. If you have a specific routine, try keeping it simple for the weekend. A good cleanser and moisturizer will do.
• Makeup Wipes. These always come in handy. You may want to do your makeup in the car, but you have on day old mascara that’s crumbling under your eyes. Or, if you’ve been partying all night and you want to just crawl into your bed the second you open your hotel door, without changing your clothes or washing your face, these will be your best friend to avoid any morning breakouts.

• Hand Sanitizer/Antibacterial Wipes. My (almost) sister in-law recently told me that she always brings Clorox wipes and wipes down the hotel.. such as the bathroom, phone, remote, etc. How smart! Sometimes I get grossed out and don’t want to touch anything when I’m staying at a hotel. No matter how “nice” it is. I don’t think any hotel cleans the rooms as thoroughly as they should.
• Band-aids. Especially if you are wearing high heels or new shoes. You don’t want to be limping around all weekend with blisters and cuts on your heels. 
• Vitamins. Vacation is usually the time where you will excuse yourself from eating healthy – So if you’re planning on pigging out, pack a multi vitamin so you won’t miss out on any vital nutrients. 
• First Aid. On every trip, I’m always prepared with travel packets of headache medicine, antacids, allergy medicine, eye drops, Neosporin, etc. for emergencies.
• Contact Lens Solution/Extra Contacts. If you’re a contact lens wearer always bring solution and extra contacts. You don’t want to lose a contact and have no back ups!
• Beach Towel. If you’re planning on going to the beach or if Hotel towels make you cringe. 
• Self Tanner. I like bringing my travel friendly 2.7 oz tubes of Sun Labs Lotion with me because they don’t take up much space and have a less likely chance of leaking. Mousse and spray formulas are more likely to leak in handling.

I know we all want to look good when we’re on vacation and look our best, but don’t try getting too creative and bringing all of your different colored eye shadows and glitters with you. Be practical with what you pack.

• Eyeshadow palette. A palette is usually your best option for travel, rather than bringing a bunch of loose shadows. A palette is easy and convenient and will give you many color options.
• Two-Three Lipsticks. No more than three! Pick two fool proof shades that you can wear with anything and one color that’s a little more daring.
• One Lip Gloss. I know we all love options, but one lip gloss should do. One that’s fairly sheer and can be worn over any of your lipsticks.. or alone!
• Two Eye Liners. One black and one brown. Brown for during the day looks and black for night.
• One Foundation. Your favorite one that will never let you down.
• One concealer. Your favorite for covering blemishes and dark circles.
• Two Blushes. Or one bronzer and one blush. Pick shades that are suitable for every day and can be worn with anything.
  
• Setting powder. To minimize shine and for quick touch ups. 
• Brow Filler. Keep those babies tamed! 
• One Mascara. Who really needs more than one?
• Your Every Day Brushes. I like a variety, so I bring a bunch of my favorite brushes.
• Eyelash Curler.

WHAT’S IN MY BAG?

 Guerlain Parure Extreme Foundation – I have a lot of foundations I like, but this foundation never fails. It’s never heavy, covers well and looks natural.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Concealer – This covers me dark circles and blemishes better than any other concealer.
Ben Nye Neutral Set Powder – I put a little in a small sifter jar to save space.

Benefit High Beam Highlighter – To add glow to my face when needed.

Chanel Orchid Rose Blush –  A very natural pale pink that works with any eye look.

MAC Golden Bronzer – A very subtle bronzer for all over color.

Napoleon Limited Edition Eyeshadow Palette – Although this palette isn’t available any longer, it has a very good selection of colors and I can create the perfect brown smokey eye with it. The Urban Decay Naked Palette is another option I may choose.

Bobbi Brown Black Ink Gel Liner – A jet black to line my eyes with or smudge into my lashline

MAC Coco Bar Liquidlast Liner – A long wearing, water resistant brown liner.

Maybelline Define-a-brow – One of my favorite brow fillers.

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

Benefit Badgal Lash (travel size) – I don’t love this mascara, but it’s travel friendly and gets the job done.

MAC Subculture Lipliner – A no-brainer lip liner. It goes with every color lipstick.

Wet n Wild Think Pink and Pink Suga – An every day bubble gum pink and peach.

Illamasqua Obey Lipstick – A bright pinked coral-peach.

NYX Perfect Lipgloss – A sheer pink that looks great over any lipstick or solo.

Left: MAC Golden Bronzing Powder, Right: Chanel Joues Contraste Orchid Rose Blush

Left to Right: MAC Subculture Lip Pencil, Wet n Wild Pink Suga’ Mega Matte Lipstick, Wet n Wild Think Pink Mega Matte Lipstick, Illamasqua Obey Lipstick, NYX Perfect Mega Shine Lipgloss.

BRUSHES
So maybe it’s not necessary to have to many brushes, but I like switching up my brushes now and then. All you really need is your favorite foundation brush, a blush brush, powder brush, an all-over lid shadow brush, crease brush and angled brush (forgot to picture one, whoops!) Store them in a brush roll or a large plastic bag so you can get to them easily.

Left to right: Sigma Tapered Blending Brush, Sigma Pencil Brush, Sigma Medium Angled Shading Brush, ELF Studio Blush Brush, Sigma Large Powder Brush, Sigma Large Angled Contour Brush, MAC 131 Duo Fiber Brush and Coastal Scents Flat Top Buffer Brush. (Not pictured that I would also bring would be my ELF Studio Angled Brow Brush)

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Since the morning is always hectic, make sure to double check your bags to make sure if you forgot anything. If you are miles away and you realize you did forget something, don’t worry.. it gives you the excuse to go shopping! 🙂

A LAST REMINDER 
What I’ve learned when packing is, don’t pack anything extra that you think you might want to use while on vacation. If it’s not something you use daily, or even weekly, you won’t need it. I use to pack a variety of shower gels and lotions and I would never use any of them. Stick to one of each.. pick your favorite! As far as makeup goes, again pick shades that are fool-proof. Neutral eye shadows, natural blushes, a good bronzer and every day lip colors.