Best Travel Sized Makeup for the Jet Setter

After crossing off adventure after adventure across Europe, I’ve officially mastered the art of packing for long-distance travel—especially when it comes to makeup. But it wasn’t always this way. It took a luggage mishap in France (yes, they lost my bag with all my hygiene and beauty products!) to finally teach me the importance of packing strategically.

That experience sent me straight to Ulta and Sephora to rebuild my entire routine in miniature form. Now, I’ve curated the perfect travel makeup kit—compact, TSA-friendly, and full of high-performance mini products I swear by. In this post, I’m sharing my must-have mini makeup picks, favorite travel-sized brushes, makeup bags that don’t take up precious luggage space, and more! Before giving you my must-have list, I have included a mini travel makeup tutorial below.

My Go-To Mini Base Makeup Essentials

Finding mini versions of my favorite complexion products took some trial and error (hello, testing stations at Ulta), but I struck gold with these:

• Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer (Mini)
  Lightweight, fluffy, and hydrating without looking oily—this tinted moisturizer gives a glowy, natural finish that’s perfect for travel days.

• Fenty Beauty Snackz Mini Concealer
  Super creamy and hydrating with just the right amount of coverage. It brightens my under-eye area without creasing or drying out my skin.

Note: I usually reach for Tarte Shape Tape, but the creamy version wasn’t available in mini—so Fenty’s concealer won this round, and I’m not mad about it.

• Fenty Beauty Mini Match Stix (Medium Set – Shade Truffle)
  My favorite contour stick now in a mini! It blends like a dream and saves so much space.

Cheek Color & Highlighter Must-Haves

Because I couldn’t find a mini of my go-to highlighter on its own, I grabbed the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Pillow Talk Lip and Cheek Set from Sephora, which includes one of my favorite beauty items in travel size, the highlight beauty wand. It comes with travel sized lip products that are pretty, but I will recommend my favorite travel lip duo later.

Of course, I also had to have my cult favorite Nars Orgasm Blush (Mini)—because what’s a travel glow without it?

Eyes, Brows, & Liner: Travel-Approved Picks

I had to shake up my eyeshadow game a bit since my beloved Tarte Maneater Palette doesn’t come in mini size. After swatching tons of travel palettes, I went with:

• Natasha Denona Mini Biba Eyeshadow Palette
  Compact, versatile, and the colors are so rich and wearable.

• Tarte Tubing Mascara (Mini)
  Long lashes with zero smudge? Yes please.

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Mini Brow Wiz in Taupe
  Small but mighty—this keeps my brows on point wherever I go.

• e.l.f. Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
  Not technically a mini, but it’s sleek enough to fit in my bag—and it performs like a pro.

Nude Lip Must-Haves

You know I’m a sucker for a classic nude lip. While I found my lipstick in mini size, I couldn’t track down a mini version of my liner—but this liner still fits nicely in my travel case, so I’m counting it.

• Mini MAC Nude Lipstick – I went with “Velvet Teddy” in the image above.

• Full-size Lip Liner – space-saving and travel-friendly KVD “Queen of Poisons” Liner

Travel Makeup Bags & Brushes That Work Hard

Since I’m packing all minis, I don’t need a massive makeup bag. I love using a small, waterproof, or spill-resistant bag that tucks perfectly into my carry-on without hogging space or risking leaks.

And let’s talk brushes. The right ones make all the difference when you’re on the go. Here’s what I recommend:

• Travel-sized brushes with protective caps
  (Multi-use brushes like a dual-ended foundation/concealer brush are lifesavers!)

• Mini brush cleaner
  Because hygiene doesn’t take a vacation.

Whether you’re headed to Paris or packing up for a weekend girls’ trip, your makeup bag doesn’t have to weigh you down. With these mini beauty essentials, you’ll have everything you need to look flawless—without sacrificing suitcase space.