Packing, at its core, is a talent of its own. It takes a certain eye—or determination—to puzzle all your belongings into a single compartment, and maybe a few passport stamps’ worth of trial and error to figure out what does and doesn’t make the cut.

The tricky part, however, is deciding how much of your routine you’re willing to leave behind. Does your foundation make the cut, or will a skin tint do? Do you really need separate products for every step, or can one cream pot multitask its way through? When space is limited, every product has to earn its spot.

Luckily for us, celebrity makeup artist Jigs Mayuga has a few tricks up his sleeve. Before his career in professional makeup, Mayuga spent years as a flight attendant, observing how women approached beauty around the world. “I take inspiration from a lot of my travels when I was in the airline industry—I like observing how women do their makeup in different cultures,” he says.

Which brings us to the question: What actually deserves a spot in your carry-on? We asked Mayuga how to pare down your routine without giving up a fresh-faced look—and which products are worth making room for.

What “fresh-faced” actually means

Fresh-faced makeup doesn’t necessarily mean bare skin. For Mayuga, it sits somewhere between the powder-heavy looks of the ‘90s and today’s glass-skin trend. The sweet spot is a demi-matte or satin finish that looks “not too powdery and not too wet-looking.”

Natural-looking makeup also comes down to seamless blending. “There are no harsh lines—especially when it comes to liner—when it comes to the brows, and also the lips,” he says.

Tip #1: Let your skin decide

For your base, Mayuga says to let your skin determine how much coverage you actually need.

“I would bring a skin tint if you feel like it’s been a good skin month where you don’t need much coverage,” he says. Lightweight options such as tinted moisturizers, CC creams, and BB creams can keep the base breathable. If you need more coverage, opt for foundation and build it only where you need it.

Tip #2: Don’t cover what doesn’t need covering

If your complexion is already fairly even, you might not need a full base at all. A little concealer thinned out with moisturizer can do the job.

“If you feel like you don’t need to even out your complexion, but if you have a blemish or two, then spot correction comes in handy,” Mayuga says.

The takeaway: Instead of automatically covering your entire face, target only the areas that need it. That means less product to pack—and potentially less makeup to maintain throughout the day.

Tip #3: Choose creams over powders

For contour, Mayuga has a clear preference: cream. Compared with powder, cream formulas are easier to control and blend—and, perhaps most importantly when you’re working with a limited travel kit, easier to fix if you make a mistake.

“I personally prefer contouring with creams,” he says, adding that they allow you to make corrections without disturbing the rest of your makeup.

Tip #4: Fix mistakes with what you already have

If an unfamiliar environment throws your routine off, don’t panic—or immediately reach for another product. Mayuga recommends going back in with a damp sponge to absorb excess base or contour.

The same principle applies to eye makeup. Instead of adding remover or starting over, use the brushes already in your kit. “You can always go over [the mistakes] with the brushes that you use for your eye makeup without re-dipping it into the eyeshadow palette,” he says.

Keep blending with the residual product on the brush to soften harsh lines or diffuse excess color. It’s a small trick, but an especially useful one when every product—and every inch of carry-on space—counts.