While we try not to profile, if you’re an Allure Philippines reader, it’s very likely your biggest challenge when packing for your piso-fare flight is your inability to pack a cosmetic kit that meets the cabin weight limit.
As a beauty editor who has flown to her fair share of junkets, I’m here to share with you tips to travel-proof your beauty routine.
Travel-sized is the way to go
First rule of thumb: Check the label. For creams, gels, liquids, regardless of viscosity, ensure that it says 3.4 oz or 100 mL on the container. Your half-finished 200 mL bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 will not make it past security.
Decant perfumes into travel-sized atomizers, and squeeze shampoos and body lotions into little bottles. After you empty your drawer full of samples, remember that TSA (Transport Security Administration) rules—which are employed by most countries—state that your teeny-tiny bottles must also fit into a clear, quart-sized bag.
Is it possible to put your 10-step, K-beauty routine into a cabin bag and make it last the whole of your trip? Yes! It just needs some planning and some savvy. Get started with these travel-ready products:
Beauty Essentials PVC Kit
Nuxe Travel Essentials Kit
Philips Hair Straightener 60sec Heat (Travel Size)
Use alternative versions
Tired of taping up swivel-topped bottles and flip caps? Try solid versions of your favorite liquid beauty products. Solid shampoo, perfume balms, and even toothpaste can come in pellet or tab form. Not only do many of them have environmentally-friendly packaging, but you also lessen the risk of your baggage smelling minty fresh because your mouthwash leaked mid-flight.
Human Nature Natural Shampoo Bar
Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfume
Oceanly Face Cream Stick Phyto-Calm
Try something new
It happens to the best of us. Open your bag and your contact lens solution is nowhere to be found. It’s all right, you can use this time to discover the beauty offerings of your new city. Like eating local food, discovering local beauty products offers you a peek into their culture.
If you find yourself in Korea, Japan, or France, these beauty destinations offer a plethora of alternatives and you may just find your next holy grail moisturizer or sunscreen. Fragrances, in particular, are great souvenirs, as they’re intertwined with memory (Frederic Malle’s Carnal Flower and Nenuco bring vastly different, but equally vivid memories of happiness for me). There are beauty finds all over the world, especially if you ask the right people. Just make sure to do your due diligence when it comes to looking up ingredients and actives. Here are some favorites from East Asia and the Middle East:
Beauty of Joseon Hanbang Serum Discovery Kit
Bioderma Sebium H20
Kayali Eden Juicy Apple 01
Plan (we know, we know)
Really, it boils down to planning: look up the customs requirements of the country your visiting; make a checklist of your must-haves; bring backups (packed in a separate bag, of course) of essentials and products that require a prescription; make a checklist, especially if you’re packing for people other than yourself. Speaking from experience as a Type B kind of traveler, packing is the one time you have to will yourself to take on a Type A persona.
