10 Beauty and Skincare Essentials I Bring on Every Trip

I talk a lot about my packing essentials whether it’s my favorite shoes for travel, how I pack for a cruise, or Europe-specific necessities, but I don’t think I’ve ever really opened up my beauty and skincare bag! Below are some items I bring whether I’m on a “Places to Love” shoot, traveling for a speaking event, or on vacation with my family!

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10 Beauty and Skincare Essentials I Bring on Every Trip

1. A Washcloth

Or whatever you like to use to lather up in the shower. Anyone who’s been to most countries in Europe knows… hotels rarely come with wash cloths! Personally, I never feel clean without one. I pack at least one for the shower and sometimes I’ll bring one for my face as well.

2. Sunscreen – Always

Whether I’m skiing in Big Sky, Montana or wandering the streets of Bologna, Italy, I’m covered head to toe in sunscreen.  My issue, which won’t be yours, is that it doesn’t play nice with on-camera makeup. It’s not only wearing the sunscreen, but the reapplying that is apart of the importance of the products I buy as well.

For my base in the morning before makeup, I use either Solar Science Mineral Cream SPF 50 or La Roche Posay Melt-In Milk sunscreen, which I can easily find in Drug stores in Europe and Asia.

For my reapply, I’m personally a BIG fan of Trader Joe’s sunscreen products. You can’t beat the prices for the quality. I get their lip balm, Daily Facial Sunscreen, and their Invisible Gel Body Sunscreen.

Oh, Mario how do I love thee? Let me count the sprays! The Mario Beduscu Rosewater Facial Spray is made with aloe, herbs, and rose, and has been in my bag for as long as I can remember. It comes in a travel size and just revives my face on a long dry flight, a never-ending car ride, or bad day in general.

3. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes

At the end of the day, what works best for me when it comes to removing makeup is a good makeup wipe – especially on shoot days when I wear much more than normal! I’m not picky about brands but Neutrogena always gets the job done well. They also sell towelette singles which are great to toss in your bag on the go. Throw one or two in and if you find yourself sweating off your eye makeup midday, you have something to properly wipe it away.

(Bonus: makeup remover wipes won’t count as liquids through TSA!)

4. Really Good Tweezers

I will never travel without tweezers, and they’ll always be in a visible spot in my toiletry bag! If you ever find an errant hair on your face, you’ll know the pain of not having a good pair of tweezers on hand! Tweezerman truly does make the sharpest tweezers. They’re pricey, but will last you forever and work much better than the less expensive alternatives, which often have duller ends.  I get a bright pink color so I can easily spot it in a bag.

5. A Gentle Face Cleanser

I’ve become a believer in the “double cleanse” especially when I need to remove makeup or many layers of sunscreen.  My favorite is Then I Met You. I really love how it totally soothes my skin as it cleanses, and it feels like all the dirt buildup of the day melts off. It also nourishes the skin with vitamin E and anti-oxidants, a little bit of luxury when I’m hotel hopping every night and driving through multiple states in a week.

For the second cleanse, I stick to something extra gentle to avoid irritating my skin more than necessary. The key is looking for cleansers that promise to help protect or restore your skin barrier. I’m a fan of Cerave, especially as they have a good travel size option.

6. A Hydrating Night Cream

Nighttime is recovery time and I love a super hydrating night cream. Beacon Hill Honey Whipped Tallow cream doesn’t mess around when it comes to intense but soothing hydration to make my face feel totally pampered, plumped and ready for a good night’s sleep. Even better, Beacon Hill Honey is owned and operated by Beekeeper Vanessa Escobar, an Army veteran who helps other veterans with PTSD experience the calming nature of tending honey bees.

7. A Bristle Round Brush

Of all the hairbrush options in the world, I love a good bristle round brush. (If you can afford, a boar bristle brush is the gold standard!) I find the bristles are great for distributing any oil that naturally occurs at the scalp and keeps my hair feeling clean and soft. And I prefer the round style as it works best for volume and for how I like to style my hair when blowing it dry.

8. Camera Ready Hairspray

A good hairspray is crucial to keeping your hair in place, especially if you’re on a trip that has you walking 20,000+ steps a day. One of my favorite tricks is to lightly spray your hairbrush when you’re finished getting ready and run it very gently through the top of your hair to keep any and all flyaways down. I save Oribe’s Superfine Hair Spray for filming because it’s super expensive but really does such a beautiful job. (I call it the caviar of hairsprays!) For everyday life, I like something much less expensive like the Nexxus Maxximum Firm Hold Hairspray.

9. Face Powder so you don’t look like you’ve walked 20,000 steps.

How do I avoid looking shiny on camera even if I’m trekking in the Costa Rican jungle during green season? Touch-ups with a face powder. You can do your best to sweatproof your makeup to start the day, but there is very little that will withstand hours in 100% humidity. My recommendations would have to be either the NARS Setting Powder or MAC Blot Pressed Face Powder.

10. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

When I tell you this cream is like a miracle product… It has so many uses! Once you get it, you’ll also be singing its praises! I’ll use it as a quick lip gloss, on my nails for a cuticle treatment, as a salve on minor cuts or a chapped nose… Heck, if I have a stubborn split end, I’ll dab a little on my fingers and use it to tame the hair! And if I’m ever traveling somewhere with a particularly harsh winter, I’ll use it as an all-over face protectant against the wind and cold.

Everything else changes when it comes to packing my toiletries bag but those are the items that remain constant no matter what. What are your essentials? Let me know below!