When you’re a professional makeup artist, your travel makeup bag isn’t filled with “just in case” products — it’s filled with products that have earned their place. These are my travel makeup bag essentials after a 10-day family adventure through London, Paris, and Switzerland, right in the middle of a record-breaking European heat wave. Sheesh!
I found myself doing my makeup on the Eurostar, in airplane seats, and in hotel rooms before very long days of sightseeing with my family of five. Everything I packed had one job: make me look as good as possible in the photos that will last a lifetime.
Key Takeaways: After 10 days in London, Paris, and Switzerland during a record heat wave, my travel makeup bag essentials came down to multitaskers: an SPF 50 primer, a sheer skin tint, an aerosol setting mist, and one perfect liquid blush. Every product below survived heat, trains, and 15K-step days — and I’d pack every single one again.
Keep scrolling for the beauty products and wardrobe pieces that were the real MVPs.
Today I’m sprinkling in a few (okay, a lot) of my favorite family photos and sites from the trip in case you’ve been considering traveling to any of these places. My hubby is a professional photographer, so of course his pics are better than any iPhone picture I took.
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Inside My Travel Makeup Bag
Amazon Large Capacity Travel Makeup Bag $30
This roomy travel bag kept everything super organized without taking over my carry-on. Multiple compartments made it easy to find products while applying makeup on the ground, air, and by train! I was surprised just HOW many products it could hold in this thing, and I loved the brush compartments. I own more than 5 travel makeup bags, and so far, this one is definitely my favorite.
Base + SPF That Survived the Heat Wave
Anastasia Beverly Hills HydraPrime SPF 50 $48
A makeup primer with sun protection is a must when you’re walking miles outside every single day. It created a smooth canvas while helping shield my skin from the intense sun Europe was experiencing!
IT Cosmetics Do It All Sheer Tint Face Balm $34
This lightweight skin tint that is 92% skincare, gave me natural coverage while feeling comfortable in the heat. It never looked heavy, even after hours of sightseeing. It was also great for travel because it was in pot form that I used with my foundation buffing brush.
L’Oreal Infallible Makeup Setting Mist $11
You ladies probably know by now my extreme trust I put in this aerosol setting spray. If I hadn’t had this, my face would have melted like ice cream in that European heatwave. I took the smaller can with me for travel purposes. As you can see from the picture below, this was my son Walker and me taking a break from the very long walk up the steps to Montmartre, and how HOT and exhausted I was! Ha ha!
Color: Blush, Glow, and the Paris Red Lip
L’Oréal Lumi Le Liquid Blush Glowy True Rose $15
Just a few tiny dots of this liquid blush added fresh, healthy color. It’s truly one of the most versatile blush shades I’ve ever used — it blends beautifully and has a touch of warm, subtle shimmer, so no highlighter was needed. If you want a healthy liquid blush, please try this one.
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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Volume 1 $75
This palette instantly brightened my tired travel skin without looking sparkly. A quick dusting made me look awake after early mornings and long train rides. It’s a state-of-the-art formula that delivers a multi-dimensional luminescence to every skin tone, making it appear softer, younger, and perfectly lit. If you don’t think you need 3 shades to mix up like I do, they sell these in singles, $58, as well.
I wish I could share every single picture I took inside Le Galerie Dior (the Christian Dior museum), but it would be over 40+ if I did.
It was breathtaking and truly a sight to see for any fashion enthusiast. I’ll try not to spam you with too many, but since SaaCA is a style blog, this experience deserves a spot in this post! If you ever have the chance to go visit it, just do it!
MERIT Bronze Balm Sheer Sculpting Bronzer Siene $32
This creamy silky bronzer added warmth in seconds and truly blends effortlessly. It’s one of my favorite products for creating vacation skin!
L’Oréal Infallible Lipsticks (Matte & Laque) $15
These lipsticks survived coffee stops, pastries, and busy sightseeing days. Having both matte and glossy finishes meant I could easily change my look. Of course I had to take the ultimate red lip, the shade “Le rouge Paris” seen here in my Eiffel Tower pic. And my everyday shade I wore a lot was the lacque version in Worth it Medium.
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Lip Plumper Hot Cherry $26
This gloss kept my lips hydrated while adding a beautiful shine and a hint of sheer, healthy reddish-pink. The subtle plumping effect made it my favorite quick touch-up product.
The Multitaskers and the Takedown
NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer $36
Not only did it conceal beautifully with very little product, but it also doubled as my eyelid primer every single day. A potted, multifunctional concealer always wins when packing light. I wear the shade Creme Brulee.
If you’re not interested in spending ALL day inside the Louvre — and you could, it would take weeks to see everything — I highly suggest booking a guided tour. Ours took 2–3 hours to hit the high points, with earpieces so you can hear your guide share incredible historic facts about the most popular pieces.
Billion Dollar Brows Universal Brow Pencil $18
One pencil, zero fuss. The universal shade adapts from blondes to brunettes, is beginner-friendly, and creates quick, natural brows that made my routine much faster. It’s the perfect blend of waxy and dry — real staying power without looking fake.
Fun fact: the picture above is my daughter and me inside the Louvre. The entire contents of the Louvre are valued somewhere between $35–40 BILLION dollars!
Caudalie Beauty Elixir $49
I picked up two bottles of this cult beauty product (one for me, one for my daughter) at one of the many Paris pharmacies, and it immediately became my favorite impulse purchase. This cool, refreshing facial mist was pure relief during the heat wave. It enhances glow, tightens the look of pores, and sets or refreshes makeup in one quick spritz.
Neutrogena Individually Wrapped Makeup Wipes $6
I’m not a fan of wipes at home, but they come in clutch when traveling. These single-use wipes were perfect for removing makeup after long days, took up almost no space, never dried out, and made removal quick and easy.
The Style MVPs
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Frankie4 Kendall Slide Sandals $214
Comfort and style don’t always go together—but these podiatrist-designed sandals proved they sure can! My feet stayed happy through countless cobblestone streets and walking more than 15K steps a day. And the color “oat milk” literally worked with any outfit I pulled out of my suitcase.
This brand is the ultimate balance between chic and mega-comfortable, happy feet, and I’m so glad Nordstrom finally picked it up. You’ll notice in most of these pictures that these were my walking shoes of choice!
Barrel-Leg Amazon Travel Pants $32
These may have been the hardest-working item in my suitcase next to my Frankie4 sandals. Super comfortable enough for travel days, yet polished enough for dinner when I just switched shoes and added accessories. I literally wore them almost every other day as well as on the 10-hour flight back home. I highly recommend these affordable pants!
Our 10-Day Europe Itinerary
Here’s a quick recap of the places we visited along the way :
London, England. Stayed at the Rubens Hotel. Sites seen: Buckingham Palace (outside), Big Ben, St. James’ Park, Borough Market, Harrods, Natural History Museum
Paris, France. Stayed at The Napoleon Hotel. Sites seen: Louvre, Eiffel Tower, went to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, Galeries Lafayette, Le Galerie Dior, Sacre Coeur Basilica, Montmartre, Notre Dame.
Interlaken, Switzerland. Stayed at Hotel Royal-St. Georges. Grindelwald, the Beach Bonigen, and Lauterbrunnen.
If you have any questions about the cities we visited, feel free to ask me in the comments!
Travel Makeup FAQ
Pack multitaskers: an SPF primer, a sheer skin tint, a cream blush or bronzer, a potted concealer that doubles as eye primer, and one setting mist. Every product in my travel makeup bag essentials list above did double duty, which is how I kept everything in one carry-on-friendly bag.
Start with an SPF primer, keep base coverage sheer, and lock everything in with an aerosol setting mist like L’Oreal Infallible. A refreshing facial mist such as Caudalie Beauty Elixir revives makeup midday without adding more product.
I own more than five, and the Amazon large-capacity travel makeup bag ($30) is my favorite. It has multiple compartments, dedicated brush storage, and holds a surprising amount without taking over your carry-on.
Podiatrist-designed sandals like the Frankie4 Kendall slides. They carried me through 15K+ steps a day on cobblestones in three countries, and the neutral “Oat Milk” color went with everything I packed.
Yes — Caudalie Beauty Elixir and most French pharmacy favorites are available at US retailers and online. Shopping at a Paris pharmacy in person is half the fun, though, so leave room in your suitcase.
Before You Go
After 30+ years as a makeup artist, I know the best travel products are the ones that multitask, perform in every climate, and make getting ready effortless. If you’d like a quick glimpse into our trip, you can watch the reel on my Instagram page here.
If you have any questions about the cities we visited, ask me in the comments — I love talking travel. And if you missed it, last week’s Laura Geller cream makeup review was popular, so be sure to check it out.
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