I’m a Light Packer. Here’s What’s in My Toiletry Bag for 2+ Weeks on the Road

This has been my go-to cleanser for the past few years. If available, grab the bulk 13-ounce refill bag so you can easily top up both the pump bottle and your travel bottle. Though I try to prioritize bar cleansers (body, hair, etc.), this is my one non-negotiable. It’s non-comedogenic and non-drying, as the gel-cream formula doesn’t produce a strong lather. 

I credit Arizona-based esthetician Emme Diane as the reason I haven’t had a serious breakout in almost a year. Her specialty is helping patients clear their acne, and she developed an in-house product line to do that. I’m a big fan of her HydraLuxe Cream, which is incredibly moisturizing without being heavy. Key ingredients include creamides, aloe, safflower oil, vitamin E and linoleic acid. I wear it year-round. The long, thin tube is also a nice plus when packing, as it doesn’t require much space.

For all those who have already heard me say it, I’m sorry. But Versed’s Good Defense SPF 50 is the hill I’m willing to die on. The price point is affordable. The gel-cream goes on like a dream. It pairs well with your makeup, or, if forgoing, ingredients like illipe butter, ceramides, amino acids and bisabool work to moisturize and calm the skin. (I also always end up with a glowy look.) It also has a PA rating of ++++, which, a cosmetic chemist tells me, is the highest UVA protection rating. Trust me, I’ve tested dozens of sunscreens, and this is the one I recommend to my friends. Sometimes, I’ll also throw Naked Sundays’ Beauty Screen Mineral Foundation Tint SPF 50 ($38) on top if I don’t want to pack a makeup brush and foundation.

After a season of frustrating breakouts, I ran every single beauty product on my vanity through Emme Diane’s pore-clogging ingredient list and ended up eliminating 90 percent of my stash. Subsequently, I found myself in the market for a new noncomedogenic foundation. Lancôme’s Teint Idole foundation came up on her list of acne-safe makeup, so I took the plunge, figuring I could splurge for the promise of unclogged pores. It’s proved to be a worthy investment. My skin has stayed clear, a little goes a long way and the medium, buildable coverage is lightweight thanks to the serum-like formula. It’s available in 30 shades. I don’t always pack this in my toiletry bag, but if I’m traveling for an occasion (weddings, parties, events), I’ll slip it in.

Before I happened upon Typology, I had given up on concealer. Every brand I tried inevitably creased into my smile lines. That’s why this magical formula is always in my toiletry bag. It never creases on my skin, and oftentimes I’ll just pat it under my eyes before walking out the door without anything else. If I had to bring no makeup, this is the one thing I’d insist on keeping. The tube is tiny, but a little goes a long way. (I’ve had mine for over a year now.) The only major downside is that the tube is super sensitive to pressure—including airplane rides—and is prone to dispensing excess concealer.

Rare Beauty’s famous blush was another Emme-approved makeup pick. PureWow editors tried the entire line, giving it a winning score of 94/100 on the PureWow100 scale. The mega takeaway: Use sparingly! This will last you a lifetime, probably. It’s hyperpigmented, so I always need to tread carefully so I don’t end up looking like a clown. Worth the money, easy to travel with, great shade range. 

My lips are perpetually chapped, so I’ve been conditioned to reach for a lip balm at least once an hour. I’ve tried fancy ingredient-infused balms and also had seasons when there was always a tube of Aquaphor in my bag. So trust me when I say Violette_FR’s Balm Amour is the lip balm to end all lip balms. This is what I want when I’m traveling, because applying it once at night before bed is all I need for hydrated lips the next day, no reapplication required. It gives my lips the perfect texture to become a canvas for whatever lipstick I’m eyeing.

If there’s one truly luxe beauty product I have on my vanity, it’s the Altesse Studio boar bristle brush. Yes, $320 is wild and yes, it was a gift, but the product’s craftsmanship speaks volumes. The brushes are handmade from Provençal olive wood, and the bristles are applied by hand, too. Depending on the model you select, the bristles can be replaced as needed—though the brush is built to last forever. No matter what brand you go for, I can’t say enough good things about boar bristles. I lose less hair, and the scalp stimulation has helped my slowpoke locks grow faster, too.

I like to travel with bar soaps to make the airport security process stress free. Because bar soaps will also last longer than a 3.4-ounce bottle of shampoo, I don’t have to worry about running out on a long trip. Viori’s shampoo bars are a standout with the hero ingredients being rice water, cocoa and shea butters, aloe, bamboo.

Viori’s conditioner bars contain similar ingredients, including Longsheng rice water sourced in partnership with the Red Yao tribe. Rice water’s purported properties include strengthening, rejuvenation, shine and repair, in addition to cleansing.

For full transparency, I’ve always been a drugstore soap gal. However, Beekman 1802 won me over with its goat milk soap in a variety of lovely scents, including lilac and orange blossom. What really sealed the deal was seeing how it dramatically reduced the inflammation from eczema around my brother’s eyes after he used the soap for three days. I like to keep a little palm-sized one in my toiletry bag.

I love R+Co. Bleu’s styling paste because, like my bar soap, it passes easily through security. It should be used sparingly, so a pot lasts a good long while. I throw this in my toiletry bag when I’m headed to an occasion and need a super-hold to style my hair. I apply it to wet locks, and then either air dry or heat style.

I try to avoid travelling with hot tools, and so usually opt for this heatless curling set by Lily England. I like it because the satin rods are flexible instead of stiff. This makes it much more comfortable to sleep in, and my fine and thin hair isn’t fighting to hold on. Coupled with the above styling paste, I can get all-day curls.