Holiday suitcases overflowing with gifts don’t leave much room for our bathroom sized skin care and makeup. So how can you downsize your cosmetic line and still look great?

Start with the basics. Your cleanser and moisturizer are a must, as are foundation, powder and concealer. Choose a travel moisturizer that your skin can tolerate when wearing a little or a lot depending on the climate and your skin’s needs. Moisturizers can be combined with your foundation and concealer for a boost of hydration in the dry air of an airplane. Tinted moisturizers and foundations are good choices for minimalist looks. They offer soft, glowing coverage alone or under color cosmetics. Also essential is mascara and lip gloss. Waterproof mascara stays put all day and keeps eyes looking their brightest. All other cosmetics should do double-duty to make the most of your travel palette.

Combine eye, cheek and lip wear in one cream – pink with a hint of beige works well with most skin tones. Creams and cream-to-powder are long-wearing and can be combined with your moisturizer for a soft look during the day. Apply this multipurpose cream under your lip gloss in the evening for a bolder lip color.

A multipurpose skin cream that can be used to soothe irritated and dehydrated skin and groom hair and brows can also serve to refresh creased eye color by simply smoothing a small amount over the eyelids.

Vaseline can also be an indispensable part of your travel beauty routine. It’s great for chapped lips, wind burned cheeks and dry hands and feet. Vaseline adds gloss to eyes, cheeks and lips, grooms brows and is the perfect remover for waterproof mascara.

Also a necessity in your travels is a brow kit. Brows grow even over the weekend. Mini tweezers, brow color and a spiral or angled brush give you the tools you need to keep a groomed and polished look.

A mini makeup brush kit is another handy tool to have on hand. Many companies are offering travel-size versions of their most popular brushes, makeup and cosmetic bags. Many cosmetic bags are hard shell and compartmentalized for more efficient organization and protection of your makeup.

No matter what you choose to take in your cosmetic bag, sample and travel-sizes are a good idea. Pay attention to the amount of each product you use over the number of days you’ll be traveling to determine the size and amount you’ll need to pack. If your cosmetic line doesn’t offer samples, the gift-with-purchase size products are often smaller than the full size pieces. Travel-size compacts and samples are often acceptable to carry on as are clear bottles and bags. Be sure to check the regulations and restrictions on your airline before packing your skin care and any liquid cosmetics such as lip gloss.

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