Perfecting the ultimate travel-friendly make-up kit is no easy task. From ensuring your favourite products fit neatly into a security-approved pouch, to choosing essentials that offer a lightweight and effortless glow for a cool, collected off-duty complexion – it takes a true beauty obsessive to expertly curate a kit for all climates and locations.
Vogue’s best travel make-up brushes at a glance:
Brushes are where things get a little bit tricky. I’m of the firm and steadfast belief that all holiday make-up looks should be effortless, no matter whether you’re on the beach, in the city, or on the slopes. That means less is more when it comes to packing make-up tools.
Unless you’re a full glam devotee, chances are that the collection of brushes you pack every holiday is left unused and unloved at the bottom of your make-up bag. When you’re truly on a mission to relax and enjoy your annual leave, high-maintenance make-up looks often get left by the wayside – no matter how many intricate eyeshadow looks you’ve collated on a Pinterest board pre-trip.
As such, for travel make-up brushes, the features must read as this: retractable, double-sided, lidded and mini. If I’m taking make-up brushes away with me, I opt for multi-use ones and grab a mini bottle of baby shampoo from the airport to give them a rinse between product applications. I tend to apply products like tinted moisturiser, blush and even eyeshadow with my fingers, but every so often I find it’s more convenient to utilise the soft swipe of a premium brush, even after a lovely, languorous day by the sea.
Nevertheless, certain trips abroad (think: bachelorettes and overseas weddings) indeed require a pro-adjacent brush set – especially if you’re the resident make-up expert in your friendship group. In this case, there are certain brilliant value brush sets that beauty editors swear by. But what exactly is it about these sets that sets them apart from others on the market, and what should one consider before investing?
