This edition of Ask Kate is about how to look good on the road without packing your entire bathroom cabinet.
Hi Kate!
I have a question for your Ask Kate series: as a woman constantly on the road, how do you maintain some sort of beauty routine? What are your beauty must-haves on the road? How has your beauty routine changed from your old more “static” life compare to your current “nomadic” lifestyle?
OK, I totally lied. It was three questions. But… they’re all related.
Hope to read your answer soon!
Full disclaimer: I’ve never been a crazy makeup or beauty product girl. I have always gone with a simple look that works, rarely deviating from it. The only time I buy new makeup is if my eyeshadow explodes or I need lipstick to match a bridesmaid’s dress. That’s about it.
But my home beauty routine happens to work phenomenally for travel as well. My advice for you? Find a simple, versatile look that looks great on you, and take the basics on the road with you. That goes for makeup, hair, nails, and skincare.
Makeup
Unlike a lot of women, I always wear makeup on the road because I think I look better in pictures when I’m wearing it.
My makeup look is a simple day look, but it’s versatile. If it’s night or a special event, I just layer the eyeshadow until it’s darker and draw my eyeliner on thicker!
Here is what I take with me when I travel:
- Foundation ( Clinique Superbalanced Makeup )
- Concealer ( Clinique All About Eyes Concealer )
- Shimmery brown/taupe eyeshadow (my current one is L’Oreal ColorAppeal Eyeshadow in Brown Lamé)
- Eyeshadow brush
- Black eyeliner ( my current one is by Yves Saint Laurent . Long story.)
- Eyeliner sharpener
- Mascara ( Covergirl Lash Exact Masacara is THE BEST.)
- Deep pink lip gloss (the one I love is Maybelline ColorSensational Cream Gloss in Stellar Berry )
Hair
My hair is a crazy, curly mess, and it tends to blow up when I travel to humid climates. I give tips for traveling with curly hair here .
I also get my share of haircuts on the road. My absolute best haircuts have been in Italy, and my most interesting, time-intensive and precise ones have been in Asia. I have yet to get a horrifying haircut abroad (fingers crossed!).
Here is what I take on the road:
- Wide-tooth comb
- Lush solid shampoo/conditioner
- Biosilk hair serum (I bought a ton of it in bulk at Marshall’s years ago and I’m still going through it!)
- No-damage large hair ties
- Extra-long bobby pins
Nails
As a lifelong pianist, I keep my nails short. I rarely do anything to them, but I do love getting regular mani-pedis in Southeast Asia, where they usually cost under $5.
Here is what I take on the road:
- Nail clippers
- Emery board (to fix snagged nails)
- Hot pink nail polish ( Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear nail polish in Twisted Pink )
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear is the toughest nail polish I’ve ever used. Hot pink has always been my default color and I have the nail polish with me for important occasions, like the wedding I’m going to this week. I don’t take nail polish remover with me, but I buy it if I need it.
Skin
If there’s one bit of beauty advice that I want every woman to take, it’s this: use facial moisturizer with broad spectrum SPF every day. Between skin cancer and early-onset wrinkles, there is no reason not to. You don’t have to spend a lot of money — the one I use costs about $10.
Here is what I take:
- Generic facial cleanser for normal or combination skin (I’m using one from UK drugstore chain Boots right now)
- Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisture
- Hydrocortisone cream (for eczema breakouts underneath my chin)
- Tweezers (I love my pinup girl tweezers from Bali!)
And that’s it! I take a small bag for makeup and a slightly larger bag for my toiletries.
Traveling long-term doesn’t mean you need to either bring an arsenal of products or look like a hobo. Just a few key products will have you traveling light and looking great.
