“No sleep. Bus, club, ’nother club, ’nother club, plane, next place.” Lady Gaga may as well have been describing my past month when she delivered this iconic line in an early career interview. I stood still for one weekend in May, living out of a suitcase for the better part of the month as I bounced between New York City, Illinois, and California for weddings, bachelorette trips, graduations, and more—trucking along the same toiletry bag full of go-to products each step of the way.
A particular packer (and no fan of unpacking and repacking), I kept a tailored makeup bag full of ol‘ reliables and some new discoveries, which offered my beauty-loving friends and family several opportunities to poke through my heavy, product-laden suitcase. (I’m a beauty editor. Of course my bag was overweight.)
Whether it was a new, glowy setting spray that my sister wanted to try or the merlot-colored blush my friends were curious about in wine country, I started to notice a trend in the products earning repeat compliments. The packaging was one (everyone was enthralled by Subtl Beauty’s travel-friendly makeup stacks), trendy color schemes were another, and buzzy brand names sealed the deal. Ahead, the edited-down version of my travel beauty must-haves that made my month out of a suitcase easier and inspired my friends to start online shopping.
Violette_FR
Bisou Blush in Louise
I’ve never known a perfect blush until I met the Bisou Blush from the French beauty brand Who What Wear editors love, Violette_FR—a pinky-tan shade named Louise that my friends were enamored with. Its swirled formula offers an even, barely there flush that worked just as well on natural makeup days as it did for wedding guest glam. Plus, the built-in blush brush on the opposite end helped me pack lighter, saving space in my brush stash for extra lip liners. (Priorities.)
e.l.f. Cosmetics
Halo Glow Skin Tint SPF 50
“Your skin looks porcelain,” senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider quipped as we sat down during a meeting during my New York–stationed week. Yes, I may have received a facial a few days beforehand, but the culprit behind my even complexion and undetectable skin makeup was this budget-friendly skin tint from e.l.f. Cosmetics. I brought this tinted serum on a scorching trip to Sonoma, California, where my skin felt light as air despite the layer of glowy, pore-blurring makeup atop it. Better yet, this tint doubled as a much-needed mineral sunscreen due to its SPF 50–infused formula, which didn’t leave any trace of a white cast on my skin and kept me sunburn-free.
Dr. Althea
345 Relief Cream
As I’ve matured, so has my taste in face moisturizer, and the mini lotions in the drugstore travel aisle haven’t cut it for a long time. While I worry about traveling with some of my daily go-tos (ahem, Augustinus Bader’s hefty glass packaging), I never hesitate to throw this rich, skin-soothing cream from Korean skincare brand Dr. Althea into my toiletry bag. Its sensitive skin–friendly formula is packed with niacinaminde and panthenol, which help to hydrate and calm dry skin with rosacea (ahem, mine), which always tends to flare when I travel. Knowing this, I keep this malleable tube near my suitcase at all times.
Dolce Glow
Contour Self-Tanning Sculpt + Glow
My sister is an avid self-tan fan, so it’s no surprise that this three-in-one contour wand caught her attention when I had it sitting on her counter during a downtown Chicago stay. Voted one of the best self-tanners we’ve tested, this bronzing and contouring wand that gradually tans your skin as it sits has been the answer to my multitasking makeup prayers. Popularized by Hailey Bieber for its “tantouring” abilities, I too bought in and have simplified my travel routine for the better with this hybrid face-snatcher.
Subtl Beauty
Starter Stak
One of the greatest travel hacks I’ve discovered in 2025 is the art of stackable, travel-friendly makeup via Subtl Beauty. Designed for the person on the go, these twist-off plates house just enough product to get you through months of travel, and they’re refillable, too. But if you don’t want to splurge on $60 worth of stacks, you can build your own for $14 to $20 a pop. (IMO, all you need are the cream concealer, the lip and cheek tint, and pressed powder.)
Chloé
L'Eau de Parfum Intense
I packed this Who What Wear award–winning fragrance for a few reasons: It’s timeless enough to fit every season (summer amplifies its rosy, floral accords), and its classically warm scent effortlessly transcends everyday wear and special events alike. A few spritzes were perfect for both a casual happy hour and a ritzy Chicago wedding—my mom even asked for a light mist in between the ceremony and reception.
Got2B
Glued Brow and Edges Hair Gel
If you can’t tell by now, I’m fighting my overpacking tendencies by packing hybrid products. This brow gel that Kylie Jenner and Billie Eilish have used was a game changer when simplifying my travel makeup routine, doubling as a stay-put gel that persevered in the sweltering California heat and a no-budge hair gel that offers comfortable hold for slicked-back hairstyles (and is even better for people with natural hair who like to lay their edges).
Hourglass
Unreal Liquid Blush
I know, I know, another blush. What can you expect from me when pop stars like Addison Rae and Sabrina Carpenter have planted it front and center in my mind? My May trip to Sonoma included a weekend full of bachelorette vineyard hopping, which inspired me to try my hand at (what I’m calling) “merlot makeup” to set the vibe. Hourglass’s Unreal Liquid Blush in the juicy vino shade Craft was easy to blend onto my cheeks for a wine-splashed flush, and its 12-hour wear ensured that my color didn’t budge—even in the California sun.
One/Size
Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray
This new setting spray landed on my sister’s doorstep during my latest trip home, and we wasted no time spritzing the powder-softening, radiance-boosting version of Who What Wear’s favorite setting spray (On 'Til Dawn, of course) before attending Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour. Its hydrating formula offered a natural radiance to our powdered skin, but the real efficacy test was when we got caught in tornado weather before the concert—our makeup staying intact during the storm and through her hours-long performance afterward. If that’s not a testament to its technology, I don’t know what is.
