How to Stock a Travel Beauty Bag

Danielle Pergament,Allure magazine

An Interview With Linda Wells

Wells, the editor in chief of Allure, travels regularly to Europe for the fashion shows.


If you forget your shampoo in Paris, it can be fun to browse the local pharmacy, but if you're on a Caribbean island an hour from the nearest store, you don't want to get stuck using your son's Axe shampoo. (I speak from experience.) I've since mastered this simple system.

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Make a list.
My travel kit is always packed, so I'm never starting from scratch-it just needs to be replenished. I keep a master list of everything I need, then stick a note in my kit whenever I deplete something, so I remember to replace it.

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Go small.
Travel sizes of your favorite products can be hard to come by. I buy mini bottles and jars at a beauty store, fill them with shampoo or moisturizer, and label them with a Sharpie. I squeeze each bottle until the formula is right at the top and then shut it, creating a leakproof seal.

Customize it. I toss in extras depending on my destination. For a ski trip, I bring Kiehl's Cross-Terrain UV Face Protector SPF 50, which is also great for windburn and lips. For Europe, I add sample-size fragrance bottles and facial masks.

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Divide and conquer. Every item goes in a ziplock bag organized by category (hair, teeth, makeup, etc). Then I place those bags in a nylon travel kit that I pack with my shoes. If my system fails and something leaks, I don't want it to mess up all my clothes.


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