Make Up or No Makeup

The most important thing here isn't what others do but what you feel comfortable doing. Do you ever do a natural look at home? Would you feel uncomfortable without makeup? In the end it really isn't about how you look, but how you feel about how you look.

I guess it depends on your preference. I live in a very hot climate and only wear makeup when I'm going to work. But when I'm traveling I wear it, even at the beach. The makeup I use has a high SPF in it, and who doesn't like to feel pretty when on vacation. I'd day, since you'll probably be in pictures, wear the makeup. Maybe you can pare it to just what you need to feel "done." I make room in toiletry bag for makeup, leaving out stuff that will be in the room, like shampoo and such.

I agree that it's all just personal preference. I'm retired and don't wear makeup at home. Really, i only wear it when going out- dinners, parties, etc . And I really, really dislike the feeling of makeup melting off my face if it's hot. But I do bring my moisturizer and a high SPF sunscreen. And I pack a bit of eye makeup (waterproof mascara!) and lipstick. We tend to dress up a bit for dinner when on vacation, so a little makeup is nice.

I've taken it along but 95% of the time I do not wear any. I am that way at home, also. I am thinking next trip of just taking mascara and lip gloss.

I also bring the basics. No concealer or face powder, just a little eye liner, mascara and lipstick/ gloss

I generally only wear make up when I'm at work or "out" - If I'm at home or on weekends when I'm just going to the grocery store, etc., I go "au naturel". I sort of consider going on a tour/vacation as being "out" and will at least wear minimal make up - unless I'm doing a swim/beach day, in which case I just slather on sunscreen with 50+ SPF. I always use foundation with at least a 15 SPF when I'm traveling, as I burn easily and I figure I'll kill two birds with one stone that way. But as other poster say, it's completely personal preference :) Just go and enjoy and do what's comfortable for you.

Small travel sized mascara, lip gloss, and a few mascara remover wipes...that's it. I'm in my 40s and don't wear much makeup in general. I definitely don't want to spend much time getting ready while traveling...there's too many fun things to do.

I agree with the comments about doing what makes you feel confident. It also depends if you have some rather formal activities planned that would be worthy of dragging all that stuff along.

I stopped wearing makeup for work or any other situation at about the age of 40. My eyes and skin are incredibly sensitive. From the first time I tried any as teenager, makeup has always hurt my eyes and refused to blend into my very dry skin. I do take an eyebrow pencil to fill in the gap in one eyebrow lost to skin cancer, but I rarely use it.

I religiously use Olay Regenerist Regenerating Lotion With SPF50 - 1.7 oz. It's the only thing with sunscreen that actually seems to go into my skin and doesn't hurt my eyes.

I have used the slightly tinted Cetaphil Redness Control Calming Facial Moisturizer SPF 20, 1.7 oz when I won't be in the sun much, but it doesn't blend into my skin either.

There may have been others, but only one woman on my Village Italy tour this summer wore noticeable makeup.
Whatever you decide, make sure you wear broad spectrum sunscreen.

You may find this blog entry fun.

For years I brought it but never wore it. Now I never bring anything other than a little powder and lip gloss. Eye makeup slides off, mascara smears after first couple of hours and I hate having to wash it all off at night. Face powder is for warm climates and lip gloss is for everywhere.

I bring a minimal makeup bag - takes 5 minutes or less and I just feel better if I have it. I don't wear it every day but it's there. For me that's a neutral eye shadow crayon (crayon because then I don't need a brush), brow pencil, mascara, cream blush, and lip tint (like a chapstick but colored. Mine is fresh sugar rose color and it's amazing). Then an eyeliner pencil for if I want to get fancy.

No need to bring makeup if you don't want it, but if you do...you can pare it down to the basics. Or bring the whole shebang.

Guess I am in the minority here. It's not that I wear a ton of makeup but I wore makeup everyday on my 5 tours as did my teenage daughter. It only takes me about 5-10 minutes tops but I just feel better with it on. You should do what you want. I never noticed who had makeup or not but our tour guide always looked very put together and so did everyone on our last tour.

I wear makeup every day but for a quick & easy on vacation face I just use my BB cream with SPF, a dab of under-eye concealer, powder (oily skin demands it), a little eyebrow pencil and some Burt's Bees sheer lip balm in a pinkish red. Maybe some waterproof mascara. ETA--I second Mira's suggestion of Fresh Sugar brand lip balm, one of the best I've tried, excellent feel and stays put, nice sheer tints.

I wear a natural look at home, and that is what I wear on travel too. I've always been pale, so need the mascara and blush.
I take:

• an SPF CC cream (decanted into a 5 ml bottle)
• a NARS stick (decanted into 1/2 of a contact lens case)
• concealer (decanted into the other 1/2 of a contact lens case)
• mascara
• eye liner stick
• lip pencil
• lip gloss

It takes less than 5 minutes to put it on. All the makeup fits into a 4" by 4" bag. I have dry skin so use cream based makeup. I apply it with my fingers - no brushes needed.

Toner, moisturizer, used every day with a sheer foundation and bronzer for special evenings. Always have lip balm handy to counteract dry lips. I quit using a full make-up when I retired.

Use what use at home.

I always take makeup, since I wear it everyday at home. It takes me less than five minutes so it isn't very onerous. If you wear makeup at home you will want to wear it on holiday.

Years ago we went to Spain in July. After reading up on the heat and that many women don't bother, I didn't either. I hate my photos from that holiday.

I have the same conundrum over my hair. Each trip I ask myself should I lug the straightener? Without some work and product, my hair is crazy!

I take some but usually just basics - small bottle foundation, mascara, one eye colour palette, a blush stick. I personally don't bother with lipstick because it's off in about an hour and I don't want to keep reapplying. I'll take a tinted lip balm or lip gloss to keep my lips from drying out. But whether I wear it or not is another matter - if it's going to be really hot and just sweat off, I don't bother. And pretty much guarantee Italy and Greece are gonna be hot.

I took some when we went to NL in April, because I knew it wouldn't be hot and I probably wore it more days than not (but my makeup routine takes all of 5 min, if that)...I don't even wear makeup at home - rare occasions...so I tend more to the 'not' camp now.

Make sure to take some SPF lotion! I make sure my face cream has SPF. Even tinted SPF moisturizer can do double duty vs taking separate foundation.

If you are used to wearing make-up, you are likely to feel uncomfortable not wearing any, so bring it. I wear makeup maybe once per year...at the most. However, I used to always wear lipstick when I went to dinner, work, etc., not so much in the last year. However, I'm likely to still bring lipstick when I travel. It is all what makes you feel comfortable. I always felt more attractive without it. Now, it doesn't really matter. LOL

I also only take sunscreen and powder. I stopped wearing makeup at home several years ago and decided I did not want to hassle with it on vacation. But do what makes you feel comfortable.

I wear makeup to work every day and if I'm going out somewhere nice, but not otherwise. I take tiny travel sized stuff on our trips but hardly ever wear it. I get on the plane with makeup on, wash it off before we land and 90% of the time never put it on again. I use Bare Essentials powder foundation and I have super tiny pots of it so it takes up very little room and doesn't go in the 311 bag. I'll probably continue to take it along in case we go somewhere nice, but it's not something I want to spend time on daily.

Andrea--so I'm not alone with hair angst! I have a lot of curly hair that is great because I don't need to wash it every day, but it does require a certain hair goop (like a leave-in conditioner) to get it under control, and for 2 weeks I bring 3 3 oz containers of it. It's not something I can find in Europe as I've looked.

Christa - I wish my hair was curly. There's some wave, but the problem is that as they day goes along it gets bigger and bigger in a frizzy way. It's funny, I've always played around with makeup and its various colours, but I've always been hair-challenged. The last time I was truly happy with it was the 80s!

I usually wear a little bit of make up at home, but when I travel I leave it at home. What I do instead is get my eyelashes tinted and brows shaped at my hair salon right before I leave. (I also have my legs waxed, so no need to bring a razor!) The only make up I bring is a fun lipstick color. Of course, I still bring a good sunscreen and facial moisturizer. I noticed that most of my travel photos are taken outside when I'm wearing sunglasses, so I still look good in the photo album.

• LOVE the comment about most pix being with sunglasses on! LOL.
• I must look into "Fresh" brand -- now that Burt's Bees has stopped making lip shimmers (those skinny tubes) in "my" colour. Ugh!

I'm in the minimalist department too, but, I do wear a little every day for work. I used to not wear any, but as I've gotten older (now, mid-50s), I've added some -- now I won't even go out the door without a little eyebrow pencil, eyeliner pencil and Burts Bees lip shimmer just so my features have some definition.

So, that's what I travel with, too. But, I DO add a little bit more for dressing up -- lip pencil, contact lens container cases of foundation & concealer, mascara and a small palette of eyeshadow. And, my eyelash curler!

cheers,
Vivian

My travel makeup is less than my work makeup. I do take eyeshadow pigments in tiny zip lock bags, eyeliner pencil/pigments, a little blush in a bag, and lipstick/gloss. Brushes are the key to good application, so I have little blush, eyeshadow, and liner brushes from which I cut the handles. These fit into one of the half size snack zip lock bags. Of course, the eye cream and SPF go in the 311 liquids bag. To be fancy, I may add a little kabuki brush with some mineral makeup (adds to the SPF).

I always leave my makeup at home when traveling ;-)

Seriously though, I always keep sun screen with me and use it daily even on not so sunny days. It is a life saver vs being burned and miserable.

I wear makeup for work, but not during my off time (which includes the summer since I'm a teacher). I didn't take any make-up when we went to Germany this summer - I didn't want to take up the room and didn't want to bother putting it on in the morning and washing it off at night. I didn't notice anyone being especially made up on the tour and I definitely noticed that several other women went make-up free. I also didn't bother with a straightener, but I'm fortunate enough to be able to wrangle my hair with a dryer and round brush when it isn't too humid.

That being said, if you'll be uncomfortable without out, then go ahead and take some.

Yes to make-up! I wear it at work and home. I have being doing the same routine for so many years it takes me 5-7 min. I take my face make up, eye primer, Eye Shadow pallet (Urban Decay so I can do a day or night look), eye liner, compressed powder, brow brush/color, lip color (Burts bees and lip gel) and blush, all neutral colors. The only the only thing I touch up during the day is my eye liner and lips. I really like to get my brows shaped and tinted for a trip because my eyebrows are so sparse and light that any help is welcomed. I do my hair every day, either straighten or curl, which both can be done the night before and it looks great the next morning, this is were good product and hair tools are vital! I like to walk out the door looking like I put some effort into how I look. If I wash my hair in the morning I can add a few baby braids to each side and pull it back. I am 52 and have medium length hair with bangs.

I purchased this toiletry bag for my last trip and I love it because it lays flat and hold so much!
https://www.ebags.com/product/ebags/pack-it-flat-toiletry-kit/54638

I pack more than just the essentials because I like to be prepared. So the essentials plus band aids and any other gels or ointments we may need. I found that because I do carry on only, the liquids go in my liquids bag then get transferred to the Toiletry case for the rest of the trip, since we usually train it once we land in one place. Keeping things in my liquids bag does not feel organized to me.

Letizia,
How flat does that bag get? I have several incarnations of that bag and they always manage to get very bulky. Still looking for the perfect make-up/bathroom bag. I do make-up - I hate the photos without any. I have a small set of hot rollers that I take everywhere, they switch currency automatically. Don't necessarily do my hair every day but it needs a bit of curl every now and then and I get tired of the flat look. And always sun screen. The lobster look is really unattractive.

I really like cosmetics and do my makeup every day, not just for work. And I feel I bring a ton of make up when I travel, but decanted or in travel size, I never bring full sizes (except my mascara, I haven't find it in travel size).
When I travel I do the "no makeup" look just to not feel as bare, and I like how it looks on pictures, I don't do full face make up as when I'm at home, you know, the eyeliner, powder, contour... I only pack products I have tried and know they last, don't break me out, etc. This is what I bring:

• Eye primer
• Stick face primer
• Either BB or CC cream with sunscreen
• Small sample of foundation without sunscreen, just enough for 1-2 uses, for when we go out at night or want more coverage
• Concealer
• Bronzer
  
• Blush (I bring my Bobbi Brown Shimmer strip, and use it as eyeshadow, highlighter and blush)
• Eyebrow pencil, I like the ones that have a spoolie on one end
• Waterproof mascara and travel lash curler
• Tinted lip balm
• blotting papers
• a 5 piece travel brush set I got from mac a few years ago

If I want to do my eyes I use my bronzer and shimmer strip, but that's almost never the case. Another product I bring sometimes, like 30% of the time, is the Pot Rouge by Bobbi Brown (big fan of hers) and it can be used as blush and lipstick. I use my fingers to apply concealer and CC cream/foundation, no brushes needed :)

It takes me 5-10 minutes when I'm on vacation to do my makeup, since I'm already excited to go and start exploring.

I used to wear makeup but then I realized I could sleep an extra ten minutes if I skipped it.

I've never worn makeup and I take no hair implements to Europe. I get a really short haircut, wash my hair in the shower, and go au naturel. One reason is that I usually have a hat crammed on my head most of the day anyway. Yes, I hate the way I look when I take it off, but c'est la vie.

Don't wear any make-up at all. It is freeing and you can spend that money on something fun or interesting instead. The only time I have worn make-up in my career was when working as a restaurant or hotel manager. Hated the feel of it and the time needed to apply it in the morning. So happy that I don't do this anymore.

Give it a try going without make-up and see if you enjoy it.

Make up? Hell no! Unless moisturizer and chapstick counts?! I think most gals look lovely without make up and it frees up time as well as luggage space. Have fun and enjoy going all nature.

I always want to look nice, even when wearing jeans, and because I am of a certain age and pale with red cheeks, I ALWAYS wear makeup. This time, I am going to just bring the BARE ESSENTIALS though - because I am packing a SMALLER-THAN-REGULATION-CARRYON for 2 weeks of travel, I need to really shrink my normal take-alongs.

SO I have reserved some sample-sized foundations from Nordstrom (they are tiny but each one can carry enough foundation for 5 days - each small one is the size of a stack of 4 or 5 quarters!! ) I also will take just one lipstick color, plus 3 sample sizes of sunscreen, an eyeliner pencil + mascara, and a small palette containing 3 shadows + eyebrow color. I will take no blush, but I AM trying to find a face-powder solution, because I have a shiny forehead. I have put eye-makeup remover into a tiny plastic bottle, but I have also in the past squirted cotton-balls with eye-makeup remover and then put that into a pill bottle; you can pull out a little bit at a time.

Hope that helps.

Shelley - might want to try eye makeup remover toweletts. Target has a travel pack for $1 or so either generic or Neutrogena . I tear them in half. Don't take up much room and they are gone by the end of the trip.

Oh - that's a great idea - cutting them in half! Yes, I'll look at Target!

I wear a small amount of make-up every day -- Bare Minerals powder (spf 15) with a brush, tinted eye brow gel, and lipstick. It all fits in a small pouch and takes about 3 minutes to apply so it's easy to take and use on trips as well as at home.
I also bring hair conditioner and leave-in conditioner because I have dry curly hair.
I never brush my hair so I don't need to pack one of those, just a comb.
You might try going a day or two at home out and about without any make-up and see how you feel about it.
Have a wonderful trip -- I love Greece!

Larlock-It is as flat as you pack it. I like it better than the traditional box type toiletry bag that is awkward shaped and takes up so much room in the bag. The bag has a good size hook on top for hanging and kept me feeling really organized instead of shuffling through one big compartment with everything thrown in.

"It is freeing and you can spend that money on something fun or interesting instead."

Make-up is fun and interesting...LOL. Seriously I have flawless skin, am a Latina with great skin color and I am very comfortable going anywhere without make-up. I actually love the stuff..I am like a kid in a candy store at Sephora or Ulta, don't even let me walk into a Mac Store!!. Some people are responding like it is a chore to put it on, it's so the opposite for me.

I am all about Clinique products. If you ask they will give you tiny containers to take your favorite products with you. A little bit of eye cream, moisturizer, foundation, and a travel size of "Take the Day Off" works wonders for me. Add a travel size tube of mascara, eye pencil and a Chubby Stick and I feel good. On bus days I skip the mascara because nobody cares - I save it for special outings - dinners out, etc. The most important thing is that you feel good and comfortable - wear what you wear at home. Just get sample sizes to lighten your toiletry bag. I also like the travel size Secret deodorant for women and always have a travel size baby powder with me. Hope this helps.

Carol said it perfectly in the very first response:

The most important thing here isn't what others do but what you feel comfortable doing.

But it's still fun to read and talk about, it's true!

Another fan of the Fresh Lip Sugar lipsticks . . . in fact, my current one is about to run out, time to resupply!

I always feel funny because I wear makeup but no one seems to think I do. Every once in a while I arrive at work and someone comments that I've put on makeup that morning . . .I put on the same thing every day!!! Obviously it must slide off my face or something. Oh well I'm 48, guess I'm not going to figure anything new out now . . .

To the person with the shiny forehead -- you could try those Armenia papers that absorb that "glow" if you come to France . . or I always buy my husband "mattifying" products in the French pharmacy (which he never uses).

Like many others who replied, I guess you should wear what you normally do at home. I always wear makeup and travel with the basics like a tinted cream (I love Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Gel Cream), concealer, powder, liner, mascara and lip stick / gloss.

Hi Liz, it really does depend on you and what you are comfortable with. I personally don't even take makeup with me when I go on holiday as I find that I like to let my skin breathe. I find if I wear makeup, it starts to feel thick and sweaty on my face. Some girls do wear makeup on holiday but I say that if you are confident without makeup then definitely don't bother wearing any! :)

Well, if you are going on a European trip then I think you can take some essential makeup items only. You should wear very light makeup as the people there wear little light makeup. So, you should also do the same so that you don’t look extraordinary among them. Hope this is helpful for you.

The best thing I have ever found to keep my skin from going shiny on hot days is Paula's Choice Shine Stopper. It's a matte white lotion you can smooth all over your face that magically prevents your skin from getting too oily. Makes a great primer under makeup, or you can wear it alone. It doesn't offer sun protection, but there is another product (which I haven't yet tried) that incorporates both oil absorption and sun care. Worth checking out!

I always wear makeup, at home and traveling.. will be taking my Laura Geller makeup when I leave for the UK in 13 days.

Certain aspects of life are incomprehensible to me, such as make-up beyond basic elements and especially in travel mode.

The "basics" for me is what I listed for someone else it may be 10 more products...to each their own.

You should absolutely do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I take some mineral powder with me, but I like to put a cold, damp towel on my face and neck in hot weather, so most makeup is a bit of a no go. Mascara and tinted chapstick or equivalent round out my beauty routine.

Having said that, I have very long hair and am very picky about shampoo. It is one of the things I like to indulge in. So I head to Lush and pick up a shampoo bar or two and some of my favorite soap and conditioner in travel size. We all have things we can't do without while traveling :)

Do what you are used to doing at home. I only carry moisturizer and lip balm, but that's all I wear at home, too. Now when I was much younger, I wouldn't have gone outside without full makeup. That was then. This is now.

Long story short - do what you feel most comfortable doing.

Definitely pack sunscreen, though. Just in case.

Hi, I think aquamarinesteph is right. You should try sunscreen when you are going outside the house.