When it comes to painless and efficient travel, a little planning can go a long way. We’ve covered the best checked luggage, the best carry-on suitcases and the best makeup or toiletry bags — because staying organized is the perfect way to ensure you can spend all your vacation time enjoying yourself, and not tracking down what you need and wondering if you actually packed it.
When it comes to makeup and toiletries, you can opt for overpriced, mini versions of your favorite products — or just invest a little in TSA-compliant travel bottles and tools that are more sustainable and help streamline your packing. Ahead, we’ve chatted with various frequent flyers — from flight attendants to travel content creators and celebrity makeup artists — to learn more about what they look for, and which products made their cut.
If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution to any and all toiletry packing qualms, two of our experts recommend this affordable, under-$20 option. “I absolutely love this toiletry set and bring it with me on all of my travels,” shares travel content creator Amorray Marcano. “I’ve found that the squeezable bottles are simple to clean and don’t leak." But her favorite part of the set? “It comes with a pipe cleaner and spatula, which is helpful when sanitizing empty bottles and keeping my hands clean when applying face cream,” Marcano shares. “I stay frequently in hostels where I'm sharing a room with up to seven other travelers, so having an organized travel bag with bottles that are easy to clean is a must.”
Also available in a sleek black and white, this set is a go-to for United Airlines flight attendant Joshua Doehring. “The bag is TSA approved, which means nothing will be taken at security,” he explains. This is especially important if you're going to be traveling internationally. “There are still a lot of airports that require liquids to be in a clear plastic bag that’s a certain size,” he explains. “I use this wherever I go, as it allows me to visualize all I can bring on a trip and not worry about it being swiped.”
These sleek bottles are a fave of lifestyle and content creator Dominique Baker. “The airless pump dispenses just the right amount of liquid — no more explosions and wasting your expensive moisturizer — and each bottle top can be locked to prevent leaks and spills.” Offered in two sizes (a 3.4-ounce and 1.7-ounce design), both are TSA compliant and dishwasher-safe, and both can be labeled to easily identify your most used products. “I’m a definite body lotion and hair conditioner hog, so the larger option is a must,” Baker shares. She’s also a fan of three chic color options that are available: a powder blue, deep green and sleek tan.
“I’m constantly running around the city and traveling cross-country,” shares celebrity makeup artist Lisa Aharon, and “keeping my kit light and bottles from being broken isn’t easy,” she explains. “I’ve used Cadence for years now — the capsule system is reusable, customizable and actually leakproof.” This customizable set allows you to mix and match eight chic colors and three different sizes — The 275, The 132 and The 056 — each named for how many ounces of product it can hold.
“These magnetic and refillable containers from Cadence are amazing,” shares Marcano. “The capsules are easy to clean and the labels are interchangeable so you can constantly change what you put in each bottle depending on your needs for your trip,” she explains. In the Originals set, each capsule holds only 0.56 ounces, perfect for a weekend getaway. The caps are also magnetic, which can be a game changer if you’re frequently misplacing bottle tops. Simply stick them to the side of the capsule while you’re applying or using the product. “I love using mine for sunscreen, as the container fits perfectly in my pocket for when I need to reapply during the day and for vitamins since the containers are super durable.”
As someone who travels as their profession, flight attendant Ana Milivojevic prioritizes organized packing that fits perfectly in her luggage. “I used small bottles for a long time and kept forgetting and losing them since I’m constantly in a rush with my job, being in and out of hotels,” she shares. This 4-in-1 dispenser-style travel bottle is her favorite for holding all her go-to products. “It’s big enough so you don’t forget it anywhere yet small enough to fit perfectly in any travel bag or suitcase,” she explains. “It comes with a little sticker so you can mark which product is on what side.” One of her favorite parts of the gadget is seeing her colleagues’ reaction to how effective yet simple the bottle is.
If you’re just looking for the best travel bottles without the bells and whistles, “these are the way to go,” shares Doehring. “The silicone provides a much nicer feel,” he explains, and they seamlessly dispense product super well. The variety of colors is also great to have, since you can easily tell the difference between your conditioner and body lotion — no need to worry about mixing those two up again.
This set of silicone bottles, each of which can hold 75 milliliters, is a favorite of Baker’s. “I love the chic, muted colors, leakproof screw-on caps and soft silicone feel,” she shares. “The openings are a little bigger than typical options out there, which make these easy to clean.” She likes to use it for her frequently reached-for products like hand sanitizer, which are easy to squeeze and pack into the bottles. “The thing I love most about these, though, are the rotating labels,” she explains. “Simply fill each bottle with shampoo, gel, conditioner, sunscreen or lotion, and twist the rotating collar to identify its contents.”