The Beauty Products We Packed
For Mallorca
There is nothing like packing for a trip to make you realize how completely unnecessary your full-size beauty routine is.
I say this as someone who buys and tries an unreasonable amount of beauty products. Somewhere along the way, I realized that travel sizes are not just for travel. In most makeup categories, I would actually rather buy the mini. I cannot remember the last time I finished a full-size concealer, setting spray or basically any makeup product before getting distracted by something new, and the smaller version takes up less space, costs less and still somehow lasts forever.
Skincare is the exception because there are a few products I genuinely use until there is nothing left. Which brings me to...
Sofie Pavitt Face
I have tried what feels like every skincare line in existence, and Sofie Pavitt Face is probably the most consistently repurchased skincare I have ever owned.
For travel, The System Mini Kit is almost offensively convenient. You get the Clean Clean Cleanser, Mandelic Clearing Serum and Skin Jelly in travel sizes, which is basically an entire routine in one little box. The cleanser is one of the rare face washes I repeatedly finish, and the Mandelic Clearing Serum is permanently in my routine. The kit is currently designed as a three-step cleanse, treat and hydrate system.
I would add Screentime SPF 30 separately because vacation is not the time to suddenly become casual about sunscreen.
And yes, these are products I buy full-size too.
one/size setting sprays
This is one category where I actually buy the full size because I go through both of them. I am just absolutely not traveling with a full-size setting spray.
I use Powder Melt Glass Setting Spray when I want everything to melt together and look more like skin, and On ’Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray when I need my makeup to actually stay put through heat, humidity, dinner, dancing, or whatever else is happening.
At home, full size. In the suitcase, mini. Always.
kosas revealer concealer, but tiny
I have a drawer full of concealers I will probably never finish, which is exactly why I love a mini. I get to try the formula, actually make a dent in it, and avoid adding another nearly-full tube to the already overfilled drawer.
The Kosas Mini Revealer Concealer is the perfect example. It is enough product to last way longer than you think, without committing to another full-size concealer you may never see the bottom of.
travel hair care, because I do not have easy hair
A little context before we get into this category: I have extremely temperamental curly hair that I straighten, so I cannot just use whatever shampoo is sitting in the hotel shower and hope for the best.
If I use a rogue shampoo and conditioner followed by a random drugstore hair dryer, there is a very real chance I will look like I electrocuted myself.
So yes, I travel with my own hair products. Every time.
pureology shampoo + conditioner
I do not care how nice the hotel is. Five-star hotels are still fully capable of providing terrible shampoo and conditioner.
Pureology is one of my go-tos because I already know how my hair behaves with it, and the travel sizes make it easy to bring without sacrificing half of my suitcase. Vacation is not the time to experiment with your wash routine.
crown affair dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is essential because once I have gone through the effort of washing, drying and straightening my hair, I would very much like to keep that situation going for as long as possible.
Crown Affair’s dry shampoo is great for refreshing the roots and buying me another day or two before I have to start the entire process again.
crown affair leave-in conditioner
Also necessary for keeping my hair from turning into a situation after sun, humidity, heat styling or a day outside. I use it to keep the ends smooth and add some moisture back in without having to completely redo my hair.
living proof texture spray
For me, this is less about creating beachy texture and more about giving straightened hair some life back after it has been slept on, shoved into a bun or flattened in transit. A few sprays can make it look styled again without requiring a full reset.
the travel dyson
This is obviously the splurge item, but if your hair is anything like mine, the hair dryer is not where you want to take your chances.
A hotel dryer that feels like it was manufactured in 2004 is simply not equipped for the assignment. If you straighten curly or frizz-prone hair and travel often enough to justify it, a good travel dryer is one of those purchases that suddenly feels extremely reasonable the first time you use it.
the larger lesson: buy the travel or mini when you can
I have reached the point where, if a makeup product comes in a mini, I am probably buying the mini. It works for my travel routine, my wallet and my vanity.
I have drawers full of concealers, blushes, mascaras and random makeup products that I liked enough to buy and still somehow never finish because I am always trying something else. A mini lets me try something, actually use a meaningful amount of it and move on without adding another mostly-full product to the collection.
And honestly, most minis last much longer than you think. You spend less, they take up less space, and they are obviously much easier to travel with.
So when I get to Mallorca, I still have every product I actually love without hauling my entire bathroom across the Atlantic.
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