Miniature marvels: The best travel-size beauty, grooming and haircare sets for summer
Don't let airport security come between you and your look
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The one (and pretty much only) thing we didn’t miss about foreign travel during lockdown was draconian airport security rules. There was, after all, something rather joyous about ditching the beauty travel sets and optimistically packing a full-size SPF50 sun cream alongside your raincoat for a summer trip to the Lake District.
But no longer. The promise of long weeks spent bathing on sun-drenched shores awaits – but first, you’ll need to make some judicious travel-size beauty decisions. Will a Greek supermarket carry your usual brand of shampoo so you can pack your favourite face cream? Should you leave behind your lipstick to make room for your night serum? Will you be able to decode the ingredients on a tube of Turkish toothpaste?
Before you panic, remember that many of the essentials (deodorant, mouthwash, soap etc) can be bought abroad relatively easily and cheaply, leaving space for the products you’re loathe to leave behind. Alternatively, avoid any security hold-ups with these beauty travel sets from our favourite skincare and grooming brands.
Travel beauty essentials
Let’s start with the basics. Whether it’s long haul or just a long weekend, no one should be going anywhere without a basic toiletries set including shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser. But, if you’re looking to pack a more extensive regime into your carry-on, Aesop and the Grown Alchemist have devised all-singing, all-dancing essentials sets that will still neatly fit into an airport-approved plastic bag.
Aesop Chicago kit
Designed specifically for city breaks, Aesop’s Chicago city kit boasts a full complement of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, cleanser, moisturiser and serum, each packed with the brand’s hero geranium leaf and parsley seed ingredients.
Grown Alchemist grooming kit
Grown Alchemist, meanwhile, has packed seven of its best-selling products, including the Skin Renewal day cream, chamomile and bergamot body cleanser, polisihing facial exfoliant and Regenerating night cream, into one neat set that has all your away-from-home needs covered.
The best skincare travel sets
It can be easy to leave behind your usual cleanse, tone and moisturise regime when you go on holiday but, thanks to the combined effects of sun, sea and probably a few sangrias, your skin will thank you for all the care you can show it while away.
Drunk Elephant Littles 6.0
Drunk Elephant has done the hard work by curating an edit of its most-loved skincare products, presented in a handy, see-through travel bag. Expect cult products, including the C-Firma Fresh Day serum, Beste No.9 cleanser, virgin marula oil, and Umbra sheer base, in adorable miniature sizes.
Perricone MD No Makeup Heroes
Perricone MD, meanwhile, has put some serious thought into its travel set, creating an edit it promises will leave your make-up bag redundant – meaning you can save space on foundation and concealer. Among its highlights are hybrid products, such as the High Potency Classics Face Finishing & Firming Tinted Moisturiser and No Makeup Mascara lash treatment, which deliver powerful skincare benefits while mimicking the effects of traditional makeup.
The best suncare travel sets
A good-quality, high-SPF sun cream should always be at the top of your packing list if you’re off to sunnier climes. Not only is SPF vital to maintaining a youthful complexion, as well as preventing skin cancers caused by sun damage, there’s also the simple fact that no one looks good in a lobster hue.
Ultra Violette Vi's Closet of Cuties
SPF has come a long way since the thick, gloopy, T-shirt staining creams of your childhood holidays. Take, for example, the eight-strong set of products in Ultra Violette’s Closet of Cuties collection. Among them are specific formulas for face, lips, and body, including creams that double up as serums, moisturisers and primers and boast classic skincare ingredients including Vitamin E and aloe vera.
Hello Sunday SPF set
Hello Sunday, meanwhile, has created a trio designed to care for your skin 365 days a year. The brand’s signature The Everyday One is a moisturiser-sunscreen hybrid promising high factor UVA and UVB protection as well as the skin rejuvenating properties of hyaluronic acid and alow vera. The set also features The One for Your Lips and The One for Your Eyes: nourishing lip and under-eye balms for compelte protection.
The best makeup travel set
We would always recommend slimming down your usual makeup routine when travelling, both to save room and because, realistically, no one wants to be applying layers of foundation and powder when it’s 35 degrees outside. If the thought of hitting the beach bar barefaced fills you with dread, however, mini versions of well-proven favourites are your best friend.
Skin in Motion makeup kit
Developed for use before, during and after exercise, Skin In Motion’s range of sweat-defying products are ideal for sunny days. Its full makeup kit set features carry-on compliant versions of its full product range, including a tinted moisturiser, concealer, lip balm, and waterproof mascara, promising full coverage in formulas that are breathable, light and won’t result in breakouts.
Trish McEvoy So Pretty Makeup Planner
Trish McEvoy’s So Pretty set, meanwhile, does exactly what it says on the tin, promising everything you need for an entire seasonal makeup look in one compact set. Begin with the Gorgeous cream blush and bronzer duo before applying a dusting of the Translucent Finishing Powder and adding highlighting touches courtesy of an High Volume tubular mascara and Lip Perfector conditioning serum.
The best haircare travel sets
If you’ve ever returned from holiday with the kind of dry, sun-bleached locks that earn you a stern lecture from your hairdresser, you’ll know that it’s best not to rely on a hotel to provide top-notch haircare products. Instead, invest in a set that offers a full-service regime in perfectly-proportioned sizes.
Sisley Hair Youth Revealer kit
Sisley’s Hair Youth Revealer set promises to revive tired tresses with a trio of products which are simultaneously light and nourishing while cleansing away grease, sweat, suncream, chlorine and saltwater. Wash hair wiht the shampoo, hydrate with the hair care mask and apply the Revitalizing Fortifying serum for supreme conditioning.
Virtue Recovery Discovery kit
The Recovery discovery kit from Virtue features a shampoo, conditioner and treatment mask all formulated with Alpha Keratin 60ku to strengthen natural hair keratin, as well as baobab seed oil and vitamin C to restore dry and damaged hair and create natural bounce and shine.
The best grooming travel sets
Gents, a summer holiday is no excuse to let normal standards of grooming slip. Your skin is not immune to the effects of dehydration and do you really want to return to work with a beard tan line having let your shaving routine fall by the wayside? We thought not.
Acqua di Parma Barbiere essential shaving kit
Acqua di Parma Barbiere’s essential shaving kit includes all the elevated basics – a shaving cream, aftershave emulsion, and Colonia fragrance – to keep your stubble-free and smelling fresh.
Dr. Barbara Sturm glow kit
This unisex travel skincare collection features every product in the brand’s signature illuminating programme, including a cleanser, scrub, mask, hyaluronic serum, face cream, primer and glow drops, leaving skin looking healthy and revitalised.
The best fragrance travel sets
Taking full-size fragrances on holiday with you is always going to be a waste of precious liquid space – especially when there are so many fantastic travel sizes waiting to be discovered.
Penhaligon's Bestseller Scent Library
Penhaligon’s best-sellers scent library, features ten 2ml versions of the Parisian perfumer’s most popular scents, including Luna, Empressa, Duchess Rose, Juniper Sling and Lore George. They’re unisex, so you can share them with your travel companions and save even more space.
Jo Malone bestsellers cologne collection
Jo Malone’s famed colognes are designed to be layered or worn alone promising endless iterations so you can switch up your scent as your mood or the occasion dictates – even on holiday. The brand’s best-sellers collection includes popular fragrances including Lime Basil & Mandarin, Pomegranate Noir, and Wood Sage & Sea Salt.
