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 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 Bamford have devised all-singing, all-dancing essentials sets that will still neatly fit into an airport-approved plastic bag.
Aesop Arrival kit
Designed for off-grid adventures and city breaks alike, Aesop’s Arrival kit boasts a full complement of body cleanser, body balm, shampoo, and conditioner, each packed with the brand’s hero ingredients, including geranium leaf, cedar, bergamot rind and citrus.
Bamford Green Weekender set
Keeping things simple, Bamford’s Green Weekender set offers up 50ml bottles of body wash, lotion, shampoo and conditioner in the brand’s signature geranium scent, infused with peppermint and lavender for a refreshing end to a long day in the sun.
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.
Selfridges On-the-Go Beauty Kit
Representing both great value and the chance to discover some brilliant new brands, this tight edit of some of the Selfridges Beauty Hall’s travel must-haves is worth £184.50 and includes everything you need to stay fresh faced on every adventure. Think Laneige’s beloved lip balm, Hude Beauty’s Easy Bake setting spray, Rehab hair atmer, a Tangle Teezer mini brush, Ross J Barr calm patches and more.
Templespa Spa Wherever You Are set
Templespa, meanwhile, has put some serious thought into its Spa Wherever You Are set, creating an edit it promises to take the stress out of travelling. Designed to deliver both the skincare and calming effects of a day at the spa, hero products include a Quietude sleep mist, Be Gone cleanser, toning essence, Repose night cream, and Peace Be Still calming skin balm, all blending science-backed formulas and fine Mediterranean botanicals and actives to deliver real results.
Grown Alchemist Regnerating Night Routine kit
Grown Alchemist, meanwhile, has packed five of its best-selling overnight products, including the Hydra-Restore cream cleanser, gentle gel cleanser, regenerating moisturiser, skin renewal facial oil and regenerating gel mask, into one neat set that promises to keep your skincare routine on track when you’re on the go.
Drunk Elephant Littles 7.0
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, Protini polypeptide cream, and T.L.C Framboos glycolic ngiht serum, in adorable miniature sizes.
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 Supreme Summer
SPF has come a long way since the thick, gloopy, T-shirt staining creams of your childhood holidays. Take, for example, Ultra Violette’s lauded Supreme Screen sunscreen. Doubling up as a hydrating moisturiser, it’s packed with soothing squalene and nourishing pentavitin, alongside advanced skin-friendly UV filters bemotrizinol and bisoctrizole. Opt for the Supreme Summer set to equip yourself with both a travel-primed 50ml bottle and 20ml ‘mini mate’ to pop in your beach bag.
Caudalie Vinoperfect serum suncare set
Caudalie, meanwhile, has created a duo designed to care for your skin 365 days a year. The brand’s signature Vinoperfect serum harnesses vitamin C and a unique Viniferine complex to brighten the skin and reduce the appearance of dark skin and is designed to be worn underneath the accompanying Vinosun lightweight fluid. This SPF50 formula promises high factor UVA and UVB protection in a non-greasy formula that melts effortlessly into the skin.
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.
RMS Beauty Everday Icons
Designed to streamline your makeup bag to just the essentials, RMS Beauty’s Everyday Icons are ideal for sunny days — and saving room in your suitcase. Inside the intelligently designed makeup bag, which also features pockets for your brushes and tools, you’ll find a ReDimension Hydra Powder blush, Straight Up volumising peptide mascara and ReEvolve Radiance Locking primer in formulas that are breathable, light and won’t result in breakouts.
Trish McEvoy The Power of Makeup Lift, Glow & Define Collection
Trish McEvoy’s Power of Makeup set 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 Soothe and Illuminate cream and Instant Eye Lift before applying the Liquid Face Colour, Gorgeous Cream Bronzer or Blush, and a dusting of eyeshadow. Finish with the Translucent Finishing Powder and add drama courtesy of the lash curling tubular mascara, intense gel eyeliner and Fast-Track lip balm.
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.
Kiehl's shaving kit
Kiehl’s essential shaving kit includes all the elevated basics – a shaving cream, razor burn and bump relief treatment, hydrating cleanser, and moisturiser – to keep you stubble-free and smelling fresh.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Discovery kit
This unisex travel skincare collection features a selection of the brand’s signature science-backed staples, including a cleanser, scrub, mask, hyaluronic serum, face cream, eye cream and body cream, 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.
Prada Les Infusions eau de parfum travel set
Prada’s travel scent library features three 10ml versions of the Italian brand’s most popular scents, including Infusion d’Ylang, Infusion de Rhubarbe, and Infusion de Vanille. 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.
