Micro Packing: The Make Up Bag

Micro packing for ladylike business travel....The Makeup Bag

I have been working on downsizing many things, including my make up bag that goes on the road. In fact, this is also what I use at home. Though, I have some extra makeup items to choose from there. But between trips for the past months, I have been trialling the items I use and seeing if I can filter it all down to a small number of standard items that work, without lots of extra stuff to have around. Or to have to pack.

So here it is, all sitting on the hotel bath vanity counter. Inventory as follows

Concealer, foundation stick, eye shadow stick, creme blush, eye pencil, mascara, eye shadow compact (also has a powder blush in it and an eyeliner), eye lightener (highlighter), lip pencil. Also a small compact with brushes. Lip gloss and lipstick are in my purse, but round out this selection. Twelve items, not counting the brushes. Seems pretty good. And I know this selection of colours works, having now used it as my base for nearly a year, for both home and travel.

I have been experimenting with foundation and tinted moisturizers. I like them at home, with all the things listed above. Especially helpful as the tinted moisturizer has a sunscreen SPF in it. But the foundation stick seems a good compromise for travel. Not a liquid, so does not have to fit into the dreaded ziplock bag for liquids that meets airport security screening. Which means the ziplock can have the hairspray, contact lens solution, face cream, and one small bottle of cologne.

I can't seem to manage for a trip or home with too much less, these are my essential make up go-to's ! Fits in a small mesh zip pouch, plus the eyeshadow/blush compact, and the small set of brushes.

Now if I can put the same spirit to work on my suitcase !

Begin forwarded message:

Sent from my iPad

New Departure, Boarding Now

Hi There, this new blog of mine has been a bit slow to take off (pardon the puns, can't help myself !).  But I have been traveling again recently and have some new content for posts in InFlightChat.  Some tips for travelers.  Some stories to share from my travels.  Maybe a rant here or there.  Travel used to be glamourous and exciting.  And for some people it still is exciting.  I love to get to work with other people and experience other places.  But travel is not glamourous any more, it is a hard piece of work to do.  Tips on how to keep one's sanity  and grace (as much as can be done) can be useful !

So who am I to have something to say on this topic ?  I travel a fair bit...I did 6 round the world trips for business last year, each of 4+ weeks duration on the average, and visiting 6-10 countries and that many or more cities.  Occasionally I also travel for personal vacations.  In the course of logging air miles, hotel nights, and other aspects of international business travel, I have come up with my own ways of coping and keeping productive.  I will share some of these in coming posts.

Today's post finds me at home in South Australia, in raging hot summer weather (tipped to be 43 C today, that is about 109 F !).  I have just returned  from arctic chilly Chicago this past week and am relieved to be back.  This is my second transpacific return trip from overseas in a month's time.

More soon, check back for the first of a short series of posts on Packing for on the go Business Travel (effective techniques also for non business travel).