If you’ve ever been on a flight longer than 4 hours, you know the feeling. That dried-out, crusty, sallow tinge that settles on your hair, skin, and clothes. I’m a fierce advocate for packing a new outfit in your carry-on, but there’s plenty to do on the flight itself to keep yourself looking (and smelling) fresh. And so: the list of beauty products I like to pack for long flights.

The Best Beauty Products for Long Flights
Water Bottle

Flights are incredibly drying, and those teensy cups of water from flight attendants are frankly insufficient. I have been known to emerge from a sleep cocoon on a plane and take down half a water bottle. This water bottle has excellent insulation, won’t leak in your bag, and is easy to drink from (as well as cute).
Makeup Removing Wipes

For red-eyes and flights longer than 6 hours, I pretty much plan to sleep. However, that doesn’t mean I want to punish my skin with crusty 30-hour-old makeup. Enter: reusable makeup erasers. A small dab of water on these silk erasing pads, and you’re fresh-faced on your flight.
Lip Mask

When you’ve finished your meal and you’re ready to settle in with a melatonin or Emily in Paris marathon, keep those lips juicy with a sleeping mask. This one is a holy grail product with beautiful colors (and nice scents) to choose from. As a bonus, it functions as a thick gloss, so your lips will look as good as they feel.
Spot Treatment

Let’s face it: travel equals stress. For many of us, stress equals pimples. A hydrocolloid patch draws out the excess oil in pimples without redness or dryness. These patches in particular are basically invisible – perfect for drawing attention away from blemishes.
Sheet Mask

On a stuffy, crowded plane, few things soothe like a cool sheet mask. These K beauty masks are designed to be worn for a few hours at a time, meaning you can catch a few Z’s and wake up fresh, plump, and dewy. I felt so silly wearing these on a 9 hour flight to Germany, but when I woke up, my skin was so bouncy and soft I didn’t want to put makeup on!
Anti-Puff Eye Roller

Traveling messes with your sleep routine, resulting in tired, puffy eyes. With caffeine, Vitamin C, and peptides, this metal roller from Wolf Project packs a 1-2 punch of soothing feeling and soothing ingredients. They’re also great for keeping in your pocket on days when your travel-weary eyes need a pick-me-up.
Color Corrector

Some people do a full beat before landing, but to reduce space in my bag, I prefer a more subtle approach. A good color corrector like Dr. Jart has good coverage of most skin imperfections and leaves your skin with a glowy sheen. Perfect for the no-makeup makeup look.
Hydrating Concealer

To address the aforementioned tired eyes, most of us reach for concealer. But typical formulas can sit in the creases of your undereyes, enhancing the problem. Go for a concealer with hydrating ingredients (like this one from e.l.f.) to keep things smooth and plump. It comes in a huge range of shades and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Multi-Stick

As stick blushes become the norm may I introduce: multi-sticks. This product is for lips, eyes, and cheeks. Pick a flattering shade for your skin and call it a day. I love peachy tones to brighten my skin after a long flight. Not only is it cost effective, it saves a lot of room in your bag.
Volumizing Hair Spray

I have a harsh truth for you: volumizing/texturizing sprays trump dry shampoo any day of the week. Not only do they smell better, but you don’t have to spend 45 minutes brushing the white powder look into your hair. Oribe is pricy, but it’s a fan favorite (and my favorite) for a reason. The combination of high-end fragrance and hair rejuvenation is unmatched.
Moisturizing Lip Gloss

More than just a Y2K favorite, modern lip glosses come with fantastic ingredients to revive dry lips. The Maybelline Lifter gloss is my favorite. The wide paddle provides a generous application of gloss, and you can really feel the hylauronic acid go to work on your dry airplane lips. Pro tip: wet your lips slightly with water before application.
Hydrating Facial Spray

I am not an advocate for bringing perfume on a flight, as it has the potential to irritate other passengers too much. But a nice hydrating face spray with a light scent can give you the boost you need to get off the plane and figure out what the hell time zone you’re in.
When on a long-haul flight, remember to be mindful of your neighbors while applying products. Looking silly in a sheet mask is fine, spraying your neighbor with your hairspray is not. Traveling can be a chore, so it’s fine to baby yourself a little bit along the way.
What are your favorite products for traveling? Tell me in the comments!


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