Holidays are approaching and, naturally, we want to feel as good as we can and take all our favourite beauty products with us. But who can – and wants to – lug around all that weight? Enter travel minis and decanting your full-size products into bag-friendly pots.
Whether you want to pack light to make room for holiday shopping, or you have luggage restrictions, getting your beauty bag whittled down to a good size is a fine art. One tip is to pack products that have several uses, such as a cleansing balm that removes makeup; and a makeup setting mist that also works as a hairspray.
But it’s not just about convenience: travel minis also offer the chance to try out new products without committing to a full-size version. Plus, they often last longer than you think, making them perfect for short trips or even as a backup for your regular beauty routine.
But while travel-sized toiletries are convenient, they can also be bad for the planet. Many mini products come in excessive plastic packaging, and with single-use plastics already a huge environmental issue, the beauty industry is under increasing pressure to provide more eco-friendly options.
So, can you pack smart and think sustainably? Yes, you can decant full-size products into reusable pots. Choose your pots wisely, though, because some leak, and it’s easy to forget what’s in each unless you meticulously label them. I’ve suggested some of the best pots below. Or you can follow my preferred method: buy mini versions of your larger everyday products, and keep topping them up.
Whatever you decide, these are the best beauty travel minis and containers around. After testing hundreds of them, I can fully vouch for their brilliance.
The top travel minis
Travel-size hair products
HoliRoots Good Karma hair set
£32 at Sephora
£34 at Cult Beauty
This set contains all your haircare essentials: shampoo (50ml), conditioner (50ml), treatment oil (14.4ml) and a mask (50ml). The products are super concentrated so a little goes a long way, making them last longer. I’m heading to the Caribbean this summer and know my hair and scalp will need the extra moisture (salt water is drying for the hair), so this is my go-to kit.
Bumble and Bumble Prêt-à-powder, 14g
£16 at Look Fantastic
£16 at Sephora
A traditional mini can of dry shampoo might be cheaper, but this tiny bottle is the one if you’re looking for multitasking, space-saving prowess. Just apply a little to your roots to soak up sweat and grease. As an added bonus, it also doubles as a great volumising product without looking chalky like many aerosol dry shampoos can.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible 3-second setting mist, 75ml
£9.99 at Look Fantastic
£9.99 at Superdrug
This setting mist is great for keeping your makeup in place – ideal when you’re somewhere a little on the humid side. But I also use it as a light-hold hairspray when I’m away, and it works. It saves precious luggage space and is waterproof and sweat proof. Because this is 75ml, you can still take it on the plane in your hand luggage if you’re flying. It’s always worth checking individual airlines for any restrictions, though.
Travel-size skincare
Clinique Moisture Surge 100 hour hydrator, 15ml
£10 at Look Fantastic
£11.20 at Boots
Whether you’re skiing in the Alps or basking in the Mediterranean sun, hydration is vital. This mini moisturiser works in every climate and hydrates without feeling heavy or sticky. It’s become my go-to travel moisturiser for this reason. I just decant it from my larger pot using one of those mini spatulas you often get with beauty products.
Inkey List mini oat cleansing balm, 50ml
£6.50 at Boots
£6.50 at Cult Beauty
I’m a massive fan of this mini cleansing balm because it allows you to do away with having a separate makeup remover and cleanser. Apply to your face, and watch it turn to a milky emulsion as you rinse the grime, sweat and makeup off your skin. I always take this on city breaks where pollution and dirt can make my skin flare up.
Omorovicza Queen of Hungary mist, 30ml
£22 at Look Fantastic
£17.60 at SpaceNK
This hydrating face mist mitigates drying plane air with Hungarian thermal waters to reduce sensitivity and moisturising agents like glycerine to rehydrate the skin. I always take it on budget holidays for a little touch of luxury.
Makeup minis
Mac Studio fix conceal and correct palette, 6g
£32 at Mac
£32 at Look Fantastic
If you’re used to using concealer, foundation, colour corrector and contour, but don’t want to take all those products with you, then this all-in-one palette is for you. It contains six long-wear concealers and correctors, and fits into my smallest handbag for weekend trips.
19/99 Lash tint mascara, 4g
£11.20 at SpaceNK
£14 at 19/99 Beauty
This mini mascara has become a huge favourite because it not only gives lashes a light coating for definition but also the formula is light enough for brow shaping.
Nars mini multiple duo set, 2.4g each
£28 at John Lewis
£29.75 at Boots
No holiday toiletry bag is complete without multi-use colour sticks that save the hassle of carting around brushes and makeup products, particularly in hotter climates where cosmetics just make you sweatier anyway. Apply wherever you like: the pink is beautiful on lips and cheeks, and the bronzer looks lovely on the hollows of the face and as a subtle eyeshadow.
Travel perfumes
Glossier You Solid perfume, 3g
£35 at Glossier
£28 at SpaceNK
Solid scents are the best way to avoid travel bottle breakage. This creamy scent with pink pepper and iris was designed to smell different on everyone who wears it. The wax base helps it adhere to the skin better than traditional alcohol-based sprays, and when it’s empty you can buy the refills.
Jo Malone fragrance set, 1.5ml each
£20 at John Lewis
£20 at Look Fantastic
The part of the brain that processes memory is right next to the part that processes scent, so wearing a different perfume on holiday is a nice way to anchor memories. This kit of five 1.5ml scents includes English Pear & Freesia, as well as deeper fragrances like Myrrh & Tonka, so there’s something for every destination.
Marc Jacobs Daisy drops, 30 capsules
£21 at Look Fantastic
£22.40 at Boots
If space and weight are at a premium, stash a few of these genius drops in your suitcase. The mini tin takes up barely any room, and you simply need to twist and squeeze the biodegradable gel-filled capsules to apply the fragrance to your skin. Because there’s no alcohol in the gel, the scent is also long lasting.
Travel-size SPFs
Ultra Violette lightweight SPF duo, 30ml each
£22.40 at SpaceNK
These protective minis are a staple in my bag all year round. The SPF spray works over or under makeup and is excellent for top-ups during the day. It’s a super lightweight formula, doesn’t pill when used with makeup and withstands even the sweatiest of climates.
Shiseido Suncare stick SPF50+, 20g
£26.40 at Sephora
£26.40 at Boots
This clear sunscreen applies smoothly without any stickiness, residue or white cast, which makes it ideal for tricky areas like the ears and scalp. It’s also water-resistant so it’s great for sports and hot climates, and it contains a hefty dose of antioxidants to give an added layer of protection against environmental damage. Another bonus is that it’s small enough to slip into a pocket. I always have it on hand when I’m heading somewhere tropical.
Dr PawPaw SPF lip balm SPF 20, 8ml
£3 at Dr PawPaw
£4.95 at Superdrug
This may be the size of a regular lip balm but it’s a multitasker with SPF. Unlike many other SPF lip balms, which can have a slightly bitter taste, you can’t taste the sun protection in this nourishing balm.
Mini body care
Weleda Skin Food, 30ml
£8.95 at Boots
£9.50 at Look Fantastic
This green tube has endless uses: it’s a nourishing face and body cream, can be applied extra thick as a face mask and works as a hand cream. It’s often used backstage at fashion week as a skin-priming product – and I even use it on my hair when I need a dose of moisture or to stick down any flyaways on the go.
CeraVe moisturising cream, 50ml
£5.60 at Look Fantastic
£5.99 at Superdrug
If you have dry skin, you’ll know that the watery body lotion you often find in hotels isn’t good enough. CeraVe uses ceramides that help to replenish the skin’s natural fatty acid levels, meaning your skin’s barrier is strengthened and better moisturised. It never feels heavy and the soothed skin feeling lasts all day.
Mutenka Sekken Honpo travel soap, 90g
Travel soaps in tins are great in theory, but in my experience, they can leak and become a little messy. This set of 16 exquisite mini travel soaps, designed for two or three uses each, is perfect for a weekend away. They’re made in Japan and come in beautiful scents such as Kobe honey, cherry blossom, sake and rice bran. You can also use them on your face, body and hair.
Containers for decanting
La Pochette travel pots duo
£10 at La Pochette
There’s nothing worse than a travel mini that has leaked all over your precious belongings – this happened to me before I invested in these pots. These leakproof containers can even be popped in the dishwasher when you get home.
Cadence capsule system
£43 at Cadence
£44.86 at Amazon
Cadence’s stackable travel pots have a cult-like following, and they’re unbeatable. You pick your size, colour and labels and then fill them with your desired products, before clicking them together to save space. They’re also leakproof and BPA free. I took the larger ones on a two-week trip to India and they were the perfect size.
Every Drop spatula
£13 at Amazon
Save up those little beauty spatulas you get with face creams to help you decant them into travel pots, or invest in this one. It’s also useful for getting the last smears of product out of a jar.
Anita Bhagwandas is a freelance beauty editor and consultant obsessed with finding products that actually deliver what they promise. When she’s not helping beauty brands shape their diversity strategy or trend forecasting, she writes for titles such as Condé Nast Traveller, Elle, Allure, Vogue and many more. An expert with more than 15 years in the beauty industry, she is the author of Ugly: Why The World Became Beauty Obsessed and How To Break Free and writes the beauty culture newsletter The Powder Room
