Carry-On Beauty Staples We Always Pack For Long Flights

For a lot of us, this December will be the first time we embark on end-of-year getaways since 2019. So we figured, why not do a round-up of must-have in-flight beauty staples (travel-sized goodies included!) to ensure your skin remains perfectly supple once you reach your destination!

1. Micellar Water

When it comes to in-flight cleansing, we’re not the biggest fans of makeup-removing wipes, as some can leave skin feeling parched and irritated. Just envision the degree of dryness your skin will experience post-wipe-down in low-humidity cabin air — no Bueno! This is why we always opt for a gentler alternative, micellar water (preferably Bioderma’s), to rid of any impurities, sweat, built-up dirt, and other pollution accumulated mid-flight and during your transits.

2. Cooling Eye Mask

Getting quality sleep on an overnight flight can be hella tricky, especially for light sleepers like us. Obvz, over time, we’ve now mastered the art of faking a good night’s rest, and our secret weapon? A cooling and brightening eye mask to recharge sleepy eyes. If you haven’t tried our WISHFUL Eye Lift & Contour Eye Masks, $5, consider these like a caffeine kick for tired, dull, and puffy under eyes. We designed these with the same sculpting sheet mask fabric and cooling hydrogel as our Chin Lift Mask with a powerful blend of peptides and skin-brightening ingredients to snatch, plump, and cool the eye area.

3. Face Mist

Mario Badescu’s Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs, and Rosewater, $12, is an effective quick fix for a thirsty complexion, but keep in mind that your in-flight eating and drinking habits contribute a whole lot to your skin’s hydration levels. So if you want your skin to look fresh and supple when you land, drink plenty of water throughout your flight and maybe ditch the salty snacks and that second cup of caffeine or vino.

4. Face Moisturizer

After spritzing your mist, layer on a rich moisturizer to lock in all that hydration beneath. You’ll love our travel-sized WISHFUL Honey Whip Peptide Moisturizer, $19, to repair, plump, and soothe skin with manuka honey and cica. So if your skin is having a slight freakout in the form of tightness and itchiness induced by the dry cabin air, slather this baby on (post-misting), and your skin will gradually chill out. Oh! And we also added some peptides and collagen into the mix so your skin can look gorgeously glowy.

5. Skin Protectant (for lips and body)

Elizabeth Arden’s Fragrance-Free Eight Hour Cream, $27, and Lanolips The Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm, $17, are our current holy-grails for all kinds of unplanned skin woes from parched lips, dry spots, sunburns, and dry hands and cuticles. Lanolin is the superstar in both blends, which is known to hold 200 times its weight in moisture, making it a winner for extreme dryness.

6. Sunscreen

One crucial product that many forget to pack for the cabin is some good old SPF. During daytime flights, our skin is exposed to high levels of UV rays, more so if you’re situated in a window seat. Therefore, ensure that you apply (and reapply) your sun protection and try to keep the window shade down as much as possible. Check out our fave white cast-free sunscreens here.

7. Makeup Minis for Landing

Doing an entire makeup routine in-flight is near-impossible, so we always keep these gems on standby for a fresh-looking, five-minute minimalist makeup look. We begin with our Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Concealer, $29, to lightly cover up dark spots and dark circles. If you have setting powder, layer some up, but if you don’t, no worries, as our concealer naturally sets to a luminous matte finish that literally does not budge. We usually follow this up with some GloWish Soft Radiance Bronzing Powder, $31, on our cheeks, temples, forehead, lids, and jaw, for subtle radiance and a sun-kissed effect. Then we bring mega volume to our lashes with our mini LEGIT Lashes Double-Ended Volumizing and Lengthening Mascara, $15. And to finish off, we usually like to dab on some Eight Hour Cream to our lips and lids for a juicy and glossy topcoat.

For more expert-approved tips, here are ten ways to get gorgeous skin when you fly.

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