Thinking about how to be pretty on top of everything else you have to plan for your trip is extra stressful. Whether you’re driving out of town for a weekend getaway, spending some days with your partner or friends exploring, or going to the other side of the world, there’s no question that traveling can make you feel and look tired.
However, I often get people around me asking me how I manage to look so well-dressed during my travels. Even after a long-haul flight, trust me, there are tips and tricks you can apply to look effortlessly fresh and pretty. Beauty and travel can go together with only five travel beauty hacks, and you’ll have the confidence of knowing you don’t have to hide in the airports.
Even after long-haul flights, there are tips and tricks you can apply to look effortlessly fresh and pretty.
So if you’re wondering how to be pretty when you’re on the go, without having to overpack or follow long beauty routines and rituals, you are in the right place. Let’s start!
How to be more attractive during traveling:
Create a short skin routine
If you are loyal to that routine, your skin will pay you back, and you won’t need to spend extraordinary amounts of time or money on your makeup.
An excellent skin routine is mandatory for a great, bright looking face. The first thing you should start if you’re wondering how to be pretty (despite your travels) is a skin routine. If you are loyal to that routine, your skin will pay you back, and you won’t need to spend extraordinary amounts of time or money on your makeup.
However, when you travel, it’s always difficult to carry all your stuff without overpacking. If you’re also carrying hand luggage, you won’t be able to get your products with you on the plane if the bottles are more than 100 ml.
Therefore, I made a list of all the necessary and essential steps that your skin needs to look perfect on the road. You’ll realize that you can fit all the products in a medium-size handbag, and most of them come in travel size.
How to make your skin look perfect when you travel:
- Wash your face day and night with cleansing soap. I carry mine everywhere as it comes in travel size, and it’s one of the best I’ve ever used.
- Moisturize a lot. Before and after the flight, moisturize double, as your skin dehydrates when you fly.
- If you don’t have scars or pimples, avoid foundation altogether, and use a BB cream with light coverage and SPF for sun protection. Three in one! Your skin will love you for that. I use Dior, and I can’t change it with any other. It’s not cheap, but I don’t need sunscreen, and I can also replace the cream inside when finished.
- Do some masks, especially if you travel more than a week. These masks are great to choose from.
- Massage your skin with coconut oil. I use an organic oil day and night before my moisturizer.
- Apply the oil to your eyelashes and eyebrows (thank me later).
- Since I’ve started using the night cream and eye cream, my eyes looked less puffy in the morning. These eye rolls are also great.
- For your body’s skin, a body lotion is a must, as well as a body scrub – especially if you’re away for more than a week or your skin is too dry.
- When I travel to cold destinations from warm climates or vice versa, my lips get crazy. Plain liposans didn’t work, but vaseline and lip balms were my saviors.
- I choose my perfume in a travel size version and always carry it in my bag. My perfume is Armani Si and (thanks Armani), it comes in different sizes.
- Try to drink a lot of water and don’t skip vegetables and fruits. I know alcohol and ethnic cuisine can be tempting but think about your skin too. (:
For body hair, I would suggest laser hair removal. It’s one of the best investments you can make for yourself. If you don’t have the time or the money to go for that choice, buy a Silk a Pill or choose to wax before your trip. Try to avoid razors.
Adopt some hairstyle ideas beforehand
If you can’t stand the hotel’s hairdryers, opt for a small hair-dryer and some cool brushes. There are unique hairstyles you can do even if you have a bad hair day.
My hair was always one of my biggest problems. I have very thick and curly hair, and I’ve been struggling to make it long, shiny, and straight. What I did -and still do- is Brazilian keratin treatment every 3 and 4 months to keep my hair in excellent condition. If I want to straight it, I blow it for 5 or 10 minutes with a brush. If I want to have it wavy, I don’t use a hairdryer, and I let my hair dry naturally.
Indeed, carrying a hairdryer takes a lot of space and adds weight. Still, if you can’t stand the hotel’s hairdryers, opt for a small hair-dryer and some cool brushes. There are unique hairstyles you can do even if you have a bad hair day.
How to be pretty on your bad hair days?
- Form the messy part with fancy clips or a hairband.
- After brushing your hair and before using a hairdryer, apply a serum or hair oil. Hair oil will make your hair look softer and shinier.
- Learn how to braid your hair. In Asian countries where there’s a lot of humidity, I end up having “lion hair,” so I always choose a fancy braid hairstyle.
- Invest in a dry shampoo with a hair mask. You want to win time, so a great dry shampoo in a travel size is a must.
- Learn how to make a loose ponytail or a messy bun. It’s easier than you think.
- The shampoo, mask, and conditioner all come in a travel size, so I fill my small packages from my original Kerastase bottles with a home-made shampoo.
- Go for a small and lightweight hair-straightener that you can carry in your handbag. It can make a difference in your hair in five minutes.
Disclaimer: If you choose a medium-size handbag, you’ll see that it can fit both your skin and hair travel products. That handbag is a great option. And it can smoothly go in backpacks and hand luggage without taking much space.
Don’t neglect your nails.
I always do acrylic or gel nails that can last entirely up to 3 or 4 weeks. Some girls prefer a more natural look, but they still want their nails colored.
I’m utterly obsessed with perfectly shaped and manicured nails. That means one thing; I never leave neglect them. Amazing nails is not the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about being pretty. However, to me, my nails are equally as important as my face.
If my nails are not polished, something is missing when I look at my fingers. Okay, I know that it can sound like an obsession, but it’s true. I always do acrylic or gel nails that can last entirely up to 3 or 4 weeks. Some girls prefer a more natural look, but they still want their nails colored.
I don’t go for that option, as it requires extra time and effort from my side. But if you are keen to try and you want your nails to last, you can buy a small shellac oven and some basic manicure equipment (again, if you have the talent and the appetite) and do your nails on your own.
I would go for an Oven and 2 or 3 of my favorite shellac colors from Opah (you can order online). If you are not interested in doing shellac nails, you can always choose your favorite colors of plain long-lasting nail polishes from Essie.
Pack your comfy (but cute) outfits.
You don’t have to overpack by choosing clothes sets for all the days you’re going to spend somewhere. If you wonder how you can make yourself prettier, play it smart, and choose the classic (but favorite) pieces that you can combine with different accessories. They will always make you feel and look posh.
So you’re thinking about how to look more attractive by wearing your favorite sets of clothes without overpacking.
In general, avoid very loose or gym clothes or anything that will make your body look looser than what it is.
At the airport, opt for comfortable clothes that don’t look too casual. Remember, you want to look effortlessly chic. Workout pants and your boyfriend’s hoodie can be extremely comfy choices, but what if you can be comfortable and sexy at the same time?
A cozy jumpsuit, a midi dress, a fabric-based zip culotte with a crop top can be excellent choices. Pick any piece from your wardrobe that feels comfortable to wear and is also stylish. These classic but favorite pieces is the secret to how to be pretty effortlessly.
Establish a five-to-ten minutes makeup routine with great products
A short makeup routine that will make you shine and won’t take much of your time is necessary.
If you’re wondering how to get prettier when you’re traveling by doing simple makeup, it is still essential to have a separate makeup handbag with all your products handy. But, what are those products that will last on your skin and can transform your face in just a few minutes?
You can find a list below with everything you might need for that “how to be pretty” makeup mission:
- After your moisturizer, apply your BB cream with light coverage or foundation. If you don’t want to skip foundation, use SPF so you won’t need sunscreen.
- Choose a multiusage pallet to do your contouring and eye makeup. I like the ones I can combine my highlighter, bronzer, and eye shadows all in one. I do a light contouring for my morning makeup and use the same colors for a light eye shadow result.
- If you want something extra for your eyes, get eyeliner and a spare eye palette with more colors for your night out.
- 2 or 3 of your favorite lipsticks, lip liners, and lip glosses are enough. Opt for a combination of them and mix the colors when you’re in the mood to try something new.
- If you wonder how to look better in seconds, one thing you should focus on in your face is your eyelashes.
- Sometimes, when I want to avoid mascara altogether (especially in the summer), I choose to get lash extensions. It’s a great option because you forget the mascara completely, but you have to be careful and choose a licensed technician. I fancy more natural results, where people can’t say if these are my eyelashes or not.
- If lash extensions aren’t your thing and you want to know the best mascaras, my only favorite is the Doll Eyes from Lancome. It comes in a waterproof version, but I wouldn’t buy the waterproof one. Waterproof mascara can do more damage to your eyelashes than lash extensions.
- Another fantastic option for eyelashes is a lash lift. That’s the best thing you can to your eyelashes, as the lash lift is kind of a “therapy” combined with a lash boost that will give you excellent results when combined with mascara. You should try it at least once!
Conclusion: How to be pretty on your trips and everyday
You don’t have to follow long beauty rituals to be pretty every day.
If you’re wondering how to look pretty without makeup, make sure you establish the skin routine I mentioned above.
However, natural makeup with BB cream, skin-based color pallets, and a light lipstick can make a difference in 5 minutes, and no one would tell that you’re wearing makeup.
Now, remember, you are cute no matter what! It’s perfectly normal sometimes to wonder how to be more pretty and what you can do about it. What are your beauty hacks when you’re traveling? Please leave them in the comments.
