What I've Packed in My Travel Makeup Bag to Japan

In a couple of days I'll be stepping onto a plane to my happy place - a.k.a. Japan!

And because I'll be arriving into a hot summer and I'm packing my makeup bag into my checked in baggage (Yup, I know!) I thought I'd take you through what I'm taking with me.

I've tried to keep it fairly minimal, with two versions of some products so I can create a low key, everyday summer look, as well as a more glam night time look.

Want a peek into my makeup bag? Read on!

Brushes

When it comes to face brushes, I've tried to keep it fairly lean. Just a flat topped foundation brush for buffing in my foundation, a fluffy powder brush, a dense blush brush, an angled contour and bronzer brush and a fan brush for highlighter. And this is me trying to bring as little as possible!

A good makeup base

My current favourite primer is the Nivea Post Shave Balm (yup, a men's product!) but it comes in a humungo glass bottle, so I've decided to ditch it for a lightweight primer that will work for both day and night, and is a little more travel-friendly. 

Foundation

When it comes to a holiday base, I've decided to bring two different foundations. The Maybelline Dream Velvet is a medium to full coverage foundation that is gorgeous in photos (perfect for those vacation snaps!) and the L'Oreal Nude Magique Cushion foundation is more lightweight and great for everyday wear in the Japanese summer. It's nearly run out though, so I'm planning on replacing it once I find a good Japanese cushion foundation.

Concealer

Just like my foundations, I've also chosen to bring two concealers. The lighter shade is great for highlighting and covering dark circles, while the medium shade is good for hiding any redness and covering any imperfections. Plus they're tiny so they take up barely any space!

Contour & Highlight

Okay, these definitely aren't necessary for a trip, but do we really think I'm going to go on holiday without a little highlight collection packed away with me? First up is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, which has definitely been well loved! But it still has enough yellow powder, bronzer and blush to take with me.

For highlighters, I've decided to bring two; a liquid illuminator that I can use on hot days when I'm wearing a minimal makeup look to just give me a bit of a glow, and a powder highlighter when I'm after something a bit more high impact.

Setting products

To set my makeup, I've gone with a pressed translucent setting powder instead of my usual loose powder. I've been using a loose powder recently, however taking it would be just asking it to break and go everywhere! So I've played it safe and will be taking a pressed powder. 

And because it'll be summer time in Japan, I'll be taking this mini sized NYX setting spray to keep my makeup matte. Plus it's small enough that I can keep it in my bag and spritz whenever I need to during the day to refresh my makeup (and cool me down!).

Define the eyes

For the brows, I'm taking my Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade and brow brush to keep my brows in place (omg, how many times did I say the word 'brow' in that sentence?!). The Dipbrow doesn't budge once it's on too, so it's perfect for the hot climate I'll be going into. I've also got a brow gel for those days where I just want a quick bit of definition, as well as a liquid liner, because I wear that baby everyday!

If you're wondering where the mascara is, I'm not taking any! I've actually got eyelash extensions at the moment, so there's no need to bring mascara!

A multipurpose eyeshadow palette

I debated for a while on whether to get myself a Z-palette and just depot all of my favourite eyeshadow colours to create a custom palette, but in the end I decided to just go with my trusty Urban Decay Naked 1 palette. It has all of the everyday colours I could ever need, as well as some darker night time ones, and a brush that fits into the palette so I don't need to bring an additional one. 

A lip colour for every occasion 

I could easily take about 10 lipsticks, but I've narrowed it down to just three. A bright red for going out, a deep low maintenance pink that goes with everything and an everyday peachy nude for summer. If you're wondering, they're Mac's M.A.C Red, Twig and Velvet Teddy.

In case you're curious (oh, that pun was bad), my makeup bag is from MUJI. It's the smaller size and was only $19.95. So cheap!

It has hard walls so it can be thrown around and there are compartments for everything so only a few items are actually loose in the bag. Under the lid are little pouches for six brushes, and the body of the bag has three pockets and four elastics for holding cylindrical products like my lipsticks and setting spray.

Want to stay up to date with my Japan travels? Join me on Instagram @hijessicaanne and Snapchat under hijessicaanne. I'd love to take you on the journey with me!

What are your favourite products to travel with? Let me know in the comments below!