Best makeup bags to use for travel and keeping your cosmetics organised
If your makeup bag is looking worse for wear after years of makeup mishaps, we have you covered.
Store all your precious beauty cargo in a chic case. Choose between a range of different sizes whether you’re a maquillage minimalist or a need-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink kind of packer. Go compact if you’re hoping to slip it in your handbag or bigger (and better) to store the entirety of your 12-step routine. Would a professional carry case be more suitable or will a simple brush roll suffice?
Wipe-clean options give greater longevity and a clear option will simplify the arduous task of airport security, especially for the frequent flyer.
However, while practicality is important, design should play a part in your decision. Opt for a bag with funky designs, bold prints or cute slogans to put a smile on your face with every application.
We’re also taking the opportunity of new makeup bag to organise and declutter, Marie Kondo-style: no longer will our bag be crowded with blunt eyeliners, leaky foundations or products with lost lids. This will not only make your bag feel much lighter and tidier, but also prevents that heartstopping moment when airport security confiscate your favourite SPF because you’ve too many liquids.
Be prepared for any last minute plans, emergency touch-ups, on-the-go applications or your next holiday with our selection of the best makeup bags.
LAY-N-GO Cosmo mini make-up bag
As the name suggests, this innovative makeup bag doubles up as a your very own dressing table in mat form, transforming any surface into a handy, easy-access base for your on-the-go applications. With a drawstring fastening, it opens to reveal a zippered storage pocket, elastic holders for brushes and all your products clearly - no rooting around necessary. Don’t worry about your favourite lippy rolling around or slipping away, there’s a lip around the outside to keep them secure in the bag. It’s also machine washable and wipeable.
Buy now £16.00, Selfridges
SELETTI Toiletpaper Sh*t print faux-leather beauty case
This bright yellow hued beauty case will stand out in your Mary Poppins-esque bottomless bag when you need a quick touch-up. It is part of a collaboration between Seletti - the Italian brand known and loved for its quirky, fantastical designs - and Toiletpaper magazine founders Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari combining the signature styles of both parties for an eccentric and playful style.
Buy now £37.00, Selfridges
Charlotte Tilbury Make-Up Bag
On one side of this pretty Charlotte Tilbury pouch, you will find a lip kiss design with imprints from some of the most iconic women in fashion, while on the reserve, it adorns the eponymous make up marvel’s famous quote: ‘Give a woman the right makeup & she can conquer the world’. The spacious makeup bag has a gold zip fastening, black lining and is machine washable.
Buy now £15.00, Cult Beauty
Space NK Travel Bag
Breeze through airport security with this travel-ready makeup bag from the experts at Space NK. The beauty retailer is offering this see-through case with faux leather trims in a range of different sizes and colours for all types of weekend trips, staycations or far flung flying. Wipe clean.
Buy now £14.00, Space NK
The Flat Lay Co. Open Flat Makeup Bag in Leopard Print
The Flat Lay Co. is changing up the makeup game with its pouches. Loosen the drawstring fastening and the bag opens up almost entirely flat to fully reveal the contents. Topping up your look on the go has never been so simple. Keep your small, prized possessions like jewellery or accessories in the zipped interior pocket, while your brushes are kept firmly to hand thanks to the elasticated slots. There’s also two additional exterior pockets for extra storage. It comes in a flurry of different designs but this bold leopard might just be our favourite.
Buy now £19.99, FeelUnique
Skinnydip Glitter Peach Makeup Bag
This peach perfect pouch will hold your products and accessories during overnight jaunts, multitasking commutes and spontaneous weekend breaks. It has an adorable fruity pattern with a glitter embellishment to brighten up your everyday task of applying your makeup and can be wiped clean, so it’s practical too.
Buy now £15.00, Boots
MYKITCO. My Big Brush Buddy Bag
If you know your contour brush from your stippling, your blush from your powder and your concealer from your flat eyeshadow - this may be the makeup case for you. Designed with professional makeup artists in mind, it offers ample storage space and comes complete with dividers to keep your collection organised. The bag itself has an adjustable and detachable strap so can stand pride of place on your dressing table or come on the go with you, whether you’re on a shoot or carting all your kit over to a friend’s house to get ready.
Buy now £52.50, lookfantastic
The Flat Lay Co. Standing Brush Case - Beige Tigers
Bag this makeup must-have that also doubles up as stand for your makeup brushes when you’re in situ. When it’s time to head out or away, zip the product up and you’re good to go. There’s space for six brushes and two small pockets for other bits and bobs. The attractive tiger design makes it a statement for your desk.
Buy now £13.99, lookfantastic
Globe-Trotter Safari vanity case
We’re throwing back to the 1920s with this elegant vanity case from Globe-Trotters. Taking inspiration from the sophisticated travelling companions of the Roaring Twenties, the case is handcrafted with separate compartments and protected with numbered code. There are even elasticated straps to secure delicate items like fragrances in place as well as a detachable mirror for touch-up emergencies.
Buy now £905.00, Harrods
MAC Carry All
Whether you’re an on-the-go beauty pro or an applicator amateur, this makeup bag maximises storage space and is big enough to fit your favourite full-sized items. There’s specialised allocations for brushes and even features a mirror for ease. It’s crafted from an easy-to-clean black nylon.
Buy now £48.00, MAC
Prada Small appliquéd leather-trimmed nylon cosmetics case
Give a designer edge to your travels with Prada’s signature nylon accessories. Not only is the fabric stylish and sporty in aesthetic but it’s pragmatic too when accidental foundation spillages occur. You can wipe it clean with ease to keep it in perfect condition for longer. The design is minimal but features the Italian fashion house’s iconic triangular logo plaque and leather detailing.
Buy now £490.00, Net-A-Porter
