12 Apr How to Pack a Single Carry-On Bag without Sacrificing Your Beauty Routine

I’m the carry-on queen. I don’t say that to brag, it’s just the truth. I never check my bags so I’ve become a pro at how to pack a single carry-on.

While most of us know the tricks to packing clothes efficiently {rolling versus folding, using packing cubes, etc.}, if there’s one area that still causes carry-on anxiety, it revolves around the beauty routine. I mean, when you’re limited to 3.4 ounces of a single product, how do you cope?!

But it’s totally possible to have a single carry-on bag and not have to sacrifice your daily beauty routine. I collaborated with Walmart to show you how to pack your bag, maintain your beauty routine and of course, do it with ease and style! The products I found at Walmart are the perfect size and make that carry-on life much easier.
The key to a pared down beauty routine involves making an honest list of what you actually need. I break my routine down by morning and night so I have the essentials like lotion, sunscreen, body wash and include the must haves that address my skincare issues {for me, that’s acne!}. Walmart has fast 2-day shipping, so even if you have a last minute trip, you’re covered. I like transferring products into smaller travel size bottles {more on that below!}, but I also found a few items from Walmart that were already the perfect travel size for a carry-on. Literally, you can just throw them in your bag and go.

Once I have a clear idea of what I actually need, it’s time to bring in the travel bottle pack. This 7-piece kit includes bottles that come in a variety of sizes to fit every cream or liquid imaginable. And the labels are also a nice touch.

I always suggest knocking the big boys out first, that means the beauty products you’ll use every day, sometimes twice a day {lotion, SPF, body wash, etc.}. I have insanely dry skin, so there’s no way I’d leave home without my Nivea body lotion or SheaMoisture Hydration Body Wash. I’m pretty adventurous with my fashion, but not so much when it comes to trying new beauty brands, but Walmart had the brands I already use and love. So no worries about a rogue breakout, which would be especially annoying while on vacay.

As for my morning routine, I keep it pretty simple with Neutrogena acne face wash. I can use this in the morning and night and it addresses my acne woes. Though the travel bottle container I transferred the Neutrogena into looks small, I got nine pumps of the face wash in there! That’s more than enough for an average trip. While it can be necessary to transfer products to smaller containers, I also love when beauty essentials already come in smaller sizes, like my serums and the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier. I didn’t even know Walmart carried Murad!

My night time routine usually includes a few heavier duty products, but they still don’t take up a ton of space. Again, my skin issue is acne, so I would never be away from home for too long without a retinoid like Differin. This used to only be available with a prescription, but now it’s easily accessible at places like Walmart. Also, it’s just the right size, so I can travel with it as is. But my night serum is in a huge glass bottle. An absolute no-no for carry-ons. But it’s easily pourable into one of my travel bottles and this one has a small spout at the top which makes it ideal for pouring it out onto a cotton pad. And if there’s one beauty travel tip I would share: bring sheet masks! They come in small packs, are loaded with skincare goodness and when you’re done, you can toss them! It really doesn’t get any easier than that. Travel tends to make my skin a bit dull, so this Garnier Moisture Bomb face mask has worked wonders.

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While the products above are for my morning and night routine, I also make sure to bring my “day” products. Those consist of items that keep me looking and feeling fresh throughout the day. I tend to skip makeup on non-work related trips, but I always bring a stick concealer like the Black Radiance True Complexion Corrector & Concealer and e.l.f’s Cool Down Mist. These are those go-tos that are already TSA-size approved. No need to transfer anything. Major key when packing.

I throw all of my pint sized beauty goods into these clear cosmetic bags and I’m ready to go. The clear design means I know exactly what’s in the bag without even having to open them. The bags make it so easy to just whip them out and place on the conveyor belt when it’s time to go through security.

After filling two of the clear plastic bags with my beauty essentials, I’m ready to go! No problems from TSA and my skin will be happy!

This post was sponsored by Walmart, all opinions are my own.