The makeup I really wore on vacation

I recently went on an incredible vacation in Germany, Austria, and Prague for 2.5 weeks, and while I’m happy to gush about my trip to anyone who will listen, we are obviously focusing on the makeup I brought with me. 

P.S. this post contains too much information and may be too long to read in email form. To fully capture all the genius of my makeup packing, you’ll want to read this post online or in the Substack app!

I fully confess that I am an overpacker when it comes to makeup, especially when it comes to lip products. I pack lip products like some people pack underwear – always have a bevy of options just in case, which usually means I’ll end up packing twice the number of lip products as the number of days that I’m traveling. That’s totally reasonable right? (don’t answer that)

This trip I managed to achieve the impossible:  packing the right amount of makeup so that I had all the options I wanted for a few different looks while actually using everything I brought.

I completely credit the Charlotte Tilbury makeup bag with its multiple compartments that help me sort all the different types of products I have, and it opens up all the way so nothing gets lost in the shuffle. But perhaps the most miraculous feature is how well it all zips together and ends up looking like a much smaller bag than it actually is. I know that there are a lot of bags like this these days, but this one is really just the right size for me with the perfect amount of organization.

Back to the products – It would take me all day to take you through every product I brought with me, but out of the not so little capsule makeup collection I traveled with for nearly 3 weeks, I still reached for some products more than others. 

If you’re short on time, I’ve gathered all the products mentioned in Shop My Shelf so you can browse everything together.

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Base and Cheeks

The only foundation I brought was the The Foundation Stick from Basma Beauty and it is so good I looked forward to using it every day. I basically have a rule to travel with stick or cream foundations to avoid any types of leaks or spills and this one just delivers every time in terms of blendability, coverage, finish, and lasting power. I wear shade 27. 

To set the foundation, I’m currently in a deep love affair with a luminous setting powder, of all things. The Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is a cult favorite for good reason (and it’s one of my favorite foundations with a perfect shade match in shade 3.5), but the powder leaves a stunning finish that doesn’t look or feel powdery at all. I particularly love this as a touch-up powder because it’s lightly blurring and takes down any excessive shine while maintaining a really fresh look to my skin. I wear shade 5.5, and bonus that some shades are currently on sale – I also have shade 4 and it’s a great winter shade for me.

It’s no secret that I’m a blush fiend, but I’ve been reaching for the  Chanel Les Beiges Sheer Colour Stick in no. 20 almost exclusively for the past month. It’s the perfect nude cream blush that is ever so slightly warm toned and has a hint of a rosiness to it. To apply, I find that adding product directly onto a brush (this is my favorite, btw) from the blush gives me just the right amount of oomph while still remaining pretty minimal. 

On very minimal makeup days I’ll leave it at the Chanel blush, but most days I love layering blush. The Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosee de Soir is not only my perfect nude blush but it’s also one of my used blushes. It has a soft silky finish, and is one of those blushes that goes with everything. It’s neutral and just the right balance of muted rose, mauve, and beige in a soft satin finish. It is absolutely holy grail status. P.s. get 15% off with code STEPH15.

With warm spring weather in Europe, the Chantecaille Philanthropy Blush in Coral Laughter is the perfect brighter pinkish coral alternative to a nude blush. It’s not my usual go to shade for blush, but the warmer weather and sunny days has me craving something bright and I’m hanging on to that feeling before I settle back into my usual muted tones. When all else fails, my beloved Westman Atelier Peau de Peche is what I will reliably reach for when I want a one and done cheek product. I already gushed about it in my post about my favorite top shelf worth luxury beauty products, and I just fall more in love with it everyday.

Eyes

The fact that I used my Chanel Stylo Contour Eyeshadow in 12 Contour Clair nearly every day on my vacation without getting sick of it speaks volumes about how much I really love this. It provides the perfect neutral base that I’ve worn alone on multiple occasions, but is also a great base for my go-to neutral eyeshadows. When applied over my favorite eyeshadow primer (which is under $10!), this shadow lasts all day.

Speaking of neutral eyeshadows, it takes a lot to tear me away from the Surratt Beyond Beige quad, which I’m convinced is the most perfect neutral quad to exist, but right now I can’t get enough of the Natasha Denona Mini Dream Eyeshadow Palette, which my friend Teresa recommended to me. It has the same neutral toned neutral vibes, but with more variety in finishes. It’s a fantastic everyday essential palette plus some shimmery shades for a bit of glam that is a fraction of the price and equally as travel friendly.

While I tend to stick with the same favorite eyeliners over and over again to create my signature smoky wing, I’ve been dipping my toes back into liquid liner and I’m having so much fun with it, which is largely due to the Make Beauty Liquid Line liners. They come in the most fun colors and the shade New Sky is the perfect pastel blue. In addition to adding a cute and fun little accent to my looks, the ultra fine felt tip is one of the best felt tip liners I’ve ever used. The formula is also incredible and lasts all day without any fading or smudging.

For a more wearable everyday liner, I’ve been loving the Flowfushi Uzu Eye Opening Eyeliner in Brown Black, which also has a fantastic budgeproof waterproof formula, and my favorite feature is the slightly cool toned brown-black shade that I haven’t seen in any other liner shade. 

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LIPS

Lip products is where I always go off the rails, but I’ll just share a few highlights of what I ended up wearing the most:

I’ve become a lip liner fiend in recent months and have a nice rotation of favorite lip liners, but the new Lisa Eldridge Sculpt and Shade Lip Pencil in 2C has been one of my most used liners in the past month. The formula feels like a hybrid of 2 of my favorites – the Victoria Beckham Lip Definers and the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheats. It’s creamy, but not too creamy so the finish is still soft and natural, and it blends into my lip color perfectly. This formula is comfortable and feels weightless while lasting about 4-5 hours.

The lipsticks I wore most often were products that were easy to apply on the go and felt comfortable to wear, and it doesn’t get any easier than Hermes Rose Lip Enhancer in Rose Tan. It’s one of my all time favorite tinted lip balms not just for the beautifully luxe packaging but also because the lightly tinted rosy beige shade in a natural not quite matte, but also not shiny finish. It’s the perfect “I woke up like this” kind of lip product.

When I wanted to level up the opacity and shine just a little bit, I reached for Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Moment. The Rouge Coco Flash formula is lightweight with light coverage and a slightly shiny, but not glossy finish. I own several shades but Moment is a beautiful 90s-esque mid tone brown shade to give my look a little bit of depth while still feeling like a very casual daytime neutral. 

On this trip I also gave one of my favorite lipstick formulas some love: Victoria Beckham Posh Lipstick in Spark, and it really reminded me of why I love it so much. With a slight gel-cream formula it glides on so smoothly with a smoothing effect that looks oh so beautiful. Something about all the Victoria Beckham lip products makes them blend with my lips in a really natural way, so it never looks like I’m wearing a mask of color even if I’m wearing a brighter or deeper shade. The shade Spark is also that perfect my lips but better muted rose shade.

The stick gloss formulas that every brand seems to have now are the perfect travel product if you’re trying to limit liquid products, and the Hourglass Glossy Lip Balms are one of the best lightweight gloss formulas in a stick. I loved using Rouse over a lip liner in the morning for a softly defined glossy sheer brown lip, and then it was so easy to reapply throughout the day like I would reapply lip balm. 

I still brought a few traditional lip glosses with me, but I basically only wore 2 the entire trip: the Merit Shade Slick in Taupe, a perfect lightweight and glossy, but not too glossy formula with a light tint. Taupe is also that perfect neutral tan shade that doesn’t drown out the rosiness of my lips. For on the go application it doesn’t get better than the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Vanilla Beige, which is truly one of the best tinted balm formulas out there. I love the sheer beige shade of Vanilla Beige, but since I returned from vacation, I’ve recently acquired the re-released Iced Coffee shade and the sweet coffee scent gives a hit of dopamine every time I use it.

Want to view all the products in one place? Click here to view all the products in Shop My Shelf!

Now that we’re heading into summer getaway season, I hope this is a helpful insight into how I incorporate recent obsessions and seasonal shades to my most tried and true products. I try to keep a tight edit but give myself enough options (plus a few emotional support options). If you’re traveling soon, what are your must have products to take with you? 

As always, thanks for reading.

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