Heading out on a quick getaway to a tropical place or a vacation to Europe?  Lisa Xing tells you how to look fresh, even when on a plane.
Travelling is taxing on the body, that’s for sure.  After a long flight, it’s probably safe to say that not many feel or look their best at the arrivals gate.  These long trips don’t have to take a toll though.  Here are a few tips on how to look ready to hit the beach or museum right after you get off your flight!

Eyes

First things first — make sure you tweeze your eyebrows before you go away!  If you wax, wax.  One of the easiest things to help you out during your vacation is to prepare well before it.  If you’re going away for a week or two, clean your eyebrows right before you go.  That way, you won’t even have to worry about carrying around tweezers in your bag.  It’ll be one less thing for you to carry (believe me, it all adds up!) and one less thing for you to worry about.

Q-tips!  Bring about 10 Q-tips for a week-long excursion.  They come in handy anywhere and for anything.  They’ll remove makeup smudges from when you fell asleep and ruined your eye makeup on that airplane pillow.  They’re also great for applying eye makeup and smudging it.  If you’re really prone to mucking up your makeup when you’re on the go, dip the ends of a few Q-tips into makeup remover and seal them tight in a plastic bag you can zip.  That way you can whip them out anytime if you have an emergency and are pressed for time.

Lastly, try and bring just one eye shadow palette, if that.  Personally, all I bring on shorter vacations (less than a week) is a shimmery black eyeliner.  All I have to do is smudge it on my upper eyelids for a smoky look and use it sparingly on my lower lids.  If you want more variety, bring one compact with colours you like.  They’re made to complement each other and can be used by mixing and matching the colours.

Face

Use a highlighter.  If you don’t have one, buy one.  These sticks are so handy you don’t need to bring separate eye shadow and blush!  They can be used all over, from brow bones and eyelids to cheeks and lips.  They’re usually shimmery, so they can be used on places like shoulders as well, for accentuating.  Just avoid your T-zone (forehead, nose and chin) with these sticks because you don’t want to make your face too shiny, especially if you’re already shine-prone.

Make sure you bring a package of oil-absorbing sheets along with you.  Sometimes you won’t have room or enough time to use powder from a compact, so these sheets can be tucked into your pocket and whipped out when you need a bit of shine-control.

Bring a small container of face-cleansing pads.  Yes, like those Oxy brand ones!  The great thing about them is that they don’t require any water — just swipe them over your face and you’re as fresh as when you cleansed in the morning.  They remove dirt, oil and makeup as well, so you’re really getting a great deal out of them.

Hair

Again, it’s important to prepare your hair before you leave.  Many times, a sudden temperature change can dry out your hair.  Condition your hair before you go, either a deep conditioner in the shower or a treatment.  This way, your hair has a little extra moisture to use if the climate winds up being very dry.

Skip the crazy hair maintenance routine!  After all, you’re on vacation, not getting ready for a photo shoot.  If you have hair that’s hard to handle, just bring lots of conditioner or mousse and tie your hair back.  A vacation should be for relaxing, not stressing about whether or not straightening your hair will help it de-frizz.

If your hair is beyond that, frizz can easily be maintained by running a silicone serum through your hair before you hit the tropics.

Skin

I can’t stress enough how important it is to bring at least SPF 15 sunscreen, no matter where you go.  You’ll still tan with that SPF on, but your skin will be a lot less damaged.  You can also administer a self-tanner a few days before you leave, so you’ll be bronzed by the time you get to the tropics and will be less tempted to sunbathe with no protection.

Your eyes are the most sensitive parts of your face since the skin around them is so thin.  Make sure you pack eye cream and use it every day.  It’ll help with the puffiness of travelling and help your eyes feel more refreshed.

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space issues

While econo-sized lotions are great for home, they have no place in your luggage!  If you want to bring perfume, ask the salespeople for a small sample size you can stash.  Same goes for eyeliners and lip glosses.  You don’t want anything too heavy or bulky that can be a hassle to bring.  Also remember, you’re not allowed more than three ounces of liquids in your carry-on case, so everything has to be small.  To make it easier for yourself, put everything in a regular-sized, see-through plastic zip bag.