Beauty Staples for Long-Haul Flights

How many of you dear readers have long-haul flights in the upcoming months? Here are some of my tips for an in-flight beauty routine that I hope you can find helpful.  I have flown my fair share of 12-14 hour flights, so hopefully I can help someone out there!

My Beauty Picks for a Long-Haul Flight

I like to keep things very simple during a long flight. More than anything, I like to emphasize on hydrating your skin. That cabin air is so drying and you need to create a barrier against it from your skin, especially on your face, because it can get really uncomfortable over the course of your long flight. Drinking several cups of water throughout the flight will also help your skin stay plump. Make sure you take enough stretch breaks, too!

On any other day, I love doing makeup but I really like to be low-maintenance for long flights. I don't bother at all with foundations, eye makeup, and I barely bother with lip colors.

L to R: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, Eos Lip Balm, Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask, Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion w/ Aloe, Mini Vial of Victoria's Secret Heavenly EDP, Bath & Body Works Pocketbac in Fresh Balsam, Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Smitten

Before I leave the house for the airport, I make sure I wash my face, apply toner, and moisturize. In all likelihood, I'm not going to be washing my face at the airport or on the plane. We all know we only have a finite amount of space for our liquids for carry-on bags. You need to be smart about what's worth taking and what isn't. As a former over-packer, I've pared things down into the following to include in my 1-quart bag:

• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
• Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask
• Eos Lip Balm
• Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion w/ Aloe
• Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain
• Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel
• Mini perfume vial

A related item that is not a liquid that you can include in your carry-on bag are makeup remover wipes. They won't count against your liquids quota! You can pack a few sheets in another Ziploc bag if you need to freshen up on the plane. I have a new favorite thanks to G. at Nouveau Cheap. They're Epielle Cleansing Tissues. They come in a variety of lightly scented and unscented options and they're super affordable!

Epielle Green Tea Cleansing Tissues

You can pick them up at your local Big Lots store. This is a pack of 30 sheets for $1 or 80 cents if you can time it out with their 20% off sale. If you don't live near a Big Lots, Clean & Clear has some that received great reviews and can be purchased here.

I've included links above each description if you'd like to purchase the rest of these items for yourself.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

I apply this before I leave the house and will reapply after my first bathroom break on the plane. It's very light and unscented. I've been using this lotion ever since middle school. The one I have here is a revamped version for very dry to dry combination skin. On a typical long-haul flight, I apply this 2-3 times all over my face and do little touch ups on spots that need a little extra help like around my nose.

Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask

I apply this after a few hours on the plane around the time when I start to get tired. It may or may not mean I'll fall asleep, but that's just when I do it. As the name implies, it's thicker than the Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+. I feel like this does a great job at locking in moisture and that's great if I do happen to fall asleep. I usually don't sleep for more than two hours at at time on planes.

Eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

I apply this as needed. I happen to be using Eos lip balm spheres at the moment. It's definitely cute but it performs just like a regular lip balm.

Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain

I would only apply this if I was going to meet somebody for a meal when I landed. It's a low-maintenance lip product that gives my face an extra boost of color after being on a plane for 10+ hours. I love this in the shade Honey. I also don't have to worry much about reapplying since it leaves a nice stain after eating and drinking. I'd probably be too jetlagged to notice anyway! I've raved about this lippie in my previous MLBB post.

Bath & Body Works Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel

I always carry hand sanitizer with me so a plane is no exception. You never know when you need to sanitize quickly for a meal or after touching something many other people have touched. I personally prefer Bath & Body Works' because of their lovely scents. Purell is another good option if you have a sensitive nose.

Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Lotion with Aloe
Your hands are bound to get dry on a long flight. This Gold Bond lotion is a new favorite and really does help my dry skin. It was featured in my March Favorites post. It has a very light and pleasant aloe/chamomile scent.

Mini Perfume Vial

For this, you don't even have to go as large as a roller ball or purse spray. I'm sure most people have a little vial of perfume they received as a sample at some point. If not, Nordstrom and Sephora give out samples. If you don't have one already, make a mental note to pick one up next time you're at the mall :) It's a good idea to carry one with you so you can spritz yourself with it when you get off the plane to distract from the cabin smell.

My Flight Beauty Staples in a 1-qt Ziploc Bag

I get my travel-sized Clinique items whenever they're running a free gift with purchase promotion at Macy's/Nordstrom/Bloomingdales. If you want to wait a bit and get a free 7-piece GWP, Nordstrom has their Clinique promo starting May 17-June 5, 2016. Clinique Bonus Time is a fantastic resource to find out when there will be another Clinique GWP will be available. (Don't forget to sign up for Ebates for extra cash back savings! I have my referral link on the right side of this page.)

I hope my tips can be of some help to even just a couple of you dear readers. Perhaps it's a side-effect of getting older, but I'm not self-conscious about showing my bare face. I just want what's easiest! While I normally really do enjoy applying makeup, international travel is just a no-go for me! Plus, I know everyone is not looking their best when they get off the plane, so I can't worry too much about it. Not to mention, everyone is jetlagged, trying to get their luggage, and trying to get through customs and leave!

Where are you off to this year? Do you follow a simple beauty routine like I do or does yours involve a few more steps? Let me know in the comments below!