13 Best Travel Makeup Bags, Recommend by Our Editors

Parallelle's Carry-On makeup bag is the ultimate solution to keeping beauty products organized and easy to find—and it's our top pick for travelers. Before discovering this magical bag a year ago, I would empty my entire cosmetic pouch onto the bathroom counter of any hotel or Airbnb I stayed at to find what I need. Those days are long gone, thanks to this makeup bag's genius foldable shape. After you unzip the bag, each side can be pulled down to lie flat, allowing you to easily see all of your products at once. It's designed to keep each product secured in an upright position, again making them easy to spot and reducing the risk of spills.

The medium-size case features 16 wall pockets, 4 elastic mesh pouches, and 3 adjustable compartments. The small wall pockets are ideal for holding slim products like makeup brushes, mascara, eyeliner, lip liner, or lipstick. The four elastic mesh pouches hold loose items, like blush, bronzer, and pressed powder. And the adjustable compartments are where you can stash bottles and containers, like foundation, makeup remover, and setting spray. There's a place for everything—and I mean everything. This is the bag I regularly reach for when I travel, whether I'm going away for the weekend or a weeklong vacation.

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Is there anything better than washable makeup bag? Associate social media manager Emily Adler recently traveled with this sitting at the bottom of her backpack and says it “fit like a glove" and that its smooth top zipper makes accessing your things that much easier. Kusshi's super-soft, neoprene makeup bag is a great option for all types of trips. “It's very sturdy yet plushy enough to flexibly fit into a weekender or backpack, and has a large amount of capacity despite not being too oversized,” says Adler. “On another trip, I used it to pack my plane snacks, vitamins, and medication (which, shamefully, I used to throw in a Ziploc bag) and let's just say I'll probably never travel without it again.”

For travelers who have no desire to pack light, Calpak's oversized cosmetics case will keep all your favorite products neat and visible, thanks to its full transparent exterior. The clear makeup bag unzips fully so each side can lay flat, and has an extra mesh interior pocket to hold smaller items. Associate commerce director Madison Flager uses the large version for extended trips (closed, it's as big as a sheet of printer paper, and several inches wide), but we recommend the medium size for weeklong vacations. These bags are roomy enough to be used to hold makeup products on one side and skincare essentials on the other, allowing everything you need for your travel beauty routine to be kept in one place. In addition to its roomy size, this bag's durable exterior makes it a stand-out pick of our editors, handling as much wear and tear as you can throw at it. Plus, a top handle makes for easy carrying or looping over a bathroom hook.

Our editors regularly turn to Cuyana for its high-quality leather totes and crossbody bags. Traveler contributor Erika Owen has been using this leather set for years, and it still looks good as new. It comes with two chic cases: one large bag that fits foundation, eyeshadow palettes, and skincare essentials as well as a smaller bag ideal for makeup brushes or tools like an eyelash curler. Both bags feature a leather interior that you can easily wipe clean with a damp cloth after any accidental makeup spills. The set is available in a variety of colors, including blush, sapphire, red, burnt orange, ecru, and classic black.

This isn't exactly a makeup bag, but it is the perfect companion to any of these cosmetic pouches. I bring this compact, washable case with me on every trip, long or short, to hold my makeup brushes in one place. I used to pack my brushes inside of my makeup bag, but it would quickly leave my products covered with pressed powder and eyeshadow. Packing my makeup brushes in a separate pouch keeps my products—and my bag— cleaner and more organized. The pouch has a magnetic closure that keeps brushes secure and laying in one direction when closed. And if you're worried about packing another thing, rest assured that this brush holder is super slim and lightweight, fitting nicely in a small backpack or weekender. Best of all, if the brush holder is dirty after I travel with it, I can easily rinse it off with some soap and water to clean it. Plus, the interior walls of the pouch double as a cleaning pad for your makeup brushes.

Away designs some of our editors' go-to suitcases, prioritizing durability and smart features. The brand's cosmetic bag is equally as easy to love, making it a go-to for senior commerce editor Hannah Chubb. “I travel with a lot of skincare and toiletries, and somehow this spacious case fits it all,” says Chubb. “I love that it has multiple leakproof compartments to keep things organized, and the central zippered pocket is where I stash small trinkets like jewelry and hair accessories. Best of all, the entire case opens up super wide—no scrambling to find a tool or serum in here.” Plus, the case comes with a detachable brush roll that snaps to the top lid to keep makeup brushes separate.

To keep makeup separate from other toiletries, Flager reaches for this transparent bag from Stasher. This compact pouch is made of a sturdy platinum silicone that protects bottles and liquids from breaking, and it features a leakproof seal. It's also just the right size to hold longer or thicker makeup brushes. What we love most about this lightweight bag, though, is how versatile it is; when you're not using it for makeup essentials, pack it with shower products, tech accessories, or jewelry. Another pro: It's dishwasher and heat safe.

Eachy's large makeup bag was one of our readers' most-purchased items during Amazon's annual Prime Day this summer. The sleek bag is spacious enough to hold makeup and skincare products, and features a few interior pockets to hold powder and blush. There's also a transparent zippered compartment in the center of the bag to keep brushes separate from the rest of your items. Plus, the bag is made with a durable, waterproof exterior that's easy to clean.

This ultra-soft, spacious bag couldn't be cuter—and its just $10. It's roomy enough to hold makeup and skincare products for a one-to-two week trip, but its soft cotton material allows it to be compressed flatter when it's not totally full. It features two zippers that open the top of the bag completely, allowing you to see all of your products at once, and a carrying handle. Inside, you'll find a zippered mesh pocket to hold brushes or beauty accessories like tweezers or an eyelash curler.

The Metro Cosmetic Case is a sleek upgrade from the traditional soft makeup pouch. Made with water- and scratch-resistant vegan leather, this high-quality case is built to last for years—making it a nice gift for the stylish traveler in your life. Inside, you'll find plenty of elastic loops to hold brushes and small products like primer and lip balm, as well as a roomy main compartment for larger products. There's also a clear zippered pocket under the case's lid to hold small extras, like hair ties or makeup remover wipes. More pros are the included removable pouch that holds cotton swabs and the top carry handle. Available in ivory or black, the Metro Case will sit pretty on any hotel bathroom counter.

This Amazon bestseller is a great option for travelers headed to a destination wedding or other special occasion where full glam is order. The durable case has racked up nearly 20,000 five-star ratings and hundreds of rave reviews. It scores major points for organization, with several adjustable dividers that let you keep all of your products secure and separated. There are also slim pockets to hold makeup brushes and and a zippered compartment for eyeshadow palettes. The thoughtfully designed case is waterproof and shockproof, so it can handle some bumps and drops.

On the outside, this Béis bag looks like any other makeup bag; inside, it's obvious it was designed by someone who's traveled with a drugstore full of makeup once or twice. Inside, there's a larger-than-average compact mirror that slips out, a double-sided detachable brush holder to keep eye and lip brushes separate, and smaller compartments to store odds and ends, plus a spacious main compartment. Even better, the water-resistant lining makes it easy to wipe clean.

Another bestseller from travel-friendly brand Bagsmart is this puffy, water-resistant cosmetic pouch. We love this one for its interior pockets that are designed to hold circular products like blush, bronzer, and pressed powder. There's also a slim side pocket to hold brushes or lip liners, and enough room in the main compartment for palettes, foundation, and setting spray. Choose from several colors, including the light pink pictured above, beige, blue, purple, gray, and black.