16 Best Travel Makeup Bags for 2024
If you’re someone who wears makeup, you understand the investment that comes with buying these sorts of products. Quality makeup can have a high price, which is why it’s so important to take care of your collection and make sure your products last as long as possible. One of the best ways to protect all your bottles and palettes is by using a trusty makeup bag when you travel. Lucky for you, we’ve got a list of the 16 best options below.
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16 best travel makeup bags for women
1. Best versatile travel makeup bag: Béis Travel
At the top of our list is this cutie cosmetic bag from Béis Travel. We’re slightly obsessed with this bright terry cloth bag that doubles as a clutch for a night out on the town. Just remove the wristlet strap, and you go from makeup pouch to trendy clutch in one fell swoop. Talk about versatility, right? Other highlights of this design include the recycled poly liner, zinc alloy hardware, and large zippered pocket that’ll store your most essential travel products.
Price: starting at $48
2. Best organizational travel makeup bag: Away
The Cosmetics Bag from Away is truly a thing of beauty. This sleek, water-resistant bag comes with a spacious interior and wide zippered opening — meaning it can hold tons of products and give you easy access to all of ‘em. But for us, the real selling point is all the organizational details in this design. There’s a detachable makeup brush organizer, a handy spill-proof compartment, and clear zippered pockets to help you find what you need at a glance.
Price: starting at $75
3. Best leather travel makeup bag: Cuyana
Cuyana sells some of our favorite travel bags and leather accessories, and we love that their Vanity Case is a hybrid of both categories. This bag was designed to be “the most ideal carrier for your beauty essentials,” thanks in large part to its quality leather materials. All of Cuyana’s leather goods are cut and assembled by hand in small, family-owned workshops in Argentina. Simply put, this is some of the most beautiful and durable leather you’ll ever buy.
Price: starting at $98
4. Best clear travel makeup bag: Calpak
This clear cosmetic bag from Calpak is full of features we think you’ll love. For starters, there are sturdy carrying handles along the top and 2 spacious zippered compartments that can hold a mix of full-size and travel-size products. There’s also a mesh interior pocket to store smaller items as you see fit. Lastly, this design is made from synthetic leather and polyester materials that are super lightweight, and will flatten down nicely in your luggage or duffel bag.
Price: starting at $95
5. Best lightweight travel makeup bag: Travelpro
The Travelpro Split Case Toiletry Bag holds all your cosmetic essentials in one convenient place. This clear design lets you see all your products at once, and the built-in hanger hook helps you save some much-needed counter space. There are also 2 zippered pockets to keep your items organized, plus a webbing handle for easy, breezy carrying. But our favorite feature? This bag is just 0.3 Ibs — so you don’t have to worry about it weighing down your luggage.
Price: starting at $34
6. Best combo travel makeup bag: BAGGU
BAGGU’s Go Pouch Set is actually a combo of 3 travel bags sized small, medium, and large. Each bag is made using recycled nylon filament yarn that’s produced from pre-consumer waste. In simpler terms, BAGGU has put sustainability at the forefront of all their designs (and their packaging, too). And just in case you don’t have enough makeup or toiletries to fill all 3 sizes, these bags also make great storage for coins, cords, or even an extra pair of shoes.
Price: starting at $39
7. Best hanging travel makeup bag: Tropicfeel
Tropicfeel’s travel gear is made for exploring everywhere and everything — and their FidLock toiletry bag definitely gives us that ‘go anywhere, do anything’ kind of vibe. This detachable, weatherproof, and leakproof bag will safely store all your toiletries right in the same place. There’s a zippered storage compartment and double mesh pockets, as well as a plastic hook you can use to hang this bag in the bathroom (or wherever else you might want to use it).
Price: starting at $89
8. Best hard shell travel makeup bag: Calpak
Calpak makes a second appearance on our list with this beautiful hard shell makeup bag. Aside from having a durable and water-resistant shell, the Ambeur Vanity Case also comes with an adjustable (and removable) shoulder strap, as well as a luggage trolley sleeve for totally convenient transport. On the interior of this bag, you’ll find a mesh divider and mesh pocket where you can stash/organize all your fave beauty products and travel must-haves.
Price: starting at $105
9. Best budget travel makeup bag: Rose Inc
The Structured Beauty Clutch from Rose Inc is proof that a budget bag doesn’t have to look cheap. This luxe, vegan leather clutch is a lot more sophisticated than its price point lets on. The structural elements in this design help it retain its shape (whether open or closed), while the spacious interior makes this bag the ideal travel companion. That is to say, this minimalist style has a whole lot of room for you to store body care, skin care, cosmetics, and more.
Price: starting at $20
10. Best splurge travel makeup bag: Leatherology
If you’re able to splurge on your travel accessories, you can’t go wrong with this makeup bag from Leathology. This train case is made from full grain leather and comes with 2 zippered pockets, 4 open pockets, a water-resistant lining, and a metal zip-around closure for secure storage. There’s also a top handle that lays flat when not in use, plus gold hardware throughout for a bit of flair. And for an extra $10, you can even personalize this bag with your initials.
Price: starting at $125
11. Best vegan travel makeup bag: Dagne Dover
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Dagne Dover. In fact, DD has appeared on a number of our *best of* lists for their crossbody, backpack, duffel bag, and more. So it probably comes as no surprise that we’re in love with their Hunter Toiletry Bag, too. This 100% vegan design is made from premium neoprene — a high-tech fabric that’s both water-resistant and hand washable. But the best part about neoprene? It’s durable enough to withstand the wear and tear of travel.
Price: starting at $45
Check out our list of the best Dagne Dover dupes here.
12. Best scratch-resistant travel makeup bag: Crunchi
Reviewers say this faux leather pouch from Crunchi reminds them of a high-end designer bag. And honestly, it’s not hard to see why. This stylish makeup bag is made using flexible and highly-resilient materials that are an amazing dupe for high-quality leather. Along with its thoughtful construction and durability, this pick gets major points for its polished chrome zippers, water- and scratch-resistant exterior, and custom inner sleeves that’ll protect your glass bottles.
Price: starting at $54
13. Best insulated travel makeup bag: WELLinsulated
We’ll just cut to the chase: this travel makeup bag from WELLinsulated is one of the coolest designs we’ve ever seen. This insulated pouch is specially made to protect your products from changing temperatures in places like steamy bathrooms, hot cars, and freezing airplanes. In other words, the high-performance materials help extend “the lifespan and integrity of your skin care and makeup.” A gorgeous beauty bag with exceptional functionality? Sign us up!
Price: starting at $65
14. Best oversized travel makeup bag: Glossier
Glossier's Beauty Bag is a top rated product that “fits the whole shebang.” This oversized, zippered clutch is tall enough to fit your must-have products (standing up!), but it’s not so big that it won’t fit in your carry on (it will!). According to Glossier, this bag can hold a full-size cleanser, moisturizer, and travel sunscreen — with plenty of room left for some travel-size goodies. As an added bonus, the coated cotton material makes it easy to wipe away any stains or spills.
Price: starting at $35
15. Best double layer travel makeup bag: BAGSMART
This double layer makeup bag from BAGSMART gets a *chef’s kiss* for organization. The first layer can hold multiple brush sizes, and comes with a little mirror to help with your makeup application. The second layer has a roomy pocket that’s big enough to hold a large palette (think blush or eye shadow). And finally, the bottom compartment has a really nice depth to it — so much so that you can store your full-size bottles vertically (to help prevent spills).
Price: starting at $20
16. Best professional travel makeup bag: Make Up For Ever
The last bag on our list is mostly geared towards makeup professionals — like those who travel to do photoshoots, weddings, and so on. With that said, anyone who’s into makeup is sure to fall in love with this tote from Make Up For Ever. Not only does this bag keep all your makeup clean and organized, but it has multiple zippered compartments (and mesh pockets) to store brushes, foundations, setting sprays, and more. A very worthwhile investment if makeup’s your thing!
Price: starting at $125
Travel makeup bags - common FAQs
How do I organize my makeup bag?
If you want to organize your makeup bag, start by dumping out the contents and assessing what you do (and don’t) use. Anything that’s expired or you no longer need should be recycled or discarded to keep clutter to a minimum. Next, wipe down the bag itself, wipe down your products, and arrange everything according to size (i.e. square palettes lined up all together).
Do makeup bags have to be clear for TSA?
No, TSA does not specify that makeup bags or toiletry bags need to be clear to pass through security. Even so, using a clear bag to store your liquids will definitely expedite the security process since TSA agents can see everything you have without further inspection.
How do you pack makeup for travel?
One of the best things you can do when packing makeup for travel is to bring multi-tasking products. For example, some lipsticks can double as blush and eye shadow for a fun monochromatic look that also saves space in your bag. Other than that, you can protect your products by using cotton pads to cushion the inside of your palettes and/or sealing the top of your bottles with a piece of tape (to prevent spills).