The Best Travel-Friendly Makeup Bags and Vanity Cases for Every Type of Beauty Lover
From compact carryalls with brush holders to professional-ready options, stay organized wherever you're headed with these cosmetics holders at every budget.
By Nicola Fumo, Danielle Directo-Meston
May 13, 2025 6:18pm
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Whether you’re a skin care-obsessed jet-setter, a professional makeup artist, an aspiring beauty vlogger or an everyday makeup wearer, having a well-organized makeup bag can be a huge help when away from home. Not only does a good makeup bag make it easier to find what you need when you need it, but it also helps prevent (or at least contain) spills and product damage.
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When it comes to finding the best makeup bags, consider the occasions you’ll need this bag for. Are you toting a few essentials to and from your partner’s house for overnight stays? Taking short trips for work? Prepping for a long, multi-city vacation? Heading to a set a few times a week for different clients? This will help you understand the size that makes sense for you, and the kinds of compartments you’ll need.
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If you need full-sized products or are packing hair tools like brushes or hair dryers, you’ll want to choose the best travel makeup bag with deep, undivided sections. But if you’re just bringing travel-sized hair and body care plus little tubes of mascara and brow pomade, then a small makeup organizer with small zippered pockets would be more helpful.
Below, find more than 10 of the best makeup bags for travel and everyday use, from small toiletry bags to professional-sized vanity cases.
best TSA-Friendly
Bagsmart TSA Approved Clear Toiletry Bag, 3-Pack
Bagsmart’s best-selling clear waterproof toiletry bag measures 8.2x2x6 inches, so it adheres to TSA’s 3-1-1 liquids rule and has a one-quart capacity.
Best with bottom compartment
Abiudeng Large Makeup Bag
Save an extra 10 percent off
$16.19 $23.99 33% off
Made from a buttery-soft vegan leather and available in 10 different shades (including green and an intrecciato-style design that both scream Bottega), this toiletry bag features a wide, zippered opening up top along with a smaller zip compartment on the bottom. Use the top section to store bulkier items like lotions, makeup, soaps and shampoos; the bottom area is great for toothbrushes, makeup brushes, lip balms and compacts.
best lay flat bag
The Flat Lay Co. Jelly Makeup Box Bag
London-based Flat Lay Co. makes a range of stylish and water-resistant makeup bags with a convenient lay-flat design. They come in a range of materials and styles to match your aesthetic, from clear Jelly options with charming prints to soft quilted Marshmallow Box bags in classic hues and fun patterns.
Best for Gym Bags
Lululemon City Essentials Pouch Mini 2L
Lululemon’s stylish City Essentials Pouch boasts a generous two-liter capacity and features a zippered exterior pocket. It’s made of water-repellent fabric and comes in other chic shades, and it’s the perfect compact size for throwing into your gym bag, backpack or purse.
best Expandable
State Hart Toiletry Kit
$58.50 $78 25% off
Buy at State
One of our favorite toiletry bags is also our go-to for consolidating skin care and makeup on short trips. We love State’s Hart toiletry kit for its many zippered and mesh compartments, the convenient hanging loop and the fact that it’s expandable.
Beis
best with mirror
Béis The On the Go Essential Case
Shay Mitchell-founded travel goods brand Béis’ many thoughtfully-designed pieces include this On-the-Go Essentials Case (other colors available). Measuring 8x3x6 inches, it boasts a convenient carrying handle, two roomy zippered clear compartments and a folding mirror that comes in handy when you’re doing your makeup on the go. We’re also fans of the label’s hanging cosmetic case that features three convenient sections and a clear TSA-friendly pouch for keeping everything organized and within reach.
Best hanging makeup bag
Bagsmart Large Toiletry Bag
$22.99 $27.99 18% off
Another top pick from affordable travel brand Bagsmart, this large water-resistant toiletry bag is one of the best organizers for makeup, skin care and more. It has four sections with clear windows, and two compartments feature elastic straps for holding full-sized products and small bottles in place. It’s also got a handy exterior pocket and comes in other colors.
Best For Purses
Kusshi Everyday Cosmetics Bag
Kusshi’s Everyday Cosmetic Bag is our top pick for organizing daily essentials in your purse. At 5×7.5 inches, it’s compact but roomy enough to hold lipsticks, compacts, earbuds and other small items. It’s also made of machine-washable nylon.
Best clear makeup bag
Etoile Clear Makeup Travel Case
Best Small Pouch
Bloomingdale’s Little Brown Cosmetics Case
This classic little brown pouch from Bloomingdale’s features the department store’s iconic branding and a cute, perfectly compact size.
best drawstring makeup bag
Lay-n-Go Cosmo Drawstring Cosmetic & Makeup Bag Organizer
If you’re more of the “organized mess” type, Lay-n-Go’s Cosmo drawstring makeup bag ensures all of your beauty goodies are visible (and equally easy to put away).
Best with brush holder
Nudestix Hanging Cosmetic Case
The clear removable pouch from Nudestix’s hanging cosmetic case is the ideal one-liter size, which is why it’s become our go-to for stowing all of our travel-sized skin care and liquids (including makeup) in our carry-on. For road trips and check-in suitcases, we like bringing the entire case for organizing our makeup brushes and non-liquid toiletries in the dedicated mesh pockets and designated brush holder with a protective flap. Plus, the structured shape makes it easy to fit with our packing cubes.
Best with lighted mirror
Beautifect Box
For the ultimate mobile vanity, Beautifect’s best-selling Box the perfect travel-friendly makeup station. The built-in LED mirror simulates daylight-quality lighting and features a smaller 5x magnification area, and designated flaps for brushes fold out to reveal and organized bottom compartment for all of your beauty essentials. Even the exterior is chic, and the quilted box is available in white, gold, rose gold and matte black.
Ulta
Best fold out
Caboodles Rose Gold On The Go Girl
$24 at Ulta
This one’s a classic — and for good reason. The original Caboodles case offers ample space for bigger items like brushes and full-sized bottles and compartments to easily access smaller makeup products.
Amazon
Best Open-wide bag
Eachy Travel Makeup Bag
$23.99 $29.13 18% off
This large-capacity travel makeup bag opens wide to reveal two sections divided by a clear zippered pouch. Each compartment has pockets to separate smaller items, and we love that the case is waterproof and washable. Other colors are available.
Best Hard Case
Calpak Ambeur Vanity Case
Calpak’s metallic Ambeur vanity case is pricier for travel makeup bags, but it’s more like a small piece of luggage than a little dopp kit. The hard case shell has a removable shoulder strap and a luggage trolley sleeve, so it can slip neatly on top of a roller bag. The interior is big enough for full-sized bottles and hair styling tools, with zippered mesh dividers to keep smaller items organized.
Best fold-flat with organizers
Charlotte Tilbury Medium Makeup Bag of Dreams
If you’re already a fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Old Hollywood glamour, then the makeup artist-turned-beauty entrepreneur’s large-sized Makeup Bag of Dreams is a great pick. It’s made of soft velvet and features five handy compartments for organizing your face, eye and lip products and beauty tools. It also comes in small and medium sizes, or in a set of two or three.
Best Designer Bag
Marc Jacobs The Leather Makeup Bag
Treat yourself to Marc Jacobs’ chic leather makeup bag (available in other colors), which features a removable wrist strap and a playful message inside that’s sure to brighten your day.
Best Train Case
Mark & Graham Terminal 1 Cosmetic Case
$79 $99 20% off
Mark & Graham’s classy Terminal 1 Cosmetic Case is the ultimate travel companion for beauty lovers. The vintage-inspired case has dedicated compartments for small bottles, elastic holders for brushes and tubes and plenty of interior space for all of your makeup, skin care and hair essentials. It also makes a great gift as it can be personalized with a monogram for an extra $15.
Best Investment
Prada Re-Nylon Necessaire Pouch
$495 at Bloomingdale’s
The best designer makeup bag hands-down is Prada’s Re-Nylon Necessaire Pouch. It’s crafted from the Italian luxury house’s eco-conscious nylon made from recycled ocean-bound plastic and it’s finished with the brand’s iconic triangle logo.
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