Bringing your entire makeup bag with you on a trip is like packing clothes you haven’t worn since you bought them…just in case. We’ve all done it, but it really doesn’t make any sense! As seasoned travelers, we’ve learned that it’s better to simply bring what you know you’ll wear—your tried-and-true favorites. Whether your makeup skills rank as beginner or pro, you’ll love these best travel eyeshadow palette picks because they’re all ready made for travel!
When packing your makeup for a trip, look for choices that are compact and ready for travel, like the ones on this list of best travel eyeshadow palettes. Many of them feature just a couple of “capsule wardrobe” colors, like a neutrals palette for a natural look or darker colors to make the perfect smoky eye.
Plus, they almost all have a built-in mirror that makes them perfect for getting ready on the go!
When shopping for the best travel eyeshadow palettes, you’ll also want to be sure that the eyeshadow palette can be closed securely so no nearby clothes are ruined by rogue pigmentation during travel. Other things you’ll probably want to consider are ease of use, length of wear and what ingredients are included in your beauty products. Yes, travel-friendly eye makeup does come in vegan, gluten-free and cruelty-free options too!
For all of these reasons, we’ve curated a list of our favorite eyeshadow palettes for travel.
Urban Decay Naked3 Mini Eyeshadow Palette
Discover rosy, romantic colors with the Urban Decay Naked3 Mini Eyeshadow Palette. This travel friendly mini palette holds six rosy pink and mauve neutrals with a smooth, velvety texture that blends easily. You can go from a soft daytime look to a smoky night on the town look without packing your entire makeup case, and the shades are made to stay looking fresh for up to 12 hours.
Why the Urban Decay Naked3 Mini Works for Travelers
- Long lasting wear, up to 12 hours
- 6 highly pigmented rosy neutral shades
- Easy to blend
- Compact mini size for travel
KAJA Beauty Bento Collection
Winner of the 2019 Allure Best of Beauty Award, the KAJA Eyeshadow Trio is super easy to travel with and apply on the go! Created like a mini bento box, you simply pop open the color you want to use and apply the creamy shadow to your eyelids with your fingers. The entire case is about the same size as a lipgloss container, so it’s easy to store in your purse for touchups throughout the day.
Why KAJA Eyeshadow Trio Works for Travelers
- Includes 3 multi-shade colors
- Creamy eyeshadow
- Made for all skin types and skin tones
- Paraben-, sulfate- and cruelty-free
Clinique All About Shadow Duo
The Clinique All About Shadow Duo is a sensitive formula eyeshadow option that’s perfect for travelers looking for a super quick application. With just two color options, a base and a contour, you’ll be able to practically get ready in your sleep—which is how we do it sometimes after a long day of travel.
Why Clinique All About Shadow Duo Works for Travelers
- Includes base color and contour
- Crease and fade-resistant
- Ophthalmologist tested for sensitive eyes
- Mirrored compact
Julep Creme-to-Powder Eyeshadow Set
Leave your applicator brushes at home—with the Julep Eyeshadow Creme-to-Power Eyeshadow Stick, you won’t need to pack them! This eyeshadow goes on smooth and then dries into a crease-proof powder.
Want to create a smokey makeup look for your next trip to Vegas? The Julep Creme-to-Powder Eyeshadow was designed to smudge. It even comes with a built-in smudger at the end of the stick. This is one travel secret you’ll want to be sure to bring back home with you!
Why Julep Eyeshadow 101 Works for Travelers
- Waterproof
- Features 6 highly pigmented shades
- Easy to blend
- No brush required
- Cruelty Free, Paraben Free, SLS Free
- Vegan
LORAC PRO Matte & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette
Small enough to slip into your purse, the LORAC PRO Matte & Shimmer Eyeshadow Palette holds a mix of colors to highlight, contour, shade and line your eyes. The ultra pigmented, velvety formula gives intense color in one swipe and blends easily without tugging. For more intense color, it can be used wet as well as dry, and it is infused with soothing botanicals like cucumber and calendula.
Why the LORAC PRO Palette Works for Travelers
- Can be used wet or dry
- Infused with soothing botanicals
- Cruelty free
- Mirrored compact
tarte tartelette toasted mini Amazonian clay palette
Create your eye look anywhere with the tarte tartelette toasted mini palette. This compact palette has six warm, everyday neutral shades, three mattes and three metallics, infused with Amazonian clay for better, truer, longer wear. It slips right into my purse for touch ups on the go…just be sure not to try any new looks during turbulence!
Why the tarte tartelette toasted mini Works for Travelers
- Includes 3 matte and 3 metallic shades
- Amazonian clay for longer wear
- Warm, everyday neutral shades
- Compact mini size
Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes Mini Eye Shadow Palette
Too Faced makes travel friendly palettes, too. The Too Faced Born This Way Natural Nudes Mini Eye Shadow Palette features modern nude shades designed to work with your natural skin tone. The creamy, highly pigmented shadows come in shimmer, metallic and matte finishes, and the mirrored compact has a secure snap closure for mess free travel.
Why the Too Faced Born This Way Mini Works for Travelers
- Shimmer, metallic and matte shades
- Creamy, high pigment formula
- Mirrored compact with a snap closure
- Cruelty free
Natasha Denona Mini Eyeshadow Palette
The Natasha Denona Mini Eyeshadow Palettes combine complementary color shades in a sleek and travel-friendly compact case. All of the shades in your chosen palette will play well together, so you essentially can create multiple looks with just one palette.
Too busy enjoying your vacation to care about refreshing your makeup? No problem. The long-lasting wear of the Natasha Denona eyeshadows can easily take you from morning to night.
Why Natasha Denona Mini Works for Travelers
- Include 5 multi-finish shades
- Intense color payoff
- Long-lasting color
- Cruelty-free, Paraben-free and allergen-free
W7 Mighty Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
As the largest palette on our list, W7 Might Mattes includes 12 highly-blendable and buildable colors. While you can count on your finished look to last throughout an entire day of sightseeing and adventure, it’ll easily wash off when it’s time to sink into your hotel bed for the night.
While this palette takes up a little more packing space, the tin case makes it sealable and ideal for travel. It even includes a small color brush for a no-touch application.
Why W7 Mighty Mattes Works for Travelers
- Includes 12 matte colors
- Long-lasting all day wear
- Buildable colors
- Blendable
- Washes off easily
- Cruelty-free and Vegan-friendly
BYS On-The-Go Peach Eyeshadow Palette
If you are the kind of girl who wants it all in one place, the BYS On-The-Go Peach Eyeshadow Palette delivers. It packs six eyeshadows plus a highlighter and a primer into one travel ready palette with a built in mirror, so you can easily go from lunch with the family to a shimmery night on the town without lugging your entire makeup bag through airport security.
Why the BYS On-The-Go Palette Works for Travelers
- 6 eyeshadows plus a highlighter and a primer
- Built in mirror
- Compact for travel
Ulta Beauty Eyeshadow Singles
Are you the type of traveler who likes to create spreadsheets and detailed itineraries for your trips? Does everyone look to you to find the best hidden gems in every city you visit? If your personality is to be creative, plan and stay organized, you may find unexpected joy in the Ulta Beauty Eyeshadow Singles.
Because these individual colors are not sold as a curated set, you have the ability to mix, match and create your own unique palette of colors. Find different shades including matte, shimmery, metallic and micro glitter. All of the ultra-mini storage cases snap shut and are easy to toss in your purse or pocket. Bring as many or as few as you’d like. You’re the one who holds the plans.
Why Ulta Beauty Eyeshadow Singles Work for Travelers
- Includes 1 color shade
- Super small and portable
- Clean ingredients
- Cruelty-free
Chella Travel Size Mini Eyeshadow
The creamy shades of the Chella Travel Size Mini Eyeshadow are long-lasting, day to night looks that come in a small, travel-ready container. Blend and build your color with the four included shades for a look that’s all your own!
Why Chella Mini Works for Travelers
- Includes 4 multi-shade colors
- Long-wearing
- Blendable
- Buildable
- Paraben-, gluten- and cruelty-free
- Vegan
Estée Lauder The Essential Eyeshadow Quad
If one of your top travel adventures is scoping out local art museums and galleries, you may enjoy the Estée Lauder The Essential Eyeshadow Quad. It packs four coordinated shades into one compact, so you can create several looks with one palette, and the long lasting formula keeps color in place through a full day of sightseeing.
Why the Estée Lauder Eyeshadow Quad Works for Travelers
- Includes 4 coordinated shades
- Long lasting formula
- Compact size for travel
REVLON ColorStay Eyeshadow Palette
The longest-lasting eyewear on our list, the REVLON ColorStay Day to Night can stick with you through long travel days. Each palette, in the nine-shade series, provides four curated colors that you can blend, mix and create your own unique look.
While applying your makeup on the go, the dual-ended brush will give you a clean, touch-free application.
Why REVLON ColorStay Works for Travelers
- Includes 4 multi-shade colors
- Up to 24 hours of long-lasting wear
- True color payoff
- Ophthalmologist tested
- Includes a dual-ended applicator brush
CATKIN Eyeshadow Palette – Morandi
The beautiful case and earthy shades of color in the CATKIN Eyeshadow Palette are a visual experience all on their own. Rich in color and super blendable, this palette is a great option for someone who wants to take their eye look to a new level and try something new.
The mirrored compact and 12-hour wear make this eyeshadow palette suitable for adventurous travelers. And because the compact closes shut, you can spend more time having fun and less time cleaning up spilled eyeshadow crumbs from your bag.
Why CATKIN Eyeshadow Palette Works for Travelers
- Includes 9 multi-shade colors
- Long-lasting color up to 12 hours
- Super blendable
- Waterproof
- Mirrored compact
