If you were to look in the bottom drawer of my dresser right now (wow, we’re getting friendly), you’d find a stash of my v guilty beauty pleasures: makeup bags. Like, way too many makeup bags. Liiike, makeup bags I still haven’t used, and might never use, because I can’t possibly travel to enough places, or own enough makeup products, or shove enough pouches into my purse or luggage at once to justify them all. It’s a problem, and I’m pretty ok with it, because that also means I’m now your expert on all things cosmetic cases and travel makeup bags.
Need a makeup train case that won’t squash your perfumes or nail polish? I gotchu. Need a hanging cosmetic bag for hotels? Done. Just want a cute little makeup organizer to stick inside your bag? Found three. Really, any makeup bag you could want, I curated and hand-picked below. So please keep scrolling and get ready to clear out your bottom drawer, too.
If the ~vibes~ of this little zip-pouch makeup bag, designed by artist Sabrena Khadija, doesn’t make you want to buy it immediately, I really don’t know what will (other than the fact that it’s also the perfect 9.5-inch by 6-inch size to carry your eyeshadow and makeup brushes).
Call me basic (jk, don’t—I’m sensitive), but pretty much nothing delights me more than a bigger makeup bag that’s filled with bb-size makeup bags. I meaaan, please just gaze upon this zippered case, which comes with two detachable zippered cubes, a flat cosmetics pouch, and little covered elastic slots for your brushes or eyeliners. It’s an organizer’s dream, tbh.
The status of my current makeup bag? Ruined, thanks to a rogue lip oil that decided to destroy my sanity. If that sounds like you, I highly recommend making the switch to this zip-top makeup bag that not only looks cute (hi, iridescent), but will also stay cute, thank to its wipeable plastic shell.
Yup, this one is definitely pricey, but trust me when I say it’s cheaper than replacing all of your glass-bottle foundations and $$$ makeup that can get destroyed when traveling. The briefcase-style bag has six zip pouches that’ll keep everything nestled during travel, but can also be removed (velcro, baby) and lined up on the bathroom counter when you unpack.
Though this canvas makeup bag—designed by artist Dorcas Creates—comes in two other sizes (6 by 5 inches and 9.5 by 6 inches), I’m partial to the biggest size (12.5 by 8.5 inches, shown here) because: (1) more real estate for le art, and (2) more room for my massive eyeshadow palettes I swear I’m going to use one day, okay?!
I’m willing to bet that right now, you’ve got four lip balms and a dinged-up old lipstick rolling around in the bottom of your purse, gettin’ friendly with the dust and pennies. Enter: this mini makeup bag that fits inside your purse to hold your little stash of makeup, your ID, your spare change, or—shout out to my fellow anxious friends—your Tums.
Okay, if you’re an organizing lover, this probably isn’t the makeup bag for you. But if you’re someone who’s always running late, or always angrily digging through your makeup bag looking for that one tiny cream blush that keeps going missing, I highly recommend this drawstring makeup pouch. It flattens out so you can see all of your products at once (and also comes with a zippered pocket and elastic slots), and then easily draws back up like a little makeup bundle.
This hanging cosmetics bag is surprisingly spacious and honestly just excellent for organizing. The sides unzip and open up to elastic pockets and holders for your toothbrush, foundations, face oil, whatever, while the middle unzips and unfolds (with a hook) to reveal three zippered mesh pockets and a super-roomy inner compartment. Just trust me: This is an excellent travel bag.
This soft (yet structured) makeup train case is as close to professional-grade as you can get for the price. The zippered bag has adjustable, removable dividers (so you can fit legit anything you want in the slots), a zippered side pocket, four elastic pouches for your brushes (or mascaras or lipsticks, etc.), and a flap that flips over and velcros everything snugly in place.
I love a good travel makeup bag, but sometimes they’re hard to stuff into my packed suitcase or a backpack. Enter: this collapsible padded makeup bag, which is lined with elastic pockets to keep all your makeup products in place and standing upright (v necessary for all those liquid foundations). When you’re ready to pack, just roll up the top, pull the drawstring tight, and boom—you’ve got yourself a squishy little bundle.
Don’t be fooled by the photo—this makeup bag is actually surprisingly large. The bottom unzips and opens to a flat pocket for your eyeshadow palettes, contour kits, and skincare products, while the top unzips and stretches out like a bucket bag, allowing you to stuff it with a full bottle of dry shampoo, a zillion concealers, etc.
Hokay, I don’t know if I just have bad luck, but almost every mirrored makeup bag I’ve owned has eventually cracked. Which is why I like this case—the mirror is petite (large enough for quick touch ups, but not big enough that it’ll shatter). It also has removable velcro dividers, slots for your makeup brushes, elastic holders for your tweezers and nail clippers, and a spill-friendly, wipeable interior.
Listen, I love a good zippered makeup bag, but some of them are just so large and bulky, I’d almost rather just throw my stuff in a bunch of plastic bags. But this double-zip train case is on the smaller (and more compact!) side, so you can store a few makeup brushes in the top compartment and pile the rest of your products underneath without taking up too much room.
Yes, there are a trillion makeup bags on Amazon, and “best” is subjective, but if you’re looking for a simple zippered case that stores your products and keeps your brushes safe and nestled, I highly recommend this $20 case (which comes in six colors, including black and ~flamingo~ print).
YUP, CABOODLES. But this ain’t the Caboodles of your childhood (though those O.G. cases still exist). Nope, this travel makeup bag is not only hard-shelled with a full lid mirror, but it also has a top tray that slides out, so you can keep bobby pins, earrings, or hair ties on top, and your bigger makeup products underneath.
This hard-shell makeup case is a must if the majority of your beauty products are breakable or fragile (ahem, those fragrances and fancy face moisturizers). The zippered top houses a tiny mirror and three elastic holders, while the base unzips to safely store anything you don’t want to risk getting smashed or broken.
If you don’t exactly need a zillion-pocket toiletry bag taking up room in your suitcase, try this smaller hanging makeup bag, which has dual pockets and zippered compartments on the side, while the internal zipper houses two pockets and a deep compartment that’ll comfortably fit all of your makeup products.
Fact: I actually own this standing makeup brush organizer, and it’s truly my favorite thing for trips. My brushes used to just roll around in my travel makeup bag (blegh, gross), making it hard for me to find the exact brush I needed while doing my makeup. But this zippered, leather-like pouch keeps them lined up and fully visible without feeling bulky in my tote.
I feel like every single person at some point has owned or inherited a Vera Bradley makeup bag, and for good reason: They’re soft, quilted, and simple—just a front-zip pouch for eyeshadow brushes, eyeliners, and a larger interior compartment for…literally anything else.
Imagine a world in which you don’t just throw all of your hair and makeup products in a tote bag to haul to your friend’s house to pre-game. Imagine a world in which your products don’t explode all over your hairbrush and instead get nicely nestled within detachable pouches and zippered pockets inside a sturdy purse. Yeah, welp, that world is reality, and your Saturday nights officially need this makeup purse.
This clear travel cosmetics bag has two straps—a hand strap and adjustable over-the-shoulder strap—and is basically a requirement for anyone who over-fills their makeup bag to the point where they can’t find anything (why is it always the lip balm?!). The see-through bag has four zip pockets on the outside to help you organize your smaller products, along with a big inner space for your bulkier products.
This little bubble pouch is made of vegan leather with cracked holographic accents (nope, that’s not glitter, so don’t worry about getting flecks all over your stuff for the rest of eternity). It’s roomy enough for a few full-sized products, but compact enough to flatten down in your purse or tote.