Short answer: The best travel eyeshadow palette is small, has a mix of light, mid and deep shades so one palette covers day and night, and uses pressed powder so it skips the liquids bag. Bakeup Beauty’s Micro Palm palettes are built that way: eight shades in a credit-card-size case weighing 0.14 oz (4.1 g).
The Micro Palm palettes
Four eight-shade palettes by celebrity makeup artist Jo Baker, each credit-card size and 0.14 oz / 4.1 g, vegan and cruelty-free: Desert Road Trip (neutrals), Neon, Primary (mattes) and Pastel. Shop the palettes →
What makes an eyeshadow palette good for travel?
Most of what you pack for a trip is decided by space and weight, and a big palette with 20 pans usually travels with 15 shades you never touch. A good travel palette does the opposite: fewer shades, each one with a job.
| What to look for | Why it matters on a trip |
|---|---|
| Small, flat case | Fits a makeup pouch, a handbag or a carry-on pocket. |
| Light, mid and deep shades | One palette can do a soft daytime look and a deeper evening look. |
| Pressed powder | Pressed powder isn’t a liquid, cream or gel, so it doesn’t go in your liquids bag. |
| A secure closure | Stops the lid opening and pans cracking in a packed bag. |
| Buildable pigment | A sheer wash for daytime and more intensity for night from the same shade. |
How to choose one palette that works for multiple looks
Pick by the trip, not by the prettiest shade. A palette covers several looks when it has at least one light shade for the lid and brow bone, one or two mid tones for the crease, and a deep shade you can smoke out at night.
- Work trip or city break: a neutral palette like Desert Road Trip goes from barely-there daytime shades to a smokey eye for dinner.
- Festival, beach or holiday: a bright palette like Neon gives a pop of color. Forbes picked the Neon Micro Palm palette for its summer travel beauty must-haves. See how to wear neon without it looking costume-y.
- Want color but not neon: the matte Primary palette works as a graphic liner, a single wash of color or a bold smokey eye. Here’s how to use a primary palette.
- Longer trip: take a neutral palette plus one color palette. Two credit-card-size palettes still take up less room than one large one.
Finish with a mascara you can remove easily away from home. Tarantulash isn’t waterproof, so it comes off with micellar water like Daily Wipe Out, with no oil cleanser needed in your wash bag.
Can you take an eyeshadow palette in your carry-on?
Yes. Pressed powder eyeshadow is not a liquid, so it doesn’t need to go in the clear liquids bag. The TSA’s guidance on powders only flags powders over 12 oz (350 mL) in carry-on bags for extra screening (TSA powder policy). A 0.14 oz palette is far below that. Cream or gel products, like cream shadows, liquid liners and mascara, follow the liquids rules, so pack those in your liquids bag.
Rules differ between countries and can change, so check your airline and departure airport before you fly.
Do travel-size palettes perform as well as full-size ones?
Pigment depends on the formula, not on the size of the pan. A small palette made with the same formula as a full-size one should apply the same way; you just get less product. The real difference is quantity, and for most people a small palette is easier to finish before it gets old.
To judge any palette, swatch it on bare skin and look for color that shows in one or two passes, blends without going patchy, and doesn’t leave a lot of fallout under the eye.
How to pack eyeshadow so it doesn’t break
- Keep palettes flat in a padded makeup pouch, not loose in a suitcase.
- Put a cotton pad or folded tissue inside the lid to cushion the pans.
- Pack palettes in your carry-on rather than a checked bag that may get thrown around.
- Take one small brush per job: a fluffy blending brush and a small flat or pencil brush cover most looks.
Products in this guide
Desert Road Trip Neutral Eyeshadow Palette – Micro Palm $24.00
Eight neutral shades in a credit-card-size palette, from soft daytime looks to a deeper evening eye.
Shop Desert Road Trip →
Neon Eyeshadow Palette – Micro Palm $24.00
Eight bright, buildable shades in a palm-size case.
Shop the Neon palette →Frequently asked questions
What is the best eyeshadow palette for travel?
A compact pressed-powder palette with light, mid and deep shades, so one palette covers day and evening looks. Bakeup Beauty’s Micro Palm palettes hold eight shades in a credit-card-size 0.14 oz (4.1 g) case.
Is eyeshadow TSA-approved for carry-on?
Pressed powder eyeshadow isn’t a liquid, so it doesn’t need to go in your liquids bag. TSA guidance only flags carry-on powders over 12 oz (350 mL) for extra screening. Cream shadows count as liquids or gels.
How many eyeshadow shades do I need for a trip?
Around six to eight: a light shade for the lid and brow bone, one or two mid tones for the crease, a deep shade for definition, and one or two shimmer or color shades for evenings.
Are mini eyeshadow palettes worth it?
For travel, usually yes. They take less space, you are more likely to use every shade, and pigment depends on the formula rather than the pan size.
How big is a Micro Palm palette?
Each Micro Palm palette is about the size of a credit card, weighs 0.14 oz (4.1 g) and holds eight shades.
The takeaway
Pack one small palette with a real light-to-deep range, keep it in your carry-on, and leave the 20-pan palette at home. Start with Desert Road Trip if you want one palette for everything, or pair it with Neon or Primary for color.
Related reading: Eyeshadow for Hooded Eyes and How to Do a Smokey Eye.
