Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Best-Case Scenarios
Makeup bags for every need: small, to fit into your purse; sturdy and well organized, to take on a trip; and big enough to hold your entire cosmetics collection at home.
Tiny Clutches
Covered in easy-to-clean vinyl, this preppy pouch ($70) by Kate Spade will always look as new as the day you bought it. Plus, the dark chocolate lining will conceal uncapped eye pencil and leaking lip gloss smudges.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Carry your absolute essentials—lipstick, concealer, Altoids—in the Sweet Fletcher ($23) makeup bag, which doubles as a cheerful little water-resistant purse.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Slightly bigger than a grade-school pencil case, this grown-up leather-trimmed bag by Coach ($98) is perfect for braving the daily commute from home to the shallowest office drawer with ease.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Clever Travel Cases
The ultrasvelte E.L.F. Organizer ($10) can really pack it in. Complete with a mirror, slots for makeup brushes, and a zippered pouch, this portable vanity holds way more than you could possibly need (but if you're like us, will insist on bringing).
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
You can take it with you—all of it. Makeup artist Sonia Kashuk designed the Weekender ($22) to hold everything from hair tools to skincare products. And with three transparent and removable compartments, it's immediately clear where everything is.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Travel pros pack liquids upright and sealed off from the rest of their belongings; the Stephanie Johnson Bottle Bag ($70) was specifically designed to do just that, and comes with a soap dish, loofah, mirror, and two mini-bottles.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Roomy Hold-Alls
We were instantly infatuated with the bold floral pattern on the 1154 LILL Studio deep bucket bag ($58) and became fully committed when we saw that it has pockets and elastic bands along the interior edges, four brush holders, and a wipeable lining. Not crazy about flowers? The brand offers hundreds of other eye-catching prints to choose from.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
If your bathroom counter suffers from makeup pileup, organize the clutter in a Wet 'N Wild Large Podular ($11); its top folds back, making it easy to sift through tubes, compacts, and palettes.
Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D
Roomy Hold-Alls
Buttery leather, a smooth-sliding zipper, sturdy pulls, and a spacious interior—all reasons we find the luxurious Molton Brown bag ($150) worth the price.
