Where To Buy Travel-Sized Minis: Holiday Essentials Covered

Pack for the perfect flight with travel sized toiletries

So, you’ve booked the flights, the accommodation is sorted, now you’ve just got to pack everything up, which is easier said than done when you’re packing for the whole family. Cosmetics and toiletries can take up a big portion of your luggage allowance, too, and you have to be extra picky about what you take in your carry on; airport security regulations across most of the world require liquids to be 100ml or less and placed in a transparent plastic bag. As convenient as Hong Kong usually is, we’ve often found it surprisingly difficult to hunt down space-saving travel sized cosmetics and beauty bits. So we thought we’d share with you some of our go to spots for where to stock up on travel sized minis, ready for your next trip.

Read more: Packing Essentials For A Weekend Away With The Kids

When we first discovered EUnique at its location in Wan Chai, we couldn’t believe our luck. Hidden away on Amoy Street (just off of Lee Tung Avenue – make sure to snap some pics for Insta while you’re there!), it’s a little store that is stocked full of household European beauty delights. It sells everything your carry on bag will ever need at very reasonable prices; mini deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and more. It also has stores in Central and Sai Ying Pun too, so if you’re on Hong Kong Island, this is definitely where you should head to first. It also has a rather nifty loyalty card scheme, so remember to get your card stamped on your next visit!

Eunique, 21 Amoy Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, 24481990
Shop 169, World Wide Plaza, Central, Hong Kong 
Shop A1, 266 Des Voeux Road West, (B3 exit), Sai Ying Pun,Hong Kong,  9061 1047, www.facebook.com/Euniquehk

With K-beauty being all the rage around the world right now, why not grab a few essentials from one of the many Korean high street brands? Most of these brands sell their best-selling products in travel sizes; Causeway Bay and Mong Kok seem to be the go-to places to find the best selection. Stop in at Innisfree, Etude House or Skinfood, to pick up some cheap sheet masks or a travel sized face mist to help keep your face moisturised throughout your flight. Forget tired, dehydrated skin – land at your destination dewy and fresh faced! Finally while you’re on the K-beauty bandwagon, stop by TonyMoly and grab one of their pocket-sized, infamously adorable hand creams to keep your hands nice and soft on your flight.

For all locations of Innisfree check here, for Etude House check here, for Skinfood check here, for TonyMoly check here.

Muji is you’re one stop shop for all your travel accessory needs. You can find some real gems here – at pretty decent prices, too! Its range of travel goods will see you through your entire holiday with everything from sunscreen to insect repellant wipes. You’ll find a wealth of minis and compact tools, perfect for throwing in your handbag or suitcase; travel mirrors, portable toothpaste sets, foldable hairbrushes and more. It also sells all kinds of travel bags, from actual suitcases to toiletry bags to ultra-thin mesh packing bags to keep your luggage organised. One must-have item is its foldable backpacks and tote bags that take up almost no space in your bags, so you can be prepared if all those souvenirs you plan on buying won’t fit in your existing luggage. It also has its own line of skincare products that have a reputation for being high quality and affordable and most of these products come in travel sizes.

For all locations check out the link here. There are numerous branches throughout the city and even one at the airport for any last-minute purchases!

If you’d rather avoid single-use plastic then we recommend picking up some shampoo bars for you and the kids. Expect to pay a bit more then your usual kid’s shampoo but it’s one less liquid to worry about and completely eradicates the dreaded shampoo-bag explosion situation. You can pick up shampoo bars (and even some nifty containers) from Lush and zero-waste store, Live Zero. Both of these stores also stock a range of other holiday essentials (sun block, moisturiser, etc) in various sizes, too. Lush also sells its range of toothpaste tabs which will be another liquid you don’t have to worry about.

Sassy Mama Tip: Live Zero also sells handy, reusable, silicone food bags that are not only great for packing snacks on the go, but we’ve found them useful for organising small bits and bobs in our carry on!

For all Lush locations click here.

Live Zero, S102 1/F Block A, PMQ (Police Married Quarters), 35 Aberdeen Street, Central, livezero.hk

If you’re wanting to use what you’ve already got, you’ll need to find some travel-sized bottles for decanting. There are a number of places to find these containers around Hong Kong. Muji is once again, a great option for various different types of containers. Bonjour, which has locations all over the city, is also a great place to pop in and pick up some empty bottles. We’ve also had success shopping at AEON Living Plaza for finding re-usable containers and the ever reliable, JHC, always has a great travel aisle full of empty bottles in all shapes and sizes. While you’re there remember to pick up other essentials like luggage straps and the all-important luggage scale (no extra fees for you at the airport!).

Where: For all locations of Bonjour check here, for AEON Living Plaza check here, for JHC check here.

So you’ve sorted out the family with the necessities and all the sensible must-have, now it’s time to #treatyoself! Lots of the big beauty brands offer mini versions of their top sellers, but Benefit Cosmetics seems to have corned the market for travel-friendly make up. Mega adorable packaging and convenient handbag staples mean that you can still look extra glam on holiday, despite taking a paired down makeup bag. Pick up one of its teeny-tiny mascaras, bronzers or blushers from one its many locations across HK.

Locations throughout Hong Kong. For all locations click here.

Read more: Best Family-Friendly Hotels In Macau To Stay At This Summer

Thanks very much to Carrie Johnson for helping compile this list.