Your Guide To
Passport Makeup

Getting ready for your next vacation? While you’re marking off your pre-travel checklist, there’s one question that’s probably on any beauty lover’s mind: Can I wear makeup in my passport photo?

While you may have the urge to go full glam on picture day, you’ll want to focus on enhancing your natural features. That means skipping full coverage foundation and enhanced eye makeup in favor of a more natural look—which is where the so-called “passport makeup” comes in.

Want to learn how to nail passport makeup? We’re sharing a complete guide to the trend, including the products you need for the perfect travel photo plus travel-sized favorites to bring along wherever your next adventure takes you.

What Is The Passport Makeup Trend?

Passport makeup is a lightweight, no-makeup makeup routine that you can wear while taking your passport photo. This combination of light-coverage foundation, soft brows, lightly defined eyes and softly-sculpted contour allows you to add a touch of glam to your look without distorting your natural features.
 

What Products Do I Need To Create A Passport Makeup Look?

You’ll need a makeup primer, light coverage foundation, a brow pencil and gel, soft blush and bronzer, a skin tone-matching eyeshadow, mascara and a neutral lip colour. Plus, you’ll want to have a setting spray on hand to ensure your look lasts.

Your Complete Passport Makeup Routine

Step 1: Prep Your Skin
Help your makeup last by starting your passport makeup routine with a primer like Futurist Watery Glow Primer. This dewy primer also contains skincare benefits, tripling skin’s moisture immediately while leaving it healthy-looking and radiant.

Step 2: Apply A Skin Tint
Like we mentioned earlier, the key to a perfect passport photo is choosing makeup that’s lightweight and natural-looking on your skin. That’s why we recommend using a skin tint like Futurist SkinTint Serum. This silky, skincaring formula creates a natural radiant finish with light coverage and 8-hour staying power. 

Step 3: Fill In & Set Your Brows
Use a brow pencil like Brow Now Brow Defining Pencil in your shade to softly define and shape your brows.

Step 4: Apply Bronzer & Blush
When it comes to contouring for passport makeup, the key is to use a natural-looking shade of bronzer to create subtle depth and accentuate your natural features. When you’re choosing a blush, stick to a shade that gives your skin a light flush of colour.

Apply the bronzer in the hollows of your cheeks, down your nose and along your jawline. Then, lightly sweep your desired blush colour onto your cheekbones and gently blend up to your temples.

We recommend a combination of Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer and The Sculpting Blush for the perfect passport-ready complexion.

Step 5: Softly Define Your Eyes
Grab an eyeshadow palette that features warm neutral tones, like Pure Color Envy Luxe Eyeshadow Quad in Wild Earth. Apply light shade all over lid. Blend medium shade into crease, then blend upwards. Easy & effortless!

Finish defining your eyes with a coat of Sumptuous Extreme Volume Mascara.

Step 6: Apply Lip Makeup
Keep your lip look simple. Choose a nude shade of Pure Color Creme Lipstick for subtle, long-lasting colour.

Step 7: Set Your Look
You’re almost photo-ready. The last step is setting your makeup look with a few spritzes of Set + Refresh Perfecting Makeup Mist.

Step 8: Get Set To Jet
Your passport makeup routine has our final stamp of approval. Now, it’s time to get ready for your next adventure.

What Products Do I Need When Traveling?

You don’t need to leave your beauty favorites at home while you’re on-the-go. Instead, pack travel sizes of your go-to makeup and skincare products in your suitcase. Explore Estée Lauder favorites in TSA-friendly packaging, from travel-sized Advanced Night Repair Serum to Futurist Watery Glow Primer.