Travel Minis: Awesome Creations Or A Waste of Money?

Travel Mini Beauty Products

Okay, straight up, I love travel minis. Love. I’m a huge sucker for them and I won’t deny that I’ve picked up 1-2 mini travel items when I’m queueing on the way to the checkout counter more than I can count. Marketers are pretty damn clever for creating a “queuing area” with shelves stocked with cute goodies that customers drop into their shopping baskets at the spur of the moment.

And I fall for it every. Single. Time. 😛

Case in point, I have Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Mood Light that I love. Didn’t need another one, didn’t feel compelled to buy one in a different shade. But when I saw a mini version of the Ambient Lighting Powder, I immediately snapped it up. The shade was all right; I didn’t think it was as nice as my Mood Light but it’s mini, people. It’s MINI!

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

Are travel minis a waste of money? Sensibly speaking, yes. They cost a lot more per ml or gram compared to buying the full-sized versions. Travel-sized toiletries like shampoos, conditioners, body wash, facial cleansers, etc can be avoided by decanting the full-sized versions into small, reusable plastic containers. All you need to do after that is label them so that you don’t confuse that bottle of white shampoo with that other bottle of white facial cleanser.

Mecca Maxima Beauty To Go

On the other hand, travel mini packs are great when trying out a new line of skincare. Why spend hundreds of dollars on a full line of skincare products from a single brand when you can purchase their gift packs of travel-sized minis? If the products work, then it’s worth splurging for the full-sized versions but if they don’t work, at least you’re not out of pocket so much money.

Target Australia Beauty To Go

Even though I tend to decant my shampoos, conditioners, body wash and facial cleansers into clear plastic bottles, I still love checking out travel minis in beauty stores and supermarkets. Items like travel-sized dry shampoo and deodorant are always handy for traveling and for the gym (or in my case, for when I go for my weekly swimming sessions). Beauty stores like Mecca Maxima and Sephora are famous for their travel-sized section and these are the items I’m always a sucker for. Mini lippie? Yes! Mini hand cream? Sure I have so many full-sized bottles but why the hell not? Mini moisturiser? Come to Mama!

To answer that question, to me, travel minis are awesome creations AND a waste of money. And I love them to bits. 😛

Are you a fan of travel minis too? Do you get suckered in to the travel-sized mini section at beauty stores like Sephora and Mecca too?

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15 comments… add one
  1. Nicole

    Haha I am also a fellow mini lover, I just cannot help myself. I do find they come in handy for travel or for keeping in my handbag. Great Post!

    Nicole xx | http://www.nicolesbeautybabble.com

    1. Tine

      Thanks Nicole! Yeah they’re awesome, aren’t they? 🙂

  2. Kat Ness

    I love mini’s!! Yes, per size it does become more expensive but to me, I would rather pay less to try a new product and be able to finish it. This is true for mostly cosmetics and nail polish as I haven’t as yet finished a lipstick or primer etc. I love trying sets of skincare especially if it’s a pricey brand and I probably wouldn’t pay for the regular size any way lol.
    Kat Ness recently posted..First Zoeva Palette + Sephora ExperienceMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Oh how I wish more nail polishes come in mini sizes. Who actually finishes an entire bottle of coloured nail polish these days anyway??

  3. Asha

    Ooh ooh, me me! I love mini’s, mostly because it lets me try new products without having to commit to the full size! Plus I save up the little tubs and bottles for when I’m travelling (hoarder, I know!)

    Even when I’m deciding whether I want to change up my foundation I always get a sample and test it out for a coupla days to ensure I actually like it and that it doesn’t break me out.

    1. Asha

      Oh and PS – I almost always get mini’s of my nail polish and base/top coats. Only way I’ll finish them before they get all gluggy as they are wont to! Oh seche vite, I love you but why you do like this!

    2. Tine

      Yeah that’s a great idea, getting samples of foundations. A lot of high-end beauty brands and counters allow customers to take home tiny jars of decanted foundation to try out first.

      Hahaha you should see my bag of samples that I hoard. Actually, the bag is an improvement now. I used to have a large box with just samples alone. In the end, most of them had to go to the bin because I’ve had a lot of the items for years. 😛

  4. Di from Max The Unicorn

    Yes, I love minis! Not only are they super handy for travelling, I just love how cute they are, too! 🙂
    Di from Max The Unicorn recently posted..GIVEAWAY: Huge Deluxe Beauty Samples Pack!My Profile

    1. Tine

      Damn clever of beauty brands to suck us in with their cute mini packaging! 😛

  5. WeeN

    YES! I love minis too! Everytime I see them in Sephora (or even Guardian, Watsons etc.) I’d pick them up and find excuses to buy i.e. “oh these would be good for those (imaginary) overnight trips” 😛 Sometimes I’d end up not using because the packaging is too cute.

    But I’m thankful for them as well because I’ll get to try things I’ve been wanting to buy but not willing to spend too much on.
    WeeN recently posted..Japan 2015: Osaka-jo and (a tiny bit on) Shitenno-jiMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Exactly! When I was back in Malaysia last year, I managed to pick up travel-sized Japanese sunscreens! What a find! 😀

  6. Lesley

    Right now I am traveling around the world and while I did decant shampoo, conditioner and several face lotions, everything else is mini except sunscreens. I envy your minis there. For foundation, however, it is all the samples from Sephora. Sometimes I break up my online purchases just to score more samples.

    I normally live in the US. Thank you for telling me about Priceline (or is it Pricewise?). I had a very fun time there.

    1. Tine

      It’s Priceline pharmacy. It’s like your CVS! 🙂

      Traveling around the world! Oh what an experience! 🙂

  7. Megan

    Travel minis are ideal for me, since I travel so frequently for work I have two of everything – full sizes stay at home while the same products in mini stay packed into my toiletry bag. Since I use Mario Badescu products the mini bottles can be refilled time and time again and are amazing quality it just makes perfect since and so much more practical.

    1. Tine

      That sounds good! MB does great products and I’ve seen their travel-sized packs. Love their Drying Lotion.

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