Do you remove make up on a longish haul night flight?

[thedogdaysareover51]

We’re flying overnight next Saturday and board the plane at 9.30pm. It’s such a long time since we’ve travelled long haul and overnight I’m not sure what I did before. Would you just keep your make up on and accept the dryness and crustiness the next morning or do you remove it completely then reapply when you get to your destination?
Going make up free for me isn’t an option. I’m 51, white as a ghost with dark circles and some broken veins. No one needs to see that, especially me!

I do this too, and like you, I do it for me, not for anyone else's benefit. Last time I flew long haul, the woman next to me put a sheet mask on her face, and other women were removing make up and applying night creams. Not everyone is happy to be bare faced.

I feel the same about Summer Fridays jet lag face mask.

No one has ever mentioned it to me either. I do dye my eyebrows and lashes (brown) a few times a month as they're quite fair, so I guess I'm not 100% natural. My skin feels so nice and fresh with just perfume-free moisturiser. I feel a bit dirty when I've worn makeup in the past, and can't wait to get it off

I would not wear makeup at all, do a sheer mask, and moisturise during the flight.

This.

Yes I cleanse and moisturise and brush my teeth! Then again in the morning. Also eye drops. I don't really wear make up but I like to "get ready for bed" as it helps me sleep.

Make up on board. Once ready for sleep clean teeth, make up off with wipes, hair up in the silk roller thing, teeth cleaned, ear plugs, eye mask.

Once woken for breakfast, face wipes again and pop a sheet mask on. The attendants are never the least bit bothered. After breakfast make up back on, hair unrolled, ready for hols.

There's absolutely no need for it if you don't see the need but we're all different. I just find it helps my skin feel less dry and feel more like myself.

What are these sheet masks you speak of?

I’ve flown in make up, no make up, taken it off and put it on again. It makes no difference. Whilst in the process of flying from check-in to arrival at hotel I look like a bag of shite even in FC.

Me too! I think that's why I have Weleda Skin Food down in my head as a Flight Cream, there's probably no such thing outside that Prescriptives one from decades ago!

@Quickchangeartist there’s loads on Amazon if you fancy them. They are very thin, flexible, one use masks that are packed with hydrating serums. Make your skin feel lovely and hydrated afterwards.

Longhaul UK Japan. Remove all make up 1 hour in to flight, exfoliating toner. Then several hydrating sheet marks whilst there. Clean face and go prep at the rooms you can hire at the airport, fix hair quick wash and deodorant, change clothes and I am ready to be picked up.😁

I just wear my usual make up and sleep in it. I put make up on every morning so it's no different to any other day, and I don't like to be seen without it on. I wear the same clothes I'd have on anyway, I don't bother changing them. I just take my contacts out and brush teeth. I don't really get dry skin on a flight, but mine has always been fairly greasy. I generally only do shorter long haul flights though and don't get much sleep on the overnight flights, I'm often binge watching films when the lights are off.

This is the style and beauty board, not Aibu. The sorts who never wear a scrap of make up aren’t being particularly constructive, and a lot of comments are patronising in the extreme. Just because you don’t wear make up doesn’t mean you’re a superior person.

Anyway, to respond to OP, I would wear make up as normal and then use cleaning wipes and then a moisturiser on the flight before sleep. Then reapply before you land. I hope you have a lovely holiday

As someone has said here, everyone is different so no judgement to those who do or don’t wear make up but personally I wear a fair bit (32 and goth though!)
I fly long haul maybe once a year and to be honest have always just left it on but I’ve been inspired by this to remove and do a sheet mask next time before re applying.
Make up makes me feel my best, for myself and not for others. My auntie (mother figure in my life) always has hers looking lovely no matter what and I took my nan for a quick lunch yesterday and she still “had her face on” in her 80s. Never walked in her house before and seen her not have her lippy on so totally get it OP

There’s loads here. I like the Korean brands you often get in Boots or TK Maxx. Garnier do quite nice ones.

https://www.boots.com/sitesearch?searchTerm=sheet+mask

Really? You can’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to go make up free in a semi public place?

Some of these people are the pests that hog the toilets " 45 mins to landing" 😂

As for me I've flown for 45 years as part of my life always with make up on , keeping it on all flight and it's never been a problem. 😊

So if you had a day off at home and nobody was home or coming round, you’d put make up on??

If not then you are doing it for other people and that’s fine.

If you must wear it at the airport, yes I would take it off as soon as I board and apply a moisturiser. When I fly long haul for work I often apply make up about 30 mins before the seat belt sign goes on for landing. That’s when colleagues are going to see me at the conveyor belt 🤣

@NamechangerageIf I was home alone all day and no one was expected then yes, I would absolutely wear make up. I can do my make up in about 5 to 10 minutes so don’t see why not. As I said before, the only day in my adult life I haven’t worn make up was the day I gave birth. I wore make up each time I isolated with Covid too. It really lifts my mood and I love the routine. I understand why others don’t wear make up daily but I love it. I don’t plaster it on-it’s very light. Just foundation or tinted moisturiser, concealer, tightline my non existent eyes, blusher, mascara and setting powder as my skin is very oily. I probably don’t even look like I have make up on. I would feel depressed without it.

Not unless it is a really long flight or combination of flights and I need to reapply before going to a meeting or something like that. For 6 - 8 hours I wouldn't bother

Part of the reason I wear make up when flying is to protect my skin from dehydration on the flight- so I put on loads of moisturiser, slatther it on, way more than normally, and then once it's settled, light foundation and powder to get rid of the insane shine.

Try to avoid stuff that will smudge or run - so just curl eyelashes with a curler but avoid mascara (if this is a huge issue for you, I'd look into getting eyelashes dyed before you travel). If I'm flying I use a cake eyeliner (a dry compact that you apply by wetting the brush) as I find it stays in place better than a pencil which is a bit more likely to spread.

Eyeshadow similarly - lighter colours and avoid heavy, smokey eyeshadow.

Lipsalve and no lipstick from the start.

I don’t wear make up as my skin is very sensitive. I find it very sad that there are still women who would judge me for this - and take my lack of make up as not making an effort or care about my appearance.

Having read your latest post, I'd say

if you are flying, ditch the mascara and get an eyelash tint before you travel and just curl them.

Definitely don't tightline - just do normally liner because you don't want stuff on your eye water line if you are sleeping or trying to. Your eyes may water, run and you will look like a desperate panda. Eyeline above the eye only and not below and not tightline on the water line. (See my previous post above about cake eyeliner).

Bin the blusher and substitute it for a lightish bronzer that suits your colouring brushed on the cheeks for shape and lightly on the t-zone. Will give a hint of colour and if it migrates when you are sleeping it will blend in a way blusher won't.

How sad that you judge other women for not wearing makeup. I’m honestly shocked anyone would think that way - it’s 2026.

Never thought about it too much but I don’t wear loads. That said, I’ve a long haul flight coming up and I’m already planning my plane pamper thanks to this thread 🤣 sheet mask at the ready!

I flew from Melbourne with Emirates and I did say to one of the cabin crew how amazing they looked after such a long flight. I would have been thrilled if I had looked half as good as them on my wedding day 😂