Vanity and mirror with toiletries and towel

Hey there, fellow traveler! Have you ever stared at a tiny hotel bathroom and wondered where on earth to put your toiletry bag without getting it wet or its contents spilling out? Have you ever dug through your makeup bag trying to find a lipstick, thinking, “There has to be a better way?” Yeah, me too. Hi, I’m Hari and I’ve been traveling since I was a literal baby. Over the decades I’ve made time for travel in my busy life by keeping things simple and efficient, but the one thing I continue to struggle with is finding a good makeup and toiletry bag.  

Let’s be real, most makeup and toiletry bags are… well, they’re not great.

You know the drill. You get a bag that’s either too big, swallowing your tiny tubes while taking up too much space in your carry-on, or too small, forcing you to play Tetris with your serums. Some bags don’t have the ability to hang, some aren’t easy to clean, and others may have good organization but they’re just not cute. That’s the camp I found myself in two years ago. My toiletry bag had good organization, but it wasn’t cute, and while it was great for hanging, its footprint was too large for sitting on the counter.

Searching for the Ideal Makeup and Toiletry Bag: What’s Out There?

So, I went on a quest. I’ve read more makeup and toiletry bag reviews and bought more bags than I’d like to admit. Reviews from Wirecutter, Packhacker and Wired were all helpful (so check them out), but none of the bags checked all my boxes:

  • Ability to hang and stand with easy access to contents
  • Compartments for easy organization
  • Material that is easy to clean and spill-proof
  • Not heavy or bulky for use in carry-on
  • Aesthetically pleasing

While not perfect, two bags stood out as having potential: the July Hanging Toiletry Bag and the Peak Design Wash pouch

The July Hanging Toiletry Bag

The July Hanging Toiletry Bag was an honorable mention in Wirecutter’s 2024 reviews but didn’t make the list in 2025. It features a hidden hook for easy hanging (which I love), a dedicated toothbrush tab, and a clear, leak-resistant PVC pocket for quick access to essentials. The bag is available in 4 colors and retails for $85. While this met 3 out of my 5 criteria, there was room for improvement 1) the hook does not swivel, 2) the toothbrush tab is not covered, 3) one of the two compartments did not have a clear PVC cover and 4) the bag deforms when hanging. And for that price point I needed it to do better.

The Peak Design Wash Pouch

The Peak Design Wash Pouch was named “best toiletry bag for most situations” by New York Times Wirecutter in March 2025 and makes the top ten of many other lists. It has a thoughtful internal layout, featuring a variety of zippered and mesh pockets, it keeps toiletries neatly arranged and easily accessible. The wide-opening UltraZip provides excellent visibility and access to contents, and the pouch’s ability to stand upright adds to its convenience. The bag is available in 4 neutral colors and retails for $60. While this bag met 4 out of my 5 criteria, there was some minor areas for improvement 1) The hook is a strange shape and does not swivel 2) Toiletries have to be accessed from the top like a dopp kit, which is not my favorite way to see my toiletries 3) The design is masculine and also very short which may not be ideal to accommodate make-up brushes, long eye liners or serums that have to stay up right.

My honorable mentions

  • Best small hanging: Eagle Creek Pack-It Toiletry Kit. Elastic and zippered pockets secure bottles in place in this toiletry bag and dual compartments separate contents. But limited color options and finishes give it a camping rather than a glamour look and feel. $40.00 at Eaglecreek.com.
  • Best large hanging: Bagsmart Hanging Toiletry Bag. Four separate compartments with clear PVC cover and a 360 hook offer versatile packing and hanging options. It’s a great price point and also comes in a medium. Currently on sale for $21.99 on Bagsmart.com.
Toiletries and serums on a surface

The scarcity of toiletry bags that met my 5 criteria had me going back and looking at my toiletry bag from ebags. Maybe it was time to give up the search and “not fix it if it wasn’t broken”? My toiletry bag had one feature that no other hanging toiletry bag had – it could be packed flat so it could fit in a backpack like a laptop. I decided to look it up again to see if they had come up with more aesthetic colors or a better layout for the countertop. Funny story… it had been discontinued.

What Does a Better Makeup or Toiletry Bag Look Like?

So good makeup and toiletry bag options are out there, but none of them are great. For me, better looks like a toiletry bag with pockets and compartments, so everything has its place. A bag that could sit on a countertop or hang depending on your environment. A bag that doesn’t take too much space in your carry-on or backpack. A bag that is water resistant, easy to clean, and looks good, too. But it’s not just about the features, it’s about the feeling. I wanted a bag that made me happy to use it and made me feel good about packing.

In this this survey, I asked almost 100 travelers if they faced challenges with their travel makeup and toiletry bag and all those issues came up “not enough space” , “too bulky”, “limited organization” and much more. So, I did what any sane person would do, I founded a travel company OOOasis to design my own toiletry bag. OOOasis combines my two favorite words “out of office” and oasis aiming to make every journey hassle-free through thoughtfully designed travel accessories. We are currently in prelaunch mode, waiting for the second sample of the “perfect” toiletry bag.

I hope this story has helped you to figure out what to look for in a makeup and toiletry bag. And if the options out there don’t check all your boxes, well, you know where to find me.