Survey of 260 women who ride Overnight buses! How do you handle makeup?？」

The appeal of overnight buses is that they are cheap and allow you to effectively use your time from early morning. However, for women, the issue of makeup cannot be overlooked. Many have probably wondered, Should I go bare-faced?, Should I do full makeup?, When should I remove my makeup?, The bus interior seems dry, and Where should I do my makeup after arriving?. So this time, we conducted a survey of 260 women who use overnight buses. We will reveal all the insider tips and useful information related to makeup when riding overnight buses!

１．Bare-faced when boarding? When to remove makeup if doing so?

１-１．70% go completely bare-faced!

• 乗るWhen boarding, I go bare-faced! Removing makeup, washing my face, etc. is a hassle, and since it's nighttime, I assume no one will see me anyway.I compromise to some degree.
• To avoid getting makeup on the seat back, I try not to wear any.

The most common response this time was bare-faced. The most common meet-up time for overnight buses is 10pm-11pm, so the chances of running into someone you know are low. It seems many reliable women don't particularly care.

１-２．Second place goes to the point makeup faction!

• Even when bare-faced, I still draw in my eyebrows, or else it looks unnatural.
• I sometimes apply a base.Rather than my usual, I use something like BB cream for light makeup to reduce the burden on my skin.

In second place are women who don't want to burden their skin, but still do light makeup on the parts they are concerned about. This way, they can easily remove it during breaks if just doing one thing.

１-３．When is the timing for removal?

The solid first place is before going out. For those heading from home to the bus stop, many thorough women take care of not only their makeup, but also bathing beforehand.However, those boarding the bus after work or from another destination seem to use nearby powder rooms. There are also those who remove their makeup in the bus.

１-４．Support for makeup remover wipes is high!

Cleansing cottons and sheet-type makeup removers are the overwhelming top choice because they are convenient to use in both the restroom and at your seat.If you choose a rinse-free type, you won't need to wash your face with the cold water in the restroom. Some usually use wipe-type cleansers, soak a cotton pad with it, and carry that.

２． Issues and countermeasures during the ride

We surveyed the issues women face in the bus and how they deal with them.

≪Ranking of makeup-related issues when riding overnight buses≫*Multiple answers allowed

• 1st: Finding a place to do/remove makeup is a hassle! (67%)
• 2nd: Carrying makeup tools and makeup remover adds to luggage (49%)
• 3rd: The dryness inside the bus is an issue (40%)
• 4th: Can't do my usual skincare routine (39%)
• 5th: Don't want others to see me bare-faced. Don't want to go out bare-faced (18%)
• 6th: Don't want to show my bare face to friends with me (7%)

２-１． Where to remove makeup and complete makeup is a major issue

• Since I often board after work, if the departure time is early, I can't stay long at the internet cafe and end up rushing.
• When I want to do my makeup and go to the station restroom at the arrival destination, it's crowded with others doing their makeup.
• I do my makeup at a service area along the way, but it's a battle with location and time.
• I'm really anxious about finding a place to do my makeup after arriving at my destination on the outbound trip.

2 out of 3 people answered that they have issues with securing a place to do makeup.When heading to the bus stop from your workplace or a concert venue, it's difficult to secure a place and time to remove your makeup.

Even harder is finding a place to do your makeup in the morning. The standard is restrooms at service areas where the bus stops along the way or at a nearby station. But it seems quite a few people do it on the bus. We will report on this in more detail later in 3. When and where is best to do makeup? and 4. Places you can do makeup by destination!

２-２． Skincare products increase luggage

When traveling by overnight bus where you have to carry luggage, you want to keep your luggage compact. It seems people are devising ways like using trial sizes or single-use sizes sold at convenience stores.

• I try to reduce luggage by using up cleansing, face wash, and skincare products.
• I bring trial sizes etc. to reduce luggage.
• For makeup removal, I use a liquid makeup remover so I can just wipe it off, soak a cotton pad with toner, and put it in a clear zippered pouch.

Additionally, there were women who successfully made their luggage lighter by using the multi-functionality of all-in-one gels.Being able to take care of various things with just one product seems like it would be useful for bus travel with limited time.

２-３．The dryness inside the bus is an issue!

• My skin gets rough.
• Overnight buses are very dry and make my throat sore, so a wet mask is a must...
• Since it's dry, I occasionally spray on toner. Spray-type toner!
• To prevent dryness, I apply night cream, put on a mask, and board.
• I apply moisturizer and primer before boarding. It prevents dryness and I can apply makeup right over it.
• After rehydrating at a service area, I sometimes put cream or lotion just around my eyes.
• Since it's dry, I always apply skincare products like toner and serum, and apply them again before sleeping.

Nearly half of the women are troubled by dryness! Countermeasures that were mentioned for this are night creams and masks. Some women even double up, applying again before sleeping... There were also those who properly care for their throat by using a highly moisturizing wet mask. Both of these products can be easily bought at a nearby drugstore, so they are reliable allies even when you have a meeting at work the next day.

２-４． I want to do my usual skincare routine

Especially for those with sensitive skin, skin troubles often occur in different environments than usual.One way is to put your regular products into travel-sized bottles to carry with you, then thoroughly care for your skin after arriving when you couldn't during the trip. However, this is difficult unless you have leeway in both time and luggage space...

２-５．How to conceal a bare face?

≪Do you put on anything to hide your bare face? (Multiple answers allowed)≫

• 1st: Mask (65%)
• 2nd: Completely bare-faced! (30%)
• 3rd: Glasses (26%)
• 4th: Hat (3%)
• 5th: Other

≪Other opinions≫

• Wrap a towel around my face
• Eye mask
• Color contacts
• Wear bangs that I usually style back

By far the most common was a mask. Just this alone covers most of the face, so it gives a different impression even with the same bare face.For women with heavy eye makeup, apparently wearing glasses with a black rim makes it so the plain eye area is not noticeable.There were opinions about putting in color contacts to enhance the eye area, but the inside of the bus is dry, so they might stick to your eyeballs and not come out. If you then rub your eyes upon waking in the morning, you risk injuring your eye. It's best to conceal using the safest method possible.

３．When and where is best to do makeup?

３-１．Many start their makeup immediately after getting off

Overnight buses often arrive quite early between 5am-6am. Since there is ample time, it seems there is no need to hurriedly start doing your makeup during breaks or on the bus.

The issue is finding a place you can do makeup

Since not many facilities are open at 5am-6am, it tends to be difficult to find a powder room. In fact, the survey showed that 2 out of 3 people struggle with finding a location.

The standard is station restrooms. A hidden gem is internet cafes

The easiest places to find that can be used anytime are inside stations and internet cafes. Other recommendations are lounges and spa facilities if available, but since the locations are limited, research is needed.

３-２．Next most common is starting makeup on the bus

The survey results showed that, surprisingly, many women do their makeup on the bus. What is it actually like?

The benefit is being able to start your activities immediately

For example, if your destination is a theme park, the battle with time can be severe.The entrance gate area is expected to be crowded, so there may be times you think I have to line up as soon as I arrive!. At times like that, many women have no choice but to start their makeup on the bus.

There are actually various disadvantages too

• Doing makeup is difficult because the bus shakes.
• I want to at least apply sunscreen on the bus, but it's difficult to do even that in a dark, cramped seat.
• I get carsick, and there is no table to put skincare/makeup products on, so removing makeup and doing makeup on the bus is impossible.
• When there are 2 rows of seats or a curtain, it's fine, but when there was nothing and I had a middle seat, I definitely couldn't do my makeup.

As mentioned above, the bus inevitably shakes, so it is not suited for detailed work (the gaze of those around you is also a concern). Also, the distinctive scent of cosmetics can be a nuisance to those around you. If it can't be avoided, aim for unscented products.

Manners are important too! Things to be careful of

If liquid foundation or toner spills and gets on the seat, it will bother those around you.Liquid foundation in particular is hard to remove, so it would be terrible if it gets on the person next to you! Also, toner or cream with added fragrance can bother people not used to it. As much as possible, do your makeup outside the bus to avoid trouble inside.

３-３．Other makeup start timings

Restroom break while on board

During a restroom break, you can finish everything from washing your face to skincare to base makeup. If you are the natural type, you can just add a little color later to complete your look. If you want to do detailed work later, it's good to do the rest after arriving.

Starting after reaching your destination

There are also those who leisurely do their makeup close to their respective destinations until the scheduled time. You'll be bare-faced until then, but if you skillfully hide it with glasses or a mask, this may allow for the most relaxed actions.

４．Conclusion While

I thought many people would at least draw their eyebrows, 70% go completely bare-faced! The key point to enjoying an overnight bus trip while maintaining your feminine charm is how to overcome the makeup problem. Since it's a trip, you want to pay attention to your appearance and enjoy it in the best possible state! There are various methods, so please refer to them and try incorporating the best ones for you.

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This article was published on 2026/02/18. The information may have changed since then.
Photos were taken with care not to obstruct traffic or bus operations.