Packing Tips

Welcome to Travel Week on Bed in the Kitchen! I'm super excited to be bringing you seven days of travel themed posts ready for the beginning of what I will call 'proper' Summer! I really hope you enjoy these posts, whether you're planning a holiday in the near future or not!

We are kicking off the week with a general chat about my top travelling tips. Travelling when you have some hoarding tendencies (raise your hand if you keep your out of date lipsticks because you just can't bring yourself to throw them out...) can be really bloody hard. I still sometimes struggle to streamline the stash and just take the 'necessities', but I'm a damn sight better than I used to be, so maybe I can help some of you out! I'm mostly going to be talking about beauty because, let's face it, it's what I do best, but today I'm gonna chuck some general packing tips in too, just to mix it up a little.

• Pack liquids in a ziplock bag, inside your wash bag. Starting with a fairly obvious one here. I cannot tell you how many a wash bag I've cleaned out in a hotel bathroom sink, but it's probably in the hundreds by now. Nothing causes products to spontaneously combust like a plane ride, train journey or car trip. I like to group my liquids (skincare, bodycare, showercare, etc.), and put them in little ziplock bags inside the washbag. It makes them easier to find when you unpack, and stops any random eruptions from coating everything you own. Nobody wants to start their holiday by cleaning fake tan off their toothbrush.


• Pack a hairband. You know you'll need it. 


• Be careful of packaging. Again, another fairly standard one. I tend to shy away from packing anything in glass bottles, or flimsy plastic. I take a foundation in a plastic container (Benefit Hello Flawless, Jouer Matte Moisture Tint and Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua are all good'uns) and sturdy packaged items are your friends. I rarely travel with any of my MAC blushes or powders, because that cute clear plastic window always breaks. The same thing goes for any powders that are super finely milled or in packaging that's less than protective. You don't want to arrive at your destination to broken blushers. 


• Make a list and take it with you. Making a list should (theoretically) stop you overpacking, and taking it with you means you are less likely to leave anything behind. I like to make four lists, one for clothing, one for makeup, one for beauty bits and one for 'hand luggage' (i.e. everything else) and when it comes to packing my hotel room back up, I'll check everything off as it goes back in the bag. This has saved many a potentially-lost toothbrush, lipstick, teddy bear and phone charger. It also greatly satisfies the list-keeping librarian inside me.


• Roll your clothes, don't fold. Not only will they take up less room in your suitcase, but they won't be totally creased when you arrive. Also, I hate folding. Now's the time to be creative too, shove knickers inside your shoes, bras can cup your socks, and wrap your straighteners in your beach towel for added protection!


• Palettes are your best friend. Packing light means packing palettes. Options and less packaging, it's sort of a no-brainer.


• Go heavy on multipurpose products. An oil for your face and hair? Check. A moisturiser for your cuticles and body? Check. A cream blush you can use on your lips? Check.


• Take a bag for everything. I like to put everything inside bags in my suitcase, so I can find everything easier (I rarely properly unpack in hotels, I'm a live outta the suitcase kinda gal. Why waste prime holiday time putting things away?). I put my shoes inside a tote bag so they aren't getting my clothes dirty, I have a couple of packing cubes that are great for t-shirts, jeans and dresses are rolled and put in totes, cables & chargers go in a mini makeup bag, & bikinis go in a beach bag. Convenient, and you'll have a wealth of bag options when you get there.


• Take snacks in your carry on. They never serve enough food on planes.


• Pack what you think you need, + 1. The danger in trying to pack light, is you end up with too little. I have the worst luck with clothing on holidays, my shoes break, I lose bags, and more often than not I'll end up in the sea in my clothes. Always take a spare. I like to put my spares in my hand luggage if I'm flying, just in case the unthinkable happens and my checked luggage boards a one way train to Timbucktoo. 

I hope that helps! If you guys have any awesome packing tips, please share them down below!