Travel Essentials – defeating that ziplock bag!

Ok so your hotel is booked, flights paid for and you’ve said goodbye to work colleagues in the hopes you never have to come back, now it’s time for the stressful bit, packing! As I’ve mentioned in my post ‘How to pack for a Beach Holiday’, I find the whole thing a nightmare. I always like to take my luggage in a suitcase that will fit in the cabin, rather than check it into the hold. Mostly because I fear my bag will go missing and secondly so I don’t have to deal with all the people impatiently waiting at the bag carousel. Yes I am a nightmare travel companion.

Having all my stuff packed into one neat suitcase makes me feel like I’m on top of things but it doesn’t come without drawbacks. Even after I’ve consolidated my outfits down to a few kaftans and my trusty pair of Hotter shoes, packing is a struggle, especially when it comes to the liquids!

I get we have to have tighter security these days and I’d never complain about that but for a girl who has a ten product skincare regime, that teeny weeny plastic bag is my worst enemy. By the time I’ve got my cleanse, tone, moisturise, haircare (3 products at least), deodorant, primer, foundation, mascara, closing that bag is like a challenge from the Crystal Maze.

So this holiday, instead of me breaking down in tears along with breaking several zip lock bags, I’ve come up with a foolproof list of travel essentials that will have you gliding through security like a pro.

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Cleanse

First thing first, cleanse. My secret weapon to travelling light is the Wipe Out MicroFibre Cleansing Cloth by Magnitone. This gorgeously soft, fluffy cloth is a godsend when it comes to removing makeup and cleansing my face. The microfibres are able to remove even the most stubborn of mascara (mine is pretty heavy duty!) and leaves skin feeling fresh. I’m not left with any fibres on my face and the soft material feels incredibly gentle. In fact the almost velvety texture does wonders to help me relax and wind down as I remove my makeup at the end of the day.

It’s double-sided so there’s plenty of room to take off a full face and doesn’t just smear my makeup round as I go. One of the best things about the Magnitone cleansing cloth, is that you can reuse it up to 1000 times! Not only does this make it far more eco-friendly than traditional wipes, at under £15 it’s also much more cost savvy.

However, the best thing about this cloth is that you only need water to use it. I do have to thoroughly wet it to remove eye makeup but it works wonderfully. Plus, since you don’t need any cleansing products, the Magnitone cleansing cloth doesn’t need to go in your liquid allowance!

Moisturise and Prime

Ok, so you’ve still not added to that infamous plastic bag and now you’re going to nail your moisturiser and primer in just one teeny pot, fantastic!

For a beautifully light yet still hydrating cream, I can’t recommend the BFF skin perfector by Trinny London enough. It contains porcelain flower which tones down redness and boosts your skins radiance. It also has clever little microspheres that adapt to your own skin tone, for a smooth natural base. Along with SPF 30 to protect you from UV damage and pollution, this really is a one tube wonder. Actually, it’s a one pot wonder as you can easily decant it into it’s very own T-Pot which can be added to your Trinny London stack.

Trinny London makeup is the perfect solution to travelling light. Bronze, eyeshadow, blush, lipstick and more, Trinny London has everything you need. Made to match colours that come in creamy formulas mean you don’t have to include it in your liquids and the stackable pots take up very little room.

If I do fancy a bit more coverage, my current go to foundation has to be Even Better Glow by Clinique. This medium coverage foundation glides onto the skin beautifully without being too runny and leaves a gorgeous dewy finish. Even with my oily skin, this foundation doesn’t look too greasy and feels like I’m wearing nothing. The small and slim bottle is also an added travel bonus.

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Miniatures

Unfortunately, there are just some products you can’t substitute for, so praise the beauty gods for miniatures. If I’m totally truthful, because I have very dry hair, I would usually wash it before my holiday and leave it all week. However, if you do want to pack shampoo and conditioner, I’d always recommend The Body Shop. The banana miniatures work wonders on holiday weathered hair and they smell fantastic. To style, you can’t go wrong with John Frieda Frizz Ease serum, which comes in a dinky 5 ml bottle! A penny sized amount is perfect for taming any frizz and keeping my curls soft.

I don’t bother taking shower gel as this just takes up space and most hotels have these included in the rooms.

Finish off with some toothpaste, spray deodorant and a miniature of my favourite mascara and I’m good to go.

A Little Something Floral

Now that you’ve consolidated all the essentials with room to spare, it’s time for a little luxury. I love to wear perfume but often have to leave it out when I travel. Not any more with Floral Street fragrances which you can read about here. If you haven’t heard of this brand before then trust me you’re missing out! Unique and distinctive, Floral Street has a scent for everyone. I’m obsessed with every perfume in the collection (my particular favourite is Ylang-Ylang espresso),  and with a discovery set containing 1 ml bottles of all eight fragrances for only £12, you can mix and match throughout your entire holiday.

Fitting everything you need into a cabin sized suitcase is always troublesome, especially when it comes to the liquid allowance. Just because there is a limit doesn’t mean you should have to skimp on your skincare and beauty regime. Take the stress out of packing by using my travel essentials checklist below. At most you’ll have ten items (including two perfumes) that will easily fit in that ziplock bag.   B x

Travel essentials List

*The Magnitone Cleansing Cloth was gifted to me in exchange for a review. I always give an honest review where all opinions are 100% my own.