It occurs to me that a good number of people who read this are going to have their own opinions on how to pack a bag. That’s fine. Topics such as this are totally subjective. What’s important to me may not even register for you and vice versa. (Like hair styling products. I just reread this and realized I made no mention of them since I don’t use any.) Plus, being a girl, I am not even going to try to approach this from a male perspective. Button down shirts, khakis and boring loafer-type shoes, right? No fun there at all. Before I get into specifics, I am reminded of when I started traveling and my ad hoc new hire training that lasted all of 2 days before I had to leave for my first project. Within that small space of time, I went through one of the most ridiculous training sessions of my life. I’ll describe it for you here more as an example of what this topic will NOT cover.
Schlitz-Heineken
For those of you unfamiliar with the nickname I have given this section, ask me off line and I will fill you in. Those that are familiar, let me just say that this person had some really strange ideas on what constituted training. We all had to bring in an empty suitcase and then practice walking with it. I am so not kidding about this. We all went outside and had to practice going up and down the curb, spend time talking about what type of roller bag was less likely to tip over (the ones with the wheels set all the way to the edge of the bag), and even what sort of scary things were kept in her “baggie” that substituted as her drug store. I am going to make an assumption here that those of you reading this have adequate enough motor skills to walk and drag a roller bag at the same time without needing to practice. I feel lucky that I escaped after 2 days. You should feel lucky to escape after 2 paragraphs.
Experience is really the Best Teacher
A lot of what I am going to say is based on things like trial and error (which roughly translates into “things that have exploded in my luggage”) and the hard way. (Which means "packed in my checked luggage") You really can’t plan for everything. However, I urge you to learn from my pain, and if you have other suggestions, please let me know. Let’s start with 2 words you are going to want to remember: trial size. My first suggestion to you is to become familiar with the trial size products found in grocery stores, pharmacies, and chains like Target or Wal-Mart. You can find a lot of items that won’t take up a lot of space in your bag. I would stock up on things like Purell (because germs are EVERYWHERE), Kleenex, band aids, toothpaste, dental floss, mouthwash, plastic razors, deodorant, lotion, chap stick, Q-tips, and so on. If you aren’t that picky about your shampoo, then you can find trial sizes of that stuff too.
I would keep items like medications or anything really important (i.e., girl stuff) out of your checked luggage and into whatever carry-on you are taking. Plus, you’ll experience less time and hassle unpacking and repacking your trial size stuff since you can most likely leave it in your suitcase, especially if you are doing the 48-hour turnaround. Also, I would put stuff that is bound to leak, explode or spontaneously combust in a baggie. I took it a step further and found a suitcase I LOVE that has a separate compartment for “wet” items.
Other Potions, Lotions and things that make you look like you
Air travel is bad for your skin. It will dry you out. So in addition to drinking plenty of water, you will probably want to think about some products that will keep your skin hydrated and healthy without causing breakouts (if you are prone to them) or breaking your budget. Again, some trial size things to think about are Visine for dry, irritated eyes, some hand lotion, and Chap Stick. Some other items that are personal favorites of mine include:
- Oil of Olay Cleansing Cloths- These things are awesome. All you need to do is add water. No more packing cleansers, toners, moisturizers, etc for your face. Just grab a couple of these and throw them in your bag. There are other Oil of Olay products that are really good as well. However, unless you can find the trial sizes, the regular products don’t come in very travel friendly containers (pumps).
- L’Oreal Hydra fresh- This is a nice and light face moisturizer that won’t leave you feeling oily and it has a very light scent. The only drawback I can see is that it is a glass container. I wrap it up pretty well, but there is always a chance it won’t make it.
- Lubriderm- I tend to favor a really heavy lotion when it comes to arms and legs. Not that I want to feel greasy, but I just like the heavier cream. I really love the Neutrogena Norwegian Formula lotion. I can’t travel with it though because it only comes with a pump. So, Lubriderm is my fallback.
- One area that really gets abused is my feet. I won’t even go into my shoe choices for travel here, but needless to say, I don’t always make the “comfortable” choice. Which is also why I can highly recommend the best band aids for blisters. (They have these awesome cushions, which totally relieve the pain) Anyway, I go ahead and pack lotion for my feet as well. Sure, I could use the lotion that I already have, but the best creams are REALLY heavy.
You should also consider the changes you need to make based on the season. It seems that most lotions now contain some sort of sunscreen. That’s good, because I never carry it and never think about carrying it. Another product I hear good things about but have never used is blotting papers for your face. Good for removing excess oil and shine. I think you can get them from places like MAC and Sephora. No idea on cost, but you can probably find out on line. One other switch I’ve made after moving to a dry climate is to switch from regular foundation to a tinted moisturizer. It’s the Sephora brand and I absolutely love it. It has sunscreen in it and it moisturizes without causing breakouts.
What the Hell is that smell?
Ok, one last thing and then I’m done talking about the messy things you take with you. Let’s talk perfume. I love it. I tend to prefer the lighter flower scents for summer and daytime (I’m currently mad about several scents by Fresh, available at Sephora). One scent I seem to keep coming across is Dolce and Gabbana’s Light Blue. I love it except for the fact that I smell it on everyone. So, I am boycotting that one for now. Perfume can also be a dicey thing to pack in a suitcase. As long as you are reasonably sure the container is closed tightly, I say go for it. Otherwise, you may also want to think about carrying some travel size Febreeze. (Ah, go ahead and pack that anyway.) And Clorox Wipes. And a Tide stain remover pen. I’m going to stop here, but stay tuned for more girly make up talk before moving on to accessories.
No comments:
Post a Comment