Packing with a color scheme in mind eliminates having to take several pairs of shoes or other accessories. One week, I had two business trips back to back, with no time to do laundry in between. For the first trip, I used black and white as my scheme, and for the second trip, it was navy and taupe. I was surprised at how easy it was to pack. I only needed one pair of shoes for business and one for relaxing/playing. Also, a nice white T-shirt can be worn with a suit, with jeans, with a skirt, with pearls, or in several other ways. I rarely pack without one; it fits in any color scheme.
Ladies, always bring a sarong on trips, in your carry-on. It can be used as a sheet, towel, skirt, dress, headdress (for mosques, etc), beach coverup, curtain, just about anything. Use your imagination!
I always purchase a small ringed notebook, such as school children use – size determined by the purse I will be carrying. I use the front part as a daily diary & the back part to register expenses as well as purchases. Makes it easiest to fill in the customs slip when returning home. Also delightful to read through later & reminisce.
Mary Kay makes a compact that carries everything you could need – two eyeshadows, a blush, a lip gloss, and application brushes. The compact is relatively small – just perfect for travel – and you can pick your colors. I NEVER travel without it, and I still look like I brought my whole makeup kit. You can add mascara and an eyelash curler for a truly star-worthy look.
So that you don’t worry about losing any hair bands when putting makeup on, use a bread bag tie; that way, you don’t have to worry about losing your good hair bands while traveling.
No reason to go completely makeup-free, even when roughing it! Before your trip, use a penknife to shave off a bit of lipstick from your favourite tube and mix it with some Vaseline in a little plastic pot (you can often get tiny ones with screw-top or snap lids in drugstores). This can be used as tinted lip gloss (with the intensity of tint determined by the amount of lipstick you use) as well as blusher. A tiny bit lasts forever, and it’s not really affected too much by extremes of heat or cold.
Don’t have time at home to spend on beauty rituals? When visiting department stores, stop by the cosmetics counters and ask for samples. Keep all your free “beauty goodies” in a Ziploc. When packing for a trip, take along your goodies bag. While relaxing at the hotel, or working on your laptop, take advantage and try that new special mask or the new deep hair conditioning treatment. Small indulgences like this make your trip extra special!
When travelling abroad, I always pack a very long oblong chiffon scarf. It is the most versatile item. It can dress up a simple black dress draped backward around the neck for evening; it is useful as a head covering for visiting shrines and temples and being appropriately respectful, even if you’re not quite sure of the local protocols and traditions; in a pinch it can be an evening wrap and it takes up no space in a bag.
So that you don’t have to pack lots of underwear (panties), just pack a small box of panty liners (or slip the right number of them in a ziploc plastic bag) and line your panties with a new one each day. A fresh panty liner makes your panties feel clean again – after all, the rest of the panties don’t get dirty.
Roll up your money and put it in a tampon tube. Not many are willing to invade such intimate privacy to find it. (Don’t forget to keep it in your carry-on.)
