I am getting ready for a month long trip in Europe and am only packing a carry-on for the entire duration of the trip. My decision to restrict my packing habits have taken a serious toll on my toiletry bag. Most blogs that I read on the subject of taking carry-on for longer trips recommend bringing the bare essentials in small quantities and purchasing more when you arrive. I really did not sit well with that idea for two main reasons. The first being that I don't want to spend any of my time in a new city searching around for a pharmacy or drug store, especially since we are on a fairly strict time budget. The second reason comes from me being loyal to products that I love. If you are anything like me you have spent a portion of your life being burned by products that didn't work for you only to eventually find your holy grail. Traveling can be stressful enough as it is, I don't want to worry about my face breaking out from the new moisturizer I purchased or having overly oily or frizzy hair because I tried some weird new shampoo. Not only would you have wasted money, but now you have to track down another drug store and repeat the process. Not ideal. And what's worse is looking back at your photos from your trip of a lifetime and reliving your acne and frizzy hair. I have tried and true products that simplify my life and this is how I fit them all into a TSA approved 1-quart bag.
I purchased this great Travelon bag from Amazon for around $20. It has a liquids 1-quart compartment paired with a non-liquid compartment of the same size and a 360 degree swivel hook for hanging in hotel and hostel bathrooms (I imagine this would be stellar for camping too!). This bag and a small makeup bag are all the room I am giving myself for toiletries for a whole month, phew, here we go.
I will start with my liquid toiletries since they are the biggest deal when it comes to flying carry-on. All containers must be under 100 mL (~3.4 oz) and they all must fit in a 1 quart bag. You can easily use a Ziploc bag for this as well (just make sure it is one quart in size). Even if a bottle fits in your 1 quart bag but if over 100 mL, you cannot bring it on the plane so make sure you check all of the sizes before you pack them.
In my liquids compartment I have...
1. Wrinkle Release Spray
2. Eye drops
3. Liquid band-aid (for blisters)
4. Sunscreen
5. Hair oil (because my hair gets really frizzy in humidity)
6. Hairspray
7. Toner spray
8. Hand cream
9. SPF face cream
10. Laundry detergent packets
11. Mascara
12. Liquid lipstick
13. Lip gloss
You may be wondering about the obvious liquids like shampoo, conditioner or toothpaste. Fortunately for me, I stumbled across some great solid products that I plan to write a separate post about someday but for now, this is a list of the products I am keeping in my non-liquids compartment.
1. Mini deodorant
2. LUSH Big Solid Conditioner bar (stored in blue container)
3. Soap (stored in blue container)
4. LUSH Toothy Tabs (solid toothpaste)
5. Travel toothbrush
6. Compact hair brush and mirror
7. Dry shampoo powder
8. LUSH Godvia shampoo bar & tin
9. LUSH Dark Angels facial cleanser
My make-up bag was actually the hardest one for me to pack. Some liquids like my lipstick and mascara will be transferred to this bag once I get there. I packed a small makeup bag to really restrict the amount of make-up I could bring. I found this little bag at a winners and it is the perfect size for travel.
I managed to fit everything I need in this bag with room to add my mascara and lip products upon arrival!
1. Physician's Formula Talc-Mineral Powder
2. Concealer stick
3. Eyeshadow Palette
4. NYX eyebrow pencil and highlight
5. E.L.F cream blush
6. Black and brown eyeliner
So there you have it. All of the products I will need for a month abroad all tested and loved before hand. It is the best feeling to know you have everything you need and you wont have to worry about losing your luggage! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!
Safe Travels!
Hales :)
