8 Essentials To Pack for your Next Trip

fashion-mumblr-seiko-9 fashion-mumblr-seiko-7
Dress by Revolve  |   Shoes by   |   Bag by   |   Bracelets by Bimba y Lola   |   Watch by Seiko   |

Don’t Leave The House Without…

This week, I’ve been discovering the food and rum scene in Barbados, last week I was in Abu Dhabi as a guest of Etihad – it’s exciting and some times a little surreal to be able to travel as part of job, but lots of travel means lots of planning and organisation! As well as ensuring all the content across my channels is up to date and will be ticking over while I am working on a different time zone, I also have to think about what I’m packing in my suitcases! (Yes, plural!)

Travelling for me is part of the job, and while we are busy with a full agenda and itinerary, for me it’s important to ensure that my style is not compromised. Many memories are made while travelling and these #TimelyMoments are often those when I step back, take five minutes to myself, and absorb everything around me. Whether it’s the fragrances coming from the spice cart at the local market, or the breeze blowing in from the warm ocean – it’s these moments where I stop for a moment that truly count.

Naturally when I am travelling for business, time keeping is of utmost importance, with transfers to catch and meetings to attend – and so my Seiko watch is an essential that I won’t travel without. I always change it to the local time and try to adjust my body clock as soon as I land (if not before!) to ensure I make the most of every moment.

Whether I am travelling for business or pleasure (although most of my trips are both!) here is what I pack to ensure everything runs smoothly, and I don’t have to make any emergency, expensive purchases while I am away!

1. The Basics

I always start with the basics, of course that includes underwear and socks (which I pack together in a handbag dust bag) but I also have a pouch containing essentials such as adapters, a few plasters, paracetamol, hair grips and a mini sewing kit. More often than not, I don’t even use half the pieces in the pouch, but I’d much rather have them with me for ‘just in case’ scenarios than have to source them while I am away!

2. Travel Essentials
As well as the basics, don’t forget everything you need for travelling! I like to print my itineraries, reservations, boarding passes etc and have a purse with a travel credit card and some local change. If there are some home comforts you can’t live without, pack those too – I like to take a few sachets of my Jasmine Green Tea, they don’t take up any room and I can make a brew to enjoy each morning while I’m away.

 

fashion-mumblr-seiko
fashion-mumblr-seiko-5

fashion-mumblr-seiko-3

3. Tech

Sounds obvious, but it’s often the most used things that can get left behind! My tech essentials include my laptop, hard drive, memory card reader, phone charger and camera chargers. I also pack headphones (over ear and in ear if it’s a very long flight) and if I have to take any calls I can focus a little more on the conversation if I plug myself in with earphones.

4. Outfits!

Of course this is my favourite part of packing – choosing what to wear! My staple travel essentials include a chic pair of flat shoes which can be dressed up or down, a smart cross body bag – I took my Valentino Glam Lock to Abu Dhabi and it was the perfect choice thanks to its small size and ability to instantly enhance any outfit, as well as some choice accessories. An essential that I won’t leave home without whether that’s popping out to grab coffee or jetting to the other side of the world is an elegant watch, and my new Seiko Premier watch was the perfect travel companion. I opted for the classic and feminine design which would work with all of my traveling outfits, from a casual beach look to an elegant evening outfit.

fashion-mumblr-seiko-10 fashion-mumblr-seiko-8

5. Key Pieces

I always check the weather forecast and the itinerary when choosing my outfits, and like to pre-plan a few combinations so that I don’t end up packing pieces just for the sake of it! If I’m travelling for work, I rarely get time to visit the beach, but if we do find a few spare minutes I like to think that my outfit works for both a business event and the beach! This lightweight dress is the best of both – it’s chic and elegant while also being lightweight enough for the warm climates. For work trips I also always pack a tailored dress, and a lightweight cardigan – in case of over-air conditioned rooms!

6. Beauty Essentials!

As you can imagine, my travel beauty bag resembles a Sephora store, it’s gigantic. I also bring my straighteners, skin care, sun care, bath and body products, perfumes, deodorants, razors, moisturisers, serums etc etc etc. Travelling light when it comes to beauty products isn’t my forte, but if you can store travel sized versions of your essentials (particularly from beauty boxes or advent calendars!) then you’ll be a lot more likely to stick to the weight limit than if you were to take the full sized versions!

What are the pieces you will never travel without?

Let me know in the comments below!

xoxo

This post is in collaboration with Seiko