How to pack for a flight

Recently I came back from a business trip in Russia where I stayed for two weeks. You all know what a long business trip to a foreign country means right? No? Well, at least for me, it means a plethora of flights around the country to visit every little city possible once you made the effort to get there! So that itinerary had 10 flights in total, including two 8 hour ones from one part of Russia to the other! Sweet isn’t it? I believe this time I’ve mastered the packing situation, so I present you today with my top tips especially if you plan to catch a flight to your destination.

1.Take versatile clothes! No matter where you are going in order to avoid packing clothes that you will never wear you might need to think about taking clothes that match more than one outfits. Also, if you are going to a low temperature country (i.e. Russia) you need to take layers! A black cardigan is the best thing you can take with you because you can throw it over any outfit and if you get hot indoors, take it off.

2. Pack outfits! I personally pack in outfits when I go on a business trip. I check how many seminars and how many business lunches I’ve got on my itinerary and pack accordingly. It saves so much space and so much time in the morning when you are trying to match the clothes you’ve taken with you.

3. Roll your clothes! Did you know that if you roll your clothes you save space in your suitcase and your clothes don’t get crumpled? I don’t only roll my clothes, I roll the outifts together so that I can pick one roll and dress all over! It saves me so much time and I don't make a total mess of my suitcase and have to pack it from scratch the next morning that I move cities.

4. Limit the amount of accessories! I know that you want to be stylish wherever you go but really you don’t need that many accessories when you are travelling. Chances are you will forget about it in the morning rush and end up not wearing them. If you wish you can pack a statement necklace or two that go with most of your outfits.

5. Pack more underwear than you think you need! You are going on a trip for 4 days? Pack 6 underwear. You never know what may happen! Same goes with socks!

6. Don’t pack many pairs of shoes! You only need two pairs of shoes, let’s be honest. One for everyday and one for your night outfits. What I did for Russia was to take one pair of black comfy boots and one pair of high heels. I used to go everywhere in my boots and when I got to the seminar area changed into my heels. That’s what I picked up from the Russians, they know better!

7. Don’t take a huge make up bag! Chances are that you are going to wear only one make up look so why pack your whole stash thinking “oh I might need to do a smoky eye” or “I need both primers”! Eyeshadow quads are perfect for trips, or even palettes if you’re feeling adventurous. You can mix and match the shades and create morning and night makeup looks. Also, don’t pack a dozen lipsticks! Think of what you are wearing on an ordinary day at work and take one or two that you are comfortable wearing; you will end up not wearing that red lipstick after all, trust me!

8. Pack your skincare bag in travel bottles! That’s the tricky part, your skincare bag. I always transfer everything into travel bottles, Sephora has travel sets with empty containers and Hondos as well. This time I took it to a whole new level. I filled in the empty containers with what I needed and kept the cases they came in, that were transparent which I found perfect. I used one of them for my shower necessities; shower gel, intim wash, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion. I know that hotels always have shower gel and shampoo but they usually are crap! If you decide not to take a shampoo and use the one the hotel provides you with, always remember to pack a good conditioner and detangler because you will realise that it is such a chore to detangle your hair afterwards and that it is way too dry. I used the other case for my make up removing needs; micellair water, cleansing oil, eye makeup remover and toner. It is perfect to have everything in small bags, firstly because you know which bag to take out for what reason and not rumbling into a big one and making a mess (especially if you change hotels every two days) and you can fit them in your suitcase easier. In my big skincare bag I put all of my creams and serums, cleansers, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, nail file, cotton pads, heat protectant spray, body mist, nail polish removing sachets, tampons and hair elastics. I’ve also packed a moisturising mask (the dry airplane air dries up your skin too), a scrub and a clay mask because I knew I was going to break out, story of my life! I moved them to small pots as well and took along the little thingy that you scoop them out with to avoid dipping my hands in.

9. Put your makeup bag in the middle of the suitcase! Make sure that your makeup and skincare bags are in the middle of the suitcase for your clothes to act as bumpers around them. You have seen how they throw suitcases when unloading the aeroplane, right?

10. Pack every little bottle in separate ziplock bags! That’s a must if you are flying somewhere. Bottles tend to explode throughout the flight and you don’t want your cleanser to end up on your clothes, do you? The makeup bag is not going to prevent it from that, trust me. So get yourself some ziplock bags, you can find them at Jumbo, and start individual packing! Also, don’t get the Jumbo travel size containers or the cheapest one you can find. The lid is not secure enough and they leak. And if you do, make sure you secure it with some tape and take the tape with you to do the same on your way back!

11. Pack medicine! Imagine you are in a foreign country, where you might or might not know the language of, and you have a headache, or worst case scenario, catch the flu! Would you like to have to find a pharmacy and get paracetamol or would it be more advisable to have it with you? Also, don’t forget that most countries, at least the ones I’ve been at, don’t give you any antibiotics without doctor’s prescription. And especially if you are on a business trip and a tight schedule you won’t even have time to waste to go to the doctor. I always pack two antibiotics, one for a urinal infection and one for a severe cold. I also take stomach ache pills with me and definitely paracetamol. If you think you might be getting your period while you are away definitely pack some period cramp pills! To save space just take them out of their boxes and put all of them in a ziplock bag. Just don’t forget to write the expiration date on them because you might not use them (and that’s really the plan!) and not remember which box you took them out from when you get back.

12. Get a mini scale! You will not believe how useful that is! Since the airlines have a maximum of kilos you can carry on the aircraft, you will need to be sure that it does not exceed that and not have to open your suitcase in the airport and take stuff from the suitace into your carry on luggage (been there, done that! I always weigh my suitcase with the mini scale before I leave and when I’m packing everything back at the hotel; you’ll definitely go shopping don’t look at me like I’m a crazy beauty addict, which I definitely am! Also, don’t try to weigh your suitcase on the scale you have at home. The suitcase won’t fit and you will have to hold it from one side which will alter the true weigh and you’ll be surprised at the airport.

13. Pack your chargers on a separate bag! I used to put my chargers on the separate compartment that the suitcase has, thinking they’re gonna be easy to grab and secure. Well, my experience has shown that cords get tangled and they are a total mess after the first flight! I always pack all of my chargers in a small makeup bag and when I know there’s gonna be overlay at the airport I take them in my hand luggage in case I need to charge anything at the airport.

14. Take earphones and a good book! No matter how long your flight is you definitely need your earphones. You can connect them to your phone and listen to music and if you’ve got a tablet of some sort connect it there to watch a movie. Also, a good book has always come in handy. I tend to do most of my reading when travelling and it helps me a lot to relax and sleep in those uncomfortable airplane seats. 

15. Pack underwear and a pair of comfy pants in your hand luggage! My story went like this. I was in Siberia last year and we went to the airport to catch a flight to Moscow and then another one for Athens. The flight got delayed due to snowstorm (it was the 25th of March for God's sake!) and we didn't get to Moscow on time to catch the connecting flight. After getting over the initial shock that we were stuck there for another night and got a hotel room by the airline, we realised that we couldn't take our suitcases until we reach our destination, which was Athens! So we had to spend the night at the hotel room without our suitcase, thank God I wasn't wearing any makeup, and I didn't have underwear to change or any comfy pants to sleep in. So I washed my underwear and dried it with the blowdrier, I slept in my jeans and I applied my hand cream on my face! Also, I felt miserable until I reached home! So, bottomline, you never know what can happen to your suitcase so make sure you take underwear with you in the cabin and a moisturiser sample from the ones you've been collecting so far and have in your stash promising yourself I'll try it someday!

16. Don't overpack! Well, if you follow the above tips there is no way you will, but we always get carried away thinking that we might need an extra top or pair of pants. Well, I don't think you will and you will stuff your suitcase with clothes you won't wear when you could be sparing those extra kilos for your shopping at the destination!

These wear my top tips for packing and travelling by plane. If you've got any more, please do share in the comments because I'm a a frequent traveller and always value your opinion! Good luck and have fun if you are flying somewhere!

Georgina x x x