On our next trip, we’re travelling with just hand luggage. Just ten kilos, each. Travelling light is something new to us and it’s definitely a challenge. Especially since we’re travelling for two weeks and we are hitting two very different destinations: the tropical Martinique island on the Caribbean and the lovely city of Paris
The ridiculousness of packing a bunch of stuff for trips hit me on our last holiday. We were travelling to Amsterdam and I was carrying my bags. I was stressed and worried. Are my bags too heavy? Did I remember to pack everything?
And then it hit me – I’m allowed to bring 30 kilos of stuff with me and I’m still worried it’s not enough. That is crazy! Think about it: you are taking 30 kilos of stuff with you. Do you really need all that?
I like to believe I don’t. Which is why I’m excited that we’re travelling light and smart – with nothing more than hand luggage.
Travelling with only hand luggage
One of the most important things when travelling light, is to have a good hand-sized luggage. My luggage is from Delsey and it’s very handy and lightweight.
It’s also important to choose a hotel or an apartment, where you can wash your clothes. That was one of the criteria for our airbnb as well: it needed to have a washer. That way you can use the same clothes all over again – because let’s face it – that is one of the key things in managing a light luggage.
CLOTHES & SHOES
Pack clothes that can be paired together. Clothes that you can mix and match, so that you’re not stuck with the same outfit every day. It’s also important to pack clothes that you love and like to wear. I packed a lot of black clothes, mainly because it’s convenient, but also because I wear a lot of black anyway. I did however choose a few ‘statement pieces’ so that I can play a bit with my outfits.
Think about the weather, what activities you are planning to do and pack accordingly. For example: I plan on exercising, hiking, swimming and going out on a dinner. So I packed sportswear, bikinis & something fancier for dinners. Since I’m going to a beach holiday and to Paris, I packed some casual light clothes, but mainly citywear, since I’m spending most of the time in Paris.
Try not to think of packing less clothes as an issue, but rather as an opportunity! You don’t have to spend lots of time thinking about what you’ll be wearing and you can focus on your trip and exploring the new country or city instead.
BOTTOMS
- black jeans
- fake leather pants
– instead of jeans, statement piece - casual black pants
– they’re comfortable for travelling, but also stylish for every day wear - black pencil skirt
– fine for hot weather, also suits city life, can be paired with stockings if it’s colder - brown skirt
– statement piece, for city style - shorts
– very light, doesn’t take up much space, for hot weather
TOPS
- black t-shirt
– my favorite t-shirt ever, goes with everything - black tank top
- 2 x colorful tops
– very light and they basically take up zero space, good for both hot and cool weather - 2 x long sleeved shirts
– striped shirt + navy blue shirt - 2 x knits
– light white knit + a warmer black knit - dress
– for hot weather
SPORTSWEAR
- sports bra
- sports top
- sports shorts
- sports leggings
SHOES
- black ballerinas
- black comfortable sneakers
- five fingers for hiking or exercising
OTHER
- leather jacket
- scarf
- underwear for a week
- socks for a week
- stockings
- bikinis
The amount of clothes I packed might seem like a lot, but most of the clothes are very light and they don’t take up much space. And I checked that it all fits in my suitcase & it doesn’t even weigh the full 10 kilos! However, I could pack even less. You could do with just two pants and one skirt. And less shirts.
COSMETICS
Pack your cosmetics in small tubes and jars. You don’t necessarily have to buy travel sized cans – you can also make use of old products’ packaging. Try to pack multi-use products and keep your routine simple, but effective. You need to take care of your skin even abroad. If you need something extra, samples and sheet masks are awesome.
SKINCARE
- Evolve Beauty Shampoo travel size
- Evolve Beauty Conditioner travel size
- A face towel
– removes makeup & also gently exfoliates my skin - Lavera Cleansing Balm
- Mossa Youth Defence Radiant Toner
– in a yellow Kora Organics packaging - The body Shop Drops of Youth Serum
– couldn’t travel without this magic potion! It’s the best skincare product ever, especially since I know my skin can act up during travelling. Read my post on it here - Loccitane Aqua Reotier Gel moisturizer
– I’ll take this in a small jar. Post about the product here - Argan oil for face
– In a similar small jar - Filorga Time-Filler Eye cream
– new product, but since it’s a sample size it’s perfect for travelling - Evolve Beauty Fresh Cotton Deodorant Cream
– Obviously I’ll need my deodorant, I’ll take some of it in a small jar. I wrote about this awesome deodorant here - Rituals The Ritual of Dao Bed & Body Mist
– I love this scent - Eucerin mattifying fluid SPF 30
– I couldn’t travel without my own sunscreen for face. This sunscreen is lightweight, easily absorbed and just the best really. More great sunscreens for oily skin here
- Garnier after sun face sheet mask
– sheet masks and small samples are perfect for travelling - TonyMoly Eye patch
- Optiat Men’s Exfoliating Face Mask
– if I get desperate I can make myself a mask by mixing this powder with water - Toothbrush
– I know a manual toothbrush would be lighter and would take less space - Dental floss thingy
- Toothpaste
– or we’ll buy a travel size from the airport
MAKEUP
- Estee Lauder Double Wear Light
- Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
- Urban Decay Primer Potion
- Mac Mineralize Skinfinish, Soft & Gentle
– not the smartest packaging for travel, but I did so good with packaging my sister said I could take my favorite highlighter with me - Z-palette with IsaDora bronzer, blush & Benefit’s Hoola bronzer
– depotting & Z-palettes come in handy when travelling, check out my post about depotting here - Jane Iredale PurePressed Powder Blush, Flawless
– the perfect everyday nude blush in a very light packaging - mad4eyebrow Natural Eyebrow Filler, Blond
– my go-to brow product, read my post on it here - KICKS Marble Collection Eyeshadow Palette
– this is basically the perfect palette to travel with, since it’s so light - Bobbi Brown Smokey Eyes Mascara travel size
- Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, Rose
– my go-to lip product possibly - IsaDora Perfect Matt Lipstick, Red Carpet
– the best red lipstick there is - Alima Pure black eye pencil
- KICKS Eye Pencil, Rose Gold
– pencils are light and handy to take with you when travelling - Zuii Organic Lip Pencil, Spice
- Hurraw! lip balm
– been using Hurraw’s lip balms for years now - Powdered paper
– this will be my powder for now, but I actually need to buy a powder from Sephora - False lashes + small Eylure lash glue
MAKEUP BRUSHES
- Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
– my go-to makeup sponge, read my post here - Benefit Hoola Bronzer Brush
- KICKS Highlighting Brush
- Ecotools Brow Brush
- Rose gold blush brush & eyeshadow brush (unbranded)
- Zoeva Eyeshadow Brushes 231, 225 & 221
-my go to brushes, post here
- Coastal Scents small eyeshadow brush & spooly
- Sigma E47, E56 & E65 travel sized brushes
OTHER
- a handbag
– I’ll probably wear it on me, but it fits in the suitcase if necessary - medicine
- *kindle E-reader
- Cocoon sleep eye mask
- a handbag
– I always read with kindle, it’s honestly the best, my review on it here
– sleeping mask is a must! These are so soft and they block light perfectly
- phone & a charger
- other personal stuff you might need
And there’s that – let’s hope I didn’t forget anything. I’ll probably be even more thorough once it’s the real deal, but this trial run did help me massively. Paris and Martinique – I’m ready for you!
What do you think about travelling and packing? Could you manage with just hand luggage?
