Living in separate cities to your family is hard. I've done it for three years and it still feels strange. In that time I must have travelled back and forth at least fifty times! But one good thing that has come out of all that travelling is me learning how to pack like a pro. Hubby and I will be heading back to Birmingham soon so I thought now was the perfect time to share some of my top travel essentials with you including my skincare and makeup routine and what I carry in my handbag. 
my current travel essentials
The first thing I like to organise is my bag. I currently have a black tote from New Look and I love it. It's a great size and it fits all of my stuff without being too big. They don't have my bag anymore but this one is very similar! Inbetween travelling my bag always gets filled with receipts, old train tickets and a whole bunch of other junk so a little clear out is always a good idea. Obviously, the first things I pack are my keys, phone, purse and all of the other necessities. For the train journey, I also like to bring my iPad, a protein bar, tissues, hand sanitizer/anti-bacterial wipes, earphones, mints, painkillers, a pen and a mirror. Just call me Mary Poppins! 

Moving on to beauty. I always like to have a Glossier Balm Dot Com in my bag as Hubby and I both get really dry lips. Hand cream is another essential and I'm currently loving the Hand Chemistry Pro-Repair Skincare For Hands. The final product in my bag is a Glossier You sample. These are super handy for touching up your scent throughout the day and they save me having to bring my full-size! They've actually just released this fragrance in a solid compact which looks amazing for on the go! 

When it comes to packing my suitcase I like to keep things really streamlined. I'll have two separate bags, one for makeup and one for my skincare. This is where having a super simple beauty routine pays off! For skincare, I like to stick to a really minimal routine which usually consists of the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, Botanics 100% Rosewater Spritz, The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% and the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. I'll also throw in some kind of detoxifying mask as my skin gets really congested when I travel. My makeup routine generally tends to stay the same and I always make sure to pack the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50, Glossier Boy Brow, Haloscope in Quartz, MAC Soba Eyeshadow and Generation G in Cake

I thought I would quickly mention some of the hair and body products I'll be taking with me. As you all know I have extremely dry, eczema prone skin so the Sanex Advanced Hydrate 24H Shower Cream and E45 Moisturising Lotion are non-negotiable. Grow Gorgeous has been my favourite hair care brand for quite a while now and they've actually just brought out a new travel kit which I'm so excited about! The Three Steps to Gorgeous Regime Kit* contains minis of the Scalp Detox, 11-in-1 Cleansing Conditioner and a full-size bottle of their Hair Growth Serum! It comes in a gorgeous black and white wash bag and has everything you could possibly need to cleanse and condition your hair whilst your away! I can't wait to use it! 


What are your travel essentials?

Maiya 
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