I know that spring break is over for most of us at this point, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some of you have some weekend getaways planned with friends, lovers or family. Especially with summer right around the corner, you have to be hoping to get off work for a couple days to get out of your hometown. Although everyone is different when it comes to priority items that get packed, I think there are many essentials that we can all agree on. Here are some of my main essentials to pack for any short trips that I take.
SkinCare Products
I think that skincare products are one of the biggest things I hate to forget when I go anywhere away from home. I can only use Cetaphil face wash without my face developing new bumps and pimples. The next most important product is 100% moisturizer. I go ten minutes maximum after a shower or face wash before I need to put moisturizer on. Usually I will use some hyaluronic acid before moisturizing, but I can survive without that if needed. Another skin care product that I think everyone should bring on a trip is some sort of spot treatment cream or patch. This is useful to have when an unwanted blemish or pimple decides to make a surprise appearance. And sure, you can always go to the closest drugstore, but when you have something at home it sucks to buy another product. Makeup is another thing of your own that really sucks to forget. I try to fit all of my products that give me a good, natural look into a makeup bag. Then I add an eye-shadow palette and some brushes in case I need them.
Hair Tools and Products
As any girl would know, a bad hair day equals a bad day in general. And it’s even worse when it’s time to go out with others and your hair is not cooperating. Sometimes I even style my outfit around a specific hairstyle I want to have for the night. With all of this being said, packing your favorite hair tools and products is very important for trips of any length. My three main hair tools I always pack are a hairdryer with attachments, curling iron and straightener. These give me the option to wear my hair in a lot of different styles depending on what I want. Next, I make sure to pack basic hair products like hair oil, heat protectant, curl cream and dry shampoo. And then there are the obvious items like your favorite shampoo and conditioner.
Versatile Clothing Pieces
To me, a short trip is anything less than five days. So in reality, packing a lot of clothes isn’t necessary. However, I find it hard to only pack enough outfits for each day because my mind changes all of the time. To combat this problem, I try to focus on packing versatile pieces of clothing that I can wear and pair multiple ways. I usually pick out two pairs of jeans, each a different style so that I have options. I try to include tanks, t-shirts and long sleeves of basic colors with little designs so they can be layered easily. My layering pieces are usually where I focus my attention on, making sure they are cute and pair well with many of the other pieces I’ve included.
I do seem to struggle with not packing too much. I hate dragging out a large suitcase when it’s really not needed. So I try to focus on these essentials and only pack a few extra things that I may need.