Packing is both a science and an art. Over the years I believe I’ve perfected my process for packing smart and packing as light as possible. Below are a few of my rules when it comes to packing whether for a quick trip or a long vacation:

1. Always prep at least a week in advance. I typically start packing for a trip at least a week before if not more, depending on the length of the trip. Start with all the clothes that you want to bring then slowly whittle it down by taking out pieces that might not go together and that you don’t really need. I’ll usually go through about three rounds over a couple of days of looking through the stuff I had set aside and taking out items that aren’t necessary and that gets me down to what I actually need. Try on all of your outfits and make sure everything goes well together and fits properly. Sometimes I find that a piece that I originally thought I wanted to bring doesn’t go well with my other pieces and would just take up space in my suitcase. I try to only pack stuff that I know I’ll definitely wear on the trip, not stuff that I might wear. Another benefit to starting early is you might discover items that you need to pick up. For example, I was trying on my recent outfits for my trip and realized I was in need of a black strapless bra for many of my shirts and dresses. I also figure out exactly what I need like makeup remover wipes and contact solution for the trip.

2. Make a list. I’m a big fan of lists. I love writing out exactly what I need to bring with me or else I may forget some items. If I’m going on a five day trip for example I’ll breakdown exactly what outfits I’ll need for that trip, like four casual day outfits and four dinner outfits, travel outfits, and other items like bathing suits and accessories. It helps me to really have an idea of what I’m doing each day so I can pack accordingly. I also list out all of my other items I need to bring like toiletries, makeup, documents, etc. and check them off as I pack them away.

3. Roll your clothes. Roll as many of your clothes as possible in your suitcase to save space. This trick really does work for most items and also reduces wrinkles. I also try to make the most use of the space by fitting socks in shoes for example and just being really strategic of where I place stuff. I really can fit quite a lot in my carryon suitcase!

4. Use a Contact Case for Liquids. For quick trips or just for your carryon use contact cases for liquids. You can put liquids such as eye creams, face lotions, foundations, etc. into contact cases so that way you can bring these on your carry on and you don’t have to worry about packing all of these bottles. I do this all the time with my foundations, face lotions, and primers to reduce the number of full size bottles I’m packing. I get my extra contact cases from Target.

5. Maximize your use of your carryon bag as much as possible. On trips that I’m only carrying on I use a backpack as my personal item and then my small suitcase as my carryon bag. My backpack I can fit a lot of stuff in but it still fits under the seat in front of me, then my suitcase is the right size to fit in the overhead bin. I can typically fit up to 7 days of outfits and stuff in these two items. In my backpack I’ll usually include:

• two outfits
• maybe a bathing suit depending on the destination
• my makeup bags
• straightener
• my laptop if I’m traveling for work,
• toiletry items like razors, my hair brush, etc.
• my liquids in a small baggie (using my contact cases and other small liquid containers).

I will also stuff my small travel purse into my backpack as well so I can easily take it out once I land. My backpack is usually fully maxed out by this point and it just fits under the seat (with a little bit of pushing on my part) but I’ve never had a problem with this on most airlines. Then in my suitcase I can fit everything else.

6. Always wear your heaviest items to the airport. This isn’t a problem with me because I’m always cold in airports and on planes. It’s always good to wear your tennis shoes and pack your sandals. Wear your jacket or layer up for the airport. Anything that you’re wearing doesn’t count towards the carryon and it takes some weight out of your bags. A win, win! My airport outfit is typically workout leggings, a tank top underneath a jean jacket or my leather jacket with my tennis shoes. I’m usually going for comfort vs style when I’m flying! I also really like bringing a scarf in the colder months, or even when its warm out (a lighter fabric) because I can use this scarf while on the plane as some cushion to rest my head on the side (always choose window seat) or use it as a mouth and nose cover if I’m smelling some unpleasant smells on the plane. It comes in very handy! You could even use it as a makeshift eye cover if you want to block out the light to sleep.

One final tip is to always have multiple zip lock bags to enclose your makeup palettes (so it doesn’t get on anything when traveling) and to use for medicine like Advil or allergy pills that you don’t want to bring the whole bottle for. These definitely help save space and keep everything organized!

For travel tips on what to see and do in Paris read my recent post, Places to See in Paris Besides the Eiffel Tower!