All posts tagged: travel

The Perfect Carry-On Packing List

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Your carry-on luggage is super important and it should be treated as such. Your bag needs to be organised and contain all your desert island items. I know everyone has different needs and priorities, so pack to reflect that. This is my carry-on but I hope it helps you to pack yours… Laptop, case (customised with SkinnyDip stickers) & charger Kindle, USB lead & cover Headphones iPhone & charger Travel adaptor Selfie stick Highlighter compact Glasses & case Sunglasses & Frame Chain Business cards Diary Notebook Pens Book (Shantaram) Large scarf Highlighter compact (Clinique) Makeup Bag (READ: WHAT MAKEUP TO PACK) Travel mirror Facial mist Cosmetic bag with sunscreen, tissues, toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, bobbles & tissues Camera & memory cards Fan Tote bag PASSPORT!!!!!!!! Tickets & travel documents Money (take USD for emergencies) Earplugs Eyemask     So there you have it, all this fits into my Herschel backpack comfortably and I have tried to organise small bits into pouches and a tote bag to separate. Carry a travel pillow and you’re all set. Happy …

6 Alternatives to a ‘Beach Body’

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The term ‘beach body’ has had a lot of bad press recently. It all started last summer with Protein World’s bikini-clad campaign and culminated in Women’s Health banning the phrase. Now, I don’t know why that particular ad started the backlash, because it’s something anyone who has ever bought any women’s magazine ever will have seen a million times before. In and of itself, the saying ‘beach body’ is not offensive at all, but the expectation that all us mere mortals should be 5’10”, beach blonde, long-legged, big-titted, with an ass like Kim Kardashian, abs like Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston arms is so overwhelmingly unachievable. Not to mention we all need to have completely hairless bodies, with no excess fat (except on the aforementioned ass and tits) the colour of molten gold that don’t sweat… enough already. Lets’s look our bests, yes, but in an inclusive, mentally healthy way. With that in mind, here are my six alternatives to that impossible ‘beach body’. 1. A HUGE F*CKING SMILE This is so cliché and I …

Backpacker Beauty: The Ultimate Edit

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We must first discard any wild notions of looking like Kim Kardashian on the beach. This is impractical and will not happen. You will look more like Helena Bonham Carter in Harry Potter (or indeed Helena Bonham Carter in anything). And that’s okay, come to terms with that. While accepting a more low-key look is important, obviously there are a few beauty tips and tricks to ensure you make the most of your natural beauty while travelling… MY FAILSAFE KIT You only need a small, teeny makeup kit I have detailed every single product right HERE. As for the rest take multitasking products and lots of sunscreen. Other amazing products are: Eucerin Sun Creme SPF 50 Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Glossier Balm Dotcom Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream Le Labo Santal 33 Solid Perfume THINK SKINCARE NOT MAKEUP Again, makeup in 40 degree heat is as much use as an ashtray on a speedboat. That shiz is gonna slide off your face like oil so focus of healthy glowing skin. You get good skin by …

Almost Time to Go? Get Your Affairs in Order

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So you’ve booked your flights, paid them off, saved some cash and waited what seems like a lifetime. Suddenly the time is almost upon you and you’ve got a couple of weeks to get your shit in order. This can be pretty overwhelming, realising you actually have quite a few things to sort out before your trip, so here is a list of things you need to do so you can chill once you’re at your destination. PACK This might sound obvy but pack EVERYTHING in good time, you can always unpack if there are things you’ll need to use but pack up everything you plan to take in your backpack or suitcase to see if it fits. Also to see if you can carry it. If you can’t then at least you have time to edit. Also launder any clothes that need to laundered and purchase anything on your list that you don’t have yet. Read my packing list>>> GROOM Give yourself an epic grooming session before you leave so you can chill out …

Want to Get Away? Here’s Your Inspiration

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I bloody love a mood board, be it cut outs from magazines in my notebook, a file on the ole’ laptop or a highly curated Pinterest collection – they can sometimes help get me through the week. Since it’s hump day I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite travel-centric images. Maybe you’re planning a RTW trip of your own and want some inspiration, you’re counting down to a holiday or you just a break from looking at the grey UK skies. Anyway enjoy… Check out my Pinterest >>>

Makeup to Put in Your Backpack

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This article has been a long time in the making as I have edited and whittled down all my makeup leaving only the most essential products. Everything on this list has earned its place and the final edit won’t take up much space at all!   Makeup bag Choose a small one to prevent shoving too much slap in there! Also select a plastic or wipe-down style rather than fabric as it’ll be much easier to clean. Mine is the size of a pencil case for reference. ASOS have a great range>>> Convertible Colour This is a product that can be used on lips or cheeks and as its a cream, it’ll work well in hot climates. Mine is a natural pink shade from Lipstick Queen which gives my cheeks a healthy glow, but I also like Stila’s colours.  Foundation/Concealer Not a thick flaky one, but just something you can use to cover any blemishes. I like Illamasqua Skin Base because it’s quite light. I have it a couple of shades darker than my skin (SB 13) …

The Best Travel Budgeting App – Review

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If you’re going backpacking for a few weeks or months then keeping on top of your budget is paramount, I know boring… but if you accidentally blow all your dineros in the first few days your trip will be cut short. Obviously while you do want to be careful with your cash you do not want to spend hours each day faffing around with receipts, spreadsheets and paper. There’s an app for everything and I thought I’d road-test some of the best money travel apps available. Which I did, and as soon as I started looking into it, it became abundantly clear that TRAIL WALLET is head and shoulders above the rest. So I’ll just tell you about that one… *Please note this in no way sponsored or affiliated with Trail Wallet, I just genuinely think it’s a cool and useful app. In a Nutshell “Trail Wallet is an easy travel expense tracker for iPhone and iPad. Designed to be fast, it takes the headache out of expense tracking so you can focus on the …

My Packing List Pt. 2

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Read My Packing List Pt. 1 This is the second part of my packing list, the one with all the lady stuff. When you think about it, it takes a helluva lot of grooming to even look half presentable. If it were up to me, I’d let myself go to seed and not bother with shaving or plucking… but it’s not, I would be shunned by society for sure if I took a more relaxed approach to beautifying. That said, there’s no point going OTT while you’re backpacking. So leave the straighteners, foundation and fake tan at home.

My Packing List Pt. 1

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There are a million and one packing lists out there for RTW backpacking trips, this is mine, and I hope (fingers crossed) that I’m taking the right things and that I can break it down in an easy fashion so as to help you. Here it goes. Countries visited: India, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Bali, Borneo Weather: Mostly hot, some cold nights Length of trip: 3-5 months Type of travel: Budget (hostels, sleeper trains and street food) NOTE: I’ve included some quick-buy links to some products to make them easy to shop. Some, but not all are affiliate links from which I make a tiny commission, this is at no extra charge to you. Please email me with any packing-related questions too.  The Backpack I chose one based on price to be honest, I didn’t want to spend hundreds of pounds and I don’t think you need to. I bought a Karrimor backpack from Amazon for £53 and it had great reviews. Hopefully it will be in a locker most of the time. I chose a 65l …