✈️ Tips & Tricks – How to Pack Wisely for Your Next Vacation ⛱️

I’m not gonna lie… Packing for a trip completely STRESSES ME OUT!! I admittedly have some hoarder in me, and when packing for a business trip or vacation, I tend to panic and shove waaaaay too much crap in my suitcase. I mean, God FORBID I leave that one single solitary item I might find I desperately need, but forgot to pack!! So NUTS, especially as I do have credit cards and there are usually places to shop wherever I’m headed, LOL 🙄

After my many many years of traveling to and from Los Angeles to New York City for Fashion Week, I’ve trained myself how to pack smartly, so I always have what I need, and a bit more, for any possible scenario. And, as I am headed out of the country tomorrow for a blissful 6 days / 5 nights in Boracay, Philippines, I thought I’d share my Packing 101 with you, so the next time you travel, you won’t be bogged down with a bunch of stuff you really just don’t need.

Looks like a ton of stuff for 6 days & 5 nights at the beach, right? Well… it actually is: 6 dresses, 4 bikinis, 4 sarongs, 4 t-shirts, 2 tank tops, 2 pairs of pants, 1 romper, 1 pair of shorts, 3 pairs of sandals, 2 handbags, 1 beach bag, 6 pairs of underwear, 3 bras, 3 headscarves, 1 nighty, cosmetics, toiletries, sunscreen, haircare, 4 makeup brushes, a few pairs of earrings, my laptop, charging cords, a backpack AND my snorkel plus mask…. allll to fit in a carry-on sized suitcase, which I am checking in, and has a airline weight max of 20KG; I have my backpack with laptop as my carry-on. And, how, pray tell, was I able to fit all that stuff into a small carry-on sized suitcase and keep it under the maximum weight allowance? It’s a simple… choose wisely, pack light weight items, use the roll method for your clothing and play packing Jenga.

I tightly roll each item of clothing to make them small, and then arrange them in layers, filling every possible space of the bag, as if I were putting together a jigsaw puzzle. **Rolling your clothes is also a great tip as it keeps each article wrinkle free for the trip.

I arrange any wet toiletries, perfume, skincare and cosmetics flat in a ziplock and carry them with me in my laptop backpack, as well as any jewelry, my passport and wallet… That bag STAYS ON MY BACK until I safely put it into the overhead compartment on the plane.

Dry items, like my color cosmetic palate, medicine, tweezers, makeup brushes, hair brush and comb, makeup mirror, toothbrush, etc, gets packed into a small toiletry bag and goes into the suitcase.

My handbags lay flat in a protective bag, my beloved rubber Birkenstocks line the edges of the suitcase, my snorkel and mask go on top and VOILA! She’s packed!

I always weigh my bag to make sure I’m under the airline allowance… And, how’d I do??

Only 9.5KG kids, of my allowed 20!!! And, as I did not need to expand the bag, I have plenty of space remaining to bring home all the fun things I find to buy in Boracay!! 🙌

I hope you enjoyed my personal packing How To! Next stop, BORACAY!! 🏝️