Whether you’re planning a long-haul flight, a quick mini break or even just a weekend away similar to our trip to York recently, you’ll be packing a bag full of essentials. As I’ve recently been away on a long weekend over the late May Bank Holiday and I’m counting down the weeks to our summer holiday to Croatia I’ve been hoarding hotel minis and getting myself hand-luggage ready for ages.

1. Sort your storage
To make life as easy as possible for yourself whilst you’re travelling, one of my top tips is to keep your bag super tidy with proper storage! I have a super cute passport cover so I can easily find it in my bag, a little pouch for my headphones so they don’t get all tangled around everything else and then a Muji pill case for earrings and rings in case I want to take them off to get comfy and have a snooze.

2. Reading matter
I’ll always pack a book or an e-reader when I travel in case there are any delays and there’s time to kill. My current read is Sally Rooney’s Normal People which is quite a skinny book and perfect to pop in my bag just in case I’ve got time to fit in a chapter or two.

3. Snooze fest
For super early, late or especially long flights the snooze kit comes with me when I travel. I’ll pack a pair of ear plugs usually for travelling anyway just in case where we’re staying is particularly noisy so these are great for the train or plane too. I’ll also take a cute eye mask because I’m quite sensitive to light when I sleep and this is always a great way to switch off from the hustle and bustle of travelling. This one was from ASOS a few years ago but I’ve just found this one which is awesome too.

4. Hoard minis
Travel-sized products come at a premium price! There will always be some bits you’ll have to buy but I would always recommend hoarding hotel minis, freebies from magazines and gifts with purchases as and when you can get them.

I have a pre-packed travel beauty and skincare bag that I can just grab and go with for a weekend away or a short-ish holiday. I’ve got mini hotel shower gels and body lotions, teeny tiny skincare favourites from gifts with purchases like the little Clarins face mask. I like to take off my makeup, or not wear any at all, when flying and apply a deep moisturising mask or oil mid-flight to try and keep my skin hydrated.

As well as a mask or a moisturiser I’ll take a mini deodorant for a pre-landing freshen up and lots and lots of lip balm. My current favourite is the Fenty Beauty Pro Kiss’r Luscious Lip Balm* which I was kindly gifted at the launch event when Fenty hit Boots earlier in the year it’s so moisturising and feels cross between a gloss and a balm. A perfect pre-landing pick me up for the skin is Erborian Pink Perfect 4 in 1 Primer* is your ‘must-have beauty ally to reduce the appearance of pores, refine skin’s texture and give your skin a silky feel and dewy glow’.

5. Don’t forget the entertainment
As much as I love a chat, you can’t talk for an entire trip and there’s always time that you’ll want to plug in and chill out with your own shows or music. Download your favourite series on apps like ITV Hub and BBC iPlayer and grab films and seasons from Netflix too. If you want to watch stuff together then grab yourself a headphone splitter to save you having to share headphones like you’re in year 10.

Not sure what sort of headphones you even need?  This was definitely where I was. Luckily I have live with a pretty tech-savvy dude but East Midlands Airport have written a super handy The Best Travel Headphones Guide for those who are interested in finding out more about all the different types of headphones. I was kindly gifted a pair of headphones from East Midlands Airport for my upcoming travels and went for the Bang & Olufsen H3 In-Ear Headphones* because I knew I didn’t want on-ear or over-ear headphones as I find the in-ear ones more comfortable to wear for a longer period of time, for example a few hours on a plane! I also prefer in-ear ones because they’re smaller to fit in my hand luggage or hand bag day to day. The sound quality on these is awesome and they’re quite noise-blocking which is great. I also like that they’re black and grey and really sleek looking.

Did you know that you can Click & Collect your headphones on the East Midlands Airport website before you fly? Basically order them online, grab them before your flight! Giving you less to tackle with through security and packing and more time to chill out at the airport.

*Denotes gifted item. This post also includes affiliate links.