Being “trapped” in my pregnancy, I didn’t even realize that vacation season is right around the corner! Thank dear reader & friend Joanie for reminding me to write an entry about getaway essentials and packing tips.
Going to college thousands of miles away from home, busy vacation plans and moving to a foreign country to start my life formed my habit of packing light. The key is planning your outfits ahead according to your travel plan, choosing items that can be mixed and matched with each other, using accessories to spice up or transform a look.
For a summer vacation, I love ethereal, light weight pieces with exotic details and natural fabric. Below are my vacation packing essentials from clothing to accessories to beauty products, hope can give you some inspiration for your coming vacation! The best part about all the pieces I picked below: they can go with each other easily and stylishly, and they are ageless–I can picture myself wearing the same outfits in my 30s and 40s.
For clothing, as I mentioned earlier, the key to packing light is making sure every piece can be mixed and matched without sacrifice style. Below I have five pieces (except swimwear) for six different outfits:
Denim cutoffs can be worn with the light weight sweater or crisp white blouse for city sightseeing, shopping, or brunch. Pair the tops with a trendy green side-stripe silk pants, you get two stylish night-out outfits, they are also comfy enough on the plane. As for the printed maxi dress, wear it as a beach cover-up, with white blouse for a fresh day-time look, or with the sweater when the weather gets chilly, and the list goes on…
- Body Glove top & Carve Designs bottom (I also got the top in blue and red, with both sides bottom, I have six different bikini looks with these four pieces)
- Siwy shorts (great style here; For those of you in your 40s and want something less distressed, this pair is a great option)
- Equipment signature blouse (similar on sale here; wear with shorts, pants or dress, or simply as beach cover-up)
- JOSA cover up dress (similar print here & here)
- Loft sweater (a light weight sweater is my vacation must-have, great for unpredictable weather, can be easily mixed with others, also is a great beach cover-up)
- Tibi silk pant (comfy to wear on the plane, stylish during the vacation, versatile to be dressed up or down; now 20% off with code SPRINGBASICS)
For accessories, below are my must-haves: a pair of comfortable sandals for walking around, stylish sunglasses that can provide full protection against all UV rays; a straw hat that can protect our skin, also are great for bad hair days; a trusty scarf to keep us warm whenever needed; a vibrant tote that is roomy, easy to carry around and can brighten up our outfit; a stylish clutch for night out and a statement jewelry piece to add just the right amount of glamour. And all of them go perfectly with the 6 to 7 outfits we planned above.
- Sam Edelman sandals (comfy to walk in; the snake-skin print and glitter heel also make it great for night; also I always take my trusty ballet flats with me)
- J.Crew hat (25% off with code SPINGBEST)
- Reiss chain bracelet
- BCBG Max Azriz clutch
- Karen Walker the number one sunglasses (also adore the rounded shape here)
- Chan Luu scarf
- MICHAEL Michael Kors travel tote (also here)
Beauty products can easily take up too much precious luggage space. My solution is taking those are multi functional: Beauty elixir that can double as serum, Argan oil that can be used on skin, hair and nails, sunscreen that is for both face and body, cream with five-in-one formula… Of course, choose small bottles when traveling.
Clockwise from top left:
- Josie Maran Argan oil (very light weight; I use it everywhere, from face to hair to nails; 0.5 oz is a great travel size)
- Caudalie beauty elixir (can be used as toner, serum and whenever you need an extra freshness)
- Avene hydrating cream (a moisturizer I can’t live without!)
- Mario Badescu control cream (my face can easily get itchy or red during travelling, this baby calms down the discomforts. I also use it as a mask after I spend a whole day under the sun)
- Dior Diorshow mascara (no need to bring false lashes and bottom lash mascara with me)
- Makeup Forever full cover concealer (covers everything! On hot days, I usually skip foundation and only use this)
- Camera Ready BB Cream (nothing is better for traveling than this five-in-one formula)
- Shiseido sun protection lotion (I use Kiehl’s at home, but during vacation, I only need to take this one for both face and body)
