Last year I found myself doing quick trips to NYC for the weekend so I am usually limited to what I bring with me. I’m going to share with you my travel carry on must haves plus a couple tips on travelling smart!

It’s hard to pack all the necessities so I’ve learned to email hotels to ensure that they have essentials I’d need such as shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. Luckily, we tend to pick hotels that have awesome products like Kiehl’s, Aveda or my personal favourite, Malin & Goetz. This reduces what I need to bring in that 1 quartz clear bag.

Here are the products I take with me in that little clear bag:

Carmex – this is my go-to lip balm. It’s the only one that provides my lips with the moisture I need.

Bath and Body Works True Blue Paraffin Super Softening hand lotion – it’s just a tiny tube of super intensive hand lotion, perfect to carry around. Hands will get dry from the plane and washing germs from public transit. Although if you are in NYC, I find most bathrooms in restaurants have lotion (especially Aesop!)

The Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cube – I don’t know about you but my under eyes get extremely dry when I am on the plane so I like to perk them up and hydrate with this balm.

Hello breath spray – Who doesn’t want fresh breath when they step off the plane. This one is in mojito mint.

Rohto Cool – this is the holy grail of all eye drops. I pick it up in the States because I can’t find it here. It quickly removes all redness from your eyes but with a little cool kick once you drop it in your eyes. It’s soothing and refreshing. I also like to drop some in my eyes before I put on makeup, it really brightens up the white in your eyes.

For more long-haul flights (such as the time I went to Tokyo last year to meet up with my husband), I make sure to add more moisturizing products because flights can get be very drying to your skin. A friend of mine once told me that her face and nose were so dry on her flight to Hong Kong that she needed a wet towel on her face for the entire flight!

Here are my favourite travel moisturizing products:

Origins Drink-up Intensive Overnight Mask – my flight to Tokyo was over 13 hours, so once I settled in my seat and ate my food, I removed my contact lenses, took off all my makeup with a cleansing wipe and applied this overnight mask. It’s so thick that my skin stayed moisturized throughout the entire flight. Since I couldn’t bring the actual tube on board, I squeezed out some into one side of an empty contact lens case and put some Clinique Moisture Surge into the other side.

TBR bonus tip: You can also use an empty contact lens case for other makeup such as foundation, concealer and lipstick. These cases are perfect to use when you’ll only need to apply the products a few times.

Kosmea Hydrating Rosewater Mist – I like to refresh and hydrate every couple of hours, so I will do a quick spritz of a mist to lock in more moisture. I also sprayed this before I put on the overnight mask.

Weleda Skin Food – I carry this little travel sized tube with me everywhere. It’s an extremely nourishing cream that heals and conditions anything from dry patches on skin, cracked skin, dry cuticles…you name it! Tt will moisturize the crap out of anything that needs it.

Benefit Majorette – Before landing, I didn’t want to look like a zombie so I applied some foundation, concealer, curled my lashes, added some tinted lip balm and most importantly, I like to add a nice flush to my cheeks. Coral colours look more natural on me, so I opted to use Majorette, it’s a cream to powder blush that you can apply with your fingertips. A cream blush is great for adding even more moisture and glow to your cheeks.

Flights, especially long ones, can do a number on your health. Keep these travel carry on must haves handy to keep yourself feeling fresh and healthy – no matter how long your flight is.

Colgate Wisps – these little mini toothbrushes are great to freshen up before landing. I didn’t want to have stale airplane breath (also make sure you drink plenty of water on the plane!) so I quickly “brushed” my teeth with a Wisp. There’s a little pick at the end, a burst of mint, and bristles to get rid of any grime on your teeth. The best part about this is that you can “brush” at your seat, no water required. It beats having to wait in line to use the bathroom.

Saje Rolling Pharmacy – a perfect little kit because it has the essentials you need – “Peppermint Halo” (to soothe any headaches and it’s also just relaxing to put it on before you go to sleep. I would also suggest applying some on your shoulders because you know how sitting for so long on a flight can make you tense), “Eater’s Digest” to aid to any digestion issues and “Immune” because germs are flying all around you so it’s best to keep your immune system in check.