My Packing Guide for City Breaks | Suitcase Essentials

Packing for any occasion can be stressful, even more so for those of you like me who are indecisive and need options for ALL situations.

Writing lists (x 3) is one thing I do that helps me to keep focus on packing just the essentials, and lists like this one are great for ticking things off – it’s as satisfying as it is productive! I’m off to Lisbon with friends for a few days so I thought it would be helpful (for you and me) to document what I’m taking…

Makeup

Portugal is going to be 30 degrees Celsius on Saturday so a full face of makeup is a no-no, but I still want to look glowy in the day and glam in the evening. These are the ‘essentials’ I usually wear on a day-to-day basis at home.

I picked up some clear plastic containers from Boots to keep packing as minimal as possible. I particularly enjoyed labelling up the foundations and creams as I went along, it’s the small things in life!

The heaviest addition to my suitcase is likely to be my toiletry bag.- from hair care to sunscreen, this is one area I take seriously. I’m that friend who always has an endless supply of tissues and chewing gum in her bag for those in need, and holidays are no different. Toothpaste for sharing, plasters for when we break in our sandals yet they break us instead, a nail kit for broken nails, medication for all types of problems and Aloe Vera for sunburn (so many friends have thanked me for the latter, usually the ones who claim to ‘never burn’ 😉

I’ve even packed mosquito repellent (a plug-in for night time and a body roll-on for day), because nobody got time for that.

Narrowing down outfit choices and making important shoe decisions for hot weather is far more stressful than it needs to be – surely it’s just shorts, sandals and pretty dresses? My days will be filled with sight seeing (sandals, maxi dresses and harem style trousers are my go-to for comfort) and nights will feature plenty of sangria and hopefully a bit of dancing (wedges for the cobbles and a pretty dress or midi skirt and cropped tee to feel glam).

Plenty of Lisbon-esque prints ^^

A book, hair straighteners, a couple of handbags and one sunhat later and I’m all packed! I’ll be posting my in-flight essentials in Friday’s post so don’t miss out on that.

I hope you’ve found this helpful if you’re off on holiday soon, let me know if you have any extras you think I’m missing in my case!

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