Packing for a 10-day trip to England in a carry-on was definitely a challenge, especially when it came to my toiletries and makeup, but totally doable with the right strategies.
In today’s post, I’m sharing what I brought and how I made it all fit. Whether you’re planning a trip or just looking to streamline your own travel routine, I hope this gives you some helpful ideas!
The Toiletry Bag I Used
I tried something new for this trip: I set a goal to fit all of my must-haves into my TUMI Voyageur Madeline Cosmetic Bag (also at Bloomingdale’s and Amazon) with it folded—makeup included. This bag is definitely a splurge, but I bought a discontinued color on sale to save a little. There are similar, less expensive options on Amazon, and I’ve tried a few, but I keep coming back to this one because it’s slightly smaller and more compact—which is exactly what I like about it.
That said, it is so compact that I usually end up bringing a separate bag for makeup when I use it for toiletries. For this trip, though, I challenged myself to fit everything—toiletries and makeup—into this one bag, with it folded. I figured if I could make that work, I’d have no trouble fitting the rest of my essentials into my carry-on suitcase.
One of my favorite things about this bag is how easy it is to see everything. It has three main zippered compartments, plus a fourth zip-off pouch, which is where I stored my makeup. I love that I can remove it and bring it to another room to do my makeup near a window or let someone else use the bathroom. And if the bag gets too full to close, I’ll tuck the zip-off pouch somewhere else in my suitcase.
Packing Strategy: How I Made It All Fit
The key to making everything fit came down to two things. First, I had to be ruthless about narrowing it down to only what I truly consider essential. My list of essentials may look different than yours, and vica versa, but after quite a few trips lately, I’ve learned what I actually miss when I don’t bring it, and what I tend to skip even when I do.
All that to say, knowing your own habits makes it a lot easier to pack wisely. I think that’s really important when it comes to giving—or taking—packing advice. We all have different priorities, and what’s essential for one person might be totally unnecessary for someone else. Knowing yourself, and giving others that same grace, goes a long way toward packing (and sharing) more strategically.
Second, I decanted larger products into the smallest clear containers I could find. For this trip, I used two different sets:
- First, this budget-friendly 15-piece set with three sizes of clear jars (10g/15g/20g). It even comes with mini spatulas, which are surprisingly helpful when loading thicker creams or balms.
- Then there’s the humangear STAX Interlocking Storage Container Set. These stack neatly to keep everything organized and compact. They sort of function like one larger bottle when stacked, which makes them easier to pack and helps keep the bag tidy.
I also brought a few pre-filled travel sized products, but I’ve realized I prefer decanting when possible because it’s easier to see how much is left, and it makes refilling simpler. Most pre-packaged minis aren’t refillable, so you end up with a bunch of half-used bottles taking up space. With refillable containers, you can just top them off before your next trip, and with the super inexpensive ones, I don’t mind tossing a few at the end of a trip if they leak or get too messy.
What About Liquids and TSA Rules?
similar trench // Michael Stars Nara (M) (other colors in stock) // MOTHER Dazzler (30) // VEJA Esplar (39) // LAGOS earrings // Longchamp tote // AWAY The Bigger Carry-On Flex // AWAY Large Featherlight backpack
One question I often get when I share my toiletry setup is about liquids and TSA requirements. Here in the States, I have TSA PreCheck, so I don’t have to remove anything from my bag, and they don’t seem to care about how much I have or exact sizes. (Not that I’ve tried to bring a 16-oz bottle of shampoo or anything, but I’ve never had issues with smaller travel sizes.)
For the return trip through Heathrow, I packed a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag and used it to separate out my liquids ahead of time. I figured if they were really picky, I’d just toss it, but I didn’t have any issues.
Okay, moving on to the skincare and makeup I brought…
Skincare & Makeup I Packed (and Actually Used)
After one of my Florida trips, I shared a post with my go-to Travel Beauty Essentials, so I won’t reinvent the wheel here—but I did make a few tweaks for this trip to England. Here’s what I brought and used during the 10 days:
Skincare
Makeup
Side note: I just updated my Everyday Makeup Routine, in case you want to check that out, too. It gives a lot more details on the makeup products listed above.
Other Daily Essentials
Final Thoughts
I ended up using just about everything I packed, which made me very happy! The only small overlap I noticed was in my hair products—I brought both the amika blowout spray and my Kerastase hair serum, thinking one was for volume and the other for heat protection. Turns out, they both served pretty much the same purpose. What I really could’ve used was a thickening product. The water in England was much softer than what I’m used to, and my hair felt noticeably thinner and flatter the whole time. It wasn’t a big deal in the end, but next time I’d swap one of the heat protectants for a true thickening product.
* A note about the ISDIN sunscreen: I love the formula, but it’s very thin and has a tendency to leak, no matter which container I use. I’ll need to find a better solution for packing that next time, or just buy a different one for travel.
I also packed my prescription thyroid medication and HRT cream in their original pharmacy containers, just in case I was questioned at security. In addition to those, I brought a handful of my usual “just in case” over-the-counter medications (stored in this pill organizer) and my daily supplements, which I packed in one of those AM/PM vitamin cases I picked up at CVS.
These didn’t fit in my toiletry bag, so I tucked them into my backpack, just to be safe. I figured if my carry-on had to be checked or got separated from me for any reason, I’d want all my medications close by.
And in case you missed it, I also shared everything I wore (and packed) for my 10 days in England along with a full AWAY Luggage Review, if you want a closer look at how it all came together.
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