My Travel Bag Essentials
It’s taken me years, but I think I finally have my travel bag essentials down pat. And I’m talking about the actual bags themselves, not the essentials inside of them. I can’t tell you how many travel makeup bags, cosmetic bags, carry-ons, shoulder bags and everything else I’ve been through. I feel like this isn’t talked about enough? Like the search for the perfect travel bags. Or maybe it’s just that I’m in my mid 30s now, and things like this matter more to me. Regardless, I am very into the system I have going on now.
My top four travel bag essentials are as follows:
A seriously organized and compartmentalized makeup travel bag
A perfectly-sized dopp kit that holds all of my other cosmetic travel essentials
As a bonus, I’m throwing in my brand new TSA-approved travel bottles for liquids and things by Cadence.
Let’s get into the nitty gritty, shall we?
travel makeup kit
This guy is not playing around. He’s big and he’s thick and holds more makeup than you could ever dream. For years, I’ve thrown my makeup into whatever cosmetic bag was laying around —zero organization or flow. My dear friend, Amy of Fashion Jackson, introduced me to this traveling makeup kit and I don’t think I could ever go back now. I love how it’s organized with adjustable/removal walls so you can set it up to your liking. It also has special slots for makeup brushes which is lovely. It’s robust, but fits perfectly in a carry-on AND in the Luka duffel, which we’ll get into in a bit.
dopp kit
I’ve had this for years. In fact, it was a present from my best friends for one of my birthdays! They gave me this entire Herschel travel bag kit and this was included. I love it because it stands upright and is very deep, so it holds a lot. Sometimes it feels like a magic bag that has no bottom and could fit a coat rack if I needed it, a la Mary Poppins. The inside is waterproof, too in case you have any accidental product leaks (the worst)—the material is super easy to clean if that happens. I love this thing and highly recommend it if you’re in need of a catchall dopp kit for travel!
calpak luka duffel
This is my newest baby, and I have Olivia Muenter to thank for it. I mean, she didn’t buy it for me or anything, but she turned me onto it. I don’t think I’ve ever owned a legitimate duffel bag or shoulder bag for travel. I’ve just sort of used whatever is crammed into corners of my closet or under my bed (and from about 2009-2015, definitely used a Longchamp bag). When I saw her carrying on (pun intended) about it, I checked it out and realized I needed one.
The material is super fun—very soft and pillowy, if you will. The drop on the handles is the perfect length, too so it doesn’t sit too low on your waist or hips but isn’t shoved up directly into your armpit. It’s also available in great colors—I went with the Dove Grey myself. This is another Mary Poppins-esque bag. There is seemingly no end to what it can hold. It’s insanely spacious, has multiple interior pockets for organization and secrets, an outer pocket that zips, and even a built-in shoe compartment so you have a backup in case you find yourself shoeless in your next city.
I easily fit my bulky ass makeup bag, my dopp kit, my computer, hair styling tools, and so much other shit in this thing. It’s incredible. Oh, and! It’s designed to easily slide over your carry-on luggage handle so you can keep it all together and roll as one. Amazing. 10/10 recommend!
calpak carry-on luggage
There are endless options for carry-on bags, and I know everyone is high on Away (or are they still? Is that old news? Idk anymore). However, I love my CALPAK carry-on luggage. No, it doesn’t charge your phone or any shit like that, but it’s super well-designed, very spacious, and pretty. So there. It looks like they’ve retired my exact style and only offer it in a rose gold color anymore, but that’s no never mind. I’m sure their updated style is made exactly like mine, if not better.
Because of the hard outer shell (now I want M&Ms), this carry-on luggage is incredibly sturdy and can hold a lot. It has depth that your typical run-of-the-mill carry-on bags do not, and even has an expandable option! I’ve never had an issue with my roller bag, either—no wheels popping off or breaking, etc. In short, I really love CALPAK product and it has my vote!
cadence liquid travel bottles
I have legitimately seen Instagram ads for these for the past year. I’ve been so intrigued, but ultimately forget to buy them in the moment and end up washing out and reusing cheap ass plastic travel bottles from the Walgreen’s travel baskets over and over again. I know hot water, apple cider vinegar, and time do the trick when washing them out but it’s time-consuming and fucking annoying as hell.
So I finally ordered a set of Cadence capsules, and they are exactly as advertised. The magnets in them are by far the best part. It’s amazing how they stick together like a hive so they’re not all spread out in your dopp kit. Plus, the lid is also magnetic so you can stick it on the side of the bottle while you’re using it and never lose the top! GENIUS.
They have several different color options, and you can choose to label each capsule how you want. They’re not just for liquids, either. You can store pills, jewelry, and whatever else you want in these things. This is my first trip using them, so I will follow-up if they suck but I don’t think that’s gonna be the case. I don’t have a special code for them or even an affiliate link, but if you end up getting them, tell them I sent you if there’s a way to do that!
