What's in My Bag: the Long Haul Flight Edition

Before I get started with the rest of this post, I just want to apologise for being quiet over the last few weeks. Posting twice a week on here is impossible during January because it is essay and exam period for me. The next posts will be going live on the 24th, 31st and hopefully I be back into my routine by the 3rd of Feb. 

Anyhow, as you may have guessed from my social mediaz and my last post, I was lucky enough to go away to Mauritius on my holly-bobs over New Year. It was amazing, and I honestly wish I had never left. But as it was a long haul flight, and we all know how much havoc this can cause on complexions, I had to have a serious think as to what I'd take on board with me. This H&M Handbag has made an appearance on the old blog before, and I think a smart bag is great when travelling in comfy clothes as it adds a little structure to the outfit. 

In terms of essentials, I obviously carried round my keys, phone (in it's sleek marble print GoCustomized case - blogger cliché over here), earphones, battered passport, River Island Purse, chewing gum, and my Clubmaster Ray-Ban sunnies, to hide any puffy eyes and to prepare for the (what turned out to be non-existant) sunshine on the other side. For me relaxing music is key on a plane, as I forever struggle to sleep on flights, so some mellow tunes are my go-to for some downtime. Prior to the flight I imported the Gabrielle Aplin and James Bay albums I received for xmas onto my iTunes, and purchased the latest Mumford and Sons album - all of which are ammmaazzing.

Beauty-wise, I try and wear as little makeup as possible to avoid my pores getting all clogged up and my skin completey drying out. So I opted for La Roche-Posay's Rosaliac CC Cream, Maybelline's Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara and the Bourjois Healthy Balance Compact Powder to slap on my face. To freshen up during and towards the end of the flight, I picked up a pack of Simple's Kind to Skin Cleansing Wipes, and made use of my recent purchases and Christmas skincare gifts: the La Roche-Posay Thermal Water, Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Glow Boost Skin Serum, La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+ Anti-Blemish Cream, and Origins GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream. I found this to be a great skincare regime on board and nothing disastrous happened to my complexion - yay! For hydration elsewhere I opted for my trusty Carmex Lip Balm and mini L'Occitane Shea Rose Heart Hand Cream, and to smell a little fresher I took my  L'Occitane Fleur Chérie Solid Perfume - solid perfume definitely the way forward when you have liquid restrictions! For hygeine Hand Santizer is also a must and a Tangle Teezer is great as it takes up so much less room in yer bag than a regular brush. 

In a bid to be  good masters student I did take my Macbook Pro, M&S Lemon Squeezy Zip-Up Pouch Pencil Case, work and books with me but as it was an overnight flight both ways that didn't prove too successful.... But having brought my 2016 Paperchase Diary I was able to pen down some upcoming dates and get myself organised before the year full on started.

Planes are always fricking freezing, so one must take precautions when travelling. My Next fluffy socks add extra comfort (and I always hope they'll make my ankles swell up less but I'm not sure if it actually works) and I was originally planning on bringing my New Look Black Cable Knit Faux Fur Bobble Hat but on the day I ended up swapping this for my Black Topshop Cable Hand Knit Scarf as it would provide warmth and double up as a pillow. I also spritzed it with the ThisWorks Deep Sleep Pillow Spray for a bit of aromatherapy and as mentionned before I need all the sleeping help I can get on planes. For further hacks, chewy fruity sweets are a must for me as I swear my ears are 100% worse at unpopping compared to everyone else I have ever travelled with and these definitely help. I also wear as much jewellery on me as I can and carry it in my hand luggage as it would break my heart if I put it in my checked-in luggage and it got stolen. I also do the same in terms of carrying my makeup on board, unless it's a liquid.

I hope you enjoyed this little nosey into what's in my bag - I know I always love reading them/watching these videos on YouTube! Stay tuned for Sunday's post as it will be a photo diary of my time in Mauritius. 

What are your long-haul flight essentials?

C x