1. Mini Deodorant---
Okay, let's be honest. You're leaving home, it's hot in the hallways, the bus is packed, the subways is crammed and hot, you get to Penn Station or JFK, LaGuardia, whatever... and it's still full of that disgusting travel hub air... your flight/plane is delayed for 3 hours... the train car or plane is stale smelling and muggy. You're going to sweat. Contrary to popular belief, girls sweat too. Always have a mini deo stick handy for your long trips. It's one thing if that weird guy next to you smells like onions, it's another thing if YOU stink. You don't want to be that weird guy that smells like onions, do you?
2. A small vial of perfume---
IN A CLEAN, UNOFFENSIVE SMELL!!! Listen, no one wants to get sprayed in the eyes with a full bottle of ultra fragrant whatever because the bitch in front of them thought spritzing from her seat was a good idea. But no one wants to smell like stale train car air either. Get a teeny vial of perfume (you can often get them as free samples in department stores) and keep it in your purse. When it's time to spray, put your back against a wall and aim at only you. I recommend a solid perfume (they come in a mini dish that looks like a compact and are a solid lip balm consistency) in a clean, soapy sent because musky scents are far too heavy in compact spaces, or a DKNY roll on perfume in any of the apple scents. Again, something soapy clean smelling that is LIGHT. If worse comes to worse, a small bottle of Bath & Body Works body spray in Country Chic or Harvest Apple is universally unoffensive.
3. Dry Shampoo---
Again, let's be honest. Travelling all day, going in and out of various weather, sweating, etc... it can leave your hair fucking disgusting and you with no way to shower before Mom picks you up at the train station/airport. A bottle of dry shampoo can be jesus in a can. Spray it onto the roots, comb out, tousle, and you no longer look like you haven't showered in three days. Opt for the spray can, rather than the powder because we are aiming for quick and with no mess.
4. Coconut Oil---
This miracle substance is solid at room temperature and a liquid at higher ones. Ever been at a hotel continental breakfast where they had those cute little mini jars of jam? Get one of those jars or an old makeup pot with a twist on cap, melt a little bit of the oil, pour it inside, and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to solidify it again. Voila, there you have it, a purse size container of coconut oil. I know you're saying, "But WHY?" I will tell you. Coconut oil is basically good for everything. Including your skin. I hear those of you with acne prone skin screaming in horror at the thought of putting oil on your face. It does work. I also have acne prone skin and I use it EVERY NIGHT! It's good for moisturizing your skin and keeping acne at bay (because of the Lauric acid in it) and it can also be used as body lotion or to treat split ends. You should always have some. You can get it in a 54oz jug at Costco or any other warehouse store and just scoop it out with a spoon or ice cream scoop as needed. You will not regret it. It is cheap and wonderful.
5. Ibuprophen, Tylenol, Alieve, etc.---
Do you have another one of those teeny jars that we just talked about or a small pill case? Even just a small bottle of these pills. Sometimes they can be bulky to carry a bottle of, but you should never be without, lest you find yourself with a splitting headache or sore joints.
6. Travel Sized Hairspray and Bobby Pins---
I have hair on the shorter side and am growing out my pixie cut. Either way, spray and pins are essential for travel. Wearing a winter hat and need to boot hat head? Fell asleep with your head against your seat and drooled all over yourself, needing to fix that flat back of your head now? The wind ripped any semblance of style right out of your head? Yeah. Carry. You don't need a lot, but a baggy with a few pins and a teeny bottle of spray does wonders.
7. Pocket Tissues---
Need I say more?
8. Small Pack of Makeup Wipes---
Or even just a few cotton rounds. You can wet them with makeup remover and then seal them in a zip lock bag. Fold it over a few times after pressing all the air out and they will stay nice and damp with the makeup remover and ready for use. Why would you be taking makeup OFF when traveling? Well, we have all gotten caught in the rain waiting for the bus and found ourselves with smudged up makeup. Rather than screwing it up more, just carry a makeup pad.
9. Trial Sized Makeup Samples and a small makeup bag---
You simply cannot stuff all of your necessities in your purse without finding yourself with a sore back, so just stick to the basics for this one. Take a small makeup bag... and when I say small, I mean about 4x6 inches. Nothing huge. Make it proportional to your purse or carry on bag. Inside you should have:
- A mini trial sized mascara (like the ones Lancome gives away with their freebies, small.)
- A trial size of BB creme (see my post about Birch Box and Ipsy)
- Concealer (Maybelliene's Fit Me matte sticks are great)
- Small eyeliner
- Pocket Mirror or a favorite neutral shadow palette with a mirror inside it.
- Tinted lip balm or chapstick
- A dual lip and cheek stick or a cheek gel.
- One makeup sponge
- Small bottle of Vitamin E holding spray or rose/lavender water (If you're in a pinch, you can even just mix a little bit of your face lotion with a little bit of water in a tiny spray bottle, just to keep your face from drying out)
- Oil Blotting Tissues (Clean & Clear has really great ones)
10. Visine---
Nothing is worse than falling asleep with your contacts in and getting bloodshot eyes... and then gramma asking you if you are stoned...
11. Granola Bar or a small Snack---
Let's face it. Food in the station, airport, or on the plane or train costs a small fortune. If you don't think you'll have time to stop on your way for a water bottle that costs less than three bucks and a munchie, pack something at home like a baggie of carrot sticks or a granola bar. It isn't much, but it's better than nothing. Obviously, you should always have some water. When my blood sugar drops, I get cranky and then I get sleepy. If you have to make a connecting flight at 2am, it's best that you are on point. I always have at least a pack of oyster crackers or something. My boyfriend always has a fun sized piece of candy for me in his coat, or a pack of crackers. He tells our friends when he leaves me with them (in a joking manner), "When she starts crying for no reason... and she will... feed her. These will hold her over until you get to the 7-11." You'd be amazed how less shitty you want to be to people when you aren't starving with low blood sugar.
12. Hand Sanitizer and a small bottle of Lotion---
Transit hubs are filthy disgusting and full of germs... sanitizer is drying. See where I'm going? You don't even need a bottle of lotion, even one of those sample packets you can rip out of a magazine works. As long as you aren't left with nothing.
13. Shout Wipes---
Oh hi. I'm trying to drink my coffee or juice... when the train jerks or there's some turbulence... Well, ther goes my white shirt, coat, pants. Having a couple of these handy is always good. You will never regret having them and they take up virtually no space. Better than arriving with a spot on your boobs!
14. Summer's Eve pH Balancing Towlettes---
Okay, I know, gross, no one wants to acknowledge that they even know what Summer's Eve is. But I will take one for the team here. Personally, I think that vaginas smell like vaginas (as a non-hetero female) and they shouldn't smell like "Summer Rain" which is a stupid fragrance name because "Summer Rain" either smells like wet garbage (when I'm in NYC) or mud and worms (when I'm home in the country). I don't want my coochie to smell like ANY of those. But, I digress. Some women get yeast infections or UTIs really easily. Especially when travelling. This is another reason why you should always have a lot of water, else you get stuck with a UTI on vacation. I always like to keep one or two of these individually packaged towlettes in my purse because, well, 12 hours on a Greyhound is even less glamorous than it sounds. It keeps you clean and fresh until you can sprint to the damn shower in your hotel room or at your mom's house.
15. Emergen-C or something like it---
How many times are you on a plane/train... you're not sick on vacation... and then all of a sudden, you get home and you feel like you've done too much coke and haven't slept in years? Well, for those of you that actually were doing too much coke... you deserve your hangover. But for those of us who tend to feel yucky after prolonged travel, this stuff is great to drink on your ride to prevent the coke-over feeling after your trip.
16. Colgate Wisps---
For preventing what my dad calls "Ass Mouth" or what the rest of the world refers to as dry mouth while travelling. These mini tooth brush look alikes come in two packs and are generally great to have when you need to get travel scum out of your mouth.
17. Nail File
18. A Panty Liner---
Sorry, girls, but we all know this shit happens too. It's better to be prepared and have one until you can get to the machine in the ladies room at some desolate truck stop, than to bleed through your jeans. And, hey, you could always end up being some other woman's angel in disguise on your trip.
19. A Relax-All Dietary Supplement---
You can buy them by the bottle or risk trying to find them in the single serving packets at a Flying Jay in the middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania. You're on a train/plane and think to yourself, "Fuck, I could really use a Xanax!" But lo and behold, you do not have on or a prescription for them. These little all natural tablets are used for relaxation and sleep for those of you who get nervous and can't sleep on your ride.
20. Head Scarf---
Think of Rosie the Riveter's bandana or those old school movie stars with their silk or chifon scarves and sunglasses. Your hair is a mess or has gotten shockingly greasy even though you showered this morning.... What do you do? Well, if you have long hair, you can whip it up into a high ponytail and make a pomp or rockabilly roll with your hairspray and bobby pins for an instant pin-up chic feeling to any outfit. If you have short hair, you can do the same, just pin the back up into the scarf. You have itched a red patch on your neck, well, now you have a cute accessory to cover that. Or it can be a makeshift headband. They're just good to have. Pick a classic color like red, or choose one to match your outfit.
Optional bonus #21: Spare pair of panties---
Some of us have 12 hour greyhound rides, 18 hour flights, 24 hour train rides, etc... Sometimes you don't have the ability to get to your suitcase and change your clothes. If you have an excessively long trip, put a clean and comfortable pair of underwear into a ziplock bag and stuff it in your purse. You can't change your outfit, but you can put on some fresh undies and sometimes that is more than anyone can ask for. Combined with a spritz of the Dry Shampoo, a quick blotting with the oil removing tissues on your face and a swipe of deo... and you can almost feel like a human being again!
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