Whether you’ve travelled several hundred miles, or halfway around the globe, the one thing all travellers dread is missed connections, and/or waiting at the luggage carousel only to find that their bag didn’t make it to their destination with them.

Unfortunately, we’re long past the days when airlines provided toiletry bags with toothpaste, toothbrush, comb, deodorant, etc. to affected clients, so what’s a girl to do?

This is where today’s post can be a lifesaver! Find a cosmetic bag and fill it with an emergency stash of the items you need to get through a few days. Then, pop it in your usual carry on, and forget about it, leaving it in your carry-on until the day you need it.

Before I share the list, here’s where you go from “it’s awesome that I thought ahead”, to “I’m the bomb diggity” (just don’t say the bomb part out loud in an airport, lol!). One of the biggest issues with packing for a trip is both weight of the packed bag and space. So, we’re going to try to make this emergency bag as light as possible. This requires a bit of pre-planning.

We’re going to try to find samples or mini versions for all the products we want to put in this bag, remembering that unless we have highly sensitive skin or hair, we will probably be just fine using substitutes for our regular products for a few days.

So, how do I do this? Over the months pre-trip I start to think about any products I need to replenish in my bag, and then try to do my cosmetic shopping at places that offer cosmetic samples or bonuses and allow me to select the items I need. Bringing an assortment of sample sizes, for instance: moisturizer, shampoo, conditioner, makeup remover wipes, hair gel, foundation, face wash, facial scrubs, mascara, etc. will take up hardly any room, and be compliant with carry on fluid limits.

My recommended “emergency toiletries” packing list:

• face wash
• moisturizer
• shampoo
• conditioner
• any hair product not mentioned above that you need… For me, I add a detangler, but skip gel/mousse/hairspray.
• deodorant
• toothbrush
• travel sized toothpaste
• whatever you use to care for your hair: pick, brush, comb, etc. in a travel size
• A casual make up assortment – remember this is to get you through an emergency, not for getting all glammed up, so typically I choose to bring just a few products (once again travel sized): foundation/tinted moisturizer, mascara, and lip gloss
• small nail file
• hair elastic
• tester perfume (I recommend you use the perfume only if you are not immediately going back onto a plane as a plane is an enclosed space, and you don’t want to cause issues for anyone with allergies.)

If it’s that time of month, I throw in a second emergency bag with sanitary items.

Finally, I also recommend in the strongest possible terms that you bring any pharmaceuticals you need in your carry-on as opposed to your checked luggage. The medication(s) should be in labeled containers and if they are prescription, be sure that they are in the containers from a pharmacy with your name visible on the bottle, thereby proving you have a prescription for the drug.