15 things (nearly) always in my suitcase...

Just me, or was that a really long winter?! I’m just back from a week at Sugar Beach in St.Lucia and can honestly say I feel reborn thanks to some much-needed vitamin D and sand between my toes. And getting back to flowering tulips in the garden and some sunshine, I feel like we might finally be other side… 

I for one definitely really struggled this winter mentally and physically. I was pretty much under the weather with some kind of bug or malaise from January to April which really started to take a toll on my mood and general zest for life too. I used to be quite sniffy about lying in a resort for a week and still feel a tiny bit of guilt for not moving far but I’ve realised, once a year, it’s such a treat to totally unwind and have zero plans apart from reading and swimming and just lean into the blissful laziness of it all.

It’s been a busy month with my latest capsule collection for Missoma launching last week which is always a great feeling, having been squirrelling away at it behind closed doors for the last 8 months. I’m so pleased with the new pendants on cord (the brown and silver is my favourite) as well as the Arco hoops. I felt like our multiple collections needed an everyday hoop, one that you can put in every morning and they work with everything while still being a bit more architectural than your regular round hoop. Enter Arco! I was also in Greece this month shooting the campaign for another design collaboration I’ve been working on for the last 9 months so once that launches at the end of the month, it really will feel like summer…

1: recovery broth - 2: wide leg trousers - 3: Byzantine necklace

Speaking of travel, I thought now felt like a pretty apt time to deep dive into the little (and maybe a little ridiculous if you are the low-maintenance, want-for-nothing type) things I rarely travel without these days. I feel like despite being fairly unqualified in most other things, packing is something I’ve had a lottttt of practice in over the years. From backpacking and trekking in my late teens, to working with fashion and travel brands around the world, I’ve been lucky enough to make travel part of my job and life for the last 18 years. As a fairly neurotic high-maintenance person who, ironically, is a bit of a comfort-loving homebody, I’ve found that the below makes travelling easier, more like home, and makes my suitcase work harder in terms of putting outfits together and staying organised.

Cosy socks
Scientifically proven to help you fall asleep faster, sleeping in socks is officially a smash. But also putting on a cosy pair of socks after a long day, some soggy sightseeing or just padding around chilly stone floors in an Airbnb makes the world of difference to my mood. Plus it's so nice having some thick socks to put on on a long-haul flight. My current favourites of choice are by Johnston’s of Elgin.

Apple AirPods Pro Max
I barely leave the house without these let alone travel across the world. I find the noise-cancelling very soothing in busy airports or trains (bye grating noises and other people’s loud conversations) and always use travelling as a time to catch up on podcasts and audiobooks. I also take my regular AirPods for listening to podcasts when I go to sleep at night.

Refillable silicone squeeze bottles
Lord knows I have a long way to go in terms of being an environmentally ‘good’ person and consumer, so I try to do my bit in the ways I can. Not buying mini shampoos and conditioners every time I go away (or needing to lug the entire thing for a week) is something I can easily achieve. Plus it means I get to travel with exactly the shampoo and conditioner I like rather than whatever Boots in the airport has to offer. I bought these on Amazon and use and reuse them consistently.

Pillbox for supplements
I’m a supplement girl and like to travel with a plethora of capsules for my sins. Obviously not ideal to take multiple bottles and jars with me, and throwing them all into a plastic baggie doesn’t work because you kind of need to know which is which….Turns out OAPs know what’s up with their pillboxes. I bought this one on Amazon and put little labels on the compartments so I know what’s what (magnesium/probiotic/ashwagandha etc).

Silk eye mask
As an occasional insomniac, I have a lot of little sleep rituals I rely on and I’m addicted to my silk eye mask at home. But when I’m away it feels like even more of an essential, especially if you’re someone that needs total darkness to sleep. From planes and curtain-less rooms to glaring technology lights, you never quite know what new places are going to throw at you. An eye mask makes me feel like I can sleep anywhere.

Allies of Skin Night Recovery Cream
My chin likes to keep me on my toes and flights are one of its favourite reasons to wind me up and break out. Given I’m often travelling for work and need to be on camera, I always travel with a good spot cream just in case. This one is my ride-or-die and clears blemishes up in no time while you’re sleeping. Better than any patch or sticker if you ask me.