The Ultimate Female Packing List

Are you ready to head off to your next destination? May I suggest Paris? Or how about the sophisticated and stylish Seminyak in Bali?

This packing list is specially designed for female travellers, aiming to help you pack all the travel essentials as well as some extra luxe items that are totally worth it, especially when you want to glam it up a little.

One thing you should always ask yourself ahead of time is, how many days will you be travelling for?

And be sure to check the temperature and forecast at your destination as well.

1. Choose Your Main Luggage

Your ideal piece of luggage depends on your style of travel and if you will be walking some distance between the airport, trains, buses and your hotel or if you are intending to get a taxi or Uber in between.

Here are some of my favourite luggage pieces:

• The American Tourister Moonlight Spinner, which is extremely light and beautiful.
• Alternatively, I also like using a soft bag with wheels and a carry strap.

Carry-On Choices

I always take a small handbag as my carry-on luggage. If you want some extra security, opt for an anti-theft handbag, there are some great ones out there! And don't forget your padlock. I personally don't like them with keys but rather opt for one with a combination lock. Make sure it's TSA-approved so you can fly through security checks.

Lastly, if you have adventure and day trip activities planned, bring a foldable day pack with you as well. Most of them are super lightweight and won't take up much space in your main luggage.

2. Travel Essentials For Her

Time to gather all your travel essentials. If you're a little like me, you like checking off lists and be thoroughly organised ahead of taking off.

To stay organised throughout your trip, I love using luggage packing organisers, such as these ones. This way, you don't have to repack your luggage every time you move around in your destination, plus they are actually quite space saving. So more space for shopping and souvenirs!

Travel Essential Checklist:

• Important travel documents including passport, visa and travel insurance documents
• Reusable water bottle (I love the ones with an additional water filter!)
• Reusable shopping bag to reduce plastic bag waste
• A luggage tag to easily identify your luggage (mine comes in rose-gold and I love it)
• Tech equipment such as camera, spare batteries, power bank and laptop
• Travel silk pillow (or at least a silk cover to use over hotel pillows) for a heavenly crinkle-free sleep

Pro tip: I like to leave a copy of all important travel documents in a Dropbox which is shared with my family, in case of an emergency they have access to it and can help me out.

3. Beauty Products For Every Female Toiletry Bag

The Bare Essentials:

• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss and travel-sized mouthwash
• Hairbrush, a couple of hair ties and bobby pins
• Deodorant
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Sunscreen and face lotion with SPF
• Makeup and makeup remover wipes
• Face wash
• Razor
• Q-tips
• Body lotion
• Personal medication
• Contact lenses and solution/glasses
• Lip balm

Additional Luxury Toiletry Items That are Totally Worth It:

Let's talk about haircare! I've always been that person who carries their hair dryer around the world. Yep, I love drying my hair, no matter how hot it is outside. I know, weird!!

I like hair dryers who dry my hair thoroughly without drying it out. Especially as a seasoned traveller, I know that washing my hair in different water conditions takes a toll on them. I use a travel hair dryer with ionic conditioning that makes my hair look shiny and frizz-free. Plus, I think every hair dryer should have a cool air function, this one certainly does.

Another item that has totally changed my life is: Dry shampoo! Because I am a notorious everyday hair-washer, dry shampoo is the ultimate beauty cheat to remove excess oil and make your hair look fresh! I like powder shampoos over foam. Such a time-saver!

I also love taking hair straighteners travelling, just because my hair looks so much better when I actually straighten it. I also curl my hair with a hair straightener, no extra equipment is needed! People ask me all the time how I do it, there are plenty of Youtube videos on how to curl your hair with a flat iron.

Lastly, nobody wants to go on a holiday with hairy legs! Of course, we girls all want to wake up in the morning, knowing we can simply put on a nice summer dress without having to worry about shaving… If you’re looking for a more permanent solution for unwanted hair, there is no way around ipl and other hair removal techniques that will last throughout your travel escape.

Clothes

Now, what sort of clothes you pack highly depends on your destination.

For longer trips, you don't necessarily need to pack more pieces. My rule of thumb is to pack no more than two weeks' worth of clothes, no matter if the trip lasts for two weeks or two months or even longer. Everything beyond that will need to be washed.

Read also: The Ultimate Bali Packing List

Make sure you choose clothing that is easy to wash and dries fast. An essential piece of clothing I always take anywhere is a scarf, to visit churches, and temples or to cover myself from the sun or in strongly air-conditioned buses.

• Warm sweater/jumper and cardigan
• Long pair of jeans/pants
• Shorts/skirt
• T-Shirts/short tops
• Socks and underwear
• Closed shoes/sneakers
• Thongs/sandals
• Sleepwear
• A nice dress
• Washing detergent

Feel free to extend the list with your own choices according to the climate in your travel destination.

I am currently packing a tropical island vacation and will also take:

• A chapeau hat
• Sunglasses
• Bikini
• Espadrilles

And now, happy packing!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Philips, a leading health technology company.