I’m going on a fun trip and taking with

I hadn’t even been the editor-in-chief of Marie Claire for a minute before I got an SMS from my bosses secretary. Could I please keep the entire month of September free for the fashion weeks. If I could please send her my days so she could book the tickets. And oh yes, if I could plan the board meeting in Paris in my agenda. She’d mail my Thalys ticket to me.

Travel, trips, back and forward. From that moment on, now almost four years ago, it was nothing other than getting in the train or plane every month to go somewhere. In the beginning it was total what-to-wear, where-is-the-charger-for-my-laptop-when-I-need-it and why-is-my-passport-never-where-I-left-it chaos, but now…I’m organised. Not because I’m naturally that way, cause I’m not, but because your trip is a hundred times nicer if you’re zen and in control while travelling the world.

Invest in travel size packaging

For short trips you travel with hand baggage. But your toiletry bag is very quickly too heavy or a greedy security officer will take your 200ml Chanel cream away with the excuse that you may bring your fellow passengers harm. Don’t let it happen. You can get a tiny little toiletry bag (I’m in love with my beauty survival kit from Estée Lauder) to carry my day- night cream, a face wash and a serum in.

You can also ask your perfumery to give you a sample of a beauty line instead of a perfume sample. Keep it packed away until you one day badly need it.

Perfume is the same story. I always find one of those handbag decanter sprays very stylish, filled with my favourite fragrance. Far better than a sample. If you decide to try something else, you’ll always be reminded of your trip. When we travelled to New York for Holland’s Next Top Model, I bought a special perfume (Dior Homme Eau de cologne) because I wanted to capture the adventure in a smell. Yes, yes, business defect.

As long as your hair looks good

I always spend time on my hair the morning before a one-night-trip. Washing with O&M-shampoo means my hair is dry straight away and I don’t need to deal with the limpness of freshly washed hair. I take a little powder with me so I can give my hair a boost that evening and the next morning. If the trip is a high outer-look calibre trip, you could take a travel Carmen set along or a teeny tiny straightening iron and a hairdryer. I have sometimes made an appointment at the closest hair salon. Problem solved.

Don’t forget your toothbrush

Last week I got the very newest Philips Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush. Feels almost as luxurious as a Chanel bag. It’s soft pink, charges itself in a glass (via induction) and has six different functions varying from whitening to clean to polish and back again. That all a rather rare design for a toothbrush. This brush can be charged around two days before the trip and it comes in a lovely pink pack for travelling in. Total luxury. My oral hygienist always asks if I want a test toothpaste, perfect, so you don’t need to carry a huge tube around with you or take the family tube away.

Style, style, style

Even if you’re only away for two days and travelling with hand luggage, they might still expect fashion changes from you. Complicated.

Tip 1: Choose one colour and build on it. Go for black so you can match your bag, shoes and jacket to it. Or go for brown, white or navy. Don’t do black one day and blue the next, because that will mean new shoes, bag and becomes a hassle.

Tip 2: Wear the heaviest in the plane. Boots, thick jacket or poncho all goes on. That saves space. Place your pumps in a lovely little shoe bag (promise?) and push them in a corner of your case. You can also fill them up with underwear or socks. Win-Win.

Tip 3: Surprise with your accessories. Shoes in an unexpected colour, a hair- or ear piece or a striking clutch. You can easily wear one pair of trousers on both days. Take a different top and other shoes and twist your hair up for a totally different look.

Care for your electronics

Your batteries run down quicker when you travel. So buy an extra one. Liesbeth bought me one of those wonderful blocks to charge my phone twice with, before we left for New York. The block is small and light. Remember that it takes quite some time to charge the block up. So hook it up in the hotel immediately.

Furthermore, I advise you to pack all your cables and electronic gear in a little bag. And take a world-plug with you. That is always in my case. You never know.

Sleep wear

I always forgot something to sleep in. You probably sleep in knickers at home, but it’s nice to have something comfy when you travel so you can dance around your room. Even just a T-shirt, but just don’t forget it.

Now all you need is some good company and your trip will be perfect, right?