5 Packing tips from a fashion industry insider

When every stop on the tour is even more beautiful than the last, we know you’ll want to take a fair share of photo-worthy outfits. The tricky part? Not overpacking. As the Beauty Director for The Zoe Report, Stephanie Montes knows a thing or two about staying fashionable yet practical while traveling. As she prepares to travel on our Venice, Florence & Rome tour for her honeymoon, she shares with us her best packing tips, beauty hacks, and fashion advice to look and feel amazing during tour, while still making sure there’s room in your luggage to bring home some souvenirs.

Pack dual-purpose products

Save valuable room in your luggage with products that pack a one-two punch. One of these products, that almost everyone is sure to pack, is a lip balm. Stephanie uses one from Lanolips that has an ointment like texture and can be used in multiple ways. “You can use it on your cuticles, your lips, and to tame fly aways and brows,” said Stephanie. “It’s really compact and keeps you moisturized.”

She also recommends packing a makeup product that you can use all over you face to look fresh and well-rested. “My favorite trick for looking awake is to use the same product on your cheeks, lips, and eyelids. It looks consistent and if you use a cream product you can just apply it with your fingers.” Check out this one from Ilia.

Plan your outfits

Stephanie says she use to overpack because she’d bring all of her favorite outfits. Now, she lays everything out to see what shirts and pants pair well together so that she can re-wear pieces throughout the trip, but have it be a new outfit. She then puts each day’s clothes in its own Ziploc bag before tossing it in her luggage. “Putting the outfits in bags means you don’t have to take everything out of your luggage and refold it each day,” said Stephanie. “It makes getting ready in the morning easy and at the end of the day you put it back in the bag.”

Pamper on the plane

Stephanie always packs a handful of her favorite beauty products in her carry-on. While she’s on the plane, she uses them to give herself a two-step, in-flight facial. This ensures she walks off the plane feeling fresh and hydrated.

“Start with exfoliating,” said Stephanie. “If you don’t exfoliate, your face creates an invisible film of dead skin and dirt. If you moisturize before you exfoliate, you won’t get the full benefit.” She recommends using the Skin Inc Pure Revival Peel.

After exfoliating, she suggests putting on a face mask. “Face masks contain super concentrated ingredients packed into a piece of paper,” said Stephanie. “Because you let it sit on your skin and penetrate, it goes beyond what most moisturizers can do.” Her favorite affordable sheet mask is from Yes to tomatoes.

Sightsee in style

You don’t need to sacrifice style for comfort, even when you have a full day of sightseeing tours. “You need a good pair of sneakers,” said Stephanie. “Pair those with white trousers, a t-shirt, a cross-body bag, and tie a scarf around your neck to look nice, but still be comfortable.” Packing a few scarves or pieces of jewelry will allow you to add a pop of color to any ensemble, without weighing down your suitcase with additional outfits.

Learn about the culture

What better way to get excited for your trip—and make packing a little more exciting—than by watching movies and shows all about the places you’ll be visiting. Before her trip to Italy, Stephanie watched Under the Tuscan Sun, the iconic I Love Lucy grape stomping episode, and Netflix documentaries all about Italian cuisine.

What’s your best piece of packing advice? Let us know on Facebook!