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I fly often, and these are the handbag essentials that make long flights and layovers easier
From moisturiser and earbuds to perfume and a Kindle, these are my handbag essentials for easier flights, layovers and holidays.
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I have become the person who reaches the airport early, settles in with a coffee, finds a comfortable corner and prepares for the long stretch ahead. After spending a lot of time on flights and some very long layovers, I have learnt that the right things in my handbag can make a surprisingly big difference. I do not like carrying a giant handbag stuffed with things I might need someday. I prefer a small collection of things I know I will actually use. Some make flying more comfortable, some save me during layovers, and a few have quietly become part of my regular holiday kit too.
These are the things that are almost always in my handbag when I fly.
• Portable insulated coffee mug
I always carry an insulated coffee mug, and my current favourite is the one from Cello. I am a big coffee person, especially at airports, and having my own mug makes it easier to carry a drink around without constantly worrying about spills. Also, it's more sustainable if you travel as much as I do and want to reduce your carbon footprint. It is also useful once I reach my destination. Road trips, hotel rooms, early morning airport runs, and lazy balcony coffees all get better when I have my own cup with me.
• Hand cream
Hand cream is one of those things I never think I need until I forget it. Between airport sanitiser, cabin air and washing my hands repeatedly, my hands can get ridiculously dry during travel. So I keep a small hand cream in my handbag and use it throughout the flight and during layovers. It takes up almost no space and saves me from that uncomfortable dry feeling.
2. Kimirica Love Story Gardenia & Night Blooming Jasmine Hand cream | Moisturizing Nourishing Hand Cream for Men and Women | Gift Pack Hand Cream | 30ml
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• Sanitiser
This one needs no explanation. Airports, aircraft, lounges, and public transport mean I touch a lot of shared surfaces throughout the day. I always have sanitiser within easy reach, especially when I am travelling with my family. It is one of those boring little handbag essentials that I am very happy to have.
• Laneige Water Bank moisturiser
I cannot use face masks in public. I have tried, but sitting at an airport with a sheet mask on is simply not happening for me. So I have my own little flight hack instead. I use my Laneige Water Bank moisturiser and apply a nice thick layer to my face before take-off. Cabin air can leave my skin feeling dry, so this gives me that extra dose of hydration without making me look like I am about to film a skincare reel in the middle of an aircraft. It is basically my low-key version of an in-flight facial.
• Portable comb
This little addition is entirely thanks to Voie Sage. They sent me a gorgeous mini comb in a package, and I have not stopped carrying it since. It is tiny, takes up almost no space and is now permanently in my handbag. I have also reached the stage where I carry it around even when I am not flying. Hair looking slightly chaotic after a nap on a flight? Comb. Windy airport transfer? Comb. Getting ready quickly before heading out? You guessed it.
• Portable charger
A dead phone at an airport is my idea of unnecessary stress.
I am currently using the Energion portable charger sent to me by Crompton, and this one has made me a fan. It lasts through an entire three- to four-day trip for me, which is a big deal because I use my phone constantly while travelling. Boarding passes, maps, messages, photographs, work calls and random airport browsing can drain a phone very quickly. Having a charger that can keep up means I do not spend half my trip hunting for a plug socket.
5. Energion Logo by Crompton Power Bank 10000 mAh - CORE-10K (Model CG10KPBC2AC-WW)
• Earbuds
My recent favourite addition is the Motobuds, which I got as a gift. The noise cancellation is so, so good. Imagine sitting on a flight next to a toddler listening to Cocomelon on loop. I would not know anything about that particular experience because my earbuds cancelled it all out while I listened to Beethoven and enjoyed a very peaceful nap. That, to me, is enough of a review.
Good earbuds are also useful beyond flights. Hotel rooms, airport lounges, trains and even those rare moments when I just want five minutes of quiet all count.
6. Motorola Buds2
• Sunglasses
Sunglasses are another handbag permanent. I am currently wearing the transition Meta Ray-Bans and have zero complaints. They are particularly handy when I am moving between indoor and outdoor spaces during a travel day. Plus, there is something about putting on sunglasses after a long flight that makes me feel slightly more put together, even when I have spent the previous few hours sleeping in an awkward aircraft seat.
• Portable fan
This started as a travel essential and somehow became a life hack. My Nuuk portable fan comes with me on trips, but I also use it between shoots. It has saved my makeup more times than I can count. If you have ever stepped outside in hot weather after spending time getting ready, you know exactly what happens next. Makeup starts melting almost immediately. I simply switch on the fan and let the cool air do its thing. It is tiny, practical and has become one of those things I wonder how I travelled without.
• Mini perfume
I refuse to land smelling like an aeroplane. My current handbag favourite is the Renee mini perfume, especially New York. It is small enough to carry around without adding much bulk and is perfect for a quick refresh after a flight. I also use it during long layovers when I have been travelling for hours and have plans immediately after landing. A couple of sprays and I feel much fresher before heading out.
• Kindle
This is probably the biggest change in my travel handbag recently. I am slowly moving from physical books to my Kindle because my travel kit keeps growing. Between recording mics, tripods, chargers and all the other little things I carry for work, a physical book can start feeling like one more thing I need to fit in. I still love actual books, but a Kindle makes so much sense for flights. I can carry several books without carrying several books. It is particularly useful on long flights and layovers because I always have something to read without needing to think about which book to pack.
For me, the perfect flight handbag is not really about carrying everything. It is about carrying the few things that genuinely make the day easier. A coffee mug keeps me happy. Moisturiser keeps my skin comfortable. Earbuds give me peace. A charger keeps my phone alive. Perfume makes me feel human again after a long flight. And my Kindle makes those extra hours at the airport feel far less tedious.
The best part is that most of these things have become useful beyond flying too. They come with me on holidays, road trips, shoots and random days when I know I will be out for hours.
So yes, my handbag may look deceptively small. But inside it is basically my little travel survival kit.
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