Packing The Perfect Liquids Bag for Carry On Luggage

Packing for trips – especially to fashion-forward destinations such as London and Paris – can seem daunting if you only plan to bring a carry-on sized bag. Today, I am excited to share some helpful tips for packing light that I have learned from many trips abroad in recent years.

I am thrilled to introduce a new video series over the next few weeks that I shot during my recent trip to Paris and London. In the videos, I will share how I packed my liquids, makeup, and clothing into my Briggs and Riley international carry-on size suitcase and matching tote bag (which I use as my personal item).

Today’s video – the first in the series – pays homage to the packing task that intimidates me most when flying to Europe: packing my liquids bag!

The TSA liquid rules at London’s Heathrow airport are the strictest that I have experienced, and it is essential that you prepare in advance. Makeup such as mascara and lip-glosses count just as much as other toiletries in Heathrow’s security lines, and it’s common to see people throwing out perfectly good products because they had not winnowed down their liquids in advance. My learning experience occurred in 2014 when I had to leave the security line and return to the check-in counter to check my carry-on sized luggage in an effort to avoid throwing out many expensive makeup and skincare items – eeeek!

As reviewed in the video, I feel it’s important to only bring the smallest versions of toiletries that you can find. If you can’t find small enough options, the Container Store and Amazon sell a lot of terrific, tiny, and re-fillable jars that help you master your minimization. 😀

Below I have listed all of my go-to containers for packing my essentials in a quart-sized liquids bag. Additionally, I have included a list of all of the liquid products I packed on this trip for further reference.

Travel-size container solutions:

TSA approved quart size bag with zipper