The Holiday Check List

I was going to start this post with something along the lines of "well, summer is well and truly upon us..." but looking out of my window at this moment in time, it definitely feels more like November! I'm literally sitting with my big fluffy dressing gown and a huge mug of tea, nursing what is probably the most painful sore throat I have ever had. Oh well, I suppose nothing says British summer like rain hammering against your window! Anyway, today's post is all about the holiday checklist. Things that run through your mind when you're in a blind panic the day before you fly wondering if you packed everything. I'm a super organised packer and usually have everything packed and in the case with a list written a week before we go so here are the things I check off in general to make myself feel less panicked that I've forgotten something!

1. The REALLY important things. By this I mean boarding passes, passports, money. The three things you literally cannot go on holiday without. When I was in Croatia with ASOS a few weeks ago, my passport fell out of my backpack in the airport and I cannot tell you the panic that followed! I was literally on the verge of tears for the full day the next day and usually I'm really good with keeping track of these really important things! It just shows that you really need to hold onto these and know where they are at all times, otherwise you may not be going on holiday (or coming back!) at all. (p.s. the lovely Croatia Wave taxi driver Tommy found my passport and made sure I got it back! Life. Saver.)

2. Bikinis, bikinis, bikinis. How would would we get through our holidays without gorgeous bikinis?! We all know how stressful getting the swimwear side of holiday wear can be and we each have our own struggles. For me it's finding a bikini top that will fit my non-existent boobs without gaping (I know some girls have literally the opposite problem!) so this style bikini from Animal is essential for me. This *Patison Bikini is the style I automatically reach for when bikini shopping - the print is super summery and fun but the style of the top won't gape and lead to an awkward nip slip!

3. The beauty stuff. Of course, there are some other really important things (especially for us beauty obsessed bloggers!) and this includes one of Urban Decay's trusty Naked palettes. I always pack either my Naked or my Naked 3 along with a Naked Basics palette as taking a palette just saves so much more space in your luggage! Along with BB cream and mattifying powder, I don't think my holiday would be the same if I forgot them! Also, you've gotta have travel miniatures. Sometimes I'm tempted to book a night away just so I can have a legit reason to buy travel miniatures; isn't there something really exciting about buying them?!

4. The accessories. On holiday, we can get quite simple with our outfits, sticking to shorts and tee or a jumpsuit. Taking the right jewellery can really glam up an outfit for a night so I always make sure I pack pieces like this *necklace from Lou and Lace. It's a really summery, statement piece with beautiful colours to really glam up even the plainest of outfits. (Lou and Lace get new stock like this all the time so be sure to check out their page!) I always like to pack Primark multi packs of rings and necklaces too and along with my beloved Marc Jacobs watch, they usually have me set for the week.

5. The health and safety stuff. Sun cream, sun cream, sun cream. This is something you really can't afford to forget to pack for both your bank balance's sake (airport prices for sun cream?! No thank you!) and your skin's overall health. Whether you tan easily or burn, you can't risk going out in the sun without it. I always pack a higher factor and a medium factor, starting with the higher one and gradually working down to the lower one. I'm super pale (like vampire pale) so if I didn't have sun cream I would probably burst into flames. Sun burn can really ruin your holiday and can be really dangerous so this is something that needs to be on your list! Also, my mum insists we never travel without paracetamol, plasters and "anti-poo tablets" just in case and actually, I'm always surprised at how handy these things can be! I really missed not packing them in Rome when my foot got so infected I could barely walk so now I always make sure I take things like plasters with me wherever I go.

6. The i-can't-live-without-them-for-that-long stuff. This is the one which will probably differ from person to person. For me this has got to be my green tea bags. People always laugh when I tell them I take a packet of tea bags with me no matter where I go but I just couldn't enjoy my time anywhere without them! The thought of going for a full week without a real cup of tea fills me with dread so yup, the teabags come with me.

7. The electronic stuff. Kindles, iPads, hair straighteners, cameras....the list goes on. In 2015 it's safe to say that we can't get through a holiday without our electrical items and I for one know how lost I would be without my camera or my phone. Also don't forget the adapters! It's so easy to forget you need them but they are essential!

What's on your holiday checklist?

Amy x