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Welcome to Backpacker’s Boutique. Every Sunday, this spot will feature a new travel blogger. Some weeks it will be a really fun interview about packing, fashion, and fitness so you can snoop inside their bags & lives a little bit and other weeks it’ll be a detailed luxury guide to a city the featured blogger/expat knows very well.

 If you’d like to be featured, email me.

An interview with packing tips from World This Weekend

Tell us a little about about who you are, what your blog is called, and where you’re traveling now.

Hey everyone! I’m Lucy from World This Weekend Travel. I’m from Southampton, a city in the South of England, which you might know from its famous connections with the Titanic as that’s where the ship set sail from (full of fun facts!) I’ve also lived in Guildford and Brighton with little jaunts in London here and there too.

I seem to have inherited the wanderlust gene, as travel is a bit of a rite of passage in my family. Most of my Mum’s side of the family have lived, worked and travelled around the globe. Exploring the world was always encouraged and made a big part of my childhood and so I have continued on the baton in to my adult years.

I’m a bit of a newbie to the travel blogging scene and work full time in arts and heritage marketing alongside. Currently I’m more of a part time traveller. I choose to work, usually in Southampton to save the most money, and then I leave my job to jet off for more substantial trips. In between these big trips I like to take advantage of weekends and the UK’s generous amount of annual leave by travelling as much as possible in this time, whether that be everyday adventures closer to home or quick trips across the pond to Europe. Most recently I’ve been to the USA for two months backpacking with short trips to Edinburgh and London thrown in. On my next trip in November I’ll be off to South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Do you use a backpack or rolley suitcase for long-term travel?

For long term travel I only use backpacks. My favourite for big trips is my Trek 66L purple Trespass rucksack. I named her Minerva after the character Professor Mcgonagall in Harry Potter because she’s so trusty and I love her so much!

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What shoes are your every day walking around, sightseeing shoes? 

I’m a bit of a shoe fiend so take quite a few pairs. For my upcoming trip I’ll definitely be taking a couple of pairs espadrille style shoes. My favourite pairs are from a supermarket in the UK called Sainsbury’s as they are just so comfy, come in great colours and patterns, are pretty hardwearing and are also so cheap. You really can’t go wrong! I’ll also be taking a pair of mint green beaded New Look sandals as they’re my new favourites for fancier occasions.

When you’re pigging out trying new foods, other than typical walking & sightseeing in towns- what do you do to keep away the love-handles?

When I’m at home I usually exercise 5-7 times a week so I try and always carry this on whilst I’m away. I find my favourite work outs for travelling are running, HIIT (high intensity interval training) and yoga. You don’t need any equipment and you can pretty much do them all outside at places like parks or beaches. I also love to swim and do stand up paddle boarding if it’s available or try anything new and adventurous.

I’m also pescatarian (a veggie who eats fish) so it makes it much easier to stay choose healthy options and stay in shape.

When you’re traveling, do you pick up beauty & shower products while you go or are there products you can’t live without- what are they?

For me it depends on the country I’m visiting and how long I’m away for. I try my best to use products that aren’t tested on animals, which can be tough to find whilst travelling. In the EU it’s easy as the law states no cosmetic products can be sold if they’re tested on animals but once I’m outside the EU it gets more difficult. It’s all mainly down to the fact that Chinese laws require animal testing and therefore if a company sells in China it’s likely to be tested. It’s bit doom and gloom but it’s something I’m passionate about and try to follow, especially where it’s so easy in the UK. For that reason I tend to by a lot of products at home before I go.

I absolutely love Burt’s Bees products, especially their beeswax lip balm and couldn’t be with out it! I reduce the amount of make up I take, particularly for hot countries because with a tan who needs it, but I absolutely love to take an eyebrow pencil (I have weird obsession with eyebrows) and I also love my Urban Decay Perversion mascara.

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For those who thing living out of a backpack is impossible, what tips do you have for saving space or what things have you learned you actually don’t need to pack?

You’ll surprise yourself how much little you’ll actually use on the road plus you’ll be really annoyed at yourself for over packing. My biggest tips are to write a list and follow it, and pack your bag twice. Sounds odd but on the first occasion it’s likely that you’ll have packed way to much even if you hadn’t planned to. The sheer actions of trying on of your bag, unpacking and repacking will help you to decide what to cull.

The Hippie in Heels has to ask, would you ever pack heels on a backpacking trip?

It really depends on where I’m going and how long your lugging your bag around for. On my next trip to SEA, I definitely won’t be because you just don’t need them. However, if I was travelling to somewhere like Australia or Europe, was planning on partying and had a killer pair of heels at home then hell yeah! Those shoes deserve adventure just as much as do!

What type of outfit do you take in case of a night out clubbing or going to a fancy bar/hotel?

I love a playsuit as they’re so versatile for day and night. I have a black one from H&M which is my go to for travelling in a hot country. I also think you can’t go wrong with a cute little dress or even a shorts/skirt and top combo. Again, I really love black because it always looks effortless, expensive and stylish. It may not be the cheeriest colour but no one has ever looked bad in black!

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What is the one material thing you miss most from home while you’re roughin’ it abroad?

Hairdryers! I love a good blow dry, some might say I’m almost addicted. Packing a great big hairdryer is just not sensible when travelling, especially with a backpack, so no matter how much I love them I won’t pack one.

I also miss home comforts like Cadbury’ Dairy Milk chocolate, fish and chips, Sunday roast dinners, having fluffy pillows like clouds and being at home with lots of dogs (my Mum is a groomer and boarder). Oh and my family of course!

Airport style: love looking LA paparazzi ready or could care less? 

My belief is that you can have it all! Just because you’re comfy doesn’t mean you have to look like crap (excuse my French!) If I’m on a long haul flight I usually go for leggings and a loose comfy top. I’ll wear shoes like my espadrilles that are easy to slip on and off through security if needed and pack a really fluffy pair of socks in my carry on to put on during the flight. I’m also all about wearing a sports bra on long haul flights. They are so much comfier for long periods of time and it feels like your almost wearing pj’s. Grab a pair of big dark sunglasses and a nice leather jacket or cover up and your airport ready.

And for the girls, what are your absolute favorite make up products you take with you on a trip?

As I said I love Urban Decay Perversion mascara, in fact you could say I’m a slave to the brand in general! I also love Bare Minerals for trips to hot countries where my face is melting off. This year I’m really loving CC creams too instead of foundations, my new favourite is from the B range at Superdrug along with their contour kit.

Do you have a special skin care routine on the road to prevent breakouts from the stress, sweat, and humidity?

I have always had acne prone skin and to top that all off as that’s not bad enough my face is usually dry as well. Always fun and games! If I’m visiting anywhere hot my skin tends to clear up (I was really born in the wrong country) so the sun always helps.

I’ve recently purchased a Magnitone face brush and I have to say it really has been life changing. I couldn’t recommend it enough and I will definitely be taking it away with me. It’s made in a really handy travel size so it’s easy to pack and the charger comes with two different adaptors which is perfect for travel too. I use it at the end of each day to cleanse and remove all the sweat and impurities of the day and I have to say I have absolutely no complaints yet. It’s really helped balance out my face and prevent break outs.

What does your most worn, daily outfit look like while you’re traveling?

My usual look would be dark blue skinny jeans, a nice top and either a blazer or leather jacket. If the weather is good I switch it up for dresses or skirts and tops. I generally dress quite smart all the time (or so I am told) so this carry’s through when I travel. 

Tell us the ONE thing you pack for a long backpacking trip & would never leave behind.

My camera. I can’t leave that behind on any trip! It documents all the exciting things I see and do and then I have the photographs to look back on forever.

You can only pick one: iPod or Kindle? 

As much as I love a good read it has to be my iPod. I have a huge old iPod Classic and if it broke I would be lost as no other iPod’s have enough storage for all my music now! I also create monthly travel music playlists on Spotify that I post on my blog so I like to listen to those when I have wifi on my tablet or phone.

If you could give one last bit of advice to push people to travel and follow their dreams, what would you say?

You have just got to do it! It sounds cliche, but nothing is impossible so you need stop making excuses and start to make things happen instead. All the hard work and sacrifices will be so worth it and you’ll have the most amazing new experiences and memories. Those are things you can’t recreate elsewhere so go out and see the world.

Thank you for interviewing on Hippie in Heels!

http://i2.wp.com/hippie-inheels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/... 120w, http://i2.wp.com/hippie-inheels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/... 150w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" data-recalc-dims="1" />Lucy is British travel blogger who inherited the wanderlust gene. In between jetting around the globe and seeking adventures with her best friends and boyfriend she’s a part time mermaid, full time cheese lover! Her blog, World This Weekend Travel, aims to show that travelling is possible for everyone on all styles, budgets and timescales…even on the weekend. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.

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The post Backpackers Boutique: Packing Tips from World This Weekend appeared first on Hippie In Heels.