Louise Roe is the ultra-popular blogger and influencer behind Front Roe, a worldwide destination for fashion advice. You might also know her as the previous host of NBC’s Fashion Star, Access Hollywood, Fashion Police, or Britain’s Top Model. She also broadcasts her enviable style on her extremely popular Instagram. Louise is constantly traveling for her many projects, so we thought she would be the perfect person to teach us how to pack in the most efficient–and chicest–way possible.

Louise says…

Your itinerary may be jam-packed while you’re away, but that doesn’t mean your suitcase has to be. Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of smart packing for pretty much any type of trip, and I’m excited to share my best packing hacks with you today. Whether you’re going on holiday or jetting off for a work trip, these tips will help you avoid any extra stress that often comes along with traveling.

Buy your own mini plastic refill bottles from the pharmacy

I always take my favorite products with me on vacation, but lugging around a full-sized bottle of shampoo wastes valuable space and baggage weight in my suitcase. Buying mini plastic refill bottles from the pharmacy saves me from taking away huge bottles of products, which also means less will spill in my bag should any accidents happen! It’s also so much better for the environment than buying minis of your favorites that are thrown away after one trip!

Look for solid alternatives to your usual products

If you’re like me, the limit of one plastic bag full of liquids is never enough to hold all of my beauty products. This used to leave me in a little bit of a pinch when traveling with only a carry-on. However, so many brands now make solid alternatives for my favorite products and they don’t have the same restrictions as liquids! I’ll always buy solid deodorant – the Tarte clean queen is one of the best that I’ve tried (they also make a great solid cleanser!), and Chanel makes great ones too. Solid perfume is also a must. Diptyque make some beautiful scents and many of them are in solid form. When it comes to makeup, Milk has really nailed the solid product market. Everything from solid bronzer, to highlighter, to primer. I also adore Chanel’s Soleil Tan De Chanel; it’s solid in the pot, but so creamy and silky when blended into my skin.

Prevent products from breaking/spilling

To keep all of my powdered makeup intact, I place little cotton rounds within the compacts. This stops them from cracking within the hold and going all over the rest of my makeup. So simple, but it works! Also, to stop my liquids from spilling all over my perfectly packed clothes, I place a layer of cling film in between the top of the bottle and the lid. It’s the easiest trick, but it saves me from worrying about my favorite pieces being sabotaged by a shampoo bottle mid-flight!

Prepare for the worst – what should be in your carry on if your hold luggage goes missing

I always pack a spare set of clothes in my carry-on. You hope it will never happen to you, but arriving somewhere only to find that your suitcase hasn’t quite made the same journey as you is a complete nightmare. It’s always better to have a spare set of clothes in your carry-on, just in case you’re stuck in a foreign city with none of your perfectly packed clothes! The previous tip means you also have space for these items for the journey home in your main hold luggage.

Keep warm on the plane

A pair of woolly socks and a beanie always make their way into my hand luggage for the chilly plane. I also love packing one of my big silk scarves because they are so multi-functional. A silky scarf always makes me feel a bit more glamorous when going through airport security in comfortable travel clothes. More importantly, planes can get super chilly and it’s nice to have a cozy scarf to use as a blanket along with my cozy socks and beanie hat. I often roll mine up and use it as a super soft pillow too.

Snap your outfits before you pack them

To make sure I arrive somewhere with outfits ready to put together, I always take pictures of my outfits while I’m packing. I’m able to create outfits that are ready-to-wear when I arrive, so my capsule wardrobe is captured on my phone. When I’m headed somewhere for a work trip or event I always do this, as it makes the getting ready process so much quicker.

Avoid arriving with creased jackets

If I’m going somewhere a bit cooler than LA, I will pack one or two of my favorite jackets to layer. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination, unpacking your wardrobe and finding that your beautiful white blazer has suffered serious creasing and is covered in marks. So, I always turn my jackets inside out to keep them crisp and clean, safe from anything in my bag that might get them dirty.

Save space in evening bags

If you’re taking a few special bags with you, leave the tissue paper stuffing at home. Instead, use gym clothes to fill your bags. Gymwear pads out bags just the right amount, so you can keep your favorite accessory in shape. You also get to use all of the space in your bag effectively and arrive with clothes for workouts!

Have an unconventional jewelry box

Finally, and this one might seem a bit strange, I will often use a pill box to keep all of my jewelry organized and prevent it from tangling. It’s the simplest trick because you can pick up pill boxes at any pharmacy, and doing this means you’re not carrying around lots of chunky jewelry boxes with your precious pieces inside.

Get stylish luggage

Having a well-made suitcase is one of the most important things about travelling for me. I need luggage which is strong and can withhold being thrown about a lot and which is sturdy. I think investing in luggage is very important and so I’m going to tell you some of my favorite brands. Samsonite are great for strong, sturdy cases. I’ve been obsessed with Calpak’s marble set of 3 suitcases – I love having matching cases for hand and hold luggage! Mulberry make beautiful luggage; everything they make is so beautifully handcrafted and designed – I also love that they’re a British brand, so I always have a piece of home with me when I’m away.“