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Jennifer Ferrise, Forbes Staff
Forbes Vetted
Pack Like is a column in which Forbes Vetted asks some of the most well-traveled entrepreneurs and tastemakers about the essential items they reach for when they’re on the go. Next time you’re headed on an adventure, look no further for ideas and inspiration.
Actress and entrepreneur Shay Mitchell caught the travel bug early in life. Growing up in Canada, she often took road trips and cruises with her parents and younger brother with the understanding that traveling to a new city and getting out of your comfort zone could not only be enjoyable, but a path to self-growth. “My mom and dad would say ‘Go places, explore the culture, meet new people, get lost, discover things about the world and then come back with an entirely new perspective,” she says. “So that’s what I did.
Shay Mitchell posing with items from the new Béis campus collection.
Courtesy Of Béis
After high school, Mitchell decided to forgo college to explore Thailand and Hong Kong. Modeling and acting gigs followed in her twenties, including landing the role of Emily Fields in the cult-favorite Freeform series, Pretty Little Liars, which allowed her to see the world on a much larger scale. And as the packing and unpacking became more frequent, Mitchell noticed that she struggled to find products that kept up with her fast-paced wanderlust.
“I realized I could easily find luggage that was really loud and inexpensive or I could get something that was super out of my budget that didn’t have the functionality that I needed,” she says. “But there was a no man’s land when it came to bags that were affordable, stylish and durable. That’s when the light bulb went off—I could talk about bags all day, I loved to travel and I had the experience and passion to explore what a great product could look like.”
In 2018, Mitchell officially launched Béis, a luggage and lifestyle company that quickly disrupted the $17 billion luggage industry with its modern designs and social media savvy. Most recently, the brand unveiled their Campus collection, jam-packed with sleek book totes, backpacks, messengers, roller bags and more, in rich fall-ready colors and patterns like burgundy and tapestry. And as a founder and chief creative officer, Mitchell has also become somewhat of a viral packing whiz herself, often showcasing her travel tips and tricks to Béis’ 1.2 million Instagram followers.
Her packing specialty? Knowing just the right amount of stuff to bring for quick trips, so that you have everything you need without feeling weighed down. “Even though I consider myself an overpacker, I still get by with a Carry-On Roller and a bag topper, like our East To West Tote, plus a Sport Sling or crossbody for a quick trip,” she says. “Why? Because I can fit all of my clothes, shoes and some toiletries in my carry-on. In my tote, I store my jewelry and sunglasses, any expensive designer bags, my tech kit, snacks and then my In Flight Cosmetics Set where I keep all the little things I’ll need in transit. And then I do a Sport Sling so I can pop in my water bottle and explore an area hands-free. It’s my go-to, especially when I’m juggling my two kids [Atlas and Rome] while on the road.”
As for her in-flight must-haves, Mitchell relies on a rotation of quality tech gadgets and soothing self-care items to pass the time, including an iPad and AirPods to catch up on her TV shows, a light-blocking sleep mask, moisturizing chamomile hand cream and a travel tumbler filled with HydraLyte. Below, shop all of Mitchell’s travel favorites, plus check out her top summer vacation packing tips.
Shay Mitchell’s Travel Essentials
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A Tote With Tons Of Interior Pockets
Béis
“I have a lot of good totes, but I probably use our East To West Tote the most as my carry-on bag topper,” says Mitchell. “Inside I’ll store my jewelry and sunglasses, my handbags, my tech items, snacks, and then my In Flight Cosmetics Set, where I keep all of the little things I’ll need in transit.”
Béis The East To West Tote
$118
A Backgammon Set For Gaming On The Go
Mark & Graham
“My competitive streak is never on vacation—it’s a perfect time to play games,” she says. This compact leather and linen Mark & Graham Backgammon Set is Mitchell’s go-to for playing on the go.
Mark & Graham Leather Travel Backgammon Set
$99
An Easy Way To Repair ‘Vacation Hair’
Amazon
“I never leave home without OGX Bond Protein Repair products, especially when there’s sun, chlorine and heat tools involved, aka vacation hair!”
OGX Repair & Protect Bond Protein Repair Sealing Serum
$10
A Top-Rated Carry-On With Compression Technology
Béis
“For my luggage, I often do a more monochromatic vibe with a camel carry-on and a camel bag topper, but Béis fans have been asking for burgundy and I’m so excited we just launched this shade in our new Campus collection. I’m going to use the burgundy carry-on for the first time on a trip this month and I love how well it goes with the new tapestry bags.”
Béis The Carry-On Roller
$268
A Leakproof Water Tumbler
Hydrojug
“I love this water bottle—the handle and sealable straw on the lid seals the deal,” she says of the Hydrojug Traveler that’s available in more than 20 colors and keeps beverages hot or cold for 24 hours. “I always have a jug that I bring with me because I don’t love to drink out of plastic. So I fill up my bottle at the airport and then I have wellness drops that I dump in there, too.”
Hydrojug Traveler
$40
A Delicious Way To Stay Hydrated
Amazon
“Sitting on a plane is hard work—your body will feel better if you stay hydrated. I always have my Lemon and Passion Fruit HydraLyte in my carry-on so I can stock up on needed electrolytes before landing.”
Shay Mitchell x HydraLyte Advance Hydration Lemon Squeeze
$25
A Deeply Moisturizing Sheet Mask
Biodance
“After a long day outside I love to sleep in this sheet mask under an eye mask—it’s perfection,” says Mitchell of the low-molecular weight collagen mask by Biodance that minimizes the look of pores and increases skin elasticity.
Biodance Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask
$19
A Waterproof Mascara That Stays Put On Long Flights
Amazon
“If I had to choose my favorite makeup items to bring on a flight, it would be a brow pencil and then a mascara. This classic and flawless formula makes even my shorter eyelashes look sky high.”
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
$8
A Brow Pencil For Quick Touch Ups
Kelley Baker Brows
“I only trust one person with my brows and if I can’t have her, then this brow pencil is the next best thing,” she says. The ultra-fine pencil comes in three shades and makes it easy to fill and shape brows on the go.
Kelley Baker Brow Defining Pencil
$26
A Portable Charger To Stay Powered Up
Anker
“The best gift anybody could ever give me is a portable charger. I can never have enough. In fact, I always travel with two extra ones because you always end up needing a backup,” says Mitchell. Her most recent favorite is this Anker 337 device that charges gadgets twice as fast as a standard power bank.
Anker 337 Power Bank
$65
A Soothing Hand Cream For Less Than $20
Amazon
“I have to travel with hand lotion because I hate dry hands,” says Mitchell, who notes that this Glysomed Hand Cream with chamomile and glycerine gets the job done. “I usually have a few different lotions all over the place and especially in my In Flight Kit, so I can just moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.”
Glysomed Hand Cream
$10
A 100% Light-Blocking Silk Sleep Mask
Amazon
“I always have a sleeping mask in my airplane bag, as well as eye drops,” says Mitchell, who loves this light-blocking mulberry silk style by Dore & Rose. “I’ll also pop on a sheet mask too and moisturize as I rest.”
Dore & Rose Aura Sleeping Mask
$56
Black Pumps That Go With Everything
Amazon
“I like to pack around a few staple items, so I always have a pair of black stilettos, a black dress, black pants and jeans, but then different jackets, including a jean jacket and leather coat, plus different accessories, hats and bags, so I can mix and match and create different looks.”
Gia Borghini Abella Pumps
$301
A Chic Black Dress That Can Be Dressed Up Or Down
Matteau
“This is the perfect summer dress and LBD in one,” says Mitchell of this organic cotton Matteau midi dress that’s also available in blue and green. “I tend to pack outfits like this in my packing cubes, so I’ll can easily pull them out when I arrive.”
Matteau Shirred Bodice Dress
$520 AND UP
A Sporty Sling Bag To Keep Valuables Close
Béis
“I love the Sport Sling because I can pop my water bottle in there and be hands-free. It’s my go-to for everyday use, especially when I’m juggling my two kids while on the road. If I am in Paris or a similar location and I want to be a little bit more elevated, then I’ll grab my Travel Crossbody. Both options are perfect for holding my passport, wallet, cell phone—the real essentials.”
Béis The Sport Sling
$68
A Tablet To Catch Up On TV Shows
Apple
“You’ll never catch me without my iPad on a flight,” says Mitchell, who also travels with her Apple Airpods Max headphones so she can catch up on episodes of her favorite shows. “I always have my iPad with downloaded shows ahead of time. I also use an app that has a subscription to a bunch of magazines. It’s so much easier than having to buy them all at the airport.”
Apple iPad Air
$599 AND UP
A Clear Carry-All That Holds All Your Essentials
Béis
“Our Stadium Tote was such a hit last year, we decided to bring it back—but not before improving it. We perfected the design and organizational components and are offering it in multiple colorways.”
Béis The Stadium Tote
$78
How To Summer Like Shay
With the busy summer travel season in full swing, Mitchell shares some of her top tips for jet-setting without breaking a sweat.
Packing Cubes Are Your Friend
“Packing cubes are my favorite way to stay organized while traveling—I even use them in a carry-on bag,” says Mitchell. “If I’m traveling with my kids, then I’ll do a packing cube for Atlas, one for Rome, one for myself and then separate ones for toiletries, gym clothes and pajamas. It makes life so much easier because you just pull them out, sit them on top of the counter or put them in a drawer and things stays organized. It also makes repacking a lot quicker.”
Plan Vacation Outfits Ahead Of Time
“When I’m packing for a trip, I like to take photos of the outfits that I want to wear and then I refer back to them because I don’t want to be spending the majority of my day trying to figure out what I’m going to be wearing,” she says. “Whether you have photos saved in your Notes app or just in your camera roll it makes life so much easier.”
Stick To The Wardrobe Basics
“On trips, I like to bring closet staples that I can build outfits around, so I’ll do a jean jacket, leather coat, black pants, white tank, and then I’ll mix and match things to create different looks,” she says. “I also always have a pair of black stilettos, a black dress, and different accessories and bags so it doesn’t always look like it’s the same thing.”
Don’t Forget A Beach Bag
“I usually forget to bring a beach bag on a summer trip, so when I remember, I’m always proud,” says Mitchell. “Especially if you have kids, it’s crucial because you don’t really want to bring your bag topper to the beach or keep buying new beach bags on vacation. When we made our Beach Tote, we made sure it was foldable and created with quick-drying mesh. Plus, it holds your sun hat on the outside, which is awesome.”
Go To Your Happy Place
“I love planning trips and now being able to share these experiences with my kids is really special,” she says. “Going to France and Italy is amazing, especially in the summer. Anytime I touch down in Europe, I get a cheese platter and it just makes me so happy. I have such an appreciation for the food in different places. New Zealand and Korea are next on my travel bucket list.”