What's in My (Istanbul) Suitcase?

Other than my brief visit to Bristol in March, I haven't managed to fit in much travelling so far this year and it's definitely time for another adventure. And today, I'm heading off to Istanbul, so I can experience two continents in one day, Turkish delight and, of course, the joys of agglutinative languages. I had planned to put together a proper what's-in-my-suitcase post but by the time I escaped from work, it was starting to get dark and I needed to eat dinner. Also, some of the clothes I'm taking needed a wash and aren't yet ready for packing. Instead, I've taken a few photos of some of the things I'm taking for a five-day trip to Turkey, starting with make-up and toiletries:

My on-the-go make-up bag (£3 ish from H&M) is in the bottom-right corner, with (underneath): ibuprofen and my Chanel make-up mirror, and (on top): a spare hairband, Travalo atomiser (containing Un Jardin en Méditerranée by Hermès), Balance Me super-moisturising hand cream (from a Carmine box), Burberry Lip Mist (from the Harrods Glossybox), Figs & Rouge balm (from the April Glossybox) and Revlon Lip Butter in Sweet Tart. In the top-left quarter: Molton Brown Lili Pili hairwash and conditioner, Coco Shambala shower gel (from the February Glossybox), random body lotion, deodorant, TRESemmé heat defence spray and Solton sun lotion. Top-right corner (on my Kate Spade "Eat cake for breakfast" pouch: Clarins night cream (from January Glossybox), Liz Earle eye cream and cleanser and my favourite Philosophy Hope in a Jar [in a tube] moisturizer with SPF. Bottom-right: Bare Minerals foundation and brush, Nars eye shadow duo in Charade, Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles roll-on, Soap & Glory mascara, Iniko eyeliner (from the April Glossybox), Bare Minerals navy eyeliner and Bobbi Brown eyebrow pencil in ash.

Next: kit. On the iPad (which has got several ebooks loaded on it): camera, adapter, Apple charger and earbuds, memory card adapter for iPad. Jewellery: sparkly bracelets from F21, pearl bracelet from Oliver Bonas, turquoise necklace from Ebay, rings from Kate Spade and H. Samuel (circa 1993). Other things: small Moleskine notebook, iPhone, pen, mini-tripod, Time Out Istanbul guidebook, passport in turquoise Kate Spade cover and purple Longchamp purse with some Euros, travel insurance card, earplugs and a few other bits and bobs.

Finally, clothes. Some of them, anyway; there are still a couple of t-shirts and underthings to add to the mix. Shoes: purple Asics trainers, royal blue ballet flats from Banana Republic, Steve Madden flip flops. Sports kit: running togs, bikini and Hammamas towel (from Turkey, ironically). Skinny jeans, red vest, white tee and turquoise tee. New navy striped J Crew dress, flower-print Top Shop skirt, coral lace dress from Tesco, orange flower-print Tesco dress. Grey Aritzia blazer, heather J. Crew cardigan, royal blue Mango cardigan, purple and grey Top Shop scarf and turquoise French Connection scarf.

Phew! It feels like I'm taking quite a lot of stuff but actually there's plenty of space in my purple spotty Kipling suitcase; there's also a lot of room in the peacock Longchamp Le Pliage tote I'm taking as my carry-on, which means I don't need to worry about not being able to bring back enough Turkish delight!