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. I’m looking for more participants, so e-mail me if you’d like to be featured.

An interview with packing tips from Girl About the Globe

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

I’m Lisa, otherwise known as Girl about the Globe. I’ve been travelling on and off for the last 17 years whilst bouncing back to my home land in England, and am currently living in Colombia. I specialise in solo female travel and have been lucky enough to have travelled to 83 countries and 43 of these solo!

My favourite cutesy blue dress

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

A backpack which is pink! I could only find one pink backpack on the internet so I absolutely had to have it. The size I like is as big as possible although this one is only 65 litres as the Caribee 75L was out of stock. The more I travel though, the more I see people wheeling along their bags instead of carrying them. I’m actually swaying towards a rolley suitcase for my next investment (pink of course!)

What shoes are your every day walking around, sightseeing shoes? And how many pairs of shoes do you pack for a long-term backpacking trip?

I only tend to go glam when I’m out in the evenings and save the heels for after dark. During the day I either wear trainers (sneakers) if I know I’m going to be walking a lot or my black pumps with leopard print insoles. They’re really comfy and look good around town.

Dressed ready to Bachata in Colombia

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?

This is a tough one as I feel as though I am constantly battling with the amount of weight I put on on the road. I love my food and for me trying new cuisine from each country is part of travelling. Back in England I used to run three times a week and also do salsacise to keep away the love-handles. Staying healthy on the road can be difficult so when I’m away I try and run (which doesn’t always happen) and walk as much as possible. I also do Chi Kung which is more of a relaxing exercise than burning the calories but it keeps me focused in the mornings even if if does look a bit strange to others.

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?

On this trip I went mad and took virtually every beauty product I owned then realised that I really didn’t need to bring 3 mascaras and 5 lipsticks. Avon do an amazing face cream which turns my face brown in the sun so I always bring that. They also do ‘maxi-tan’which helps to accelerate your tan too. During the day I don’t wear much make-up, just mascara usually but at night I really glam up and go for smoky eyes and long eyelashes. I always worry that I can’t pick up the same products when I’m away so I take it all with me. Solid Shampoo by LUSH with cinnamon makes my hair glossy and makes it grow quicker too. I always take one of them with me and a blonde shampoo to keep the highlights looking sharp as I colour it before I go.

Wearing a borrowed leopardskin hat – my favourite!

If someone said to you “I could never live out of a backpack for 3 months” what would be the first advice you would give them?

I’d say “Yes you can.”Admittedly if you like your hairdryer and hair straighteners then it can be tough and some climates play havoc on your hair but if you pack smartly and mix and match everything then living out of a backpack is fine. The hardest thing is deciding which shoes to take as they take up the most room.

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

I take about 3! I’m going to a business event on this trip so I have a long black dress. I tend to stick to black when I go out and wear my off-the-shoulder black top and skinny jeans a lot. If it requires a dress code then the glitter or the black shiny leggings come out, accompanied with a silver bangle and big earrings.

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

I only realised the other day when I was sat in a hairdressers, how nice it was to have my hair blow dried so I have to say a hairdryer, especially when you’re in places which aren’t that warm and it takes ages to dry. If I’m allowed another, I’ll say my knee high white Diesel boots which I really miss. I love boots but packing them in a backpack just doesn’t work so I have to stick to flip flops and pumps instead.

When you’ve been on sleeping on trains and buses for days, what products do you use to freshen up or do you just wait until you find a hotel?

I always go straight to a bathroom and clean my teeth then spray some perfume. Sometime I put on mascara but mainly it’s just smelling nice that I’m worried about. Impulse is a good body spray for a quick fix.

Ready for a night at the theatre

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

Of course! I realised though that I am in the minority but where I am only 5 foot 4 inches, wearing heels gives me more height and confidence when I go out. I tend to buy one pair of shoes which are comfortable to dance in then wear them until they eventually break.

Airport style: love looking LA paparazzi ready or could care less? Do you pack “plane”or “relaxing”clothes for a long-term backpacking trip or would it take up too much space?

Definitely a more relaxed style for flying. I realised a long time ago that I am far more comfortable in relaxed clothes and no make up than trying to look good in skinny jeans and a fancy hair do on the plane. Either my leopard print travelling pants or leggings with a comfy top. I always leave my hair down which is more comfortable for sleeping.

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

I use a face scrub which helps keep it clean and gets rid of any dead skin cells. I also use a Lavender Night Cream too which you leave on over night to wake up with softer skin. I always moisturise my body too, usually with a cream with a fruity scent.

What does your most worn, daily outfit look like (for example mine is high waisted jeans short or a maxi skirt with a crop top!) while you’re traveling?

It has to be my leopard print Indian-style trousers and a vest top. They are just so comfy.

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

My No7 Tinted Moisturizer. It gets rid of your blemishes and illuminates your skin, plus it helps to take the shine away in humid countries.

Glammed up for a New Year’s Eve in Dublin

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

Mascara and my black eye-liner. I feel as though my eyes are too small naturally so for me, eye make-up is the most important. I’m now really into smoky eyes too.

You can only pick one: iPod or Kindle?

I had an iPod until I left it on an aircraft and lost it so I currently don’t have any music. Books it has to be!

Thank you for interviewing on Hippie in Heels, before you go can you tell readers that may be on the fence about taking a trip why YOU think they should go for it!

You will only regret it if you don’t! If you’re never done it before. Travelling solo is the best way to travel. You may feel that you’re not ready but you really are. Life is too short to be indecisive and the longer you wait, the more you may talk yourself out of it. Go for it and you won’t look back, I promise!

Lisa Eldridge is a travel writer and self-confessed travel addict currently living in Medellín, Colombia. Her background in the travel industry fueled her passion to see the world and since the age of twenty one, she has travelled extensively as a solo traveller, living and working in numerous countries. Her aim is to make solo travel easier for females through her website,Girl About the Globe. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Google plus.

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