Workbook: Pack ‘n’ Play

May kicks off summer travel season, but PR star Nicole Cashman is always on the go—which explains why she’s mastered the art of packing perfect travel kits. She has three kinds: one for her carry-on (complete with motion sickness wristbands and Zicam anti-cold swabs), one for weekends, and one for long trips. Here, Cashman lets us rummage through her long-trip kit for her must-have items and shares her tricks for a perfectly pampered getaway.

1. Kate Spade travel kit
A friend who did product placement for Sex and the City turned Cashman on to them. “You can clean them with just water and a paper towel. The Kate Spade store in King of Prussia has tons of options.”

2a & b. Oust and Illume candle
To battle the stuffy hotel-room smell.

3. Matches
“Hotels will give you a hard time if you request matches in a non-smoking room; always have a box on you.”

4. MD Skincare facial
sunblock
“Use packets so you don’t have to worry about bottles exploding.”

5.Venus razors
They’re individually wrapped, so you won’t cut yourself when you dig through your bag.

6. Band-Aids and a
sewing kit
“I just keep restocking my Kerropi pouch. I love Hello Kitty characters.”

7. Aquafresh Extreme Clean
“The best-tasting toothpaste.”

8. Unscented lotions
“I can’t get enough of L’Occitane hand cream and Kiehl’s Creme de Corps.”

9a & b. Sleep mask and
pillow spray
A familiar mask and subtle fragrance summon sleep in a strange bed.

10. Reusable Chanel bottles
“Save small plastic bottles with screw-on caps; they’re the perfect size to fill with toner, shampoo, anything.”

11. Biolage shampoo
“In Philly I get my hair blown out regularly, but for trips, I pack my favorite shampoo, conditioner and hair spray.”

12. Sephora collapsible­­ ­toothbrush-and-flosser
“So cute and easy!”

13. Dr. Sager’s Homeopathic
Jet Lag Drops
Cashman claims the drops ward off disorientation, especially when traveling overseas. (Good thing Sager is a Cashman client!)

14. Wet ’n’ Wild nail polish
It’s teeny-tiny and perfect for touch-ups. “You can’t always spend your travel time sitting for a manicure.”

15. Bath powder
“Take advantage of a great tub!”

16. Travel-size perfumes
“During the holidays, stock up on perfume gift sets, so you can get complete sets—spray, lotion, body wash—of your favorite fragrances in miniature versions. Right now, I travel with Lolita Lempicka, Chanel Allure or Angel.”

17. Bulgari body lotion
“Take freebies from the nicest hotels you go to—you can use them when you’re staying at less swanky places.”

18. Hollywood Fashion Tape
The secret to avoiding a Tara Reid/Lindsay Lohan moment (hollywoodfashiontape.com).

19. Corkscrew
“Just don’t pack it in your carry-on.”

Remember:
* Never take anything you’d be upset to lose.
* Every time you visit your salon, spa or makeup counter, ask for sample sizes of your favorite products.
* Buy more than one of toiletries, to create a backup stash; when you’re packing at the last minute, you’ll have everything on hand and won’t have to go shopping.
* “Set up shop” in the hotel bathroom once you arrive; you’ll avoid the annoyance of repeatedly digging through and repacking your kit.