No matter if you are on a business trip for three days or two weeks: Packing always seems to be a challenge – especially when you have to look representative every single day and not jet lagged at all.

But how to make sure to pack the right things for your trip in your hand luggage trolley, without falling in to the “packed too much” trap? Well, challenge accepted – find the ultimative lean packing list for female business travelers right here:

1. The little black dress
Whether you have to give an important presentation or go for a business dinner
– a classy, little black dress will never let you down.

2. White T-Shirts
One colour fits all – what more are you asking for?

3. A pair of black trousers and jeans
… or have you ever made it trough dinner without a french dressing stain on your white pants? Leave your white trousers at home – you won’t need them.

4. A carefree, non-iron blouse
I prefer light blue colored ones, as they simply do not seem to magically attract tomato sauce stains and go well with black trousers and a pair of jeans.

5. Perfect nails – yes you can!
Carrying nail polish remover with you can be tricky. When travelling with hand luggage only, it will be taken away when going through security – and also the possibility of leakage is very high. Nail polish remover pads can solve the problem for you. Nail and cuticle oil also turned out to be a little helper (my favourite is from L’Occitane), as it helps brittle nails to make it through every long haul flight.

6.  The right travel gear
“The good ones go into the pot, the bad ones go into your crop” – what Cinderella taught us can help you through busy times. There’s nothing worse than a major laundry chaos at the middle of your business trip. Using zip pockets (like for example from LOQI) help you to organise your laundry. Spreading the black from the white laundry also turned out to be a very forward thinking way after coming home and switching on the washing machine for the first time.

7. Make up remover towels
As outlined in point number five, make up remover brings the same problems along as nail polish in bottles does (liquid that is not allowed to bring on the airplane when travelling with hand luggage and serious danger of leakage!). Make up remover towels are probably the easiest and most hygienic way of getting rid of your make up every day.

8. Dry Shampoo
As we all know dry shampoo really experienced a renaissance during the last couple of years. Often used incorrectly, one should apply dry shampoo before going to bed (instead of putting it on in the morning), then hitting the sheets (because yes, sleep is the best beauty product anyway…) and wake up with fresh and voluminous hair in the morning.

9. Shoes…
…probably the most tricky one: Packing some flat but elegant black pair of ballerinas or loafers are probably the safest way, as they go with almost everything. Bring some high heels with you in case you will have to attend a fancy evening event.

10. A scarf
The cure-all when it comes to covering stains on blouses and your shoulders from breezy winds in whatever part of the world (or airplanes – yes AC, I am talking to you…).

11. A simple, black blazer
A blazer is the ultimate miracle weapon, when it comes to speaking in front of a larger audience as it automatically improves your posture and makes you look more confident. In combination with all the other clothes in your suitcase, practically nothing can’t go wrong.

12. Make Up Essentials
Black mascara, some eyebrow forming gel, an eyeliner to add a little drama to your eyes, nude nailpolish and a reddish lipstick (colour “Persuasive” from Estee Lauder), will make you shine all day long.