6 Luxe Gifts for Travel Blogger Mothers

Disclaimer: I received no incentive for writing this post. All experiences and opinions are fully my own.

Mother’s Day is almost here! Need a gift for travel blogger who’s also a mom? Why not get her something that supports her love for travel and allows her to look her best in travel photos at the same time?

This year, instead of the obligatory candle, slippers or bathrobe (we all know how that turned out on SNL), say thank you and bon voyage to a Travel Blogger Mom with one of these practical yet chic travel gifts:

6 Luxe Gifts for Travel Blogger Moms to Help Her Look Great in Photos

Luxury Packing Cubes – Start her trip off right by helping her pack in the most stylish way. Packing cubes allow you to organize your travel attire within soft, zippered, breathable cubes or cases. Think of them as large makeup bags for your clothes. With packing cubes, you can neatly prearrange your clothes – by day, category, or even for a multi-outfit, on-location photo shoot – and help keep them secure during travel or wardrobe changes. And best of all, they come in a ton of sizes and colors, are washable and are very affordable. My husband and I have been using packing cubes from eBags for nearly a decade, which have definitely held up to our many travels. This Christmas, I received a set of rose gold packing cubes from CalPak, which are not as stretchy but are still functional and quite fancy.

Large Shoulder Bag – For day to day running around, I’m a huge believer in the smaller the bag, the better. However, when traveling, I find that having a larger bag is more practical to fit my blogging lifestyle. Depending on the size and structure of the bag, I sometimes need to fit my iPad, extra shoes, makeup, phone, a larger digital camera, a water bottle and occasionally a wardrobe change for photo shoots. Although any large shoulder bag will do, I prefer the soft leather style (I use the carryall tote from Jcrew in warm sepia) – not only is leather timeless, but the soft leather is much easier to maneuver under an airplane seat or stash in a suitcase if needed.

Cashmere Wrap or Poncho – A girl can get chilly just about anywhere, even in the middle of summer in Europe – am I right? From the plane ride, to air conditioned museums, evening walks, and hotel rooms late at night – the cold seems to follow me everywhere. So having a beautiful cashmere wrap or poncho can not only keep the chill away, it can also add a little European chic to your look, leaving you prepared for just about any photo opportunity. Although I’m a big fan of Jcrew cashmere ponchos, Nordstrom has some amazing cashmere pashminas in just about any color and style.

Chic Sunglasses – Help your travel blogger add a little mystery and glamour to her photo persona with stylish shades. Fancy specs can keep her eyes protected from the harsh sun on the ferry to Capri, but they can do so much more than that! They allow her to change up her photo look (on the eyes, on top of the head, etc); give her a chance to sneakily eye other tourists, locals and travel bloggers; and give her a prop to play with during photo shoots. I love the larger Kate Spade sunglasses that come in so many fun colors, but I’m also a huge fan of Maui Jims for a more beach and athletic style. Because style selection for sunglasses is often very personal, it’s best to get a couple of style hints before you make any nonreturnable purchases.

Small Fabric Zippered Bag – No matter what time of day, a travel photo shoot often requires a make up refresh – whether it’s lipgloss, anti-shine powder or just a smidge more of mascara to make your eyes pop in photos. Having a small zipper bag to stash your goodies can save time, preventing you from having to dig through your bag and it can also help you avoid any unforeseen makeup spills that could ruin your wardrobe changes. The zippered bags are also great for carrying small tech accessories like AirPods and charging cords.

Eye Masks – Ok, this has been a game changer for my travel photos! No matter if I’m jet-lagged or had limited sleep from staying up too late, eye masks can nearly erase all of those pesky wrinkles that seem to magnify when I travel. I LOVE Shiseido’s Pure Retinol Express Soothing Eye Mask. After 15 minutes of wearing the mask under each eye, my wrinkles are minimized, leaving me looking refreshed, awake and more starry-eyed for photos. Pro tip – don’t waste the left over essence in the pouch or on the eye mask holder – I use it all around my face to get a dewy and all over fresh faced look.