Tom Newton and Emily Ferber made their way to sunny Los Angeles last week to shoot a handful of refreshingly West Coast Top Shelves—stay tuned; they start rolling out in a week. In between the hours of traffic, it did manage to feel a little bit like vacation... Venice Beach plus room service can do that to a person—not to mention the 90° heat. Honestly it was lovely, and gave us a chance to give our summer routines one last hurrah.

The 3-oz. rule always feels a little like a game of Jenga mixed with Russian Roulette. Just as soon as you've figured out how to fit everything into a quart-size Ziploc, you realize you forgot your most necessary, routine-hinging product. No packing job is ever perfect, but if we do say so ourselves, last week's try was pretty comprehensive. Below, a breakdown for your own checklist satisfaction.

Emily's list (no, not this Emily's List):

• Pai's Camellia & Rose Gentle Hydrating Cleanser from their travel set. I have these little guys stashed all over the country: one in my bag, one at the office, one at my parents' place... It's realiable, and I find a cream cleanser soothing while traveling.
• Paula's Choice 2% BHA Skin Perfecting Liquid smuggled in another brand's tiny spray bottle. I can't not travel with this. The moment I leave it at home, my skin explodes and I can't do anything about it.
• A tiny vial of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate. I have a bunch of trial size oils lying around at home that I test out on the road. Rodin Olio Lusso is next!
• Three different travel-sized toothpastes because apparently I was afraid I was going to forget one? None of them were Marvis Aquatic Mint so I will not mention any of them.
• On that note, my Quip toothbrush in its handy travel case.
• I didn't bring an SPF because I was hoping for a recommendation—and I got one. Facialist Shani Darden hooked me up with her one and only Control Corrective Oil-Free SPF 30 and I'm very happy with it.
• All of D.S. & Durga's perfume testers because they're all good and I think it's really neat that you can buy a set of teeny ones on their site.
• Blood cream! Because it is a part of me and I a part of it and it feels wrong to leave it at home without me.

Tom's list:

• Anything Epicuren. Their Aloe Vera Calming Gel is my new favorite moisturizer (light, doesn't clog my pores or make me feel covered) and it's already travel-sized. Also, I've been using their Clarify Cleanser, which I like.
• Skinceuticals Phyto Gel for afterwards. It feel like nothing, and it mattifies throughout the day.
• Ole Henriksen's Walnut Complexion Scrub scooped into a Muji container. I need that feeling of a a super rough scrub you can just massage into your face and feel all the dirt coming straight out.
• Paula's Choice Mattifying SPF, which just sinks in super quick and feels nice, doesn't interrupt my 'raw' routine.
• Korres Body Wash, which remains unused because The Line Hotel has pretty nice body wash in the room for you.
• Baxter's of California Clay Mask, which I did not end up having the time or energy at the end of any night to use.
• Renée Rouleau Anti-Cyst Treatment in case I got an extra big zit, which I did. You can't be too prepared on the opposite side of the country, can you?

Photographed by Tom Newton.

Next up: a professional jetsetter's guide to packing better, smarter, easier, for any trip.