Top 5 Travel & Beauty Secrets

Today we have a guest post from Cat Lincoln, a freelance writer and social media consultant based in San Francisco.

As a writer in the travel and beauty industries, I’ve literally road tested almost every kind of hair, makeup and moisturizing product you can imagine. Every once in a while I find something so magic that I’m compelled to tell everyone – from the guy sitting next to me on the plane, to the lady ringing me up at grocery store.

Here’s my current short list of “must have” products for every trip, from a weekend at the beach to a month in Europe.

1. Mini flat iron.  You can have shiny, pretty hair on vacation, without bringing along every hair tool in your bathroom! Just stash this sweet, petite, beauty necessity into a corner of your bag and forget about it … until you need to smooth away some flight induced frizzies. It works just as well as a big one – you might even use it at home! There are several on the market, and some are crazy expensive, but I’m a fan of the BaByliss Pro, with dual voltage, for just $19.95 from BeautyChoice.com.
2. Dry Shampoo.  Rushing to make your early morning flight, but your hair is a greasy mess? Don’t fret, just spray it fresh with a little dry shampoo! You can get well known brands like Oscar Blandi or Ojon come in convenient travel sizes. If you’re checking luggage, I recommend the T3 Refresh Volumizing, which comes in tints that match your hair color. This gives you the added benefit of extending your dye job/covering roots while on the go! Sadly it doesn’t come in a carry on size, but I’ve written to beg the company to get one on the market! Check out Sephora for:  T3 Refresh Volumizing Dry Shampoo, 3.3 oz, $25; Ojon Rub-Out Dry Cleanser, 2 oz, $10; Pronto Dry Shampoo Spray, 1.4 oz, $11.
3. Nail polish pen in neutral shade.  Flying does a job on my nails, and inevitably I wind up with a chipped manicure on the first day of a two week vacation. Sally Hansen nail pens travel well – no scary threat of spills like regular bottles of nail polish – and they come in a decent range of colors. Touch up your tips, give them a second to dry, and you’re off to the pool or the pyramids!  Walgreens, $8.95.
4. Nail polish remover pads.  These individually wrapped felt pads take the nail polish off in seconds, and again you never have to worry about them spilling in your suitcase. I pick up whatever “house brand” non-acetone ones I find in Walgreens or Target. Keep one in a carry-on and a couple stashed in an outside pocket of your suitcase for manicure emergencies that are bigger than the nail polish pen can cover up. Not the greenest beauty product in my arsenal, but handy. Pack of 10 at Walgreens for $3.95.
5. TimeBalm Concealer.  The name hints at the truth: this tiny pot of potent under-eye cover-up is the bomb! Even after the most grisly red-eye flight, just a couple of dabs of TimeBalm concealer brightens up your face, making you look fresh and awake (in photo). It even has some kind of anti-wrinkle magic in it, and they swear you can sleep in it!  Note: it can go on a bit dry, so it helps to swipe on a little eye cream first. $18 at Sephora.

Cat Lincoln is a freelance writer and social media consultant based in San Francisco, where she and her husband are often mistaken for tourists because they always have such a good time. In addition to sharing her favorite travel tips on UpTake, she is a contributor to style and green sites including StyleList, GreenDaily, and Tonic News.  Cat is also the co-founder of humorous pop culture sites 40 Whatever and wishbone clover.

In her spare time Cat is an amateur photographer, and is always on the lookout for new and exciting restaurants, especially ones with good desserts.

Photo credits:  Sephora