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

I recently went to a beach party with a “white” theme.  All the guests were invited to participate in the festivities by wearing white.  Wearing white immediately sent me into a panic – as I knew I’d be balancing food and drink, and interacting with lots and lot of people.  This was a recipe for clothing disaster!

If you always seem to spill something, you probably already know about the Tide to Go Mini pen.  It great for quickly removing stains when you’re away from home, and it’s compact size make it perfect for traveling.  Pack it away in your checked bags, or slip it into your 3-1-1 bag of liquids if you’ll be carrying it on.  Once at your destination, transfer it to a purse or backpack, and you’ll be ready for any stain situation.

A bit of red wine slosh onto you?  A bit of barbecue sauce?  Or even ink, coffee, or any number of other stains that flock to the traveler in droves.  Tide to Go Mini pen has quickly become part of my routine packing list.

And now I can wear white to a beach party!

You can find the Tide to Go Mini pen at your local supermarket or drugstore.  It retails for about $6.50 for a package of two pens.  Discount coupons and sales appear to be plentiful.

Multi-purpose products are useful wherever you are, but especially while traveling. They are compact, functional and easy to use. Here are a couple very inexpensive but useful multi-purpose travel products that are worth buying.

Image: GearBuyer.com

High Gear Keychain Light
This nifty item features an LED flashlight, emergency strobe light, liquid compass and detatchable key ring. It’s a great product for hiking or camping. You can get it from a variety of retailers for $15.

Multi-Purpose Lint Brush
This is more than just a lint brush. It also features a mirror, comb, shoe horn and even a sewing kit. It’s small enough to slip into your pocket at just 4 1/4-inch long when closed. At $6, how could beat it?

There’s no real substitute for washing your hands with soap and warm water (and make sure you lather for at least 30 seconds).  However, travelers know that it isn’t always possible to have soap and water right when you need it, and that’s when a hand sanitizer can come in handy.

Studies show that to be effective,hand sanitizers much contain a minimum of 60% alcohol, the concentration deemed to be necessary to kill most harmful bacteria and viruses.  You’ll need to look closely at the label for the list of ingredients, looking for this percentage of alcohol.  It may be listed as ethyl alcohol, ethanol, isopropanol or some other variation.  Just make sure that the concentration is between 60-95%.  Less than that just isn’t effective.

You can get sanitizer in a few different ways:

• Gel. Think basic Purell or other brand.  Nothing fancy, just the basics.  I have carried this with me in my bag long before the recent swine flu scare.  You just never know when you’ll need it.
• Scented Gel.  A twist on the basic, with the addition of scent (often times organic)  Does the job and adds a little fragrance, too.  I have some cucumber scented gel, and  love the clean fresh way that it smells.
• Wipes.  Individually packaged so you don’t need to worry about leakage in your pocket or purse.  Double check the alcohol content, as many wipes are simply wipes not sanitizers.
• Foam.  Works like gel, just in a different format.  It’s like hair mousse, only for your hands.  This might be a great formula for home, but I’ve never thought that it travels well.
• Spray.  I looked around and couldn’t find a lot of sprays that had a sufficient alcohol content.  Still, friends tell me they’re available.

The delivery method doesn’t matter – just be sure to CHECK THE ALCOHOL CONTENT.  You need over 60% to be effective.

Photo credit: Drugstore.com

If you are looking for new luggage tags for yourself, or as an inexpensive gift for someone who travels often, right now Neiman Marcus has these cute tags on sale. The colorful leather tags are embossed with light-hearted travel phrases. Choose from “HANDS OFF!”, “OH THE PLACES I’VE BEEN” and “I MADE IT! I MADE IT!” Each tag is 4 inches in diameter to help make your bag easy to spot.

Image: Neiman Marcus

Originally priced at $28 each, these leather luggage tugs are on sale right for 30% off. Neiman Marcus is having a sale on select travel products now through April 26, 2009 at 11:59pm CT. The sale items are only available online and the discount will automatically be applied at check out.

Other sale items include croc-embossed luggage, passport covers, laptop bags, camera cases and other travel goods.

SIGG, the “Original Swiss Bottle” is durable water bottle made from a single component – meaning it is seamless with no weak spots.  The product is virtually unbreakable, making it perfect to take along on any of your travels.

While the bottles may be tough on the outside, the inside is just as tough with a liner made of a proprietary coating.  You can carry water, fruit juice, alcohol, nearly any potable beverage, and it won’t harm the bottle liner.  Nor will your cranberry juice today taste like the cola you splurged on yesterday.  There are no lingering smells or tastes from previous beverages.

SIGG is an ecologically-friendly company, and the bottles are 100% recyclable.  Since the bottles are so durable, however, it’s going to take a long time before they are ready to be recycled.  The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet, an alliance of businesses that commit 1% of all sales to environmental causes.

Using a SIGG is not just about environmentally friendly practicality.  With over 100 eye-catching designs, provided by artists around the world, new styles are introduce every year.  The leak-proof caps are interchangeable, so you can pair up your favorite bottle with your favorite cap (screw top and sports cap available) for a completely individual look.  So fashionable are the SIGG designs, they have been added to the permanent design collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

You’ll see SIGG bottles strapped to the backpacks of hikers, stowed in the carry on bag of a frequent flyer, and popped into the tote bag of busy women on the go.  With so many fun and fashionable designs to choose from, there’s sure to be one to appeal to your sense of practicality. . . or whimsy!

SIGG bottles are priced around $20-30, and can be purchased online or at your local outdoor equipment store.

Photo credit:  SIGG

Squeaky luggage wheels beginning to annoy you?  Do you find that your bags just don’t roll as easily as they should?

A relatively new product here in the U.S. (it was originally developed in 1958 in Canada), Jig-a-loo is a lubripellent – meaning that it both lubricates and repels water.  The company claims to be the only product of this type that is water repellent.  Now you can get your roll aboard wheeling smoothly, without worrying about the weather setting back your efforts.

I had a chance to give Jig-a-loo a try, and as much as I use my luggage, I can say that I really put it through its paces.  In the course of a month I roll my bag over many, many miles through airports, up and down curbs, across carpet hallways, gravely driveways, and bumpy sidewalks.  My wheels take a beating.  And every once in awhile I pick up a rocky or get a little moisture into the system, and it makes a really annoying sound.  A little squirt of Jig-a-loo, annoying sound gone.

There are lots of additional uses for Jig-a-loo, both for travelers and at home, and the website has a long list of suggestions.  This would also be handy for the cabin in the woods or kept in the car.  The company has a long list of suggested uses as well.

In other words, it’s one of those simple and handy little products that is easy to take for granted.  Until you have annoying sounding luggage wheel!

Jig-a-loo is priced around $4.99 per can, and is available nationwide at hardware and discount stores.

Photo credit:  Jig-a-loo

Beach weather is right around the corner. If you are headed to the beach for spring break or another vacation, be prepared with this adorable, preppy plaid Juicy Couture Beach Survival Kit.

This glossy PVC case features an inflated pillow, a thermos and two zip pouches for your other belongings. The thermos reads, “Juicy Beach Bum.” This is an adorable gift idea for someone who spends a lot of time at the beach.

You can also pick up a beach cooler in the same multi-colored print. The survival kit is priced at $95 from Nordstrom, while the cooler is $128.

Get ready for your beach vacation - warm weather is almost here!

Photo credit: Nordstrom

If you are on the go, this travel laptop kit features a variety of items that may make your life easier. Inside the black zippered case, you will find a USB mouse with retractable cable, USB numeric keypad, USB 4 port expander, retractable VOIP, mic/ear piece and retractable network cable.

This USB kit by Sharper Image is perfect for the business traveler or anyone who wants to stay connected while traveling. The case easily slips into any travel bag.

You can get the Sharper Image USB travel laptop kit right now at Bloomingdale’s for just $13.99.

Photo credit: Bloomingdale’s

When you’re favorite products don’t come in mini sizes, you don’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience, nor do you have to check your bags.  Now you can buy affordable sizes for home, and pack smaller sizes for travel.

GoToobs are rugged silicone squeezable tubes that are perfect for filling with your favorite products for traveling.  They have large openings, making them easy to fill and to clean.  GoToobs are easy to squeeze, so you can dispense product right away, and they have a no-drip valve that helps the cap stay clean.  A rotating collar has labels identifying popular contents.

The small size is 1 1/4 ounces, and easily slips into toiletry kits, backpacks or a pocket.  The medium size is 2 ounces and has a suction cup that can be temporarily used for hands-free dispensing.  Both sizes are TSA approved and can be placed in your one quart ziploc bag for getting through security.

Available in a variety of fun colors, that can be used to code the products by type of product or by user.  Small is $6.45, Medium is $7.95.

The GoToob line can be purchased at outdoor goods stores or online at humangear.

Photo credit:  humangear