We've all tried out those bite-size travel brushes, and let's just say it: they stink. (If you've got super thick hair, they stink even more.) Save yourself the grief and pack a medium-sized hair brush like Sonia Kashuk Hair Brush, $15.99, that'll be worth the extra few inches in your bag to get the job done.
If you travel frequently, or know you're staying in a place with only a wimpy dryer attached to a wall, invest in high-powered, lightweight, foldable dryer to take the guesswork out of your hair beat. This sunny Drybar Baby Buttercup Travel Blow Dryer (that weighs less than a pound), $135, has a seven-foot cord to help maneuver around those oddly placed hotel room outlets. It's so powerful, you might even want to use it at home.
To curl or to straighten -- if you bounce between the two, there's no need to cram both into the bag. Some of the newer flat irons come with beveled edges so you can use one hot tool for both. Try: Hai Classic Convertible Ceramic Flat Iron, $79.99.
