What's in my bag

With the weather being so cold lately, it's been really hard to get out, and we're starting to get a bit stir crazy. So this weekend Adam and I are taking a day off from work and going to see his family for a few days. It's only a two-hour trip, but it'll be nice to have even a small change of scenery! I thought it would be fun to share what I'm packing for the trip, so here are some of my travel must-haves.

Conair paddle hairbrush. This paddle brush has been by far the best one I've used. It doesn't pull my hair when it's wet, and the wide surface area makes drying my hair go super-fast.

Aveda Light Elements defining whip. I've never been a huge fan of products in my hair, but this defining whip is a miracle worker. It tames flyaways, adds moisture when the winter air dries it out and gives my hair an overall smooth look. I use it before I straighten or curl my hair, and then after it's curled to tame the stray hairs and texturize the waves.

Neutrogena oil-free moisturizer. I have combination skin, so it's always been hard to find moisturizer that keeps my skin soft without looking oily. I picked this one up on a whim when my previous brand was discontinued, and it's been amazing.

Dove Advanced Care deodorant. I've tried a lot of deodorants, but this one has definitely the most effective. It's dry, comfortable and it lasts all day.

Neutrogena pink grapefruit oil-free face wash. (Warning: cheesy anti-acne ad coming up!) When I was in college, I went through several different face washes in the attempt to cure my constant breakouts. None of them worked until I found this one. The grapefruit makes it smell great, and my skin feels so fresh and soft afterwards. I use the scrub about every other night and mornings when I travel. When I'm at home, I use the regular oil-free face wash with my Clarisonic brush in the shower.

Remington Wet 2 Straight flat iron. I'm almost a little embarrassed to talk about this flat iron. I bought it back in high school on sale at Wal-Mart when I couldn't afford a nice one, but it turned out to be a great purchase. I've tried some of the expensive flat irons, but I always prefer this one over the top brands. And I think the fact that I've been using it for at least 5 years really says something for its quality!

Handheld mirror (similar). A personal mirror is a necessity when traveling. I always use one when I'm curling the back of my hair, but it's also nice to have in case there isn't an available mirror when I'm trying to get ready somewhere. This way I can take it into any room and I never have to wait for the bathroom to open up if there's only one.

Conair Infinity Pro hair dryer. Another cheap surprise — this is my favorite hair dryer. It's so powerful that it dries my hair in less than 10 minutes straight out of the shower. I have pretty fine hair, so my hair has never taken all that long to dry, but this one is noticeably faster.

Bare Minerals makeup bag. This bag came with a set of makeup I bought a couple years ago, so (sadly) it's not available now. But it's the perfect size for all my makeup and it's small enough to fit in a purse so it's really handy to just throw everything in and go.

Wow, that seems like a lot of stuff now that I lay it all out and explain all of it! And I still have clothes and accessories to fit in my bag! What are your go-to beauty products when you travel?