Who else is excited it’s finally June?!

As I hinted at in my post on Tuesday, I’ve got a lot of fun trips on the calendar for this summer—and I bet you do, too! So when ghd reached out to me and asked me to share my vacation essentials with y’all, I jumped at the chance because I thought it was something we can all relate to. #overpackersunite

I recently switched hairstylists, and when I first went to Nadine, she introduced me to ghd—aka ‘good hair day’—products. After watching her curl my hair with one of the their 1″ straighteners a few times, and then having the curls hold for more than a few hours—quite the feat for my ultra straight, thin hair—I was sold. And luckily for us summer-loving gals, their new ghd Azores collection means we can now get their awesome 1″ stylers in three beachy colors—serene pearl, atlantic jade, and marine allure.

Even though my hair is naturally straight, I’ve sworn by bringing a flat iron on vacation for years. Now you might be thinking, Katie, the title of this post is vacation essentials, but I seriously cannot go on a trip without my straightener. For one, I love letting my hair air-dry, and then just getting any kinks out with it so my hair is exposed to less heat overall. And two, those curls Nadine showed me how to do turn into the perfect beachy waves with some texturizing spray and humidity, which is a relaxed vacation look I can get behind. Added bonus: all the ghd Azores stylers come with a travel case, making it easy to throw them right into your suitcase, even if they’re still warm from use. 

I’ve been traveling more since college graduation, and established my vacation essentials after many hours of lugging an oversized bag through the airport or train station.

• Even though I do own a few pairs of nice sunglasses, I generally take cheaper pairs with me on vacations. J Crew Factory makes some of my favorite affordable sunglasses that I can wear in the ocean or out playing tourist. Since they’re usually under $30, I don’t stress too much if I lose or break them.
• Because my luggage is black, I like to put a bright tag or ribbon on it so it’s easier to identify at baggage claim. Then I also avoid that awkward moment when I pick up someones identical luggage and realize it’s not mine. In case my bag does get lost, I always slip a Tile inside. For those of you that don’t know, Tile is an amazing little piece of technology that sends out a GPS signal wherever it is. Great for finding keys, missing luggage, or anything else you want to take track of, they’re also really affordable and the mobile app is very user-friendly. I’d recommend it to anyone!
• I always pack an extra garbage bag or two in my luggage. These become great laundry hampers on the fly, or a way to store wet clothes or bathing suits if you don’t have time to dry things out before heading home. They also take up virtually no space, so it’s a win-win.
• Since I have to lug around a huge bag most of the week, I always take a condensed version of my wallet, and leave the rest at home for safe keeping. For me, this is always cash, my driver’s license, my health insurance, and a couple of credit cards, in case one is compromised while I’m away. I generally pack these items in one clutch or crossbody that I think can fit all scenarios on the trip so I don’t have to use up space in my luggage hauling around multiple bags.

I’d love to know if you have amassed any travel or packing tips along the way, and what you consider to be summer vacation essentials. Feel free to leave me your advice in the comments below! x

Thank you to ghd for gifting me an Azores 1″ styler for review. As always, opinions are my own, and thank you for supporting the brands that keep A Touch of Teal’s doors open!