Celebrity Hairstylists Never Travel Without These 39 Essentials
As someone who is extremely hair inept, I'm constantly looking to celebrities and their amazing hairstylists for ultimate inspiration. Whether it's cut, color, product recommendations, or a super-chic style, I want (and need) all the help I can get when it comes to re-creating the stunning looks I see on Instagram and the red carpet. Of course, I'd be kidding myself if I thought I'd ever have the same skill level as the masters who cater to Jennifer Lopez, Gigi Hadid, and Kim Kardashian West, but I can take stock of the essential products they travel with to create drool-worthy styles for their A-list clientele.
So, on the hunt for the most effective and travel-efficient hair products, I asked six of the most sought-after stylists in the industry to share what's in their travel kits. From the best blow-dryers and flat irons to bring on the fly to the most reliable hair sprays and accessories, I'm revealing the secret contents of stylists' suitcases and carry-ons below. Keep scrolling!
Chris Appleton: Jennifer Lopez, Kim Kardashian West, Katy Perry
The Hair Dryer
The Styling Tools
The Styling Products
"I love Dream Coat because it really is a texture transformer! The anti-humidity technology can turn the most challenging frizzy hair into the smooth, shiny silky hair of your dreams! Perfect for creating the foundation for a super-sleek look or a snatched pony."
"For added shine and smoothness, the Pop Lock gloss treatment provides amazing shine while adding moisture. It can be used in many different ways and is very versatile. I love using it on ponytails or even sleek looks because it helps to control flyaways while still being super weightless, so the hair doesn’t look weighed down or greasy."
Cervando Maldonado: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman
The Hair Dryer
The Styling Tools
The Styling Products
Jenda Alcorn: Elle Dakota Fanning, Lucy Liu
The Hair Dryer
"Since I'm often traveling to Europe and the UK, I actually have an assortment of dryers from each country that can plug right into the outlet of whatever city I'm in. The majority of professional tools I love in the U.S. will blow, even if you have the converter from the hotel, which I learned the hard way! If I'm traveling in the U.S. though, I love BaByliss."
The Styling Tools
"A couple of years ago, T3 changed the game (and my life!) by being the first company I knew of to incorporate technology into their hot tools so that they could be plugged into an adaptor overseas and not blow. That was huge for me because I regularly use their curling irons here, and it’s so nice to be able to use a tool you are comfortable with. I travel with every size curling iron!"
The Styling Products
"I always travel with a deep-conditioning mask for my clients. If we have a trip with a lot of heat styling and multiple looks, I like to be able to take care of the hair and keep it really hydrated so it looks shiny and healthy. I love all the Kérastase masks. A favorite is the Magistral Masque."
"I always need a good detangler/leave-in conditioner.
The water quality and weather can vary for each city, so if the hair feels a bit tangly or like it needs extra protection, I use a leave-in. I mix it up and try new ones all the time, but both Oribe and L’Oréal make some of my favorites."
"Hair spray—because most of my travel involves red carpets, I absolutely couldn't survive without hair spray! I’m not big on a lot of product, as I prefer moveable hair, so I favor the lightweight sprays that aren’t heavy. Again, I like the light-hold options from both Oribe and L'Oréal as they're easy to layer depending on what kind of look we're creating."
Matthew Collins: Joey King, Camila Mendes, Cindy Crawford
The Hair Dryer
"I always travel with my Dyson Supersonic. The shape allows it to fit perfectly into my carry-on. I love to bring the diffuser attachment for my own hair. It’s smaller and more compact than other tools I have traveled with in the past. It is also very lightweight and doesn’t make my carry-on heavy as I tote it around all day."
The Styling Tool
The Styling Products
"The last thing I never leave home without is a small bag of bobby pins and black elastic cords. As a hairstylist, you always need good bobby pins for any hairstyle, and I prefer cord over elastics because it is more versatile. I can use it to tie up a pony or as an accessory woven into the hair."
Justine Marjan: Laura Harrier, Ashley Graham, Jasmine Sanders
The Hair Dryer
The Styling Tools
The Styling Products
"These snap clips are amazing for quickly pulling the hair into a bun without worrying about any strands falling out or for dressing up the hairline when the hair is down. They can also be worn in a variety of different ways, making it easy to get many looks from one accessory when you’re traveling."
Laura Polko: Gigi Hadid, Lucy Hale, Adriana Lima
The Hair Dryer
The Styling Tools
"The T3 Convertible Collection is essential for my travel kit! There is one interchangeable base and seven different barrels, so instead of having to pack seven different full-sized curling irons, I just need one base and pack all of my barrels in the carrying tote. It’s so great to keep my kit light but also have all of the necessary tools I might need for the job."
The Styling Products
"I always have a cord of black elastic for super, super tight ponytails with no bumps."
Up next, How to Create Margot Robbie's Red Carpet Waves, According to Her Hairstylist
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing for over five years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor.