JOY BRYANT’S TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Joy Bryant has quite the resume: She attended Yale; as a model, she strutted the catwalk in Paris, Tokyo, and New York; and as an actress, she appeared in Get Rich or Die Tryin’, Bobby and, most recently, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins. Still, some of her proudest accomplishments have taken place off-screen and on-board. “When I was living in New York, people would always tell me that I should try snowboarding, then another winter would pass and I’d be like, ‘Damn!’” the Bronx-native laughs. “So in December of 2005, I went up to Mammoth, and even though I was busting my ass, I loved it and had fun and knew it was something where I could get better and improve.” Two years later, Bryant’s love of snowboarding has taken her to Chile (twice), Tahoe, Vail, Aspen, and the local Los Angeles haunts such as Big Bear and Snow Summit. From snowboarding, she also started surfing—she went on a Surf Goddess retreat in Bali and recently returned from her second trip to Tavarua with Nixon. We can attest that the girl looks good even after a 12-hour flight, so here, she shares a few of the things she can’t leave home without.

DECLÉOR ROSE D’ORIENT NIGHT BALM
($66.50, at sephora.com)
“I always feel really chic and very ladylike when I use Decleor.”

MONOI TIARE TAHITI ($9.95, at monoi.com)
“I first discovered this when my friend had it in her medicine cabinet. Oil’s always good on your skin because it gives you sheen. This is from Tahiti, and it is so yummy. It’s sold at Whole Foods and the little random grocery spots in my neighborhood.”

AURA CACIA SWEET ALMOND NATURAL SKIN CARE OIL with vitamin E ($11.95, at auracacia.com)
“I love sweet almond oil because I can use it for a bunch of different things—face, body, after-sun. I need heavy moisturizing cream in cold places, but oils are good for warm, tropical locations.”

MUJI CARDBOARD SPEAKERS ($42, at moma.org)

80 GB APPLE IPOD ($249, at apple.com)
“Music is a necessity. I gotta have a travel soundtrack going on, so I load up with Citizen Cope, Radiohead, Sade, and lots of reggae.”

TERAX CREMA ULTRA MOISTURIZING DAILY CONDITIONER ($22, at beauty.com)

MASON-PEARSON NYLON DETANGLER BRUSH
($82, at bigelowchemists.com)
“I can get away with any kind of shampoo but can’t skimp on the conditioner, or else I’d be a mess–been there, done that. Plus, a detangling brush is a must.”

NIXON DISPATCH BACKPACK ($60, at nixonnow.com)
“This is the best backpack because it’s got all these cool compartments, and everything is perfectly structured: it can hold a ton of stuff and when I fly I have my laptop, music, and all my toiletries.”

FLIP VIDEO
($150, at theflip.com)
“This is great to document your travels.”

SPANKING THE DONKEY: DISPATCHES FROM THE DUMB SEASON by Matt Taibbi
($13.95, at Barnes & Noble)
“Also on my Summer Reading List are No Touch Monkey! And Other Travel Lessons Learned Too Late, by Ayun Halliday.”

KIEHL’S VITAL SUN PROTECTION LOTION SPF 30 ($18.50, at kiehls.com)
“I like the texture of this, and I’ve also learned to wear a hat and T-shirt when I’m going to be in intense sun. I used to think that just wearing a bikini would keep you cooler, but now I know that having a T-shirt really does help.”

BURT’S BEES HERBAL INSECT REPELLENT ($8, at burtsbees.com)
“I think I’ve got that sweet blood that the skeeters love.”