For the second part of my summer essentials, I thought I'd focus on the things that keep me lovely during the hot months on the beach.
WildFox Swim Beach Towel: One of my summer peeves is when you can't find a beach towel that is actually big enough to spread out and lay on. They always seem to be a little too short, or just a tad narrow, don't they? So I'm always on the lookout for a plush beach towel that fits my 5'9" frame. WildFox Couture (that favorite of bloggers and hipsters everywhere) recently launched their Swim collection and, knowing that their customer is probably spending more time on the sand than in the water, made their beach towels perfectly huge.
Havaianas: These classic flip flops probably don't need much introduction. They are comfortable, inexpensive and last forever. Seriously, I don't know what it is that makes their rubber so much more durable than an average flip flop but they are pretty much indestructible. I'm a huge fan of their "slim" styles, like the Slim Animals Fluro, because I think they are the most comfortable and look a little more feminine than the original style.
YSL's Baby Doll Mascara: As you probably all know by now, I like my eyes to appear as huge as possible. I don't know why but for me giant eyes are the height of beauty. Anyway, I used to always use Maybelline's Volume Express Falsies Flared because it was the only mascara that really gave me the look that I wanted. But I was intrigued by YSL's announcement at the end of the last year that my favorite model of the moment, Cara Delevingne, was the face of their new (and patented!) Baby Doll mascara. By the time it was released I was practically salivating. The day it hit stores, I went to the YSL counter at Nordstrom to try it out. On a side tangent, why aren't salespeople required to know whats going on with their brand? Long story short: They found a brand new delivery box full of Baby Doll, I tried it out and fell in love. The brush shape really gets between each of my lashes and the root and plumps them up. I haven't had any flaking and it doesn't irritate my contacts at all the way other mascaras frequently do. It's a tad expensive but totally worth it.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Energizing Face Spritz: This is a beach bag must have for me. I keep it in the fridge during the summer and pop it in the cooler on the beach so it's extra refreshing when I spritz it on. It energizes skin, hydrates and soothes with aloe plus it smells yummy. It's a perfect pick-me-up any time of day!
Panama Hats: Keeping my hair blonde is a constant struggle. So I keep things covered with a lot of straw panama hats so that the UV rays don't turn it brassy. I know a lot of people like giant straw hats at the beach or even scarves but panama hats are just more my style. I just bought this inexpensive BDG one from Urban Outfitters.
Kate Somerville Clarifying Treatment Toner: I haven't used toner as a regular part of my skin care regime since high school. I've never seen much point honestly. But I was given a sample of Kate Somerville's acne toner about a month ago and I think it's made my skin clearer and the couple of acne scars that I have seem to be fading. Plus, I really like that its antiseptic because I feel like it cleans my skin even deeper than just my regular wash.
So there you have it; All of my summer 2013 essentials. What do you love using during the summer? Do you have a favorite summer beauty secret?
