Sometimes the hardest part of any vacation planning could be deciding which beauty products to pack. In today’s blog post, I will share with you all the must-have beauty goodies I took for my trip to Turks & Caicos. While I agree that my beauty bag is bigger than it probably should be, I always want to make sure I have everything I need, especially when on a beach vacation at a remote island where beauty supplies stores are hard to find.
I typically pack all my makeup to a carry-on and all the other beauty products to my suitcase so I’m not worried about the fact that most of them are not in tavel-friendly sizes. Below are all the beauty products I never leave a house without when going on a beach vacation.
1. Sunscreen products – ALWAYS!
We all know that we are supposed to wear sunscreen every day but on the beach it is especially important to use sunscreen of at least 30 SPF and reapply it every 2 hours or immediately after swimming. I used to tan quite a bit in the past (which I know terribly regret) but now I’m a serious tanophobe! That’s why I packed tons of sunscreen with me, with different formulations, to make sure they will last throughout my trip and frequent reapplication.
I’ve been recently a big fan of spray on sunscreens as they are super easy to apply and earn bonus points for not leaving an oily and sticky residue on the skin and hands. With spray sunscreens it’s important to apply a very LIBERAL amount though to make sure you are absolutely sun-proof. That’s why I took with me two different sunscreen sprays: one from Bare Republic and the other one from Coola and I’m not joking by saying that the bottles are both almost empty. Better safe than sorry, right? What’s great about both of them is that they offer broad spectrum protection but yet they are super-lightweight. Plus, they smell delish and have a lot of organic ingredients!
For my face, I first applied Korres Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Fluid Veil Face Sunscreen followed with Coola’s BB cream. I’m actually really obsessed with this BB cream! It has an SPF of 30 and is water resistant up to 80 minutes which makes it perfect for the beach. It gives a sheer tinted coverage that blends perfectly with my skin so it looks very natural but yet still evens out the skin tone. After the sun, I moisturized and calmed my skin with Korres After Sun Greek Yogurt Gel which felt so cooling and refreshing.
2. UV Protecting Hair Care Products
When it comes to sun protection, count your hair and scalp in! While you may not experience sunburn on your mane (scalp is a different story), your hair can still become damaged and become dry, dull, and brittle. Not to mention faded hair color… The damage will only worsen while taking a dip in the pool or ocean because of the drying effects of chlorine and salt. That’s why in addition to wearing a hat, I used UV protecting haircare products from Bare Republic. The Shampoo and Conditioner smell like Coconut and Mango and the UV Protecting Thermal Serum is one of my favorite superhero products that doubles as a detangler and leave-in conditioner in addition to guarding against UV and heat induced damage.
3. Beach Waves – Yes Please!
If you’ve been reading all my blog posts, you know that I’m obsessed with Cuvée Beauty hair care line. Their products are made with champagne and they all smell heavenly intoxicating. I packed their Champagne Spray as it gives you effortless waves and that tousled beach look in a sec. You can read my more detailed review on the line here.
4. Sexy Legs – a Must!
Say Hello To Sexy Legs LITERALLY! While I don’t like to sun bathe I do like a sun(less) tan. That’s why I brought with me 3 essentials from Say Hello to Sexy Legs: Tinted Glow Gel, Illuminating Fluid, and Contour Stick to create a natural looking bronze look on my legs and body. The glow gel provides buildable coverage that moisturizes and softens skin, while helping to cover imperfections and even out skin tone. The Illuminating Fluid gives a perfect shimmery highlight for your legs, collar bones and highest point of the arms and the contouring stick helps add definition and depth to your desired areas, making them appear thinner or more sculpted. (Check out my blog post on highlighting and contouring to learn the basics behind this technique).
4. Face and Body Scrubs – Optional But Always Welcomed
Sweat and a buildup of sunscreen and foundation can clog pores, which can lead to breakouts and that’s the last thing I want to worry about when on vacation. I packed my charcoal Cleanser and Scrub to minimize the chance of getting breakouts. These products are armed with charcoal that absorbs acne causing debris, oil and dirt to purify the skin. In addition, the scrub helps gently exfoliate and get deep into pores to clear them out. Since space wasn’t an issue for my suitcase, I additionally packed Treets Traditions Vulcanic Mud Scrub for a total body scrubbing. And why would I bother to do that? Well, all of your body and face products, including the bronzing gel described above, would look so much better on your skin if you prime and smooth it out first.
5. Cleansing Makeup Wipes – Gotta Have Them
And last but not least, I took these Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes. They are not only great to help remove your makeup, but also because they help wipe and blend even those pesky bronzing streak marks that sometimes happen when using a self-tanner or a bronzing product.
And in case you’re wondering where I got this cute Tropical Gangster makeup pouch from the featured image above, you can find it here.
Oh boy this blog post was lengthy but so necessary and I’m really hoping it will save you a lot of time when deciding what to pack for your next beach vacation!
Xoxo,
Kat
