Kyle and I were supposed to head to Whitefish for our yearly lake sojourn. Unfortunately, the Howe Fire closed Glacier National Park and made the rest of the area a literal smokeshow. Instead, I will sit at home and dream of lake and beach vacations. Here’s hoping some of you ladies are soaking up what summer has to offer.
1. BR Panama Hat ($48) // 2. Ray Ban Aviators ($153) // 3. Solid & Striped Swimsuit ($79) // 4. H&M Pattern Weave Dress ($29) // 5. Supergoop Mineral Sunscreen and Bare Republic Lip Sunscreen ($34/$11) // 6. Everlane Day Magazine Tote ($165) // 7. H&M Patterned Bath Towel ($18) // 8. Avon Picardin Bug Spray Wipes ($12) // 9. Melissa Harmonic Sandals ($75)
One. I love a good Fedora or Panama Hat for the pool. I chose this one because it doesn’t have the black band, making it a sportier look with all my beachy, summer colors. Or you can have the classic look for $18 at World Market.
Two. These Aviators are my go to beach sunglasses. Why? Because if I lose them, I’m only out $153 dollars. As opposed to the year I lost the only pair of designer sunglasses I will ever own, and was out $495. Need a cheaper pair? The Obsidian brand at Amazon is worth a look. Good quality sunglasses, under-$50.
Three. I’m all about a brightly colored one-piece right now. It says, “I’m having fun at the beach” while giving my new love-handles a bit of cover. Solid & Striped is Outnet’s discount swim line, and the suit I bought from there is fantastic. Old Navy also makes a good swimsuit.
Four. I usually wear an oversized men’s shirt to the beach, but I like that this H&M dress has a more feminine look to it. Need something in all cotton? Try this classic Land’s End embroidered tunic ($35?!), or their cute lattice voile tunic.
Five. Last weekend, I heeded the advice of my readers and wore face sunscreen to a barbecue. Thank God, I did. Because if the sunburn on my lips was any indication, I needed it.
Here, I’ve remedied that problem with Bare Republic lip balm; it’s mojito scented and amazing. I also included my favorite sunscreen from Supergoop. As for my new face sunscreen, sent to me by the fine people at Aphorism as a gift, it’s Suntegrity Moisturizing Sunscreen and Primer. It goes on white, so let it absorb before you apply your makeup.
Six. This tote does everything Planes, trains, automobiles, and the beach. You could also go for this super chic Matt & Nat vegan option, which I think is my next bag purchase. Or go for the straw beach bag, like this circle-shaped one or this $29 Joe Fresh tote.
Seven. I always bring a brightly printed towel to the pool or beach. It’s just a whimsical thing that you can get excited about. The bright print on this H&M towel is just very playful, and makes the whole outing feel more fun.
Eight. You need bug spray. Let me say it again, you need bug spray. Zika is not gone. Mosquito bites are not fun. No one looks cute covered in red welts.
These Avon Skin-so-Soft wipes have Picardin in them, which is a synthetic version of the oil in the black pepper plant. I’ve found it to be as good as the Backwoods Cutter with DEET that I used to use. And in a wipe, I don’t have to worry about TSA’s draconian 3.oz Rule.
Nine. Melissa sandals are made out of a plastic material making them perfect for the pool. I also like them because they don’t get blazing hot when left in the sun like leather sandals. I also like these $58 Lilly Pulitzer Cork sandals with gold accents. Or go for these simple, chic Aeropostale sandals for $12.
So what can you not live without when you go to the beach or the pool?
{image found here; this post contains affiliate links that may earn commission for the author}
A more economical alternative to the Avon bug wipes are Natrapel wipes, which also use Picardin.
https://www.amazon.com/Natrapel-Mosquito-Insect-Repellent-Individually-Wrapped/dp/B001ARBSTO/ref=sr_ph_1_a_it
Great recs. Just a quick note – Solid & Striped doesn’t have any affiliation with the Outnet, apart from the fact that it’s sold there. It’s an independent brand.
For swimwear, I discovered Summersalt this summer and they are awesome – flattering and really high quality for a reasonable price. In addition to a bikini, I got the plunge (https://www.summersalt.com/products/plunge?variant=39195586435) and it is so flattering and surprisingly supportive (it only comes in dark colors, but they have some really nice bright one pieces as well).
I don’t think Solid & Striped is affiliated with the Outnet – if you like their suits, they’re available elsewhere (though obviously the Outnet has the best prices!).
I’ve lived by the beach for ten years so I have some strong preferences 🙂 Here are mine–
I love the look of your bag choice, but for heavy beach use (or any use where it’s in contact with water) I like washable bags, or bags that dry very quickly. I don’t want all the moist/wet things stewing in the heat in a nice bag.
Hat – Baseball cap or wide brimmed hat to create as much shade as possible for your face (learned the hard way via so much sun damage)
Sunglasses – all of my friends have an unspoken rule on beach day/ocean day – ONLY bring the cheapo sunnies. They WILL get lost to the ocean, they WILL get scratched by sand and salt water, and they WILL get totally gunked up from all the sunscreen. All of us have had the utter heartbreak of losing our ‘nice’ pairs to the Pacific ocean. We tend to have an arsenal of $20 sunnies.
And leather sandals are the worst for wet days 🙂
Love your list, so much more elegant than mine.
Don’t know if they have aviators (not flattering at all on me so didn’t check), but I just got a pair of Shady Rays sunglasses for about $25 with a coupon code. Their glasses are polarized and have a replacement guarantee where they’ll send you another pair if you break or lose yours.
As a born and bread Floridian I totally agree. That being said affordable UV protection for your eyes is super important so I always stick to (relatively) cheapie polarized sunglasses. I love my Polaroid brand aviators – https://www.amazon.com/Polaroid-Sunglasses-P4139s-Polarized-Aviator/dp/B00EY0B2YA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1534435862&sr=8-8&keywords=polaroid+aviator+sunglasses – they’re a great dupe for Ray-Bans.
For stylish post beach rinse off/shower proof sandals I love the rubber Ipanema – https://www.amazon.com/Ipanema-Womens-Ellie-Sandal-Beige/dp/B075YVHV6R/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1534435711&sr=8-8&keywords=ipanema+flip+flops+for+women. I’ve also found that metallic faux leather sandals from Target or Old Navy can be rinsed off without staining the straps. And again because they’re cheap I don’t care if they look a little weather towards the end of summer.
For Old Navy level swimwear, I can’t say enough good things about Merona at Target lately! I was pleasantly surprised at the range of styles and they tend to have better rear coverage (my primary swimsuit concern) than other similarly-priced brands.
I would be bummed to be out $153. I buy my cheapo sunglasses from the dollar store.
Yeaaaaaah, $153 is not what I’d consider cheap.
Was thinking the same thing! I usually have a pair or 2 of cheap no more than $20 sunglasses for the beach.
Dude, yes!
agree! my Ray-bans are my prized possessions. I’m talking Ross or TJ Maxx cheapies for the beach.
Some brands of cheap sunglasses are actually more dangerous for you than having none at all because they open up your pupils by shading them, and then don’t protect against the rays, allowing them to penetrate more deeply. So I’ve been extremely reticent to buy inexpensive sunglasses. The Obsidian’s are the first I’ve found that I thought were as good as more expensive pairs.
It isn’t true that more expensive sunglasses offer better protection. As long as they say 100% UV protection or UV400 (and they aren’t sketchy knockoffs), you’re good. Nowadays, even most drugstores sunnies have UV protection.
There is some cosmic correlation between the amount of money spent on sunglasses and how quickly they disappear. I’ve had an $11 pair for three years now and whenever I think “Well, those are finally gone forever!” someone brings them back to me.
But $495 for a pair?! My mother would be horrified.
Same, I literally gasped at being out $153. And being out $495 would likely give me a heart attack. $20 sunglasses for the beach all the way!
Has anyone had any luck with Cuyana bags? They have a great leather tote with…get this, a top zipper! What dreams are made of.
I got my Cuyana work satchel for Christmas last year. I carry it at least five days a week and the leather and hardware still look great. I’m pretty hard on bags, FWIW. Highly recommend.
I have the Cuyana leather tote with a zipper and I love it! Held up very well. But I wouldn’t bring it to the beach! Prefer a cheaper, easier to clean bag.
I got the Cuyana leather zipper tote and the separate tote organizer — love it! (Agreed it’s too nice for the beach though!).
Love that hat and ADORE that suit! It reminds me of something Kelly Kapowski would wear 🙂 (that’s a positive thing in my eyes!)
I love that you just made a “Saved by the Bell” reference. Totally made my day. 🙂
Haha, always happy to make as many “Saved by the Bell” references as possible.