Hello!
Living in sunny Dubai, it's pretty much summer all year round so when it comes to summer essentials I've had quite a bit of experience! I'm not a very beach-y person but my friends and family are so I have a few things that I always take with me which keep me content (or at least try- nothing I take with me can stop sand getting
everywhere sadly).
(1) Water
I cannot stress how important water is! I know this may seem a bit obvious, but believe me it's easy to forget ( I would know because I forgot water last week and passed out. Not my best moment to say the least). It's important to stay hydrated where ever you are, but it's extra important to stay hydrated in the heat. Dehydration can cause you to get really sick which no one wants on holiday and by staying hydrated you get the additional impacts of lovely skin!
WATER! WATER! WATER!
 |
| Weheartit |
(2) Suncream
This is just about as important as water. If anything you could go to the beach with just suncream and water and you'd be safe. I usually go for Boots own
Soltan range. It comes in a range of SPFs, so there's lots of choice. I usually go for SPF 30 because the sun in Dubai can be quite strong. I personally think that the higher the SPF the better, though I've heard lots of people say that SPF 30 is sufficient for pretty much everywhere but I think if you burn quite easily you should definitely go for something a bit higher. Another reason I love
Soltan is because it smells delish! It smells like summer, which is quite hard to describe but believe me it is great! It is also moisturising which is another plus because the sun can easily dry you out and along with salty water it can become a disaster for your skin. Although I love Soltan, just about any suncream with UVA/UVB protection will work!
Oh, and always remember to reapply your suncream every hour or two and after you've been in the water.
 |
| Boots |
(3) A Wide Tooth Comb
Beach-y looking hair is a must when lounging on the beach but when you've been drenched in salty sea water, hair can become a bit tangled and knotty. A wide tooth comb will stops hair becoming matted and messy.
 |
Allwomenstalk
|
(4) Conditioner
I use this along with my comb to keep my hair feeling soft and luxurious. It also stops it from becoming really knotty, so you don't have to endure hours at home trying to battle out knotted hair. I use a small bit of
Herbal Essences Hello Hydration conditioner and comb it through the ends of my hair before I leave the house and then do it again once or twice when I'm on the beach. It also stops your hair getting all crunchy, which is a giant dislike of mine.
 |
| Amazon |
(5) BB Cream
Like lots of women and girls out there I never feel very comfortable leaving the house with my face
completely naked. I use BB Cream when I'm going to the beach because it gives me a bit more coverage than tinted moisturiser and many of them already have SPF. BB Creams are usually waterproof which stops you having to worry that you look like your face is melting. I normally take my BB Cream with me so I can pop to the bathrooms and reapply it just in case I've rubbed some off.
I also sometimes use a little bit of concealer underneath my BB Cream but only if I'm having a horrendous face day!
 |
| Weheartit |
(6) Waterproof Mascara
I
love mascara! It is probably one of the few beauty essentials that I probably couldn't live without. A good waterproof mascara is essential for the beach because no one wants panda eyes. I feel mascara makes me look a whole lot prettier and just opens up my eyes making me look more awake. I prefer
Maybelline Falsies waterproof mascara when I'm beaching it. It hardly ever runs (Unless you rub your eyes madly, which I do often because of the salty water ugh!) and it makes my eyelashes look ultra long!
 |
| Weheartit |
(7) Lip balm & Hand cream
I've grouped these together because they aren't really important but I enjoy using them. They stop my hands getting all wrinkly from the water and the lip balm just helps soften my lips even when they are being battered by the ocean breeze.
(8) Aftersun
This is more of an 'After Beach Essential'. I usually keep my aftersun in the fridge at home and apply it straight after I've had a shower and washed of all the salt and sand. The cooling sensation feel lovely on sunkissed and very burnt skin. It is also moisturising which is a bonus! Again, I use Boots
Soltan aftersun as I love love love the smell and I also really like the texture as it's a bit of a cream/ gel hybrid, so it is very easy to apply.
 |
| DooYo |
So, they're my 8 Summer/ Beach essentials. I do take a lot more with me to the beach, but these are the thing that I use the most. I really feel they keep my hair and skin looking lovely. I also like taking a good book or a mag with me, not that I ever get time to read them! They usually just sit and look pretty in my bag!
Cheerio
xx
