Summer Edit Part 3: Beauty and the Beach

I have a couple of friends with whom I routinely share beauty tips and news about clever, effective products. It’s funny, really. These women are highly successful professionals, truly amazing at what they do and I know them mainly in a business sort of way. But when one of us finds something good to slather, dab or spray upon ourselves, we always are ready to share it with each other.

And why not crowdsource this sort of thing in between all the important stuff? I think it’s a lovely thing to do.

So, in order to share that love … here’s a look inside my summer travel bag. These are some of the products I took with me to the beach where minimalism is the key, sunscreen is highly important and looking good is as effortless as possible.

This sunscreen from Supergoop! is something my daughter Allison shared with me. It’s a light, lightly scented (sort of citrus) mousse that just melts into your skin. It has shea butter to moisturize and blue sea kale for antioxidants. I use it on my face, neck and chest, and a little goes a long way. Note that it’s SPF 50. I don’t go for anything less.

I love to multitask, and OUAI Haircare Rose Hair & Body Oil is a great double-duty kind of product. I use a few drops to smooth the ends of my hair. I rub a little into my skin (hello, shoulders!) for hydration and a subtle bit of sheen. And it smells amazing, so it works as a summer-perfect perfume, too.

This Essie Treat Love & Color ultra sheer nail polish in Tonal taupe is my go-to for beach nails. I don’t have to worry about chips because I really can’t see them! It’s just a little wash of color, and I swear my nails are better for wearing it. Tinted Love is another great almost-not-even-there shade.

I picked up this rollerball of Persian Rose fragrance from Pacifica at Target right before my trip. I wanted something light and a little different. This is it:  floral and a tiny bit smoky. And at only $12, perfect for tossing in a travel bag. It’s TSA friendly, too. The description mentions the Persian poet Rumi. I can’t remember the last time I had a Rumi-inspired impulse buy.

I keep a jar of Aveda stress-fix Body Cream on my bedside table. I carry a smaller jar everywhere I go. The certified organic lavender, lavandin and clary sage are proven to reduce stress. Also, the aroma reminds me to breathe deeply. That surely can’t hurt.

This is how I clean up at the end of the day. Derma-E Anti Wrinkle Scrub has marine plant extracts, vitamin A, glycolic acid, apricot seed powder and papaya to smooth and really, really exfoliate. Another multitasking product!

As I get older, I’ve become a fan of facial oils. I believe I got a sample of True Moringa Pure Moringa Simplicity Facial Oil in one of my Birchbox shipments. Or maybe Allison gave it to me. In any case, it’s made with 100% pure, cold-pressed moringa oil, which is great for moisturizing after a day of sand and surf. True Moringa works directly with a network of 1,600 smallholder farmers throughout Ghana providing sustainable livelihoods through access to credit, agricultural training, nutrition programs, and fair wages. So there’s that, too.

Finally, a product called Captain Blankenship Mermaid Sea Salt Hair Spray almost screams to go on a beach trip. I spray it onto damp hair and scrunch. It’s made with Atlantic sea salt (for after I wash out the Gulf of Mexico sea salt) as well as organic aloe vera and sea kelp and essential oils of geranium and palmarosa. Because beachy waves should smell nice.