beach time!

Tomorrow is going to be my first beach day of the summer, and I can't wait. I live about an hour's drive to the beach, so I can't go every afternoon, but it is easy enough to spend free days there. Here are some items that every girl should have in her beach bag.

1)say it with me now...sunscreen. My favorite (and I was a lifeguard for years, so I have experienced a LOT of sunscreens) is good ol Coppertone. I use their new continuous spray waterproof lotion on my body and their Faces on my, well, face! I have found them both to be good and most importantly, the Faces has never made me break out. I also like to add a thin layer of cheap Australian Gold gel with bronzer over my sunscreen. It gives your skin a nice glow while you're on the sand.
I have to admit that I love a tan. And not a PC tan, but a real sun tan. I have tried all kinds of self-tanners but none give me that nice golden look that the sun can. And I have never found an adequate sunless tanner for my face. I always wear sunscreen, but until I can afford the $25 per Mystic Tan, I will have to get my summer look with the help of the sun.

2)2 towels! Take one big towel to lay on, and another to dry off with. It is nice to keep one un-sandy!

Missoni anyone?


Okay, Lands' End is cute too

3)Thin-frame sunglasses. Thick frames leave yucky tan lines, but you don't want to leave your eyes unprotected. Aviators are perfect for the job.



urban outfitters, marc by marc, & marc jacobs (both at bluebee.com)

3)After your fun, your post-beach smoothie, and showering to get the sand out of your hair, you need to replenish your skin after all that salt and sun. (and unfortunately, you might have to soothe a sunburn too). The very best thing I've ever found for post-sun skin is Sun Butter from Basin. It is so creamy and smells good, but most importantly, it makes your skin hydrated, smooth, and can prevent peeling if you remember to apply it everyday. I used to work at the store that sells this (so I might be biased!), but so many people came in to buy this and so many people swear by it. I got a pretty bad sunburn last summer, and this stuff took away the redness within a day and really soothes sore skin (it contains aloe).

Hopefully everyone gets a chance to go to the beach this summer. There is nothing more peaceful to me than floating in the salty water and getting some invigorating sunlight. To me, it's almost as good as a day at the spa.