Travel week is winding down.  I’m heading home for Georgia tomorrow.  Last night, I was going through the archives, and I thought I’d do something fun today.  I know a lot of you are planning on traveling this year, and I’m sure many of you will be spending time by the pool or the beach.  Getting ready for a beach vacation is relatively easy, right? Just pack a swimsuit, and you’re good to go. Not so fast.  If you’re spending hours on the beach, then you want to be prepared. There’s nothing worse than settling into your beach chair then remembering you forgot to toss sunscreen into your beach bag or a bottle of water. Don’t worry, I have you covered. Today, I’m putting everything from this week together and sharing how I prepare and my must-have items on my beach vacation packing list.

Steps to a self-tan 

Before I head to the beach, I use self-tanner for a little summer glow. Yep, the safest tan is a fake one. Ha! it’s easy to apply tanner at home, but you need the right supplies for a flawless tan. the good news is it’s safe and suitable for all skin types. Below are some of my favorite products.

Exfoliating Glove | Self-tanner Mitt | Body Bling | L’Oreal self-tanning mist | Jergens Natural Glow | L’Oreal Self-tanning Towelettes

Step 1 

Shower and exfoliate. If you want to avoid streaky tan lines exfoliating is the most important step. One of my favorite body scrubs is Elemis Frangipani that I apply with an exfoliating glove that leaves my skin smooth and soft.

Step 2 

After I step out of the shower, I apply moisturizer to ankles, feet, knees, elbows, wrists, and palms. These are the key areas that tend to soak up too much self-tanner. Wait ten minutes or until your body is completely dry. This is an important step as your skin needs to be dry to absorb the self-tanner and avoid streaks.

Step 3 

Apply the self-tanner with a mitt. If you skip using a mitt, then your hands tend to turn orange. Plus, the mitt helps apply the tanner evenly and smoothly. Apply the product directly onto the mitt.

Step 4

Use long even strokes when applying self-tanner, working one section at a time..

Step 5

Wait twenty minutes before you put your clothes on. This allows the product to settle and avoids staining your clothes.

Step 6

Moisturize daily to keep your faux tan for as long as possible. Jergens Daily Moisturizer is my go-to moisturizer all summer long.

Outfits

Travel outfits

On Sunday, we ran 5 travel outfit ideas from Spring.  Whether you’re driving or flying to your destination, chances are the temps of your origin city are different than your destination one.  Head over to the post for ideas on what to wear on your trip.

Travel capsule wardrobe

On Monday, I gave you a glimpse of my travel capsule wardrobe.  Head over to the post to see the 6 outfits I took with me to Mexico.

Bathing suits

Yesterday, I posted pictures from Mexico.  I also shared with you 3 swimsuits and cover-ups I took with me.  In case you missed it, take a look at the post for great 2022 swimsuit ideas.  

Beach vacation packing list

Alright, now for my beach vacation packing list.  It includes:  

• travel outfits 
• bathing suits 
• beach towels 
• sunscreen 
• beach chairs 
• beach blankets 
• beach umbrellas 

For each item, I put together a shoppable widget to help you as you prepare for your vacation. 

Beach towels (shop below)

Sunglasses (shop below)

Sunscreen (shop below)

Beach chairs (shop below)

Beach blankets (shop below)

Beach umbrella (shop below)

In case you missed it

It’s travel week all week over here on the blog.  So far, we’ve shown you

• 5 travel outfit ideas for Spring; 
• my travel capsule wardrobe for Mexico; and 
• 3 swimsuits & coverups for the beach.

Daily Looks

Make sure to catch up on our DAILY LOOK. We post a dedicated photo to our daily outfit every Wednesday-Sunday. And you can shop those outfits easily through the shop the widget below the picture. 

This post sponsored by Nordstrom

Whether you’re on team one-piece or two, one thing is for certain swimsuit season has arrived. So pick a suit any suit and go enjoy the beach, lake, or pool. This week, I gathered a few swimsuits for my beach getaway in Cancún, Mexico. It’s been a little slice of heaven this week with blue skies and even bluer ocean and a white sandy beach to dip my toes into. What’s in my beach bag? I’m spilling the beans today with a little help from my favorite retailer Nordstrom which makes one-stop shopping a breeze.  Here are 3 women’s bathing suits for 2022 that I’m loving. 

Protection from the sun 

First things first, sunscreen is a must when I head outdoors, and Goop PLAY is a favorite of mine for long-wearing protection and reef-safe ingredients. But let’s not forget our lips need protection too. Enter fresh Sugar Lip Balm with SPF 15 that keeps my lips hydrated. And while we’re talking about protection from the sun, let’s not forget the importance a hat plays in keeping our face shielded from the harmful UV rays. It’s a non-negotiable in my book, as well as a pair of sunglasses that shields my baby blues from the sun.

Shop Sunscreen (click below)

Women’s bathing suits 2022

Swimsuit 1

La Blanca has been a favorite swim brand of mine for years. This black one-shoulder suit didn’t disappoint! It’s lined with molded cups, flattering ruched shirring, and built-in tummy control. The swimsuit also comes in indigo. Since we’re talking swimwear, let’s not forget to add a slouchy hooded coverup which is a must-have item to swish through any hotel lobby. It’s from La Blanca and comes in black or blue and could easily pull double duty as a light and airy tunic.

swimsuit | coverup | similar sunglasses | sandals | hat (similar here and here) | sunscreen | lip balm | tote (similar here and here)

Views from Mexico

Swimsuit 2

I’m loving this  Grecian-style two-piece from Norma Kamali. It’s definitely made for a day at the pool sipping piña coladas but isn’t that what vacay is for? White leather sandals from Tory Burch are the perfect addition, as well as all of my sun accessories.

top | bottom (sold out similar here) | similar sunglasses | sandals | hat (similar here and here) | sunscreen | lip balm | tote (similar here and here)

More views from Mexico

Swimsuit 3

If you want to put a little FUN into your swimwear, then look no further than Trina Turk. Her swimsuit prints are always colorful and pack a punch. This one-piece is a year old, but I loved this one or this one.

Some final views

Shopping Nordstrom

 A few of my favorite things about Nordstrom:

• free shipping and returns by mail or in-store
• BOPUS – buy online pick up in store
• curbside pick up (no muss, no fuss. Nordstrom brings your merchandise to you while you wait in your car)
• the Nordy club where you earn 1 point per dollar, status based on spend, and enjoy perks to beauty and style workshops, curbside pickup, and the first to shop select brands. sign up here.

A big thank you to Nordstrom for this sponsored post. And thank you, lovely readers for supporting the brands that allow me to bring you fresh ideas.

Shop the Post (click below)

In case you missed it

It’s travel week all week over here on the blog.  So far, we’ve shown you

• 5 travel outfit ideas for Spring; and 
• my travel capsule wardrobe for Mexico.

Daily Looks

Make sure to catch up on our DAILY LOOK. We post a dedicated photo to our daily outfit every Wednesday-Sunday. And you can shop those outfits easily through the shop the widget below the picture.