My Beach Essentials

The beach is always a must for me in the summer! I love the water, crashing waves, sand, beach food and just hanging out with family or friends. Coming back from a mini beach trip always makes me feel fresh and revitalized! Since the beach is a rare occasion for me, a lot goes into planning the perfect beach weekend. This definitely means that I carefully consider my beach essentials and what I should bring along for the ride. Today on the blog, I thought I would share my beach essentials!

A Big Beach Bag
A big beach bag is a must! You can't bring along everything else that you want unless you have a bag to store it all in! My husband gifted me this Guess bag a few years ago for my birthday and I use it specifically for going to the beach. I love that it can be a stylish accessory to complete my beach outfit. I also love that it can fit a lot and it's functional.

Swimsuit Cover Up
I got a cover up only a few months ago when I traveled south for vacation. I have no idea why I didn't have one in my life sooner! While I like to relax in a swimsuit, sometimes there's a brisk breeze as the sun sets and the cover up is great to shield against that. I also use it to shield against the sun during the day if I don't want to get burned as much. Really cute accessory for the beach day attire!

A Good Book
I'm a huge book lover and most days you will find me reading at some part of the day. However, there's just something magical about reading on the beach in a nice comfy chair, with the sun beating down, fresh air all around you and water nearby. There's just something very calming and relaxing about it. While I wouldn't spend the entire beach trip reading (I would make sure that I enjoy the water and be social!), there's a very high chance you will find me reading.

Sun Hat
I am not a hat type of girl. In fact the only time you will find me wearing a hat is when I am at the beach! Ha! A sun hat is essential for me at the beach to protect myself against the strong rays. Depending on what time of day you are at the beach, the sun can cause skin burn and possibly even lead to dehydration. It's so important to protect yourself against the sun! I choose to do this in a stylist way with a cute sun hat!

Moisturizing Lip Balm
Lips are another body part that can become dehydrated from the sun. Lips can become cracked and dry and no one likes that. I always ensure that I have a very moisturizing lip balm on hand while the sun is beating. Feel free to re-apply frequently. Consistent eating and sipping of drinks can wear off lip balm fairly quickly. Burt's Bee's Lip Balm in Mango is my go-to for the beach because the flavour reminds me of the tropics!

I hope you all enjoyed this blog post! I had fun creating this post as the beach is always a fun time for me! I always look forward to going every year when summer rolls around. I would love to hear in the comments below, some of your beach essentials!

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~Usha

5 of My Favourite Summertime Beauty Products : A Collab with Katelyn Blogs

It has been super hot where I live! I've been trying to enjoy it as much as possible since we only get a couple of months of summer... With the hot, steamy weather I've been thinking about talking about my favourite summertime beauty products! I have so many, that it was really difficult to narrow it down to just five. What can I say? Summertime is just a special time!

Speaking of special, this post is also special as I am collaborating with the ever-so-fabulous Katelyn Brewer of Katelyn Blogs! She's such an awesome blogger and has so many beauty, blogging and lifestyle tips. Check out her blog here! Thanks Katelyn for collaborating with me on this blog post! I know this is a topic we're both passionate about :)

St. Ives Pink Lemon & Mandarin Body Wash
I'm usually a Bath and Body Works kind of girl when it comes to body wash. However, one day I was strolling down the toiletries aisle at Walmart and came across this St. Ives Pink Lemon body wash. I smelt it and I was sold! This particular scent smells like everything tropical, sunshine and beach - combined! It smells so good! Using this in the shower sets the tone for my summer evenings. I also love that there is a little bit of texture which helps to get rid of all the dead skin.

Essie Nail Polish 'Cute As A Button'
I love this corally-pink-orange-y shade for summer! For me, nothing says summer more than coral. Naturally, it's always a given that I will use this colour very often in the summer months. If you haven't already, you should check out my previous blog post where I talk about my favourite essie nail polishes for summer. As you can already guess, this is one of the shades I talk about.

Becca Ever Matte Poreless Priming Protector
I'm one of the lucky few who have been blessed with oily skin... :( :( :( . So, all year around I always try my best to use a primer under my foundation. This is particularly important in the summer months when the weather gets extremely hot. My favourite primer is Becca. It's great because it's light weight and glides on easy. You only need a little bit of product, so your purchase will last you a long time! There's only so much that you can blot throughout the day!

Foot Masks
I find in the summer months that my feet tend to become rough very quickly. I'll get a pedicure one day and a few days later, my feet are rough again! I found that the best way to keep feet looking their best in summer sandals, is by using a foot mask. If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I recently bought an olive oil foot mask in Vancouver that I can't wait to try! Stay tuned as I plan to write a review. If you're not a fan of foot masks, I also like to soak my feet in Epsom salts and warm water.

Batiste Dry Shampoo
Going hand in hand with my oil skin is my oily hair... I find that in the colder months I can really control the oil by using a shampoo for oily hair. However, in the summer months I find this much harder to do. To help with this, I like to use the Batiste dry shampoo. I mostly use it on my second day hair. Spray, style your hair and your ready with perfect summer hair to combat the heat!

Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading about my favourite summertime beauty products. Be sure to sign up for email notifications to keep updated with the blog! Thanks again to Katelyn for collaborating with me on this post. Don't forget to check out her blog to read all about her favourite summertime beauty products - Katelyn Blogs! If you like our collaboration, please let us know in the comments below.

What are your favourite summertime beauty products?

~Usha

My 4 Favourite Essie Nail Polishes for Summer

It's finally summer! The start of summer means lots of things... like BBQs, the beach, cold drinks, dresses and summertime nail polish! If you're like me, then you'll also have specific nail polish colours for each season of the year. While I may pull out my summer nail polish colours during the Winter season, I usually wait to use these colours when summer has officially arrived. If you really know me, you`ll know that my entire nail polish collection consists of Essie nail polishes. So, today I'm going to talk about my four favourite Essie nail polishes for summer! I was inspired to do this blog post by A Girl, Obsessed!

Hubby For Dessert
I know, such a weird name... but I love this light, sheer, lilac colour for those days when I'm looking for a nude colour but with something a little extra. I usually wear this colour for daily manicures. This is also the perfect colour for those summer events such as weddings or showers. You would definitely need at least three coats for the full purple effect. If you don`t care for the purple effect, you can get away with about two coats.

Really Red
Next up is a classic red - 'really red'! A classic red is a 'must' for summer months! If you are looking for a true red that is the perfect, rich red colour, then look no further. Two coats of this classic makes the perfect pedicure with a cute pair of sandals for a night out on the town. Even though this is a summer pick for me, you could get away with wearing this colour during any season of the year.

Cute As A Button
When I think of summer, my mind always thinks about coral-ly pinks and 'cute as a button' fits this description so perfectly! It's the perfect shade for your beach trip or your summertime vacation. I usually like to wear this colour as a pedicure. Two coats are needed to freshen up your beauty summertime look!

Mint Candy Apple
This has been one of my favourites for a very long time! For me, mint will always be a favourite. This shade is a creme based nail polish that has a pastel green finish. I can wear this colour for either a pedicure or manicure. If I'm looking for a colour to have a little fun, I will usually pick this. This colour needs about two coats.

What are your all time favourite Essie nail polishes for summer?

~Usha

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