What Was In My Beach Bag This Summer….

Summer is all about bright shades and bold prints. For the beach, I actually wanted to take my aqua blue Guess handbag which was part of the Summer 2007 collection. Yes, I still have it in very good shape, mainly because the material is transparent PVC. But the boys love this Disney jute bag and insisted that I take that. It is a simple, washable eco-friendly jute tote with Mickey Mouse on it and spacious enough to fit even a couple of pair of extra clothes for the kids.

Sunscreen

A good sunsreen is undoubtedly the most important item in one’s summer bag, especially since you need to reapply it after a swim in the sea. It’s a different thing that the boys, being boys, anyway refused to reapply it. I carried three sunscreens in my bag, the L’Oreal UV Perfect Aqua Essence SPF 30 for my face(reviewed here), the Neutrogena Ultra Fine Mist that I used for my body and finished of the entire can in one week (which is why it isn’t in the pic) as well as the Banana Boat Kids Free Sunscreen Spray SPF 50. I have also heard very good things about the Lakme 9 to 5 Hydrating and Mattifying Super Sunscreen SPF 50 but haven’t used it yet.

Tinted Lip Balm or Gloss

The harsh summer sun and the salty sea water do dry out the lips so it is advisable to carry a lip balm with SPF in the bag. I simply wore the YSL Vernis A Levres #7 Corail Aquatique (reviewed here) which is a beautiful peachy n*de with a soft glossy sheen. Plus it lasts all do so I didn’t have to bother reapplying. That is what I’m wearing in this picture.

Sunglasses

Another must-have to protect your peepers from the harmful rays of the sun which are agrravated by the glare reflected by the sand. Though I have a decent collection of sunglasses, I go through phases where I stick to just one pair for months together. My current faves are this pair of rose-gold aviators by Ray-Ban.

Cleansing Wipes

It is always good to keep a small pack of cleansing facial wipes in the bag to wipe away the dirt, grime and sweat from the face and neck as well as sand from the hands. And if you have children, make that a big pack of wipes. I carried a pack of Kirkland‘s eco-friendly and baby-skin-friendly Tencel wipes that my sis-in-law had got from USA.

Hand Sanitiser

Germs love the heat and sweat that summer brings along. Add to that sand and children collecting sea shells and you can imagine what a playground for germs the kids hands are. After wiping the kids (and hubby and my) hands with wipes, I always use the sanitiser before snacking/eating. Better to be safe than sorry. I love the Bath and Body Works Pocket Bac sanitisers because they are so compact and handy and come in such a huge range of fragrances. They are available at some stores in India for three times the price as USA. The one I’m currently loving (shown in the pic) is called One Hot Mom and has a lovely green apple fragrance.

Face Mist

When your face feels over heated by the sun or you simply want to feel refreshed, a face mist is a good option. Just spritz it on and your skin feels cooler and re-hydrated. I used the Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner (will review it soon) but you can even use simple rose water.

Mini Deodorant / Perfume

This is quite a no-brainer honestly. Summer = sweat = body odor. And we don’t want to smell, do we? I personally don’t like deodorant sprays, I prefer to use a roll-on antiperspirant but I like to carry a small bottle of perfume to touch up my fragrance during the day. In my beach bag, I carried Bohemia by Marks and Spencer, a compact and economical perfume that I showed you in this post here.

Bottle of Water

I haven’t shown it in the picture, but I carried two sippers for the boys as well as one big bottle of water. No matter how many juices / nariyal pani etc you have, sometimes you just want water to quench your thirst. In the summer months especially, it is very important to stay hydrated so you must drink lots of water.

Besides these, I also carried towels and a change of clothes for the boys. I also carried their beach toys though I don’t know why I bothered since they only spent half an hour on making a sand castle on one day. The rest of the time, they were in the water!

So, those were my summer beach bag essentials. What do you carry in your bag in summer, whether on the beach or in the city?