My Summertime Essentials

It's kind of ironic, as I sit here typing up a post about all of my warm weather, sunny day necessities, it's pouring rain outside, ha! This town is crazy though, it snows in March and rains all through July. But that doesn't mean I don't experience my fair share of Summer weather. It will be hot and sunny here very soon, plus I spend a lot of time in Phoenix which is pretty scorching right now. So I put together a little list of all of my basic essentials when it comes to Summertime.

The first thing I think is really important to have in the Summer is a comfy pair of sandals (see some cute ones here!). There are few things worse to me than hot, sweaty, sore feet, yuck! So I make sure I always have a good collection of sandals and flip-flops that are easy to just throw on and will keep my feeties cool and able to breathe!

Another thing I always have on me this time of year is a pair of big sunglasses. Emphasis on the word big. In the Fall and Winter, small wayfarers or club masters do just fine, but right now I'm always about the bug eyes. I hate having the sun in my face and having to squint, so when it comes to sunglasses for me, the bigger the better!

The third thing that's important to have during Summer is a great book, preferably a young adult/ easy read. I love so much going outside in the warm weather with a good book and just relaxing, I could get lost for hours! I'm currently reading Summer Sisters for the second time and really enjoying it, love me some Judy Blume!

This one isn't really super necessary, but something I enjoy using. It's pretty obvious how very pale I am, and instead of all the risks of sun tanning, I like to fake a pretty Summer glow with bronzer. Just a small sweep across your face really makes a difference and makes your skin look more alive. I actually use bronzer year-round, mostly so I don't look like a corpse, but I like to use a little extra during Summer to look like I get the same natural tan as everyone else, haha.

Sunscreen! Super important. Like I just said, I'm super pale and when I spend time in the sun, I never tan, I just turn a bald cat shade of pink. So I try to avoid that all together by applying SPF 30 everyday. I don't like using anything stronger so I can still get my vitamin d, but I do want to make sure to keep my skin protected and my tattoos from fading. I like keeping this little spray-on one with me in case I'm outside all day and need to reapply.

The next thing I like to have on me is my instax camera. This is the one Joe got me for my birthday and I'm having so much fun with it. Summer is always so full of fun times and great memories, and those always look so cool on instant film. I already have a little collection of them in an album for this Summer, including some from our honeymoon that I'll always treasure.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray is one of my favorite hair products for Summertime. It gives your hair a perfect messy beachy look, which I love. Living in dry Arizona, beach hair never ever happens, so I gotta fake it, and this stuff really works well. It's a nice way to avoid styling your hair and going for an effortless look, which I love.

This next thing is something I just discovered and absolutely love, it's a Bite Beauty lip mask. I gave it a try after hearing a ton of people talk about how great it is, and now I know why. It feels so, so good on your lips, very soft and smooth. It's good to put a bunch on before bed, or just wear as an every day lip balm, a really good alternative to heavy lipsticks. It was kind of pricey for how little it is, but I think it's worth it. Dry, cracked lips are no fun, and using this stuff is how to avoid them!

The final and most important necessity in Summer is water!! It's hot, here it's dry, and it gets hard to stay hydrated. I make sure to drink extra water when it's hot outside, especially when I'm in the sun a lot. This is the most important thing you can do to stay healthy, have pretty skin and hair, and feel good. And honestly, there's nothing better than a big glass of ice water on a hot day. This is my number one thing I try to never slip up on, especially this time of year.

So grab your favorite book, your sunnies and a big ole glass of water, and enjoy this amazing time of year called Summer, that's what I'll be doing, cheers!