My Summer Essentials

We're officially in Summer and to kick things off I am going to share some of my Summer Essentials.

SPF! SPF! SPF!

Face SPF: One of my top must-haves during Summer is definitely SPF! The following two SPF I will be talking about are both cruelty-free. I'm so incredibly pale and I remember back to when I was a kid I would easily get sunburned especially on the face. It sucked and I hated being in the sun for that reason. I apply sunscreen to my face daily, whether if it's already in my moisturizer or if I have to add a couple of extra pumps to my moisturizer. The sun doesn't only burn your skin but it damages it as well causing you to age a lot more rapidly along with getting wrinkles. No one wants that so take care and protect your skin. I really enjoy the Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer with SPF 47 and I've been using it for about two years if not more. I appreciate that it is SPF 47 and always try to use products with a high SPF on my face especially in Spring and Summer time. Normally I use 1-2 pumps of this and mix it with my morning moisturizer. It is super light weight, doesn't make my skin look oily, and I also don't get any flashback in photos. My makeup still applies beautifully and easily over top, I have no complaints.

Body SPF: As much as I love to protect my face from the sun I never exclude my body. It's pretty obvious that my body is filled with tattoos and because of that I always make sure I apply SPF if it's being exposed to the sun. Like I said the sun damages your skin and it will do the same to your tattoos causing them to fade. I spent a good amount of money on all my tattoos I wouldn't want them to get ruined due to me not doing something as simple as applying my SPF. I recently picked up this Bare Republic Mineral Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50. Once again I always try to use products with a high SPF to try and protect my skin from the sun as much as I possibly can. That is why I prefer to use a baby SPF. You can use this SPF on your adult self and on babies. Babies have very sensitive and delicate skin so I see it as a baby SPF will work great on their sensitive skin and possibly provide more protection. (This can be all in my head too haha.) I apply this sunscreen to any areas of my body that will be exposed to the sun and that my clothing won't cover and I've been very pleased with it. This sunscreen contains shea butter to keep skin soft, chamomile extract to soothe and calm babies delicate skin, and vitamin E that protects skin from environmental damage.

Lips SPF: Don't forget to protect your lips too! You should also apply chapstick that contains SPF, yet again the sun will also damage your lips. I'm telling you, SPF is so important. There isn't anything worse than having dry, cracked, chapped lips on a hot day. I recently picked up this Sun Bum chapstick with SPF 30 in watermelon flavor. Even though I'm not a fan of the flavor the formula is lovely. It hydrates my lips immediately. This is also a cheaper alternative to some higher end chapsticks on the market.

Sandals: Sandals are definitely a priority of mine when it's hot out. I hate when my feet are hot and sweaty which is why I hate socks haha. I love sandals and how fresh they make my feet feel but it's hard to find a good pair of comfy sandals. Most of the sandals I own I can only wear for a few hour before my feet begin to feel sore from standing too long in them. These Salt Water Sandals are one of the comfiest I own. I've been getting so much use out of them lately they're definitely my go-to. I spoke a lot more about them on my April Favorites so feel free to read a little more over there.

Bronzer: When the weather warms up that is when I like to use a little more bronzer than I normally would. One of my favorite bronzers is the Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer. I know I've spoken about this bronzer in past posts that just goes to show that I really do love this stuff. Usually, when Spring and Summer roll around I much prefer bronzers that give off a sheen or glow to the skin. This Butter Bronzer gives me exactly that and gives me that classic bronze glow that is perfect for my pale skin.

Sunglasses: I can never leave the house without a pair of sunglasses. My Quay Australia sunnies are one of my favorite. They always come in handy while I'm in the car and especially when I'm about and about. I hate squinting because of the sun and that always ends up giving me a headache. I'm so easily prone to getting headaches especially if I'm not using my prescription glasses. This pair is perfect since the lens are UV protected and my eyes are safe from sun rays.

Deodorant: Closing my essentials with a good deodorant. This is a very important and necessary! On hotter days you tend to sweat and maybe smell more than usual. I normally don't have to worry about body odor but I always worry about sweating! I sweat a lot, and I seriously hate that. It's always been a struggle of mine to find a good antiperspirant that is strong enough to control my sweating. However, recently I finally picked up the new Tarte Clean Queen vegan deodorant and surprisingly enough it's worked so well with my sweating. It smells so fresh and clean I've been really enjoying it. I think this may become my holy grail deodorant and you might even see it on my next favorites!

What are some of your Summer Time essentials?