Feel clueless about which beauty products are actually worth bringing on vacation and taking up the very valuable space in your luggage? Today I’m sharing my spring break beauty essentials and the beauty products I’m bringing with me on my vacation next week!

 

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Hope you guys are having a great week! I am off on a warm weather vacation late Friday night and am soooooo excited. I’m at that point in winter where I’m just completely over it, so a chance to get away is making me very happy right now! We got more snow overnight and I’m working from home today. I can’t wait to get away from this snow haha! I get a lot of questions about beauty products in my Instagram DM’s (you can always slide into my DM’s if you ever have a question), so I figured I would round up the spring break beauty products I’m bringing with me on vacation! Continue reading for my summary of the products and the products I think are the most worth bringing!

SPRING BREAK BEAUTY ESSENTIALS: WHAT YOU NEED FOR VACATION

 

1. Dolcé + Gabbana Light Blue Perfume

My absolute favorite perfume that I wear every single day! To me it smells a bit floral but could also be unisex. It’s definitely a popular perfume which is the one thing I don’t like about it. I don’t want to smell like every single other person!

2. Herbivore Botanicals After Sun Skin Soothing Aloe Mist

Does this help with a sunburn? I can’t exactly say. But I can say that this is extremely refreshing and makes your skin feel so good! I like taking it with me to the beach to spray on my face when I’m feeling hot and also after a day at the beach. Super refreshing! Herbivore Botanicals has great products if you’re trying to use better-for-you skincare products!

3. bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

I recently picked up this tinted moisturizer at Sephora because I wanted a tinted moisturizer or BB/CC cream for vacation. I hate wearing foundation when it’s warm out. To me it feels so thick and restricting. I just want my skin to breathe! I’ve been using this this past week and I have to say that I really love it. The gel formula is perfect and gives me just the right amount of dewy, and the perfect amount of coverage. My friend Mallory suggested it and I’m so happy I went with it! Also perfect if you have a teenager at home who’s begging to wear makeup but you don’t think they need it. The coverage is light but makes you feel put together. I’ve been wearing it to work this week and it feels like enough coverage!

4. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

I recently talked about my love for this cleanser in this blog post. Seriously, best facial cleanser ever. It’s completely gotten rid of my hormonal breakouts and bottom line is I could never, ever be without this cleanser. Reason enough that I’m bringing it with me on vacation!

5. Drunk Elephant: The Littles

The Drunk Elephant team recently sent me this set called “The Littles” and I was so excited because I’ve been wanting to try their products for such a long time! Everyone I know that has tried their products raves about them, and for good reason! I’ve been using these for about a week now and can definitely say that I’m loving them. This set is a great option if you’ve been wanting to try the products since it has a lot of little bottles. This is also perfect for traveling with! Sooo what have I been loving the most? Most nights I use the T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum (sooo good and you definitely see a change in the morning), followed by a couple drops of the Virgin Marula Oil mixed with the Lala Retro Whipped Cream. This cream has the coolest texture and feels great on the skin. I then follow up with just a dab of their Shaba Complex Eye Serum which I have to say is the best eye serum I’ve used as of lately. In the morning I’ve been using the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel and it works so well under makeup. You can purchase these products individually, however, if you’re new to the brand I would recommend trying The Littles set since you get to try a bunch of their best sellers and see which you love most!

6. Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Hair Mask

I recently found a little pack of this hydrating hair mask at Sephora in the checkout area, however couldn’t find it online. This hair mask is amazing and is one I’ve used on and off for years. Every time I purchase it again, I wonder how I possibly went without it again! Since I’ll definitely be in the pool and the water non-stop on vacation, bringing a hair mask is a must. There’s enough in this small pack that I purchased to last at least twice. Check your nearest Sephora!!

7. Moroccanoil Hair Treatment (Light)

If you purchase even one thing from this post, it has to be this Moroccanoil Hair Treatment Oil. I swear by this and don’t go a day without it. I have used this for years and swear by it for great hair. It’s great for smoothing, reducing frizz, and if you have thick hair like me it makes your hair manageable which for me is a God send! I use it on damp hair after getting out of the shower (you only need a small drop). I also sometimes use it on my ends when my hair is dry if I feel like my ends look really damaged or need smoothing. I like the light because my hair is blonde and I feel like in the past, when I used the regular oil, it was a bit too heavy for my hair and made it look darker. I feel like in most cases, unless your hair is really coarse or super curly, you’re going to want the light option.

8 + 9. Moroccanoil Hydrating Shampoo + Moroccanoil Hydrating Conditioner

Moroccanoil recently sent me this shampoo and conditioner which I have used on and off in the past and again, I’m reminded why their products is soooo good. One of my absolute favorite sets of shampoo and conditioner because it makes your hair so much more smooth, hydrated, and manageable. For me, having smooth hair on vacation is always a challenge as the heat, humidity, and pool/ocean water can tend to do a number on my hair. I’m bringing these with me for sure!

10. La Roche-Posay Anthelios 60 Cooling Water-Lotion Sunscreen 

Full disclosure – I haven’t tried this sunscreen yet. But I used this face sunscreen last summer and it was my favorite sunscreen I’ve ever used. If you’re anything like me, it’s the texture of sunscreens that keep you from wearing them. If it doesn’t rub in easily, smells horrible, and/or doesn’t feel good on my skin, then I won’t wear it. This sunscreen is a bit of a splurge, but in my eyes sunscreen is worth the price over makeup since it’s protecting your skin from harmful rays and slowing the aging process. If you’re someone who struggles from acne, wearing sunscreen is a must for you because wearing it cuts down on post acne marks. Surprisingly, you can find La Roche-Posay products at your local CVS, or at least my local CVS carries them, or you can buy online here.

Update after using this all vacation: Best sunscreen ever!!! I used this sunscreen my whole vacation and while it was 60 SPF, I was able to get coverage without the burn, while still getting a bit of a tan.

11. Oribe Bright Blonde Shampoo

So at this point you’re probably thinking I’m high maintenance since I already mentioned bringing shampoo (it’s okay I think so too), but I use this purple shampoo once a week and swear by it for getting rid of brass and making my hair more on the icy blonde side than golden blonde. Does it actually make your hair lighter? No! But it does make it brighter. To me, there’s a difference, but I can see how that’s confusing. I like my hair to be more of an icy blonde (think cool tones) rather than a warm blonde. This keeps those colors in check primarily thanks to what we know about the good ol’ color wheel. Purple is across from yellow so it helps to neutralize. This set is a really great deal and are the perfect sizes for traveling. Also, Oribe products are the best smelling hair products out there!

12. Patchology On the Fly Travel Treatment Kit

I’ve known about Patchology’s products for almost a year now, and they have some of the best, easiest face masks and skincare products I’ve ever used! They recently sent me this On the Fly Travel Treatment Kit and it’s so perfect for travel, especially if you pull red eyes or go on long flights frequently. This kit contains a Lip Gel mask, Rejuvenating Under Eye Gels, a Hydrating Face Mask, and an Illuminating Face Mask. I’m obsessed with these Under Eye Gels and spoiler alert… Men like them too (lol). I always take at least a couple sheet masks with me on a trip because they barely take up any space and it’s good to have one just in case you feel like your skin needs it!

13. Honest Beauty Refreshingly Clean Makeup Remover Wipes

Full disclosure – Also haven’t tried these before but you know how it is when you go to Target and you get sucked in! I almost never use makeup remover wipes anymore, but I like having a few of these on hand when traveling if I want to take my makeup off on a flight or want to freshen up at the beach. We are flying out late Friday night and will be arriving partly to our destination at 4 AM, then leaving for our final destination at 7AM, so yes I’m essentially spending the night in an airport. If the bathroom situation at the airport is a bit iffy and I don’t feel like washing my face, these wipes will be a life saver!

14. Fresh Grapefruit Shower Gel

I don’t have much to say about this product except for that it smells amazing, gets the job done, and I had a mini size that is perfect for traveling so I figured I would bring it. We are renting a private villa for our trip and you don’t always know what kinds of bath and beauty products will be available. It’s almost always the standard super drying, bar soap that all places have. This shower gels smells amazing, and I love citrus scents. My boyfriend loves it too (shhh)!

15. Garnier Skinactive Micellar Cleansing Water

If you haven’ jumped on the micellar water train yet, you need to! I typically use this micellar water at home, however I couldn’t find it in a small bottle at my local Target for vacation. It is available in a small travel pouch here. So what is micellar water used for? I almost always use this on a cotton pad instead of a makeup remover wipe, as it’s more gentle for sensitive skin. I’ll use it at night to take off my makeup as a first cleansing step, after a day at the beach, after a workout, etc. It can essentially be used as a replacement for cleansing. I swear by it!

16. St. Tropez Self Tan Express Sheet

So again, full disclosure, I haven’t tried this product yet but it’s in my bag and packed for vacation. I purchased this on a whim a my local Sephora and now that I’m reading the online reviews for this product, I’m noticing that the reviews are SUPER mixed. It seems you either love it or hate it. I will make sure to report back to you guys on this one as I would hate for you to spend your hard earned money on this only to hate it! However, if you do decide to try it, I would make sure that your face is FULLY dry before going to sleep (if you do it before bed), make sure that you’re rubbing the product down your neck, to your hairline, on your ear area, etc. You can use a beauty blender or a makeup sponge to spread the product around, or you could also use your fingers.

17. St. Tropez Self Tan Express Bronzing Mousse

This is the self tanner I use when I do my tans at home (which is the majority of the time). I love the golden color it gives without being orange. This formula only requires you to leave it on for 1-3 hours depending on how bronzed you’d like to be, but I do this before bed, let it dry completely, then go to bed with it on, and shower in the morning. Yes it seems expensive, but if you’re someone who gets even two spray tans a year, it’s more worth it in my opinion, to purchase this and just do it yourself at home. A full bottle lasts a long time!

If you guys would be interested in a how-to blog post for this I would be happy to share all of the details with you… Just let me know in the comments! But, I’ll share a couple of my basic pointers. First, make sure to fully exfoliate, shave, etc. before doing this. One day before is fine (and better if you have sensitive skin) in my experience. Next, always make sure that you’re starting at your feet, then moving to legs, then moving up the rest of your body. Next, you have to use this mitt. It’s literally impossible to get it even without using something to spread the product around with.

I always do this spray tan before I leave for a vacation because I hate getting in a bathing suit and being ghost white. This makes me feel more comfortable in a bathing suit and showing off my legs and also, I feel like it makes me feel like I’ve instantly lost ten pounds haha. I usually bring it with me and do it once more halfway through my trip, just because being in a pool and the ocean can make it come off a bit faster than if you weren’t. Also, this will probably get on your sheets, which for me I’m fine with, but if you have really fancy sheets that you’ll be angry about getting them brown (it does come out after a couple washes), make sure to shower before going to bed with this on!

18. St. Tropez Tan Applicator Mitt

I know I touched on this above, but this mitt is a must when applying self tanner. It’s seriously impossible to get it streak-free without using this. Plus, it’s cheap!

19. Harry’s Razor

This razor is the best razor you will ever use guys!!! I don’t even care that it’s a men’s razor because it’s that good. I shared a bit about this razor in this post, which I had been stealing from my boyfriend when we first started dating and I was coming to visit/forgot my own razor. Anyways, my hair grows ridiculously fast, and this is the only razor that makes me feel like I don’t need to shave every single day. They now sell their razors, blades, and shave gel at Target which makes my life easier because I prefer purchasing this kind of stuff in a store rather than buying online. Also, their razor blades are ridiculously cheap compared to other brands! You guys have to let me know if you try and what you think!

20. Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Extra Strength Daily Peel

That name is a bit of a mouthful huh?! Dr. Dennis Gross skincare products have for me, proved to be some of the best skincare products that I’ve ever used. Yes, they’re a bit pricy, but they work. These peel pads are probably my favorite skincare product EVER. Yes, ever. They literally do it all. These help with large pores, acne, aging skin, and rough, dry, or dull skin. So basically they do it all! Whenever my skin is freaking out, I use these before bed and in the morning, it’s like there was never a problem to begin with. These are especially great for if you feel a pimple popping up on your skin and want to zap it by morning. I have sensitive skin and I still swear by the Extra Strength formula, so unless your skin is VERY sensitive, this should be okay for you too! I’m bringing these because I can tend to breakout on a warm weather vacation, and these will kill anything before it gets too far. Also, they come in little packs so they’re extremely easy to travel with.

 

Have any spring break beauty essentials that you ALWAYS bring? Share the love in the comments!! I would love to know! 🙂