6 Must-Have Summer Travel Essentials

As it is now officially the summer, travel season is in full-swing! Over my years of traveling, I’ve had the opportunity of fine tuning my travel essentials and basically have it down to the core must-haves! Like many others, I am seriously guilty of over-packing (and I still am!), so I’ve put together the ultimate summer travel essentials to ensure that I always have everything that I need for the perfect summer getaway. Granted I’ll probably also bring a lot more, but as long as I have these in my carry-on, I’ll know that I’ll be happy!

Travel Friendly Electronics

I don’t know about you but I love my electronics, and it sucks when they’re big, bulky, and not travel friendly. Cordless everything please whenever possible! I thoroughly despise falling asleep on the plane and getting all tangled up in my cords, so my wireless headphones are quintessential for the perfect in-flight experience. For those of you who love an electric toothbrush, here’s a tip: you can bring it with you! Peter has one which he uses at home, but then rotates to a manual one whenever we travel purely due to the inconvenience of having to unplug and pack up his entire set every time we travel. It’s not fun, and not efficient I tell ya! But now that I have the new Oral-B Genius 8000, he’ll never have to pull the switcheroo anymore since it comes with a charging carrying case. I can also never travel without my T3 Micro set since the interchangeable wands saves me so much space in my luggage. All of these different tech gadgets are seriously ones that you never knew that you needed until you tried them. Trust me, I’m not even joking.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen. I can’t stress anymore how important it is to protect yourself from the sun’s rays! I’ve been all about slathering sunscreen all over my body from head-to-toe this past year and can’t believe that it’s taken me this long to jump onto the sun protection train. So start lathering up the sun protection before the damage is no longer concealable! Sun spots and cancer isn’t cute, but healthy skin sure is!

My overly sensitive sense have smell has previously prevented me from using sunscreen on a regular and consistent basis, but through testing various brands and formulations, I’ve finally settled on a few facial ones that don’t bug my nose. My absolute favourite day-to-day would have to be La Prairie’s Cellular Swiss UV Protection Veil Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 50 as it’s the most un-scented sunscreen that I’ve ever applied. Though it does leave a faint white cast, so if I’m opting for a no-makeup day, instead I’ll use AlumierMD’s Moisture Matte SPF 40 in the tint 40 Sand to get that tinted moisturizer effect. When it comes to the body, I’m not as picky, a recent favourite of mine has been Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 50.

Adorable Beach Hat

It’s funny that while most people are aware that they need to apply sunscreen all over their body, they most often forget about their head! I can’t tell you of the countless stories that I’ve heard of people getting a sunburn where their hair parts, or that their hair colour fades throughout the summer due to exposure and damage to the sun. Thank god beach hats are also super trendy right now, and can we talk about the efficiency of being able to throw on a hat without worrying about having to style your hair? Protection and style at the same time? I think so!

My favourite style is the short-rimmed boater hats at the moment, but the wide-brimmed ones also give off the perfect air of a Caribbean vacation if you want that vibe without having to travel that far! I’m also a huge fan of the summerized western where you can still get a cowboy look without the heaviness and thickness of felt.

Cute Sunglasses

Besides your skin, you should also be protecting your eyes. You only get one set and you definitely don’t want to damage them! We already spend so much time in front of screens all day long (computers, TVs, our phones), that any added stress from the sun isn’t necessary. Get yourself a pair of sunglasses to protect your peepers while you’re chilling on the beach, or walking your pupper. And while you’re at it, why not get a cute pair? Sun protection doesn’t have to be drab! There are so many adorable frames, styles, and tints out there that you’re bound to find one that you’ll love. My current favourite are the super cute heart-shaped sunglasses as well as any pair with white accents on them, like these killer Ray Ban’s.

Travel Safe Water Bottles

I’m a big proponent to reducing the use of plastic, so I always try to use re-usable bottles as frequently as possible. Glass ones are the best option, however I do admit that I have quite a few plastic ones on hand as well. As long as I’m not purchasing water bottles that are disposable I’m happy with the progress that I’ve made so far! With so many adorable designs to pick from, it can be hard to narrow down which ones you like! Below are some of my favourite ones that I already have along with some others I’d love to pick up (if only Peter would let me clear up some of his shaker cups in the cabinets to make space for more cute water bottles).

The Perfect Beach Bag

I’m in awe of all of the different style of beach bags that are currently on the market. Between raffia, rattan, whicker, and straw, I seriously don’t even know where to start. There’s so many cute and adorable ones that I’ve had trouble restraining myself from just one! As you can clearly see, I have a bad addiction to beach bags and can’t help but adding more to my collection as the season continues. I love the material of the raffia ones because they really allow for the sand to sift out as you’re walking so that you’re not bringing home the beach with you (as you would with a fabric bag). But I particularly love my metallic Zara bag that is structured to look like a miniature picnic basket because it’s so unique and I’ve never seen anything like it before!

You can also bring the beach with you out to the mall if you decide to go for a smaller size, or stick to big ones like me to carry all of your beach-side accessories with you throughout the day!

This post was sponsored by Oral B, however all views are 100% honest and my own.