What's in my beach bag

I am lucky enough to live by the Lake Leman, and even though it is not the sea, nor an ocean, it is still a beautiful place to take a dip. Hence why, every summer, I go to the lake as much as I can. It is cold, that is true, but I won't change this beautiful view that I got when swimming in those chilly waters for anything. Every time I can, I grab my beach basket and go for a swim, or simply for a read on the rocky beach, laid down in the shade of a tree. That is why my beach bag is always ready. Today I have decided to share with you what I bring to the beach, my essentials, the things I could not stand the heat or the sun without.

First thing first, you always need a towel, to lay down comfortably and dry your wet body. However, it is always such a pain to carry those heavy beach towels, and it becomes even worse when you leave the beach, totally exhausted, and your towel is still wet, a hundred times heavier. That is why, this year, I chose to buy a fouta, a traditional Moroccan piece. It is light and easy, dries quickly, and is still comfy and soft. A new essential that will come with me to Barcelona in two weeks!

I always try to take with me as few things as I can, however, some items cannot leave my bag. The first one is my sunscreen. Since the start of the Summer, I am trying out different formulas from French pharmacy brands, but yesterday when going shopping at the drugstore I spied with my little eye a symbol that a never saw before, representing a fish and coral. It was printed on the tube of a sunscreen, and I grabbed it to learn more about this sign. It actually was a proof that this specific sunscreen has been created in a way that won't impact the ocean and marin life. As we know, sunscreen are a real damage for the aquatic flora and fauna, and even though I try to put sunscreen only after my swim, I know there is always some remaining from earlier. So I decided to buy this Avène sun protection. I will write a full article about this sun products range next week, so stay tuned for a full description and review.

As I explained in a recent post, I also want to protect my hair when I am going to the beach, and for that, I have one ally that never leaves my beach bag: my Gisou heat protecting spray. This works wonders, and my hair, even after few hours in the sun, is still moisturized and does not show any sign of dryness or weakness. I spray it every few hours, and I can definitely witness the results.

Something you got to learn about me is that when at the beach, for a reason that I don't understand, I always get super hungry. I could definitely be unhealthy and bring with me sugary cookies that I am a sucker for, yet recently I took the habit to bring a fruit, whether a peach or an apricot. It fills up my belly, but also puts me in a serious Call me by your name mood...
Water is another massive essential. I cannot imagine a moment at the beach without my much needed obviously healthy drink.

Because I am not spending all of my time in the lake, and because the beach is not only about water, I never forget to bring my novel of the moment with me. At the minute I am still reading Tolstoï's Anna Karenina. I didn't get much time to read, so this 1025 pages piece takes me some time, but my beach moments help me go through it really easily! A real essential for me. And stay tuned for a soon to come book review of this incredible masterpiece!

Other essentials are for sure my beach straw hat, and my sunglasses, that I already mentioned and put links to in this article! But no matter what's in my beach bag, or if you wear sunscreen and a hat, remember that the sun should be avoided between 10am and 4pm! Enjoy, but stay safe!

xo

Amy