Poolside Essentials

Hi everyone! I got back from my holiday last week so I thought now would be a perfect time to share my poolside essentials! These were the products I had by my side all week long for sunbathing and I couldn’t have done without them! If you want to see the makeup and skincare I took with me, have a look at my Instagram here!

Nivea Sun Caring Roll On SPF 30*

I got sent this and its SPF 50 version a few days before I left and it was so useful! At 50ml its really compact so perfect for throwing in your beach bag for touch ups throughout the day and I found myself reaching for it to make sure I was protected from the sun especially round areas where my bikini or flip flops touched my skin in case any cream I had applied in my apartment had sweated or rubbed off! When I saw the words “roll on” I thought it might be a little gimmicky but the roller ball is so smooth and applied the cream really evenly! The scent of this is summer in a bottle to me, Nivea mixed with SPF, you know you are on holiday! Anytime I got my mum or aunt to apply this to my back they commented on the scent too! The only thing I would say is that obviously if you are using the rollerball to apply directly to your body and anyone else wants to use it, it may be a little unhygienic! Kids versions are also available and it has UVA and UBV protection and is water resistant!

Nivea Sun are also in partnership with Cancer Research UK – you can see the ad here! They recently released research revealing the extent of 2000 members of the British publics’ confusion around sun protection which are quite interesting so I’ll dot a few throughout the post!  

Ladival SPF 30 Spray

I got this in the Latest In Beauty Glamour Summer Edit which came in handy and it was the perfect size for a week in the sun! I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with sun lotion in that I want one that stops me from getting burnt but that dries in quickly and doesn’t make me feel tacky. This delivered on one of these so I don’t want to be too negative as not burning is way more important than feeling greasy! It does however promise to be “non-greasy” yet I still felt sticky after application even when I stood by a fan blowing cool air over me! The spray is also a little messy so I tended to spray into my hand before applying! It does protect the skin very well though and I didn’t get burnt (didn’t get a tan either mind!) so if you don’t mind the tacky/sticky feeling it may be for you!

20% of adults surveyed have went out in strong sun in the UK without protecting their skin because they wanted to get a tan!

17% admitted being unsure if sunscreen expires and 3% firmly believe it doesn’t!

  

Eucerin Sun Face Mattifying Fluid SPF 50*(RRP £16)

I have been using this regularly for the past few months but I now have a whole new appreciation for it! Again, offering both UVA and UVB protection, it’s a runny yellow liquid that you have to shake well before use. I would apply this in the morning to my face and wipe any excess onto the tops of my ears. This is so lightweight and doesn’t feel greasy at all as well as being water resistant. It dries in quickly and I find this to be so mattifying on my skin while offering so much protection! While I am careful to keep my face out of the sun as much as possible as exposure can be bad for acne scarring sometimes it’s unavoidable and I didn’t get burnt once using this! I have a full review of this and other facial SPF’s from Eucerin here!

40% become burnt whilst gardening or doing DIY outside in the UK and 21% have been caught out whilst watching sport outside!

Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm Peach Sheer Tint with SPF 15

This is an old favourite of mine and I remember why I loved it so much now! It has a slant tip for easy application and the sheer colour gives a lovely tint to the lips! It also comes in a few other shades but Peach is definitely my favourite! I am a serial lip balm applier and this kept them nicely hydrated while I was sunbathing!

Beach Towel

Always need at least one of these to lie on! The sun loungers were so comfortable too; remember when they used to be hard plastic?

Hat

I booked pretty last minute to go on holiday and searched high and low for a hat before leaving but couldn’t find an affordable one anywhere! I resigned myself to borrowing my cousin’s, then a few days in I found a wide brimmed hat at one of the stall type shops for €6! Perfect for keeping my face in the shade while reading my book!

The Nivea and Cancer Research UK survey showed that 8% of respondents failed to wear a hat "because they don’t suit them”!

Sunglasses

These are just a pair from Miss Selfridge and they are ancient but I love them! They are quite similar to Ray Ban Wayfarers but much more affordable! I took these and a pair of aviators from River Island but I did spend some time in duty free eyeing up their Ray Ban counterparts!

iPod

I could not live without my iPod on holidays (or travelling to get to holidays for that matter!). Listening to music while sunbathing is so relaxing and I almost fell asleep a few times - dangerous! I probably listened to Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Catfish and the Bottlemen and The Last Shadow Puppets the most!

Book

I only read a few books on holiday and I wasn’t overly taken with either! Definitely do your research before taking one with you! I am in the middle of reading Me After You at home (again, not taken with it after loving Me Before You but it’s a hardback so I didn’t want to take it as its to heavy!)

Water

An absolute essential for me! I drink so much water through the day; I was constantly refilling this to keep myself hydrated! Sunbathing makes me sweat (nice) so drinking water is a necessity!

Beach bag (Primark £1.50)

I was running round like a headless chicken last week looking for a lightweight canvas bag big enough to fill with my essentials as well as my beach towel and had almost given up until I got to the tills at Primark and saw these! It’s exactly what I was looking for despite being so basic, I love the print and the handles mean I can carry it under my arm comfortably! I love it!

Cancer Research UK and Nivea Sun recommend taking the following steps to protect yourself in the sun:

C – cover up by wearing a hat, t-shirt and sunglasses

A – aim for the shade between 11am - 3pm

R – rub on sunscreen using plenty with at least SPF 15 and a 4 star UVA rating

E – enjoy! Have fun in the sun safely!

And this is the photo I wanted to use but I took it before I got my hat! #firstworldproblems

Have you been on holiday this year? What are your pool/beachside essentials?

Danielle xx

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