It’s June.
Love Island is about to start.
And the UK has had a fair few sunshine soaked days already.
So we all know what that means.
Summer is officially upon us.
And the new season brings with it a whole host of exciting new things.
Holidays, pimms, BBQs, long hot days.
And probably most importantly, visits to the beach.
So of course, at the first glimpse of sunshine – my new beach bag was packed and ready for its first outing.
Each year, I treat myself to a new one – and each year, it heads up into the loft after a busy summer.
This may sound a tad excessive to some, but to me – I love seeing all the memories in beach bag form whenever I’m sifting through the attic.
And so, I thought I’d give you a little sneak peek inside this years.
This is a collaboration with House of Fraser
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The Beach Bag
The staple part of any trip to the beach, is of course – the associated bag.
You need something sturdy, accessible and fun.
And in my case, with a hint of pink.
I also like to make sure it’s not something that will easily get dirty, as it’s sure to see plenty of food, sand and sun over the months that follow. You can’t really get too precious about a beach bag, let’s face it.
House of Fraser have an incredible holiday shop this year, featuring all the staples you will possibly need.
Their beach bag section is pretty extensive, although this gorgeous Ted Baker ‘J’adore the Shores’ woven bag caught my eye almost straight away.
The combination of pink pom poms, bright orange interior lining and an Instagram-worthy slogan on the front had me adding it to my basket before I could say ‘yes please’.
There’s plenty of room inside for ALL your beach must-haves and I love that it’s spacious and easy to open up and quickly grab whatever you might need.
Because let’s face it, a girl hasn’t got time to be rifling through millions of pockets when the ice-cream van arrives.
It ticks all the beach bag boxes!
Swimwear
Of course, any beach bag just isn’t complete without a swimwear addition.
I like to be prepared for any eventuality and admittedly did once bring a bikini along with me to Brighton on a particularly blustery day and had the group of friends I was with in hysterics.
It was March.
I don’t often check the weather properly.
And to my credit, in London it was almost 20 degrees.
But hey, a girl can dream, eh?
My current go-to two piece is a pink set from O’Neill which is simple, but oh so flattering.
The hot pink shade accentuates any golden tan (or even lack of – it is early season after all) and the slight high leg is amazing for flattering my figure.
It gives me a little bit of extra support around the tummy area, and boosts my confidence.
The top is a bralette shape, which I find is ideal for every occasion.
I had a rather unfortunate experience once where I popped out of my triangle shaped bikini and shocked an entire poolside of people.
So I like to keep my go-to bikini as practical as possible.
Just call me Sensible Scarlett.
Beach Bag Staples
And of course, any good beach bag will have a whole host of accessories inside that accommodate a perfect beach day.
I like to keep a cover up in there, just in case a spontaneous lunch calls and I need some more appropriate attire.
Banana leaf and palm prints are my absolute favourite at the moment, so my cover up of choice is a cute little palm leaf playsuit with a halter-neck design and flattering tailoring at the waist.
I also love to keep a Christy Maroc Hammam towel with me, as it’s compact and lightweight structure makes it ideal for jet setters and style seekers who don’t want to overwhelm their bag with a huge bulky towel!
And then finally, I’ll pop a little bottle of Kiehl’s Catcus Flower & Tibetan Ginsend Hydrating Mist in my bag, to have on hand at all times.
Beaching around can be sweaty work and sometimes this can make you feel oh-so-not-so-glam.
The mist is super compact (75ml) and can be spritzed on whenever needed to purify, cool and hydrate the skin.
I use this after I’ve popped on my SPF however it can also be used over make-up, for a super cooling, hydrating dewy glow.
So there we have it, my beach bag staples in a nutshell.
Now, don’t mind me – I’m just heading to the beach.
What’s in your beach bag?
