Summer 2012: My Top 10 Vacation Essentials

As you already know, I have been a busy bee this summer with lots of travel and more coming up soon (Stay tuned for my tweets & updates from #cosmoprofna & #BlogHer12!) Being the beauty maven that I am, it is critical to my sanity that I surround myself with the right beauty products while I am traveling and have such a busy schedule. For me, having the right mix of products when I travel makes all the difference in world in terms of my comfort and relaxation. My beauty regimen makes me feel happy, pretty and comfortable. Following are ten products that I am currently loving and they have been staples in my beauty travel bag this summer:

1)   Clarins Beauty Flash Balm Instant Radiance Booster ($45)

I am OBSESSED with this long time cult favorite product from Clarins that I recently became acquainted with. This is an instant skin fix and radiance booster that diminishes the signs of fatigue in moments! This miraculous product instantly moisturizes, brightens and tightens your face so that you look refreshed in the morning. It contains olive and witch hazel extracts to help tighten and promote radiance, algae extract to revitalize, and bisabolol to soothe, soften and make your skin glow. This product is magic in a bottle for me! With my crazy travel schedule, lack of sleep and different climates, Beauty Flash Balm instantly revitalizes my skin and gives it a gorgeous youthful glow. I LOVE it!

2)   Clarins UV Plus HP SPF 40 Day Screen Tint ($40)

This is another Clarins’ cult fav product that recently made itself even better by being offered in three skin-perfecting tints. UV Plus protects your face from sun damage with 100% mineral filters, defends against the elements with a patented anti-pollution complex and fights free radicals with Clarins’ powerful anti-oxidant from Provence (made with organic cantaloupe.) I adore this gorgeous silky tinted moisturizer because it gives my skin a beautiful feel and finish while offering long lasting protection. I would describe it as a lightweight BB cream because it protects, covers and treats your skin. Totally addictive!

3)   Pixi Eye Bright Primer ($18) & Catching Shadows Crayon ($18)

I am loving this dynamic duo from Pixi! Eye Bright Primer is a long lasting lightweight crease-proof primer base for your eye lids. It neutralizes oil on your lid, evens out skin tone and brighten the eye area. It also contains vitamin E and chamomile to soothe the eye lid area. Catching Shadows is a cream-to-powder eye crayon with light reflecting pigments that gives  your eyes an inner glow. I use these magical products together to brighten my tried eyes, give them a visible lift and radiance. I love using Catching Shadows in the inner ‘v’ of eye for instant vibrance.

4)   Benefit Sugarbomb Ultra Plush Lip Gloss ($16)

Sugarbomb is a silky lush lip gloss that beautifully glides onto your lips and gives your lips the perfect shimmery pink nude summer pout. Benefit has five other fabulous Ultra Plush glosses in this new collection that pair perfectly with Benefit’s bestselling box o’ powders. I loved this gorgeous gloss right off the bat because of its silky glide, yummy fruity taste and the perfect flirty pink nude shimmer. MWAH!

5)   bareMinerals READY Bronzer in The Skinny Dip ($24)

Skinny Dip is a light golden bronzer that gives your skin a beautiful luminous glow. It contains bareEscentuals proprietary SeaNutritive Mineral Complex with antioxidants and cold-pressed carrot oil which gives this bronzer longevity and anti-aging benefits. I love the smooth buildable color of this bronzer and especially like how it imparts a gorgeous summery glow, wears beautifully and is totally skin loving.

6)   Eyelash Extensions by Nicole of La Sirene Irresistible Beauty (starting at $185/set)

Lash Extensions are probably my number one can’t-live-without-beauty-essential and in the summer even more so because I like to wear minimal make-up. With extensions, I wake-up looking refreshed and I need very little eye make-up, it’s my guilty pleasure! And Nicole from LSI Beauty is my go-to lash stylist and has been for almost two years. She is meticulous, skilled, professional, accommodating and truly a lash artiste! She is my hidden gem in LA and I will share her contact info with anyone who asks. In fact, because I adore her work so much and trust her immensely, I let her put hair extensions on  my hair recently and I have gotten tons of compliments. I am hooked!

7)   Jergens Natural Glow & Protect Gradual Self-Tanner SPF 20 ($8.49)

This two for one drugstore gem gives you a gorgeous gradual natural-looking tan and broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection of SPF 20. This product is perfect for summer travel because it folds two essential summer products into one. I love the affordable price and especially like how lightweight it is and the beautiful, subtle glow it gives my skin.

8 )   L’Oreal Sublime Sun Advanced Sunscreen SPF 50+ ($10.99)

This is one of the best new sun protection products to emerge on the mass market landscape. It feels luxurious, it is ultra lightweight and absorbs instantly into your skin without leaving a greasy residue. It has a patented long-lasting UVA/UVB protection and it’s infused with powerful antioxidants like vitamin E and white grape seed which enhance the benefits of the sunscreen and help keep skin youthful-looking. This has been in my travel and beach bag all summer and it ROCKS! It absorbs instantly, smells fresh and protects all day long. It’s my new fav this summer and you can find it everywhere.

9)   Sandal Essence Advanced Hydration for Dry Heels ($16.95)

This is a brilliant product that I have been looking to find for a long time and finally did! Sandal Essence is a powerful blend of clinically proven vitamin enriched skin cell binding ingredients that revive and moisturize dry cracked heels. This is a magic heel rejuvenating balm that totally ‘heals the heels’ and it makes them look young and supple = I am obsessed with it! It also contains Sonoma Lavender Oil which treats and smells divine plus a lot of other skin penetrating ingredients that really combat dry summer feet. It’s a MUST try for you flip flop junkies like me!

10)  AVON SKIN SO SOFT Bug Guard Plus SPF 30 Cool ‘n Fabulous Disappearing Color Lotion ($4.99)

If you are headed to the tropics, the East Coast or any other humid climates this summer, some sort of bug protection is a MUST! I know this is not the most glamorous topic, but I have found a product that I think you will really like. AVON’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard effectively repels most types of bugs, contains vitamin E and aloe, and combines sun and insect protection in one. The two best things about AVON’s bug guard is the disappearing guide color so you don’t miss a spot and the yummy honeydew scent (totally not that gross bug repellent smell). Your kids will like this one too!

Disclosure: Samples of all of the above products were sent for editorial consideration, but this collection of summer essentials and opinions are my very own.