Vacation Essentials: Liz of Eldy's Pocket

Hi Blonde in This City readers, Liz here from Eldy’s Pocket, so excited to be posting over here today while Rose is on vacation!

When Rose approached me about writing a travel related guest post and started with you can choose anywhere in the world, money doesn’t matter kind of dream vacation, my mind was immediately racing with thoughts of where I would go. My ideal vacation is equal parts culture and relaxation.  I’ve always wanted to explore the Mediterranean coast so after a few Google searches, I landed on the island of Ibiza, an island in the Mediterranean Sea about 80 miles from Valencia.  Even though I'm currently daydreaming about Europe, these are a few of my travel essentials for any beach vacation.

1. A couple of nips. These little guys are less than 3 oz. so you can toss one or two into your cosmetics carryon to ease in flight nerves or loosen up before landing. Try to think about what will be available to mix with like vodka with cran or Jack and Coke. 

2. Noise Canceling Headphones. A new playlist and some noise canceling or reducing headphones are an absolute must for me while traveling. There is nothing worse than a crying baby on a long flight. 

3. A travel journal or Notebook. I like to have a notebook to jot down ideas (you never know when inspiration will strike!), directions, recommendations or memories. These kate spade ones are too cute!

4. Nail Polish. Whether I get a mani before vacation starts or do it myself, I always like to pack the color I’m wearing for any mid-vacation touch ups. Chipped polish is the worst. I’m currently loving all shades of coral for summer.

5. A lightweight moisturizer with sunscreen. Perricone MD Photo Plasma is super lightweight and feels luxurious on your skin. It also creates a protective shield between your face and the sun and wind. With 30 SPF broad-spectrum protection, this is a great moisturizer for skin that’s going to be on the beach all day.

6. Kiehl’s Deeply Restorative Hair Oil. A couple days of sun, wind and salt water your hair will need a little TLC.  This hair oil helps restore shine and reduce frizz. Plus, the plastic bottle is easy to toss in your beach bag!

7. Beach tote. Call me crazy, but I rarely bring any of my favorite handbags on vacation with me. I prefer a larger, durable bag for toting through the airport. This J. Crew tote is a great, inexpensive option for both the airport and the beach.  

8. A hat. I like to throw on a hat to hide bed head for an early flight and keep the sun off my face while at the beach. Words of advice, pack a smaller hat that you could put in your carry on if you get sick of wearing it. While floppy hats are awesome for the beach, they aren't as easy to travel with.

9. A versatile cover up. Since luggage space is valuable, I like to pack items that can do double duty.  Transitional pieces like a cover up that's also suitable to wear as a dress is perfect for laying out in the morning and shopping in the afternoon.

This has been a lot of fun and I'm sure I'm not the only one who is craving a beach vacation now. What are you travel essentials? Feel free to stop by and visit Eldy's Pocket. 

Vacation Essentials: Mae Badiyan

Hey girls! Mae Badiyan here, so happy to be taking over while my favorite Blonde is living it up on vacation! One of my most favorite trips was a couple years ago to the island of Capri for my cousin's wedding. Stunningly gorgeous doesn't even begin to describe this tiny little island. Although I had visited mainland Italy several times, nothing prepared me for the beauty in this enchanting place. It feels like a small village, where everyone knows your name, yet the charm of Europe is mixed with the chill vibe only a town by the water can have. It's amazing. Besides the usual beach and vacation items, I've rounded up a couple other essentials I think you'd need for your visit to Capri. 

One of the most important is flowy white linen pants. They are cool and comfortable, and transition well from daytime wear to a nice dinner on the town. White linen is crisp and classy. I also loved wearing mine as a swimsuit cover up, perfect for going straight off the yacht to walking around town. Of course you'll need your aviators and a big floppy hat because you are in Europe after all. I kept my beauty routine very simple. Even though I went for a wedding, I literally only wore liquid bronzer and mascara the whole time. It's amazing what you can get away with when you're tan. I love the bronze shimmer of Nars Body Glow (I use it everywhere, even on my cheeks) and my absolute favorite mascara is Loreal Voluminous. You can add a swipe of rose-colored gloss for evenings out. I think a summer scarf is essential because depending on time of year, there's a cool breeze coming off the water. Plus, it makes an adorable accessory in your hair or tied on your bag. As I mentioned, you'll be doing a lot of walking. I don't really remember seeing any taxis on the island and it's so small, it's easy to walk everywhere. Make sure you've got your fancy flip flops with ya! And what trip would be complete without an iPad?! Load up a couple of your favorite books, although I have a feeling you'll want to soak up all the beauty Capri has to offer, there'll be little time to just lay. Our hotel had a gorgeous pool, so I did spend a couple afternoons catching up on my reading. 

In general, I suggest keeping your wardrobe light and simple. I took cotton, strapless tops from H&M (so I wouldn't get tan lines walking around), maxi dresses and skirts, and my white linen pants. Everything was in neutral colors with a few stripes thrown in--that meant that everything was interchangeable and I could mix and match all the pieces to get way more outfits.

Have you been to Capri? What's your favorite island to visit?

Thanks so much for having me today, Rose! 

Hope y'all stop by and say hi!

x

Vacation Essentials: Ashley of XO Smash

Hi guys! I'm Ashley and most days I'm blogging over at Smashing Style, but today I am honored to be hanging out with you. When Rose approached me about doing this I was A. super flattered and B. laughing to myself because I am out of town right now too. But, unlike Rose, I was not quite organized enough to line up guest posts. You see, I got married last Saturday (whoop whoop!) so I had a few other things going on, and as we speak I am honeymooning in the pink sands of Bermuda*. 

While I packed a lot more than this, here are nine of my favorite travel essentials. 

1. A straw hat. Listen, hats are a huge pain to travel with but wrinkles and skin cancer are even worse. And a hat is a nice way to pretend you are a celebrity in the airport, and maintain your precious skin once you arrive at your destination. 

2 + 8. I don't know why I put these so far apart, but headphones and a headphone splitter are two staples in my travel bag. My husband (eek!) and I like to watch movies on the plane and this Belkin headphone splitter allows us to play nicely together. These Frends headphones are on my wish list because I think they are cute and would make me look more musically savvy than I actually am...a.k.a I still really like "Call Me Maybe". 

3. The most adorable cover-up that can go from the beach, to lunch, to the airplane with leggings. I mean, you're not actually a celebrity, you can wear leggings if you want. I won't tell. 

4. A cute scarf. Blanket, head scarf, evening wrap, bag accoutrement...the possibilities are endless. 

5. Mix and match bikinis from Target. Because Target is the best and everybody needs to pick what works for their body. I like a bandeau and a bottom with side ties, you might like a halter with a belted bottom, Target understands our needs and meets them at a reasonable price.

6. A cute clutch that can double as your e-reader holder. I am a big vacation reader and this bag would be great for going out at night and protecting my Kindle during the day. Believe it or not I still have the original Kindle and I'm really annoying about protecting it since I'm pretty sure the Smithsonian is going to want it next year. It has to be one of the only ones left. 

7. The Deux Lux weekender. I am the queen of bags, and the Deux Lux weekenders are by far my favorite duffle. They are sneaky big and the pop of sparkle is just outrageous enough to be fun.  

9. Belle by Sigerson Morrison sandals. I am absolutely obsessed with Belle by Sigerson and all of their shoes. These are just a notch cooler than a basic sandal, and they come in three amazing colors. They are well-made, stylish and super comfortable (plus these are on sale!). 

Well guys, it's been a pleasure hanging out with you today. Come visit me at Smashing Style and have an amazing day! 

xo

smash

*I'll let you know if they're actually pink. 

*beach image via