It’s that time of year again! We’re emerging from the dark, cold days of winter and looking forward to sun and warmth. In the spirit of an upcoming long-weekend cruise to the Bahamas with my fiancé, I thought it would be fun to share some of my vacation staples!

1. My favorite travel accessory is undoubtedly my Candy Apple Red and Leopard print Vacationer Kusshi Bag ($89)! First of all, I love pretty things, and this bag is nothing short of gorgeous. It’s the epitome of fashion meets function. It stores and protects my beauty products and has pockets made for essentials such as an eyelash curler, eyeshadows, lip glosses, and more! Once I snap in my pocket organizer, my Kusshi bag officially becomes the most organized area of my life (ha!).

2. My Kitsch Quick Drying Hair Towel ($23) is a staple every time I wash my hair, and even more so during beach trips when I’m not heat-styling. It’s a fast and efficient way to quickly absorb excess moisture while keeping frizz and hair breakage at bay. For me (and my hair type), using a friction-free hair towel to dry my hair before air-drying is a key factor in getting an end result that says “natural goddess” rather than “styled with a leaf blower.”

3. What says warm-weather beach hair more than sea salt spray?! Sachajuan’s Ocean Mist Sea Salt Spray ($34) is my go-to styling product for creating definition and texture when I want to forego the styling tools. It can be used on dry and damp hair - and I love that kind of versatility for traveling! I use my microfiber hair towel to scrunch my hair and give it some form, then do a couple of spritz of Ocean Mist and air-dry from there! Use it the next day on dry hair to give strands a little pep and texture!

4. We can’t talk about beach vacations without mentioning sunscreen, right?! I am the self-appointed sunscreen enforcer on every vacation. It’s a hard job, but someone has to do it. On any given trip, you can find me chasing my friends and family around with a bottle of SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 ($68). It totes 100% mineral filters to provide broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection while also containing the added benefits of artemia salina, a plankton extract known to increase skin’s resistance to UV-and heat-induced stress. Additionally, Physical Fusion utilizes a “universal tint” to assist in evening out the skin tone and promoting natural radiance; which I find to be an added benefit when going makeup-free. 😉

5. Nothing complements an effortless, beachy look quite like a tinted lip balm! You can be otherwise beautifully barefaced, but a little pop of color on the lips really goes a long way! Coola Mineral Liplux® Organic Tinted Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 30 ($18) protects your pout with mineral SPF while adding a natural-looking tint! Infused with organic cupuaçu butter and mongongo oil, the organic formulas also smooth and nourish to help keep lips healthy, plump, and youthful-looking.