Isle Be Packing My Bags!

Hey guys!!

Ahh, it feels so good to be getting back to writing (for pleasure)!! This past month at school has been absolutely horrendous, as I’m sure it has been for most college students who are crawling closer and closer to graduation. I am so relieved to finally say that I am finished with this semester, which felt like it was the worst one yet- although I feel like I say that every time! Now that school is out I’ll have more spare time to focus on my beloved blog that has taken a back seat through this challenging but endearing semester at Murray. I am especially excited to be sharing some new posts with you guys about my favorite vacation of the year- our annual family trip to St. George Island, Florida! This trip is so special to me because I get to spend the whole week in this gorgeous, relaxing place with my favorite people, who, lucky for me, are an extremely entertaining group!

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing packing tips and some of my favorite must-have travel products, including a couple adorable outfits that I brought along for the trip!

Bath Products

I always like to bring a few face masks and an exfoliating scrub, especially on trips to Florida, because the sun is so much more intense here and the extra exposure can be harsh on my skin. Also, you can’t beat the way your face feels after using a sheet mask or this scrub; your skin is so soft and moisturized! It’s a great and affordable way to pamper yourself on vacation. (At the end of the post, I’ll have all of the products and where I  bought them!) Normally, I would bring a travel-sized shampoo & conditioner, but my travel bottles, left unattended on the kitchen table, were eaten by my adorably rotten Talula Francis. Nevertheless, I have found that the mixture of Herbal Essences Totally Twisted shampoo and Long-Term Relationship conditioner are the perfect concoction for my long and tangly hair! I like this duo much more than the designer brands I’ve tried! The Batiste dry shampoo is a new one for me but it has been recommended by many trusted friends so I’m excited to try it! I always, always bring a lotion! My all-time favorite, “Sun-Ripened Raspberry” by Bath & Body Works, has been discontinued, as all the good scents are, but you can still order it online! It’s so light and fruity and perfect for summer (or every day of the year)! I also brought deodorant, of course (not pictured), can’t forget that! I have been using Soap & Glory products to wash and moisturize my face and I’ve been loving them! My skin feels extremely clean and the products smell AMAZING!

Beauty Products

Chanel Chance (the pink one) has become a family favorite perfume. My mom, my Aunt and my Nanny all use this! It smells like fresh, floral Heaven and it’s amazing and I will use it forever!! Another, more affordable favorite that I recently discovered, is the Island Sun body spray from Victoria’s Secret for $5!!! It smells like coconut and summer and I am obsessed! I also brought along an excessive amount of OPI nail polish, but you never know when you’ll need it or if you’ll be in the mood for Toucan Do It If You Try, Bubble Bath, Lucky Lucky Lavender, Just Lanai-ing Around, or You’re Blushing Again. I also brought a few liquid lipsticks that are very summery and some more bold than I would wear every day, but vacation+summer= bright lipstick. Right? Right. The colors are Colourpop “Bumble”, Kat Von D “Ludwig” and Stila “Venezia”. SPF chapstick is also a must! I also wanted to mention my ride or die Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation. I had to get a darker shade before we left because my last color was already getting too light from my Belew’s Dairy Bar tan. This stuff is amazing! If you like a buildable, full coverage, matte, stay-until-you-wash-it-off foundation, you’re welcome, because this is the best! I’ve tried almost every foundation on the face of the earth and with my oily, problem skin this has been my saving grace! Can’t go anywhere without the double wear! I also packed my compact makeup bag, along with my favorite palettes. To work some magic on my beach hair, I always bring along my curling wand, dry shampoo, Chi Silk Infusion, and my Wet hair brush (this brush is amazing for thick, tangly hair). I normally just let my hair do it’s natural thing or braid it, but if I’m feeling frisky I will use my 2 inch style wand to get beautiful, wavy curls.

Accessories

I went light on the accessories. I brought 2 of my favorite pairs of sunglasses, a few of my go-to bracelets, and of course, my newest, most prized possession- my Beagle earrings!! I found them at the AQS Spring Quilt Show in Paducah for $8 and almost screamed with joy! I’m also planning on buying some new earrings when we go shopping in Apalachicola. Another accessory I’m super excited about is my new straw clutch! It was a steal at TJ Maxx for $24 and I got it in a beautiful coral color that’s perfect for summer!

What’s in my beach bag?

For the beach I packed a couple towels, some 30 SPF, a Yeti cup, SPF chapstick, headphones, and a couple good reads (Jane Eyre and the illustrated Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone).

Outfits

For this trip I packed:

3 dresses
2 coverups
4 off-the-shoulder tops
6 t shirts
3 tanks
6 pairs of shoes
– 1 pair of tennis shoes
– 2 pairs of Birkenstocks
– 1 pair of sandals
– 2 pairs of wedges
2 rompers
3 pairs of shorts
White capris
Denim distressed jeans
2 pairs of sunglasses
1 pair of sweats
2 pairs of sleep/exercise shorts
6 bathing suits
1 flannel
3 headbands
Extra bag for dirty clothes

I tend to overpack for vacation but I do have a method to my madness! Since I like to “dress for mood”, I bring several outfit options so I’m not stuck wearing something that I’m not feeling that day! Normally I bring enough outfits to have 3 left over that I won’t end up wearing.
I hope you found my packing tips helpful and I hope my favorite must-have products can become some of your new favorites too! Thank you so much for reading!!

With love,

Sweet Maddie Jane

Products mentioned:

Herbal Essences shampoo & conditioner- Walmart

SOO AE and Yes to Coconut masks- Walmart

Soap & Glory face wash and moisturizer- Ulta

Sun Bum SPF chapstick- Ulta

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

Sun Ripened Raspberry lotion– (it’s on sale for $6!!!)

Batiste Dry Shampoo- Walmart

Chi Silk Infusion- Sally’s

Wet Brush- Walmart

OPI nail polish- Ulta

Chanel Chance- Elder Beerman

Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation- Elder Beerman

Island Sun body spray- Victoria’s Secret

Colourpop “Bumble” lipstick

Kat Von D “Ludwig” lipstick- Sephora

Stilla “Venezia” lipstick- Ulta

Sunglasses- Ulta and Spice Market in Waco, TX

Jewelry- Ribbon Chix, Murray, KY

Beagle Earrings- AQS Quilt Show in Paducah

Coral Clutch- TJ Maxx

Beach bag- Francesca’s

Floppy Hat- thrift store

Straw hat- Hobby Lobby

Luggage- Amazon

Makeup bag- Estée Lauder gift

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit- Ulta

Morphe Jaclyn Hill Pallette- discontinued but they have so many awesome eyeshadow palettes for very cheap at www.morphebrushes.com

Beach towel- gift

Bathing suit- Urban Outfitters

Dress- Free People

Illustrated Harry Potter and the Pilosopher’s Stone- Shakespeare & Co., Paris

Jane Eyre- thrift store