Summertime essentials for the beach or pool
By Carla Snuggs 

Summer is one of my favorite seasons! The beautiful sunny days, long summer nights and plenty of time at the beach and pool. There are some lifestyle, beauty and fashion products that I personally don’t want to be without this summer. Here is a roundup of some of my favorite products that I use at the beach, poolside, or at the lake! 

Ellie Hayes Cap

I’m big on sun protection and when I’m not wearing a huge floppy wide-brimmed beach hat, I love Ellie Hayes Caps.  Ellie Hayes is a new lifestyle brand which takes the 5-panel cap to a whole new level with a variety of fun prints in bold colors for every fashion savvy hat-lover. Ellie Hayes caps are made in the U.S. and a portion of each sale goes to Clinics of Hope, a non-profit organization that builds medical clinics in sub-Saharan Africa. Summer fashion with a cause, what's not to love!? My fave: The Story of Hawaiian Wood (Shown, $34, Elliehayescaps.com). 

AquaVault

You will thank me for sharing this with you! AquaVault is a beach safe that attaches to a lounge chair to store your valuables while you go for a swim. The safe integrally attaches to a lounge chair and locks with a three digit combination that is unique to each user. I’m always worried about leaving my valuables while swimming since theft is a huge problem at beaches and resorts and AquaVault deters thieves. It’s brilliant! ($39.95, Theaquavault.com). 

Sunology's SPF 50 Sunscreen for the Face

When it comes to sunscreen for my face, I love Sunology's SPF 50 Sunscreen for the Face because it lacks chemical ingredients and reflects the sun from on the skin, rather than being absorbed into it. Great for sensitive skin, it’s ultra-moisturizing. Sunology's SPF 50 Sunscreen for the Face perfect for the beach and pool because it’s water resistant up to 80 minutes ($14.99, Sunology.com).

Palais des Thés  Ice Tea Blend and Aqua Thermos

The renowned French tea brand Palais des Thés offers thirst-quenching, delicious, all-natural iced tea blends, perfect preparation techniques, and a pretty aqua thermos to carry it with you to the beach or pool.  My favorite flavor is Thé du Hammam. It’s inspired by a Turkish recipe with a subtle combination of Chinese green tea and rich, fruity aromas of rose, green date, berries and orange flower water. It’s great for the beach or pool because you steep the teabag in room temp water in your gorgeous thermos for 30 minutes and voila!  ($12.50,  Us.palaisdesthes.com) 

Skinn Cosmetics’ Pro Studio FX Matte Shadow & Lip Portfolio

These days, I don’t go anywhere without my Skinn Cosmetics’ Pro Studio FX Matte Shadow & Lip Portfolio and yes I use it on pool days. Sometimes, hanging out poolside means looking great while networking.  Skinn Cosmetics’ Pro Studio FX Matte Shadow & Lip Portfolio is a must-have professional-caliber color palette that provides all the tools used by today’s number one make-up artists.  Skinn’s soft, matte formulations are infused with vitamins and peptides that not only provide superb anti-aging benefits, but also contain color-intense shades to create the look you want. There are eight neutral eyeshadows  that complement every eyelid. The eight lipsticks are a rich, velvety formula designed to hydrate  so they’re perfect for a hot day! Tuck this portfolio in your beach bag and touch up as needed ($39.50, Skinn.com). 

UrbanHalo Headband

UrbanHalo, the fashionable and functional, no-slip headband made with sustainable waterless inks in the USA! UrbanHalos come in a vast array of bright and colorful patterns and designs, making them a stylish accessory for all summer beach outings! They keep windblown hair off of my face and are also functional enough to stay in place without causing headaches. My favorite UrbanHalo style is Red Velvet (Shown, $15, Myurbanhalo.com). 

Straw Envy

Straw Envy turns your beach and poolside drinks into a stylish accessory. The collection of reusable drinking straws are super fun and are dentist-recommended as a way to help keep your teeth white. It’s a lipstick saver (don’t waste that Chanel Glossimer on your coffee tops), an accessory for your mani (add some additional sparkle to your hands while holding your “to-go” drink) and it keeps teeth white and healthy as some drinks dull our teeth while others decay them with their high sugar content. Everyone asks where did you get your straw? Here: ($29.99, Strawenvy.com). 

Some products received for editorial consideration//all opinions are my own.

What are your summertime must-haves? Leave your comments below!