One for the Road
Destination optional, soundtrack compulsory. While I may not be a huge fan of summer, road trips are a different story. There’s something about long drives, snack stopovers and in-car slumbers that feels to me the way reading a riveting book feels: an adventure awaits you at the end, but at the same time, another one is happening during the journey itself.
It’s been a year since my last road trip, so I figured I could use the last few hurrahs of the season to go on one. Before posting up snapshots and stories about that trip though, I’ve assembled together my road trip essentials to share with you guys. (A similar article appears on Beautybook, where I’m currently a contributor.)
The main key with summer dressing, especially for road trips, is to combine vibrant and happy with comfortable and laidback. Sunglasses, hat and earrings, SM Accessories.
Layer on a few colorful necklaces, like these Hodge Podge pendants with their inspiring and cute designs. Keep your hair in place with these bright The Lemonade Shop hair ties in lieu of scrunchies. These no-tangle ties are slowly becoming a trend in cities like London, because you can wear them on your wrist too.
Speaking of wrist, time flies when you’re having fun—let it show with a sparkling neon pink Fossil wristwatch.
All things bright and colorful. A summer road trip is probably the easiest to dress up for: it usually follows the formula of a tank top (more likely with a bikini top underneath), shorts and flip-flops. It’s so much fun because you can pretty much wear anything with anything. Go laidback and loud. Neon “Learn to Surf” tank top, Mint.
Jungle-printed shorts, Sugar Rush Closet.
Multi-color flip-flops, Banana Peel. Throw in a Banana Peel Foot Spray and Foot Blush to keep skin pretty and fresh-smelling. Banana Peel is currently working with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation Inc. so you’re doing your feet and the world some good.
All you’ll need is a cute bag to stash it in. This Ripcurl floral backpack is a gift from Sydney, and I love how it’s feminine without having to be pink or girly.
A huge part of traveling is collecting memories along the way. For this, I like to bring along my Fujifilm Instax camera with my favorite Hello Kitty and polka-dotted films, and a travel journal like this one sent by Lewis & Pearl to take notes. Find out what your journaling style is and have fun recording your happy days.
Scents play a huge part in making memories. Summer is a time to embrace a gung-ho attitude, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be as elegant and feminine as any other season—my personal favorites for this are Hugo Boss Jour Pour Femme and Hugo Boss Nuit Pour Femme. Jour means day, and this fragrance does smell like the first light of day, radiating and vibrant with a feeling of anticipation: “This will be your day.” It’s got a fresh lime and grapefruit accord, followed by a floral bouquet of honeysuckle and freesia, and a lingering earthy note of orris and creamy amber.
Nuit means night, and its nighttime counterpart promises to be a dazzling flowery and sensual fragrance that is ultimately feminine. With a composition of florals blended with a base of warm woods, dreamy sandalwood and crystal moss, this fragrance is just like a little black dress: makes you look forward to a great evening with the confidence of being perfectly put together, even in your summer #OOTD.
We all know that sunscreen is important, and that full-on face gunk isn’t always a good idea for summer road trips, where sweat and water are bound to be involved. But for girls who can’t step out of the house without makeup, here’s a suitable prod. Prevent wrinkles, blemishes, dark spots and uneven skin tone with a blemish balm cream like Pond’s Flawless White BB+ Whitening Expert BB Cream with SPF 30 PA++. It’s light and non-greasy, with just enough coverage and adequate protection (PA++ means it protects from both UVA and UVB rays).
Also needing protection is our hair. These days, there are sunscreen sprays to protect your tresses from sun damage as well. But don’t just stop at protecting: infuse tender loving care into your hair with a product like Tresemmé Keratin Smooth Nourishing Keratin Shampoo with a new lower-sulfate formula. It gently cleanses and smoothens hair, leaving it smooth and soft no matter how hot the temperature.
Hype this on Lookbook here, vote on Chictopia here. Giveaway alert: I’m giving away the perfume, BB cream and shampoo to my Twitter and Instagram followers @shailagarde. Just tweet and Instagram a photo with caption that answers this question: Before this summer ends, where would you go on a road trip to and why? It can be a photo of the place, a selfie, or a product shot. Post the link to your entries as a comment below (please make sure your account isn’t private). Most creative answer wins! :) Contest ends May 31.