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The stuff that lives in my beach bag from May to September. Most of it’s under $15, all of it’s at the drugstore, and a few of these I’d buy even if I could afford fancier.
One of my guilty pleasures is wandering the drugstore aisles to see what treasures are hiding in there. I’m not looking for anything in particular. I just like to see what’s new, what’s cheap, and what I can’t leave without. Over the years that habit has stealthily stocked my entire beach bag — and honestly, a few of these I’d reach for over the expensive stuff. Here’s what’s rattling around mine right now.
Neutrogena Rainbath. My desert-island pick, no contest. I’ve used it for years and honestly I keep it around for the spa-like smell, which does something specific and wonderful on warm, tan skin. It’s a body wash, but I use it as a shave gel too. Around $11.
Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam, Ultra Dark. My one real splurge, and the one I’ll defend hardest. I go Ultra Dark because that’s just where I live, but there’s Light/Medium and Dark if you want to work up to it. Here’s the part nobody believes until they try it: it smells like coconut, and it doesn’t have that biscuity self-tanner reek. Mitt, six to eight hours, rinse with warm water. Around $25–30, cheaper at Walmart or Target.
CeraVe Hydrating Sheer Sunscreen SPF 30. Non-negotiable, and I say that as someone who avoided “sheer” sunscreens for years because I assumed sheer meant useless. This one isn’t. It goes on like a thin lotion with no white cast, and it’s gentle enough that I’ll put it on my face. The bottle’s big, so it covers your body too — which matters when you’re reapplying all afternoon. Around $15.
La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5. My repair tube. Sunburn, chapped cheeks, the raw spot where a sandal strap rubbed all weekend — I put this on at night, and it’s sorted by morning. Yes, it’s a splurge for a drugstore list. I’ve repurchased it more times than anything else here, so I’ve made my peace with that. Around $15–17.
Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant. The cheap everyday one. It smells like cocoa butter and a little like vacation, and it keeps my shins from going dry after a salty week. About the least expensive thing on this whole list, too. Around $6.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (the pink cap). The pink one’s for normal-to-combination skin, and it’s how I get sunscreen and sweat off my face on the nights when a real cleanse just isn’t happening. One cotton round and you’re done. I keep a travel size for the drive home. Around $9.
A drugstore body oil for your shins and shoulders. A little Vaseline Gel Oil swiped down the front of your legs makes a tan read lit-from-within in photos. Go easy with it. Around $6.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rum Raisin (535). An oldie but a goodie. On tan skin, it’s that perfect brown-berry that somehow looks good on everybody, and it’s creamy enough that it never goes dry on me. The gold tube still feels a little glamorous, even when I’m applying it in a car mirror. Around $7–9.
Maybelline Great Lash (the pink-and-green tube). The one we all started with. It rinses off after a swim, it costs about seven bucks, and I don’t panic if it vanishes into the sand. Around $7.
L’Oréal Voluminous Original in Deep Green (shade 960). My trick for days I don’t want to do my eyes at all. The green-black makes the whites of your eyes look clearer and your lashes darker, so you get definition without touching liner or shadow. Nobody ever clocks that it’s green. They just think you look awake. Get the washable one, not waterproof. Around $10.
Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer. The one that smells like a coconut on a beach towel.
You’ll know it the second you open the compact. It’s a creamy-powder hybrid, so it doesn’t go dusty or fake-orange; just a warm wash over the high points of your face. Comes with its own little mirror and sponge, which is exactly what you want when you’re getting ready in a parking lot. Around $15.
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer. That cushiony sponge tip is perfect for touch-ups under the eyes, around the nose, wherever the sun finds you. Blends with a fingertip. Lives in the front pocket of my bag. Around $12.
e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick. One little bullet that does cheeks, lips, and a wash over the eyelids if you want it — cream-to-powder, so it won’t slide off in the heat the way powder blush does. Bronzed Cherry and Luminous Berry are the warm shades that look right on tan skin. About ten dollars, and it lives in my bag year-round, not just at the beach. Around $10.
A lip balm with actual SPF. Your lips burn too, and everyone forgets them. Sun Bum makes a version that smells like a holiday. Reapply whenever you redo your face. Around $5–8.
Mermade No-Crease Clips. Never underestimate a good clip. These are cellulose acetate instead of plastic, so they hold damp hair up off your neck without leaving a dent or a crease when you take them down. They’re also pretty enough to wear out, which is the whole appeal — function that doesn’t look like function. Around $10–12.
A mini Wet Brush. Salt and wind make knots, and a normal brush will just tear through them. The little travel Wet Brush gets through wet hair without the breakage. Around $9.
TIGI Bed Head Salty Not Sorry texturizing spray. For the days you want to lean into beach hair instead of fighting it. A few spritzes on damp hair, scrunch, let it air-dry, and you get that piecey, undone wave without setting foot in the actual ocean. It’s also the rare salt spray that doesn’t leave my ends feeling like straw. Around $15.
A wide-tooth comb and a travel Batiste dry shampoo, for the mornings when day-two beach hair needs a little help looking intentional. A few dollars each.
And one thing that has nothing to do with beauty: my latest snack obsession is LesserEvil Himalayan Sweetness popcorn in there too. Sweet, salty, doesn’t melt. I will eat the entire bag before I remember to reapply my sunscreen. Goes well with a beach read and an Arnold Palmer.
The ideas expressed here are solely the opinions of the author and are not researched or verified by AGEIST LLC, or anyone associated with AGEIST LLC. This material should not be construed as medical advice or recommendation, it is for informational use only. We encourage all readers to discuss with your qualified practitioners the relevance of the application of any of these ideas to your life. The recommendations contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. You should always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before starting any new treatment or stopping any treatment that has been prescribed for you by your physician or other qualified health provider. Please call your doctor or 911 immediately if you think you may have a medical or psychiatric emergency.
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