While some opted for the beach and others took it easy, I, surprisingly for those who know me, opted to go camping in the woods. While I honestly love the great outdoors,  being surrounded by ticks and bugs without a clean shower or running water for miles,  made me honestly appreciate all our beauty and grooming essentials we sometimes take for granted.

While it was nice to get in touch with Mother Nature and spend some quality one on one time with my boyfriend, I found myself longing for a few basic beauty and personal care products I now realize I could honestly never live without. Here is my list:

1. Facial Cleansing Cloths – No water? No worries. Whether camping in the woods or sleeping on a friend’s couch, it is always great to be able to wash you face anytime, anywhere. The cloths I had on hand were Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes.

Another honestly great make-up removing cloth? Olay Definity Illuminating Make-Up Remover Towelettes. These cloths are great to stick in your purse for all you girls on the go!

2. Exfoliating Facial Cleanser – While we are still on the topic of skincare, after a day in the dirt there is nothing I want to do more than scrub my face! When my face feels clean, I feel clean, and the honestly best solution for a dirty face is exfoliating. While your removing all the dirt, why not remove all those dead skin cells as well? The product with me in the great outdoors was Thymes Essentials - basic in a beautiful way - Face Polish which gently exfoliated my skin with a fine silica powder while aloe vera and glycerine gently soothed and moisturized. Talk about refreshing! I could not have survived my trip without this product.

Another all time favorite exfoliating face wash? St. Ives Apricot Scrub is an oldie but a goodie.   

3.  Spray in Conditioner – I have thick, curly hair which is often unmanageable so whether I am camping in a tent, lounging on the beach in the salty air, or just getting out of the shower, I honestly appreciate a product that can make your hair silky, smooth, and easy to comb with the push of a spritzer. While camping, I nearly finished a bottle of my Alberto VO5 Detangle & Shine Restoring Daily Leave-in Conditioner. Not only does this product do the trick, but it is reasonably priced and can be found at a mass retailer near you.
 
4. Eye Drops – Between allergy season and staring at a computer all day, my eyes tend to get very dry. Stick me in the middle of the woods and dryness of the eyes increases ten fold! My travel sized Refresh Tears Lubricant Eye Drops were honestly a Godsend in the great outdoors.

Want some other options? My friends and I refer to Rohto V Arctic, Soothing Eye Strain Drops as the “Miracle Drops”. These drops seriously do the trick and are perfect for tired eyes, but I must warn you they may prove too intense for some.

Since I wear contacts, a classic option is always Visine for Contacts Lubricating & Rewetting Drops.

5. Chap stick – What is honestly worse than chapped lips? From the great outdoors to the big city I cannot live with out my chap stick! Under lip stick, gloss, or totally by itself chap stick always does the job. In my opinion, every man, woman, and child should always carry chap stick. My all time fav? None other than ChapStick Classic Original Flavor. This ChapStick chap stick is completely natural, colorless, odourless, and easy to find as this product is at just about at every checkout counter known to man.

Also great? OraLabs’ Chap-Ice which has an SPF 15.

6. Hand Sanitizer/Wipes – Hand sanitizer and/or hand wipes are ideal to have by your side in the great outdoors as there are not many options for cleanliness, but hand sanitizer is especially important during recent times of Swine Flu epidemic. An honestly good idea to keep in you purse - try buying travel sized Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer.

A must have for your make-up bag? Travel size Wet Ones Flushables, Personal Cleansing Wipes, with Aloe, Vitamin E & Witch Hazel

7. Bug Spray – While honestly not used in my everyday routine, last but not least, bug spray was my ultimate key to survival in the great outdoors.

Want something that is multifunctional? Choose Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus Insect Repellent Moisturizing Lotion w/ SPF 30 This product can go beyond the woods into your backyard for a late night BBQ or stroll on the beach with moisturizer, bug guard, and sun screen all in one.

For when bugs are at their worst, OFF! Deep Woods® Sportsmen is what puts me at ease.

The next time you decide to venture out and brave the great outdoors, I hope my essentials will prove a useful checklist for all you nature lovers out there as well those of you who, like myself, tend to be a little high maintenance. 

Bon voyage and Have  an Honestly Beautiful Day,