What's in my beach bag

This year has been a special year for me and as a result, I got to travel abroad twice. Back in April, I went to Tenerife with my friends for my hen do and more recently, I travelled to Mexico with my husband for our honeymoon.

I love spending days by the beach or pool so a beach bag to pack all my essentials is…essential! I know it's now September but lots of people love the winter sun plus it's cheaper to travel now the kids are back at school. I don't have that option as I work in a school so I always have to travel during peak season.

First up is my trusty Cath Kidston bag. This is the perfect weekend bag and has served me well over the years. It's also well travelled – it's been to Majorca, Ibiza, Tenerife and Mexico! As the bag is coated with PVC, it makes it the perfect beach bag as it is easy to keep clean and it's fairly waterproof.

Obviously, I need a swimsuit for the beach and this beautiful bikini* is from George at Asda. It's actually Rory's favourite from my collection and I have about 10! It's great value and the quality is great – it still looks brand new after being in the Caribbean Sea, the swimming pool and the washing machine! I definitely recommend swimwear from George at Asda. You can check out the full collection here.

We didn't actually need to take beach towels to Mexico as our resorts provided them but I did for Tenerife. How awesome is this one from South Beach**?! Plus it's named Veronica which is my mother-in-law's name! (Fun fact for you!)

These are actually prescription sunglasses as I wear glasses or contacts everyday. Without them I suffer from serious headaches. I love these ones and for prescription sunglasses there pretty fashionable! I'm part of Boots' loyalty scheme therefore I get glasses and sunglasses for half price. These were still expensive at £75 but they are a necessity for me.

A cover up is a must for travelling to and from the beach and also for those days when the sun is extremely hot. This was my favourite during the summer as it was easier to put on and take off without rubbing off my suncream. Plus it got lots of compliments! It's only from H&M but I bought it a couple of years ago.

Flip flops – I'm not sure these need an explanation! These beautiful sandals are from Primark and they're actually really comfortable.

Suncream is an essential especially in the Mexican sun. I wore at least factor 30 and avoided the midday sun every day as it was just unbearable. It was also extremely humid so that made it feel worse. I'm getting very sensible in my old age and married life!

My hair is extremely dry and damaged already so a UV hair protector is a must. I usually buy one prior to my holiday but I noticed my heat protector includes a UV filter. I love 2 in 1 products as they free up more room in my suitcase!

Lots of people forget their lips but protecting your lips from UV rays is so important. I have never burnt my lips but I never want to. This lip balm is only about £1 from boots but it provides SPF 15.

This was amazing in Mexico and may have actually saved our lives! One day we went to see some Mayan ruins but we were out in the sun at 11am with very little seabreeze to cool us down. Needless to say we were HOT! It did an excellent job at cooling us down and making us feel refreshed.

I couldn't spend the day at the beach or by the pool without my book and music to entertain me. You can see this and two other books which I read Mexico here. I love nothing more than relaxing on the beach, getting lost in a book and listening to music and pretending I'm the only one there. (I can't be the only one!)

What are your beach essentials? 

Rachel x

*PR sample

**Goodie bag