Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Life

Essentials for the Most Instagrammable Beach Week Ever

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UVA chapter.

Hey Hoos! The semester might have come to an end, but #beachszn is just getting started! In the upcoming weeks, students will flock to the beach for some clean and not-so-clean debauchery, all of which is eventually posted to social media. Want to really flaunt your adorable beachy self on the ā€˜gram this year? Hereā€™s what you need for the most instagrammable beach week ever.

Ā 

(Also, none of this is sponsored, but… if anyone wants to hit me up… I wouldn’t be mad…)

Ā 

1. Sunscreen

First thingā€™s first: sunscreen. Thereā€™s not a single cute sunburn picture that has ever been posted to Instagram in the history of mankind. You know why? Because sunburns arenā€™t cute! Theyā€™re painful and are a surefire way to develop skin cancer, which is something no one wants from their beach week. Luckily for us, sunscreen has gotten pretty awesome recently. Itā€™s not sticky and gross, and it lasts much longer! I recommend picking up a bottle of Neutrogena Beach Defense Sunscreen before you caravan to the coast. Or, try something thatā€™s both weird and fun: Unicorn Snot Glitter Sunscreen! Protect your skin and sparkle at the same time!

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

2. A cute swimsuit and coverup

Unless youā€™re more of a sundress in the sand kind of girl (which I am), thereā€™s a good chance that your insta is begging you for a cute swimsuit picture. My favorite swim shop right now is Aerie. First of all, their stuff is SO CUTE, and you can mix and match basically everything! I also love their campaign for increased modeling diversity and not using photoshop on their pictures! Aerie just released a bunch of cute new suits and coverups (sometimes you need something to throw on while walking the Boardwalk) and I love all of them.

Buy on AE

Buy on AE

Buy on AE

Ā 

Ā 

Buy on AE

Ā 

3. Fun beach towels

Youā€™ll look adorable with these towels, whether youā€™re catching some rays or strolling the beach!

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

4. Sunglasses

Iā€™m obsessed with these rose gold sunnies! Cool sunglasses are a fun way to accessorize and put a pop into your outfit!

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

5. A huge floppy hat

Make a statement with a fun twist on the cliche beach hat! Big hats are also a plus because they protect you from the harsh UV rays (see above: skin cancer isnā€™t the desired outcome of beach week)

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

6. Fun floats

Okay, Iā€™ll admit, Iā€™m not actually that much of a beach person myself, so I donā€™t actually know if pool floaties are beach-practical. Iā€™m going to pretend they are, because look how ADORABLE this rose gold flamingo is! If a rose gold inflatable flamingo isnā€™t the most millennial thing youā€™ve read today, I donā€™t know what isā€¦

Buy at Target

Ā 

7. Beach bag

Okay, while you might not want to take a picture of your beach bag (although you totally could because this one is super cute), itā€™s important to have. The last thing you want is a high-tide wave soaking all of your stuff, Instagrammable or not.

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

8. A good book

Okay, now weā€™ve reached the point where weā€™re going to pretend like we actually read in our freetime, for the ā€˜gram. Or maybe your academic required reading hasnā€™t burned you out, and you still actually enjoy it! Either way, snag a good beach read! Iā€™ve been told good things about these books, so download the Kindle app on your phone and get reading!.

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

9. Hydration and Safety

Tied with sunscreen, this is probably the most important part. Listen, we all know that beach week has aā€¦ reputation. Similar to sunburns, you know what else isnā€™t cute? Alcohol poisoning. Liquid IV is supposed to be amazing for rehydration (especially after over-drinking), but trusty olā€™ Gatorade always comes in clutch too. It even comes in powder packs so you can drink it on the go! (Note: please donā€™t put your Gatorade powder in vodka. It defeats the purpose and also is kinda gross.)

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Ā 

ALRIGHTY, youā€™re set for the cutest beach week on Earth! Make sure to post all the cutest pics on Insta so @hercampusatuva can like all of your adorable posts. And remember: be safe, wear sunscreen, stay hydrated, and stick with a buddy!

Ā 

Bonus beach week tip: https://media.giphy.com/media/rnsLyQyC5NTri/giphy.gif

Ā 

Hi! I'm Summer! I'm a fourth-year biology major at the University of Virginia, and President/Campus Correspondent for HCUVA. I love HC because it elevates the female voice and provides a platform for my passions in an awesome #girlsquad community! I hope you enjoy my articles as much as I enjoyed writing them. Thanks for checking out my page, and happy reading!