I am in a quiet part of Pag while writing this text. Finally, I have some fine color to me. Many of my acquaintances will comment on how little I have tanned, since I've been at the seaside for 15 straight days. My light complexion makes me somewhat skeptical of sun and I am not a big fan, although it relaxes me, I cannot stand the heat. I'm not the one to lay in the sun to get a tan. I love tan in summer, but I like to focus on holiday part of it, inner feeling of relaxation, without the imperative of looking like I was at the beach. There is no “have to” days, we just go with the flow. I am living with my mother's principle in mind – vacation in not military exercise. Mom knows. Even though I love relaxation and peace, I still need some dynamics, so Šibenik was right for me for the first part of the vacation. I can be still for three days.

Since I live in the north, my complexion is even more light. Denmark is inevitably making me lighter, regardless of all the vitamin D that I take every day. Bearing in mind Croatian summer heat and my Denmark complexion, at the end of June I decided to go to the solarium several times. That sound like a bad idea, right? I did not have a bite of bad conscience because they have a new solarium that imitates the midday sun and you do not have the smell of burnt skin that I remember from some ancient phases. Short amount of time in there and no face lamps for me. Naturally, nobody even noticed that I have some skin tone. Now you know how light my complexion is.

Regardless of temperatures, the sun is different up there and my face is covered all day everyday with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturizer SPF 30  and rarely with Kiehl's Powerful Wrinkle Reducing Cream or at least with Origins VitaZing SPF 15 Energy-boosting moisturizer. For the last couple of years, my daily routine consists of Origins little guy that dupes for my foundation. I do not use it in the summer, but I recommend it if you like light coverage and overall freshnes. It has a slight greyish tone so it looks amazing on everyone who needs some glow and perfection.

For protection during sunbathing, I am using Avene SPF 30 + spray and it is excellent. Lightweight texture, fine scent and some shine. Even looks great on my face. While I was buying Avene spray, I was offered Eau Thermale After-Sun Repair Creamy Gel so I jumped on the wagon. This is a revelation to me. I wnt trough my fair share of repair and protect variants last year, like Lancaster and Nivea, but this is much better. Liquid texture that cools and nourishes with super neutral scent.

For the past seven years I have been traveling a lot, almost always the same route Denmark - Croatia, which was very intensive for a year and a half. You get to know airports, chewing gum prices, and you look familiar to every single staff member on that route. Packaging becomes a dream, fast and efficient - both cosmetics and clothes. Tracking weather and plane conditions just means healthy looking skin with some preparation. It seems like I’ve been programmed. I usually book morning flights and my duty-free stops are reserved for getting water. Not gifts or cosmetics, just plain old water. I open one bottle immediately, because I need more water in the morning. I only drink coffee at the transfer airport, one for the whole trip. I don’t drink them on planes because I don’t like the taste. At the transfer airport, I take one more water. I have almonds, walnuts and my favorite Danish snack - cinnamon crackers with me. Sometimes I take a fruit smoothie and mandatory chocolate, not some black healthy one, but coconut, raisins or honey ones or some Belgian chocolate. It's not that I eat large quantities, but they are a constant. The fat is healthy and good for the skin as well as cocoa. It also makes me happy. A snack on the plane in a no go for me, but if it's afternoon or evening flight, I'll take some beer or wine and a little bit of salty snack. Morning flights mean me carrying my own food, while in the afternoon I usually try out food at airports, some bio variants or something of more substance, not to say junk, especially if I'm with my husband. I do not carry or eat fruit and I do not eat them in the morning after the incident in Milan last year, when I barely recovered from one apple. Lesson learned.

I made my morning routine a year ago - facial cleansing with my Eau Thermal Avene Micellar Lotion. Kiehl's Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence goes next, and then Kiehl's moisturizer. Under eye area is for Kiehl's Super Multi Corrective Eye Opening Serum and Eye Cream. I combine the two with Avocado or Rosa Arctica Eye cream. Lately, I take a small dose of moisturizers with me on the plane and apply it at the end of the flight or as needed. I call it "wake up sleepy cream" because you really feel more fresh. There is also a very nice "miracle" CHANEL Hydra Beauty Gel Yeux which cools undereye area and is my trick pony from production days and early shootings. I also have some little bit of makeup on me - CHANEL blush and eye pencil and, of course, melem (Croatian product). My hands are dry so I have L'Occitane Almond Delicious Hands cream for the summer because of its light texture. Love me some Neutrogena in winter. I'm very picky when it comes to scents and textures, but not to be too demanding, I like to try things out, and whenever there is somethingI like, I'm using it years to come.

As far as other products are concerned, I take a lot of things, but I do not take all my creams and micellar water. I take small doses or buy something new to finally try out. Brave of me. This year I've tried Kiehl's Rare Deep Pore Cleansing Mask and it's good, but I'm still researching and testing masks. I am also satisfied with the Origins Active Charcoal Mask. I bought a new, but already a cult classic, micellar Bioderma Sensibio H2O water, and it’s fine. I take Nivea Express Hydration Body Lotion for my skin. I usually use Body Shop Shea Butter, but it was not travel-friendly. Now I'm missing this richer texture because the water in Croatia is a lot harder and I immediately feel it on me. I have more body milk - Byredo perfume Bal 'da Afrique. I transferred it to a small dose, because I need it for my upper body while I'm out and about. It's beautiful. For a long time I've been practicing body lotion in the summer because perfumes are too much, but this really has a great texture and a mild odor. I must admit that with years population density of bottles on my bathroom sink grows, although I do not think I use a lot of it. Until a few years ago, I didn’t know what toner was, although I was using advanced Malin + Goetz serum with vitamin E in 2009, perhaps too early.

Upon arriving at the seaside, I needed a little bit of adapting, but also restraint from too much enthusiasm of beach in two in the afternoon. I can do it, I only needsome time, which is not great. I drink water from morning to night. A liter and a half-bottled water is my main accessory and got water covered for the beach. I tend to lose my appetite and I have to eat even more healthier. This year, however, my break started at the Love Interantional Festival, so I first crushed a Submarine Burger and their French fries with truffles and a burger wrap. I was only one day at the festival so I quickly returned to my routine, and the other day we went to a fine restaurant and cooked food. My summer food routine includes a lot of healthy fats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, chia, coconut oil, but also homemade butter, olive oil, cheese, eggs, fish, vegetables, some fruits and occasional meat. I eat everything and every meal, but my dinner is the main course, because it's too hot for me during the day. For breakfast, I will usually have a smoothie and oatmeal with apple, chia, coconut oil and cinnamon, which I have been loving for years. I've been making bread with nuts, homemade butter and homemade apricot jam. Along with that one coffee with sugar and whole milk, I try to make it my only one. I do not drink alcohol either, often just one drink in the evening and that's it. Two for the weekend if it's in a company. It sounds very boring, but I feel great, full of energy, which then reflects nicely on the skin. Let's say that the heat this year has been painless, at least in this city. I always have a bottle of water with me and my La Roche Posay thermal water.

As for the evening routine and removing makeup, I am skin-natzi and there are no excuses, tiredness, festivals… Last time I didn’t remove my makeup was ten years ago. Here is my routine - micellar water and Kiehl's tonic, Kiehl's Rosa Arctica Lightweight Cream for face and serum and eye care. I put Kiehl's or CHANEL Hydra serum, or instead I apply Kiehl's Midinight Recovery Concentrate or Dermalogica oil instead of cream. A lot of Kiehl's, I know, but I'm using it since 2009. I recently added an extract of imortelle oil to the moisturizer, because my friend makes it - fine, richer. I did not quite agree with the serums and I want something new. I think I'll visit Biologique Recherche.

After two weeks at sea, I feel total relaxation. On Pag there is something different, easier, with plenty of reading and swimming, some more food, beer, and more sugar - ice cream, chocolate and home-made fruit. For years I have come at least for a day here at the same place, and the first thing I've got to get are dairy products, apricots, fine oils, and a wonderful neighbor gave me some precious homemade tomatoes. Since I was up in Denmark, the taste of our vegetables is a whole new excitement. As far as skin care is concerned, everything is the same, but I did not wear make-up, and clothes wrapping clothes. I do go to the beach during the day, it makes more sense for me to refresh in the sea. I also cannot wait all day because pleasant sun is spoiled by crowds on the beach.

At the end of the month, I'm going back to Denmark and I'll probably wear the same sweater I came in, so it will not matter what kind of tan I have. It can be hasty transition, even more so if it rains. I just find solace in fine Belgian chocolate.

Have a great summer.