My mom told me there'd be days like these

Some days even an optimist like myself is pretty sure the world is out to get her. The past 24 hours have been the sort of "does someone have a voodoo doll with my name on it?" type that can surely get a girl down. Fresh off my 2nd knee surgery (ouch) and not being able to sleep (so cranky!) is just the tip of the iceberg, but it has really got me dreaming of a much-needed

vacation. That being said, rather than let my bad luck foul up my mood anymore, I've decided to do a vacation-inspired post.Let's use our imagination that we're not in the middle of a harsh winter, but we're on a beach instead. Think of that Corona commercial with the man and the woman on a sandy beach. Nothing but ice cold beverages and blue water stretched out in front of us...I'm thinking we're in Mexico. That may or may not be because of my love for margs and because there is a sale on Gilt City right now.

Photos courtesy of Gilt City.

Anyhoo...Since we had to leave for our vacation in a hurry to avoid a mental breakdown of sorts, you musn't worry about beauty essentials because I've packed them all. It does pay to keep a blogger around as a friend! Here's what I brought with us:

Sensai sun-care products

Photos courtesy of Sensai by Kanebo.

Although I love the sun, there's no way I'm down with prematurely aging my skin. Sensai has a great line of sun-care products that have UV protection and help to preserve the skin's regenerative power. Sensai Sun Protective Emulsion for body (SPF 20) doesn't smell like your normal SPF and it has peach seed extract to help preventing spotting, while evening out the skin tone. The Sun Protective Cream for face (SPF 30) also has this peach seed extract, so these formulas are perfect for those who are prone to sun spots. Though I love the sun protection products, my fave has to be the Silky Bronze Soothing After-Sun Mask. Once again this product is designed to give you an even complexion (by controlling melanin production levels in the skin) without splotchiness, but the magic is all about the cooling effect. This mask cools you down after a long day in the heat, while moisturizing the skin. And of course I've thought of the day we have to go back... We're definitely going to be using the Silky Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion to prolong our sun-kissed glow. But let's not think about that yet!

Next on the list of stuff I packed is a hair product that just launched: Leonor Greyl's Lait Luminscence. This is a hair smoothing milk in a spray formulation, which I've never seen before. The best part is that it has UV protection, so our hair will be smooth, shiny, and protected. This moisture-packed combo of Alaria Esculenta (a seaweed extract), Cassia Angustifolia (plant-derivative used for manageability), and Manketti Oil (protects from heat & sun) is a must-have for our beach bags.

Photo courtesy of Leonor Greyl

Lastly, we're going to need some clothes for the SS2011 New York Fashion Week shows to take with us. Granted we'll prob spend most of our time in bikinis by the pool, I suppose we'll need some clothes to go out in. This is what I'm bringing, in my extremely active imagination...

A dinner dress and a going-out dress from Jill Stuart (photos courtesy of Bonita's World):

I need this whole look from Thuy!

Bedazzled look from Rosa Cha (photo courtesy of Bonita's World):

Lightweight dress with perforations from Cynthia Rowley:

Sexy sweater from Cushnie Et Ochs for when it's cold at night:

Maxi dress from Alexander Berardi: