You've put your holiday wardrobe out on the bed. You've taken away half of it. Now what are those summer essentials you just mustn't forget?
Hat
Your mother was right, you know - you should always wear a hat when you're in the sun to fend off sun-stroke and to stop your hairline from burning. The shops are full of candy-coloured stetsons at the moment, but because we're no cowboys, we went for this cute sherbet pink number from Kangol instead. Pink Kangol hat, £19, Clery's, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1.
Fake Tan
Smart girls have been faking it for years, so layer on some self-tanning lotion for a golden glow without the burn. Fans of the St Tropez tan swear by this completely natural-looking, all-over body treatment; it's available at Clare McKeon's Bliss beauty salon in Sandycove, where you can also buy the lotion in a bottle for sneaky holiday top-ups. St Tropez tan, £35 for full body treatment, Bliss Salon, 30 Sandycove Road, Co Dublin.
Sunglasses
Recent research has proved what bargain hunters had guessed all along - cheap lenses often offer just as much protection from the sun as the more ex pensive designer shades. Which is very good news when the folks at River Island are selling wannabe Versace diamante glasses for a fraction of Versace's prices. Diamante trim glasses, £16.99, River Island, Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
Embroidered Slippers
When Paul Smith first started selling sequinned slippers last summer he probably had no idea that shoes with detail would take over the high street with quite such ferocity. They're easy to wear and they give instant boho chic to an otherwise plain outfit. Slippers with flower detail, £49, Buffalo, Exchequer Street, Dublin 2
Scarlet Lipstick
The easiest way to look glamorous in the sun without the hassle of hours of preparation is to put in some productive hours by the pool painting your nails a vampish red so you can just apply a matching lipstick just before you go out. Everyone should be a scarlet woman sometimes. Helena Rubinstein's Ritual Rouge lipstick, £14; Ritual Colour nail varnish, £12, Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
Sun Screen
Even if you're a sun-worshipper, you should be slapping on the sun cream on holiday - really, honestly, truly, you'll still get a sun tan. P20 might not look like the most glamorous sun cream in the world but you only have to apply it once a day, and you're still sure to come up a good golden colour. P20, £11.95, avail- able at chemists nationwide.
Something Dotty
It seems that all the world has gone dotty this summer, and although we'll all be sick of them by the autumn, no holiday wardrobe is complete without at least one dotty item. Still, there's no point splashing out too much cash on such a directional look so why not scoop this tie-neck top from River Island and bring a touch of Miss Prim to the beach. Tie-neck top, £24.99, River Island, Grafton Street, Dublin 2.
