You’d think that by now, after living in England all my life, I’d be used to the disappointment of the British Summer. But nope! Every year, I’m hopeful! And EVERY YEAR, we’re disappointed! I suppose this is just the beginning so I am remaining wishful, and it’s starting to feel humid which is a start!
I was still wearing my Winter red tartan scarf up until last week but once I can properly emerge from my cosy fluffy clothes, I’ll be putting more effort in to getting my skin looking decent for this so-called Summer! Y’know, so I don’t look like an absolute lizard in my Summer time outfits!
10 Summer Beauty Essentials
Luckily, to spare my friends and family the sight of my scaly skin, I’ve got my Summer beauty essentials in my stash ready to be used! And the 10 beauty products that I’ll be using to prep my skin this Summer are:
GRADUAL TAN
He-Shi Day to Day Gradual Tan, £14.50
I used this during May when we had about 3 days of sunshine and I was really impressed with it! i absolutely love gradual tans, they’re my favourite type of self-tanning products due to how easy and quick they are to use. It hasn’t got that typical fake tan scent, it doesn’t transfer and lasts for up to 7 days.
He-Shi Day To Day Gradual Tan looks like a lotion and it goes on clear so you have to concentrate when you’re applying it so not to miss any parts of your body. As long as you’ve applied evenly (it’s a lotion formula, so it’s easy), it won’t appear streaky. You can use all over the body or just wherever you want to such as arms and legs.
It’s best to apply it after your evening bath (don’t forget to exfoliate!) so that it absorbs in to the skin and let the tan develop overnight. You’ll definitely see a difference in the morning!
BODY SCRUBS
Talking of exfoliating, this scrub from Dames and Dimes is a great one to smooth and prep your skin before applying fake tan. It’s a 100% natural sea salt scrub with a touch of essential oils. It’s quite a dry scrub with every handful containing salt, so as it’s very gritty it is perhaps not so suitable if you have sensitive skin.
But if you’re after a scrub that’s serious about removing dead skin cells and rough patches, do check out the Lime Salt Scrub from Dames and Dimes.
This is a new launch from Melvita. This L’Or Rose Refining Body Scrub is a 2-in-1 shower gel and body scrub. The gel turns in to a soft cream with rosehip, argan, and sugar being the main exfoliant particles, which are sparse but more than enough to smooth the skin. It has a blend of rose and pink berries so it smells really great!
SHIMMER BODY OIL
Rosie Huntington Whiteley’s beauty range for Autograph at M&S have proved to be very popular. A new shimmery body oil has been added to the range just in time for Summer! Shimmery body oils are fab for accentuating your tan and gives your skin a healthy-looking bronzed glow.
This body oil has very subtle tiny flecks of gold which sure enhance your tan! It has camellia and sweet almond oil to moisturise your skin and prevent it from feeling dry. It’s has a lovely rose scent to it which isn’t overpowering at all. The oil itself is just like any other dry oil – it’s soaks in to skin immediately, dries within seconds, and is non-greasy.
BRONZING POWDER
He-Shi’s Fusion Multi Bronze*
I’ve raved about Benefit’s Hoola more than enough on here, I’m sure you’re only sick of hearing about it! So, I decided to try something different and He-Shi’s Fusion Multi Bronze has really caught my eye.
It cost around £16-£17.50, I would expect the packaging to be a bit more premium but granted, He-Shi is not a make-up brand and I think this bronzer is the only cosmetic products they have. The performance of the product itself makes up it. You can get it for £10.95 in the sale from Superdrug at the moment.
It has four tones to it which combined gives a sheer, natural-looking golden bronze. It has an ever so slightly lustre finish, it’s really subtle and it doesn’t doesn’t show up that strongly once applied to skin.
SPF
Avon Sun+ Very Water Resistant Moisturising Sun Spray*
I’ve been writing a few blogposts for Avon lately and have discovered a lot of great beauty products of theirs. I received this SPF spray as part of a feature I was writing for Avon, and I think it’s going to be perfect for stay-cations in the UK. I’ll probably use this every day… well, on the days when I’m not completely covered up in knitwear! This clear, non-sticky SPF spray is a factor 15 but I also have a bottle in SPF30 too.
BODY BUTTER
We all love body butters, right? Sometimes they can be really pricy but these two from Mandara Spa only cost £5 each! It’s so affordable! And it is just as good as the cult classics from The Body Shop and Soap & Glory, and they’re even free from the nasties such as SLS, SLES, parabens, and mineral oils.
Mandara Spa are a brilliant brand and great value for money, so keep your eyes peeled for these next time you’re in Sainsbury’s. It comes in two exotic scents; Ylang Ylang & Coconut, and Lime & Coconut. The Ylang Ylang one is my favourite out of the two.
FOOT CREAM
I apply foot cream every night before I go to bed as I like to take care of my feet, especially around this time of year when the sandals come out of storage!
The Foot Doctor from Dames and Dimes is a really thick, rich, butter-like cream with a moussey texture. It has tea tree and peppermint oil to cool and freshen up your feet, and unrefined cocoa butter to moisturise even the toughest of heels!
SUMMER NAILS
Semilac Nail Polish*, £4.29
I thought that with all the golden, bronze and tanning, I can switch things up a bit with my nails and go for silver. It’s a little different from the usual brights and neons.
The polish pictured above is from Semilac and the shade is White Pearl, a silver opal pearl that looks great on it’s own or over a pastel shade this Summer. I applied one coat over Essie’s Mint Candy Apple the other day and it transformed it instantly with a metallic finish!
HAIR MASK
If you’re going on holiday this Summer, it’s likely that you’ll be dipping in to the sea or swimming pool. Or just generally spending a lot of time in the sunshine (totes don’t blame you! Make the most of it, won’t ya!). You may have your face and body covered but what about your hair? Say no to dry hair! To prevent your hair from getting frazzled by the heat, use a good quality hair mask.
There are a lot that I can recommend to you because I love hair masks, but the latest one I’m using is from Ogario London. Their Restore And Shine Hair Masque smells like lemon – it’s really unique as hair products go! Other ingredients in this hair masque includes avocado, lavender, sage, aloe vera, and olive oil to restore and strengthen.
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Loved this post! The sunny weather has been so nice recently, shame it didn't last so long! Love your blog!
http://ellacatherine1.blogspot.co.uk
xx
These all sound gorgeous (and I'm so with you on the ongoing disappointment that is the UK summer, ha!) I've wanted to give He-Shi a go for ages, so it's firmly on the top of my wishlist 🙂
Claire | Vanity Claire xx
perfect picks!
http://www.thewonderlanders.com
I love the sound of the body butters, moisturisers are so important in the summer! x
http://www.abeautyromance.com
http://www.abeautyromance.com
The shimmer oil sounds lovely. I will def be picking that one up x
Tiffany Tales – A British Beauty & Lifestyle Blog
These products seem to be so nice !
Sara,
http://www.thecrimeofashion.com