Summer Beauty Essentials

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Oh, Summer. That elusive season to us Brits. You would be forgiven for forgetting it is actually summer. It’s been a real washout thus far. The long, hot sunny days of summer 2018 are a distant memory and in its place an all too familiar dreary forecast. Summer, if you would like to make yourself known, myself along with every other Brit would be most grateful, many thanks.

When it comes to my beauty routines I like to tailor mine to each season. For every season my needs change a little in some way or another. For summer I am all about the glow and you’ll see a lot of my favourite picks to help me achieve that. That kissed by the sun look is my goal, with a goddess-like glow about me. I don’t want much, right?! Today’s post is all about my Summer Beauty Essentials.

I have quite a few products to mention so I think we should jump in and take a look at each category.

SPF

First and foremost, SPF! This is an absolute must for summer days whether in the UK or abroad to protect the skin. I always use a high factor on my face, at least a 30 and when on holiday I use 50. I get super paranoid about the sun damage to my skin and premature ageing. A great suncream for the face, especially on holiday is Shiseido Sports BB SPF50+*. It offers a tint of colour to the skin while providing a high level of sun protection. It is water-resistant so won’t sweat off, or come off if you go in the pool. I have the 30ml size which is ideal for travel.

While on holiday I like to use oil on my last few days to really help deepen my tan. I always use oil with an SPF to help protect my skin also. As I don’t use a lot I prefer smaller bottles. For my upcoming holiday, I have a couple from Bali Body to take with me, they are Natural Tanning Body Oil SPF15*, and Pineapple Tanning Oil SPF6*. The Pineapple oil I will layer on top of a higher factor because SPF6 is too low for my skin but I’m sure my partner will nab that one.

Makeup

Ok, so when it comes to summer makeup there’s only one thing I want and that is all of the glow! Absolutely all of it! I’m a highlight junkie and if I don’t look like the face of the sun, well, that just won’t do. Summer and the festive period are free passes to me to go as crazy with the glow and highlight as I like.

The Skin

My favourite summer makeup is my day-to-day glow from within look. Kissed by the sun and radiant. Two of my favourite makeup picks for this are both from Iconic London. The incredible Illuminator and more recently their Prep-Set-Glow are a must in my summer makeup routine. I have the shade original in both and it’s ideal for my fair skin tone.

A great base that has been a more recent discovery of mine is the Burberry Skinfresh Glow Gelstick Foundation*. It lays down a beautiful foundation to work with which gives my skin a natural and healthy glow. Something else I’ve been obsessed with lately and I find myself reaching for a lot is my Tropic Skincare Colour Palette*. It’s such a great all-rounder and has near enough an entire face in the palette. It’s completely customisable and I’ve built mine to suit my personal preferences. I have two eyeshadow pans, a highlight (well duh!), a contour shade and a bronzer. So handy for minimal makeup but with all of my key products for a sun-kissed glow.

The Lips

I like to throw in some use of colour with my lip products and mix it up a bit. 99% of the time I tend not to stray from my nudes. Three lipsticks that are the perfect amount of fun and colour for summer are the Antipodes Moisture-Boost Natural Lipstick*. My Favourite shades are Dragon Fruit Pink* – fuschia pink, Forest Berry Red* – rich red, and Golden Bay Nectar* -peachy nude. Their nutrient-rich pure plant oils mean these lipsticks actually condition as they colour, perfect for summer days.

As I mentioned I’m a nude gal at heart, so while I like to add in pops of colour, I don’t stray to far. Keeping me in the nude is my gorgeous Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector Set* which contains two fab lip products. Best described as a melting gel with a sweet flavour they provide a 3D natural-coloured shimmer. They work to nourish and repair the lips while on to keep your pout hydrated on those hot days.

Body care

Before I can make a start with my final section below, I have some prep work to do to give me a good foundation to work with. First things first, I always body brush my skin to get all dry skin lifted and ready to scrub. My favourite scrub to use is Tropic Skincare Body Smooth Refreshing Polish* (full review here). This is a little different to most scrubs as it goes straight onto dry skin. It leaves my skin so smooth and polished, yet nourished and hydrated thanks to its blend of essential oils and vitamin e.

Once my skin is polished and buffed to within an inch of its life it’s time to moisturise. I find myself alternating between two at the moment, both are from Antipodes. They’re Joyful Hand & Body Cream* and Jubilation Hand & Body Cream*. They both smell so good but Joyful is my favourite, packed with pure avocado oil it, and Jubilation with superfruit kiwi seed oil. Both leave my skin nourished and soft, ready for the next step.

Leading on nicely to…

The Glow Getters

Saving my personal favourite till last. This is where the magic happens and my usual Snow White fair skin is transformed and given life. I like a tan as much as the next person, but I like to keep it subtle. When it comes to tanning I am by no means an expert, if anything I’m probably more of a novice because I rarely tan anymore. The less effort the better for me that’s why I love Tropic Skincare’s Sun Drench Overnight Tanning Mousse*. It goes on with such ease when I apply with the tanning mitt that comes with it. I get a good even coverage, go to bed and wake all bronzed. It’s the most natural bronzed colour with zero streaks. Happy days. Another favourite of mine which is also from Tropic is their Sun Drops Gradual Tanning Facial Serum*. I add a few drops to my moisturiser and apply as normal and let the drops gradually give me a naturally bronzed complexion. You really can’t go wrong with these drops and that’s one of the reasons why I love them so much.

Now that’s the tan taken care of, next up is, of course, the glow. Why stop at the face when I can cover myself in shimmer and glow. I have a couple of shimmer oils I’ve been enjoying lately, they are the Summer Goddess Shimmering Body Oil* by Tropic, and the Shimmering Body Oil* by Bali Body. Both give my skin a beautiful glow without being too much and leave my skin hydrated and nourished. For me, tan and shimmer oil go hand-in-hand.

Phew, that was quite a few products to talk about. That brings us to the end of my Summer Beauty Essentials post. I hope you have enjoyed reading it, what are the summer essentials you can’t live without?

*This post contains gifted/PR items, all thoughts are my own.