Today I thought I'd do a 'must have' list for Summer, including a range of products which I think are essential for me this Summer.
Beauty and Fashion
Gradual Tanning Moisturiser- I've never been interested in fake tanning but as I'm naturally very fair skinned, and don't tan easily, I decided to give a gradual tanning moisturiser a go to see how easy, practical and effective it was to use on my skin. I originally bought the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion (which you can find here), I was very impressed with the application and effect (even though I didn't read the instructions and had a bit of 'miscoloured hands' issue when I first started to use it), it smells lovely, not much different from any other cocoa butters, it feels great putting it on, leaves your skin feeling silky soft and looking golden. I had a number of compliments on my tan when using this product and have been really impressed with it. However, it is running out and when I went to replace it I discovered the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Lotion Fair to Medium Skin (which you can find here) which was half the price of the Palmer's one so I decided to pick that up; so far I'm very impressed with it, it smells great but a lot more subtle when you apply it, it feels a bit more lightweight after application and it feels great on your skin. I can't yet comment on how well it tans as it is a gradual tanner and as I've only used it twice, it's not yet had an effect.
Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil- This is my favourite brow product, I am in love with it! It is so easy to apply, it fills in my brows nicely, shapes and defines them well and just generally makes my eyebrows look so much better! I am running very low on this and can't afford to replace it just yet so I'm saving it for when I really need my brows to be in the best condition as I really dislike using my other brow products now I've seen the effect of this. It's definitely a product I need to repurchase ASAP. (You can find it here)
Collection Long Lasting Perfection Concealer- I only recently started using this product despite having heard amazing reviews for a long time but I am now hooked, it is an incredible concealer- has a great coverage, is easy to apply, brightens up your under-eyes and is, as it suggests, long lasting. I've also found it great for the hotter weather when I need some coverage on my skin but I don't want to wear foundation or BB cream which just melts off of my face. I will definitely be repurchasing this again and again. (Available here)
L'Oreal Paris False Lash Superstar Mascara- This is another make up product addiction of mine! Since purchasing this in May, I have been obsessed with it, I use it pretty much everyday (unless I'm not doing a full make up look) and I still love it, it makes my lashes fuller, more volumised, longer and just generally a lot nicer, which definitely helps to open up and enhance my eyes. If you want a more detailed review of this product, you can check it out here, or to purchase it, you can click here.
Oh La La Perfume- I bought this back in April on my holiday (post available here), and I just find that this scent is a perfect summer scent for me; it's fresh, fruity, sweet and floral but a nice balance between them all and whenever I spray it, it just reminds me of Summer weather and can't help but boost my mood, even if just for a moment.
Ted Baker Butterfly Shower Gel- I got this for Christmas but I haven't really used it since as I've had others open but I've used products in this range before and love this scent, which is a scent I feel is great for Summer. This is another scent I'd describe as quite floral and sweet but not overpoweringly so.Sunglasses- This year I have been loving so many different pairs of sunglasses and own a couple which I always look forward to whipping out when the suns out, although I can't always wear them as I sometimes wear glasses but as I don't need them all the time, I don't have contacts, hence, I can't wear glasses and sunglasses.
Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer- I don't normally use a primer, in fact, until trying this eyeshadow primer, I've never tried using one- bad habits I know and I do plan on trying one when I can next afford to get one (let me know if you have any recommendations!) I bought this for £1.50 I believe, in a clearance sale at Tesco and it has really made a difference to how long my eyeshadow lasts, which has been particularly useful in the heat when my make up tends to melt off a lot quicker!
Health
David Lloyd Gym- I'm sure you've seen me mention this by now but at the moment, I am loving going to the gym, not always the workout itself, but the feeling afterwards and knowing you've accomplished something which is going to help your body. If possible, I want to try and start going more regularly again to get it back up to 3 or 4 times a week as I currently go 2 or 3 times but it depends on how much time I have, what I'm doing and so on.
Watermelon- Anyone who knows me, knows just how much I love watermelon and it's particularly great through out Summer, so I couldn't make a post on Summer essentials without throwing this in. *Sidenote* I had the nicest, juiciest, sweetest, most delicious watermelon the other day, (it was also huge), which we bought from Makro, so if you ever find yourself there, I'd definitely recommend checking out the watermelons.
Sparkling Water- As I mentioned in my Contemplating Body Image post (here), I'm reducing the amount of sugar I eat and drink as part of becoming healthier, there are so many drinks that have a lot of sugar in (or sweeteners which I'm also trying to avoid as much as possible), so I'm trying to make healthier drink choices. I am a big water drinker, I drink so much of it, but sometimes I fancy something a bit more interesting and rather than go for a sugary drink, I've been opting for sparkling water instead which just makes a change to water but is still not full of additives and all that jazz. I think sparkling water is a great drink for keeping hydrated and fresh during the Summer months.
Entertainment
Fujifilm Polaroid Camera- I was given one of these by some of friends for my last birthday and I think it's going to be perfect for capturing moments and memories through out the summer in a really fun and interesting way, I'm looking forward to spending time with family and friends and hopefully capture some of these moments in polaroid form!
DSLR Camera- Similar to the Polaroid camera, I will be taking my DSLR camera wherever I can, to photograph some of the fun and exciting things I will (hopefully) do over Summer, some of these I will then be able to share with you here on my blog. :)
Happy Box- I won't talk about this for too long as I have a separate post on this coming very soon but I wanted to create a 'Happy Box' for myself in order to keep any memories and notes that will help make me happy on down days or just so I can remember some of the good memories I have.
Looking For Alaska- This has got to be my Summer book, (at least at the top of my list as I will hopefully read a lot more than just that) as I really want to read it, I have it ready to read but at the moment I either haven't had the time or have been reading other books such as Life With a Sprinkle of Glitter (review here).Pretty Little Liars- Although there are only a couple of episodes left in the first half of season 6 and before we find out who A is (so excited for that!!! Anyone else a PLL fan and want to share this enthusiasm with me?), but I want to include this in a Summer essentials post anyway as I will probably end up rewatching the series once we found out who A is, to see if I can see any clues that I missed before.
Summer Playlist- Having a Summer playlist is a must for me it's great to be able to enjoy the season, whatever you do, with music that you feel enhances the experience. For this, I created a 'Summer Vibes *sun emoji*' playlist which I think will be perfect throughout the Summer, when I'm on my own, if I'm on holiday or if I have some friends round for a BBQ, whatever I do, I feel like this playlist has a great feel to it, which will help make the day even better.
Thanks for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know any products or anything really that you think are Summer-must-haves.
I hope you have a great weekend!
Love, Steph x
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