My Summer Beauty Essentials

Summer is the season that most of us get excited about; hello sunny hot weather! (Well as much as you can expect in the UK.) Therefore a warmer climate calls for a switch up of beauty products. Gone are the heavy face moisturisers, dark lip colours & endless pairs of tights; but instead? A few essentials that get me through the summer season.

The summer scent

I discovered this little beauty last summer, and it’s safe to say it’s making an appearance once again. The Body Shop’s Coconut Body Mist is my staple summer scent; I adore the smell of coconuts, it’s sweet and fresh, and goes amazingly with a coconut moisturiser. What tops it off is the price; 100ml for just £7.50. A bargain as well as summer in a bottle.

Beach hair

It wouldn’t be summer without beachy waves. Last year I was loving the Fudge Urban Sea Salt Spray  to turn my usual styled curls into more relaxed, textured waves. I’m still a huge fan, but when I’m twisting up my grown out fringe or French plaiting the front of my hair to get it out of my face, I need something that gives volume to the rest of my hair. I’ve tried the Charles Worthington dupe of the Oribe Texturising Spray, and now I’m giving the L’Oreal Studio #TXT Volume Supersize Spray a go. It does the job perfectly without the crunchy feel, and lasts a good couple of hours.

Let’s get the legs out

With the summer comes the need to get pampering the bits on show, so those legs and feet need some TLC. I am in love with the Vaseline Spray & Go Body Moisturiser in Cocoa Radiant . I know I’m not the only one who finds moisturising so monotonous and time-consuming, so this product is an absolute saviour. It’s so quick and easy to apply, and reminds me a lot of sun tan lotion which gets me even more in the mood for summer.

When I’m putting on sandals I need my feet to be in their best condition, and I find a good foot cream to be a really important part of the process. Soap & Glory’s Heel Genius is different to their signature sweet, marshmallow scent but still lovely nonetheless, and slightly more foot-appropriate…if that makes sense. It’s more of a minty/fruity smell and sinks into the skin like a dream. I like slathering it on in the evening and popping on some socks for a couple of hours, then I’m left with baby-soft skin.

Summer ready skin – check.

Combatting hay fever

I love summer, but as soon as the grass pollen season comes around it makes enjoying the weather pretty tough. There’s nothing worse than having to stay indoors when the sun’s out, so keeping my allergy tablets close by is hugely necessary. Hay fever gives me the puffiest of eyes, and there are two products I use to combat this. I use Botanics 80% Organic Hydrating Eye Cream as part of my skincare routine, as the rosehip oil ingredient keeps redness and puffiness down. I’ll pat this underneath my eyes morning and night after applying my usual moisturiser.

The second product is Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Liner in Nude. Where was I before this came along?! It covers up my red water lines, distracts the attention away from bloodshot eyes and opens them up to give the illusion of brighter eyes. It stays put, and for £2.99 it’s the cheapest life saver I’ve found yet.

Tan boosting nail colour

I change my nail colour every week, but there’s always one or two polishes that will keep coming back. I love bright nails; ones that will make me look more tanned are even better, and two of my favourites are from Barry M. The gelly summer collection has some beautiful shades, and I’ve been enjoying the reddy-coral Punch. I also love the look of white nails; at first I thought it was slightly tip-ex-esque, but I soon changed my mind. Barry M Nail Paint in Matt White  is my alternative choice of colour.

A bold lip

As well as bright nails, I love a bold lip in the summer. Well, all year round pretty much. I’ve been loving the Bourjois Velvet Rouge lip cream in Ole Flamingo (which I reviewed here), but my favourite lip choice has to be MAC’s Candy Yum-Yum. It’s exactly what it says on the tin; a neon, candy pink with a matte finish (my fave). MAC lipsticks are known for their colour pay off and this one is no exception.

And that’s it for my summer beauty essentials! Have you tried any of these products? What are yours?

PS. Stay tuned for my summer fashion essentials!