Summer Beauty Essentials

When it comes to summer, we all have different ideas about which products are absolute essentials, but there are some things which we can all agree on. Today I thought I'd share with you my most reached-for products over the summer months, and it wasn't easy narrowing them down!

I definitely have to have a tinted moisturiser on hand in the summer, as when the weather heats up there is nothing I like less than the feeling of a heavy foundation on my skin. My current weapon of choice is the Caudalie Teint Divin Tinted Moisturiser in Light-Medium, as it blends easily, gives a healthy, dewy finish and adds a bit of colour without looking artificial. On my cheeks, I love a bright cream blush, and my favourite of all is the Topshop Cream Blush in Flush (yep, that old chestnut). I got this a couple of months ago and have been pretty much in love with the vibrant coral pink shade ever since. You may have noticed, since I have mentioned it a fair few times before! 

Bright lips and nails are an absolute must for me in the summer time, as I'm all for using cosmetics to reflect the current season. Vibrant shades tend to perk me up and leave me feeling energised, so I've been going for Revlon Posh and Make Mine Mango on my nails, and Mac Impassioned on my lips. Saying that, I do seem to have a plethora of orange, coral and pink lip colours on hand to see me through this time of year - other favourites include Topshop Infrared, and Mac Coral Bliss, Vegas Volt and Lady Danger.

Skincare-wise, I like to keep things light, and the Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask is just the ticket when it comes to weekly treatments. The manuka honey intensely moisturises the skin, and helps combat blemishes with it's antibacterial properties all in one go. The Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner will also help to keep things running smoothly, aiding the skin's natural exfoliating process by sloughing away any debris and dead skin cells. The result? Soft, smooth skin. Do make sure you use a really high SPF on your face if you are going out in the sun after using this though - the AHAs it contains can make you more susceptible to sunburn, and nobody wants that.

In terms of moisture, I often struggle to find a cream that will keep everything balanced and hydrated without being too rich or heavy, but the Ren T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid does a great job.

I like to go for fruity-scented body products and fragrances when the sun is shining, so the Nip & Fab Mango Smoothie Body Butter and Nina Ricci Eau de Toilette make the perfect finishing touches. The former smells exactly as you'd expect, while the latter has a gorgeous aroma of deliciously sweet apples, and has been a favourite of mine for some years now.

What are your Summer essentials?

xx

Summer Skin

Whenever the weather starts to get a bit warmer, I'm the first to crack open the tinted moisturisers and lighter bases, and skin-permitting, I am much more of a fan of a barely there, natural look. For the last few months, however, as I'm sure you know, my skin hasn't been at it's best, which has left me reaching for medium-coverage foundations to hide a multitude of sins - otherwise known as unwanted hormonal breakouts.

With a few adaptations to my skincare routine (think AHAa), diet (lots more Omega 3 and minimal dairy), my complexion is looking a lot clearer now, and fingers crossed, is on the road to recovery. Currenty, I'm blemish free, so it's just a case of getting rid of the pesky scars that have been left behind (more on that in an upcoming post).

So, to celebrate my skin getting it's act together, I've been cracking out two of my favourite tinted moisturisers this week, the first of which being the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 in the shade Sand (the fourth darkest out of twelve options). It's such a light product, and blends seamlessly into the skin, giving a polished, dewy finish while still looking completely natural. Sand is the perfect match for me at this time of year.

I must admit that, were I to repurchase this product I'd be tempted to give the oil-free version a try, as my t-zone does tend to start misbehaving later on in the day and I really don't want to be using powder on my skin when I'm going for the natural look.

Another favourite of mine is the Caudalie Teint Divin Creme Teintee Tinted Moisturiser. This one is SPF free, which I like in the sense that my skin isn't always the best of friends with SPF, but on the other hand it is a necessity, and I'm not a fan of including it in my skincare routine, preferring to get my protection from my makeup. That aside, this is another nice, light option. It does look alarmingly orange and a bit too dark when you first squeeze some out of the tube - this is only available in light/medium and medium/dark (mine being light/medium), but once blended out it provides a lovely summer glow, giving my skin an extra hint of colour without being too mask-like or overpowering. It does look surprisingly natural, as it does seem to adjust to the skintone to some extent, but a word of warning for the palest of ladies - this one might not be the best choice for you.

Until I got my hands on this at the end of last summer, I had no idea that Caudalie did any such products, and I'd love to see them dip their toe into the world of makeup a little bit more. I really enjoy using their skincare, and the standard is so good that I think they could be onto a winner if they were to branch out a little bit.

A quick word on BB and CC creams, if you're wondering why I haven't included any such products in my Summer picks: I'm not a fan. The BBs I've tried have been disappointing at best, leaving me looking washed out and grey. On the rare occasion that I have worn one out, I've been horrified to catch sight of myself in the mirror later that day and reached straight for my makeup bag to cover the damage. 

As for CCs, I was reluctant, but did decide to give one a go a couple of months back, holding out the tiniest bit of hope that they might be an improvement on BB creams. The result? A bright orange, broken out face. No thanks.

The full-size tube of Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser is available for £33 from Space NK.

A 30ml tube of the Caudalie Teint Divin will set you back £18, and is available from the Caudalie Website.

What are your favourite Summer products for glowing, radiant skin? Do you favour foundations, tinted moisturisers, or just going au naturel?

xx