Trying to schedule a post around whenever you think it might be sunny is almost impossible in this country, so I’m assuming that it will be raining as you read this. If it does happen to be raining, take a look upon the post as a sort of “teaser” for any upcoming the sunshine – at any rate, it’s good to have your summery essentials available so that you don’t have to waste precious time when the sun finally bakes an appearance.
I’ll admit that I have picked out summery pieces that colour-coordinate with my excellent diary (it’s the Seeso Editor Diary from Fox & Star here and I’ve been attempting to work it into a post for a long time!) but they are all firm favourites and great little beauty buys:
Dior Vernis Couture Gel Shine Nail Lacquer in Maybe: one of the best nail shades of the season. It’s bright but nonetheless incredibly chic and it has the loveliest glossy finish. It’s at Escentual.com here* for lb17.55.
One of my most-used SPFs, particularly if I’m wearing makeup over the top: Prep Step from bareMinerals. Factor 50 and broad spectrum, it makes a beautiful, velvety base and doesn’t feel at all claggy. You can find Prep Step at FeelUnique – it’s lb26 here*.
Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer, for cheating a bit of sun before it properly comes your way. I have to admit that I took this picture before I’d tested out all of Bourjois’ bronzer offerings: they’ve introduced a new matte one that’s absolutely brilliant, but I’ll take some pics of that on my face and do a separate post.
If you like an area of shimmer in your brush-on tan then the Delight is the one for you – matte powders give a flatter, more contoured look, whereas a little bit of glimmer is great if you want that post-beach sexiness. You can find the Maxi Delight (ooh err, sounds like a sex toy) on Amazon – it’s lb8.99 here*.
My other skin cheat: Hylamide Glow. I’ve banged on and on about this, but I do love it so dearly for any foolproof, gradual face tan. I use it neat, like a serum, but when you’re very fair (or even more cautious than me) mix it into your face cream. Used every couple of days it gives the most subtle, healthy glow (frequently I skip foundation if I’ve been Hylamide-ing) however, you can build it up quickly to a stronger colour by using every evening. It’s lb20 and lasts for ages and ages. I use mine constantly and still have half a bottle left… This happens to be on sale at LookFantastic – lb13.40 instead of lb20 here*!
