Summer Beauty Essentials

Since the summer is coming to an end soon (Sob!) I have gathered together the products that I have been loving over the summer months, both new and holy grail beauty items that I reach for in my favourite season...

Skin Care

 1. Simple Illuminating Radiance Cream (£6.99) - I used this a lot when I was out and about on holiday when it was too hot and sweaty to wear foundation or a BB cream. The tiny light reflecting particles really wake the face up and gave me a subtle, shimmery summer glow! This is also perfect to wear under an illuminating foundation such as Rimmel Wake Me Up, and it also contains SPF 15 - bonus! 

2. Garnier Summer Body Gradual Tan Moisturiser (£4.99) - I seriously have bottles of this stuff in my room! This is a product I have been repurchasing for years now and I use it every summer without fail! I have never been a fake tan kind of girl but I love how healthy and glowy my skin looks when I have a tan. This product is a great alternative for self tanners or spray tans, and a lot less messy! I use the 'deep sun kissed look' but there is also a lighter shade. Before applying I make sure I exfoliate my skin (see product 3 below) and use it all over my body as I would apply a normal moisturiser. I apply this every other day to keep my tan looking natural, although you can use it daily. I also love the apricot scent of this - It's basically summer in a bottle! 

3. Boots Extracts Mango Sugar Scrub (£6.00) - I tend to use this scrub to exfoliate once a week which leaves my skin feeling fresh and smooth and ready for my Garnier tanner! I love the mango scent and my skin always feels moisturised after using this product and it lasts ages! This retails for around £6.00 in Boots, however I got mine in a set with mango body wash and body butter for £5.00 a few months ago in a Boots sale! (Biggest bargain ever?!)

4. Olay Everyday Sunshine Face Moisturising Cream (£5.00) - I don't use my Garnier Summer Body on my face as I don't think it's meant for that, so in order to keep my face colour matched to my body I use this little gem! I normally use this before I go to bed as even though it is a light weight moisturiser, I find it too greasy to wear under make up, but when I wake up, my face is looking healthy and sun kissed! 

5. Maybelline Baby Lips Intense Care (£2.99) - When thinking about skin care, lips often get over looked, even though they are just as important and need extra protection in the summer! I am obsessed with lip balms and my lips are often the first part of me to burn in the sun so I always carry one in my bag that contains SPF to prevent my lips from burning, chapping or drying out. 

6. Alberto Balsm Coconut Conditioner (£1.00) - Conditioners and I have never really got on! I gave up using them as most of them made my hair greasy instead of soft and shiny! I used to only use conditioner when I was on holiday to untangle my hair from salt water and chlorine, however I have been using this all summer and it leaves my hair looking healthy, silky and best of all not greasy! I am obsessed with coconut scents so I think this smells DELICIOUS and it always reminds me of being on holiday! And for a pound, you can even afford to leave it in the hotel room if like me you are over the luggage weight allowance, and just buy another one when you get home! 

7. The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Mist (£6.99) - I bought this as an alternative to wearing perfumes (yep, every perfume I own is a Taylor Swift one!) I love the light and fruity, scent and it was lovely to spritz this over my skin when I was on holiday as it just smells so summary!

Make up

8. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge (£5.99) - I own a lot of Real Techniques make up brushes but let me tell you, this cheaper version of a Beauty Blender has totally changed the way I apply make up! This product was new to me this summer and I just love the way it makes my make up look more flawless! I dampen the sponge before use and I've also noticed it makes me use less foundation which has been great for summer as my skin hasn't been weighed down by heavily applied foundation. It also seems to set my make up for longer throughout the day. I would seriously urge you to give this a go before spending a fortune on various make up brushes, it definitely surprised me!

9. Sleek Contour Kit (£6.49) - I heard great things about this kit and decided to use it to try out the contouring trend that everyone is obsessed with right now!  Although I am pretty awful at contouring, this kit is perfect for it as the bronzer is nicely pigmented and easy to build up. I use the shade 'light' but there are a range of shades to choose from. The highlight is quite subtle and definitely not my favourite part of the kit but it works well on the brow bone and cupids bow. I used this product a lot for my evening looks on holiday as it complimented my tan perfectly!

10. Maybelline 7 Day Super Stay Nail Varnish in 'Mint for Life' (£2.49) - I've lost count of the number of nail varnishes I own but I couldn't resist this gorgeous pastel mint green! I loveeeee pastel colours and this shade looks so gorgeous with a tan. I've found it really does last a while without chipping too! Maybe not a full 7 days, but definitely longer than most drug store nail varnishes!

11 & 12. Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipsticks Shades 43 and 45 (£5.49) - I have been wearing these lipsticks since they were released this summer and I love them! Shade 43 is more of a browny nude and shade 45 a pinky nude (scroll down for swatches). I love a nude lip in summer to go with a glowy, lighter make up look and these lipsticks are perfect to achieve that, as well as being totally moisturising for the lips which I love! I think there is about six nude shades in this range and I will definitely be purchasing some more! If like me you don't like a bold lip for your everyday daytime look, these nude shades are a subtle hint of colour to give your make up a more put together look without being the focus of the face - perfect if you like to keep the focus on your eye make up too!

13. Revlon Colourstay Foundation (£12.99) - I'd heard good things about this foundation so decided to pick it up with a Boots gift card I had and I'm really pleased I did. Its a matte coverage and covers blemishes well without feeling too heavy on the skin. It blends really well with my Real Techniques sponge too! The only negative is that there is no pump on the bottle so I find I waste a lot which is annoying!

14. Boots Natural Collection White Eyeliner Pencil (£1.99) - This eyeliner has been a serious game changer for me, make up wise! I have been wearing this on my water line all summer and I just love the way it instantly opens up and brightens my eyes. It's a nice change from wearing my usual black liner and has become part of my every day make up routine. If you haven't tried white liner before, dooooo it! It makes such a difference!

           
          From left to right:

• Sleek Contour Kit - Highlight and bronzer.
• Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipstick shade 43
• Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Lipstick shade 45
• Natural Collection Eyeliner Pencil in White.

So they are all of the products I couldn't have lived without this summer, I will be sure to do this style post every season! Leave me a comment with any product recommendations you have and let me know which products you've been loving this summer too!

- Love Katy.