Summer, a season of lightness and ease, so no make up makeup, rules the day, tint over foundation, yes the cat eye remains, mascara too. Liquid blushes over balms, simple moisturiser over rich, Lip gloss, lip gloss, LIP GLOSS. For skin care, we are levelling up the routine, the serums stay in rotation and at night time, the rich cream remains, as does the night balm for the lips as you sleep. Don’t forget your sun screen now, we all need the protection.
Serums: I have become a serum loving fiend, maybe even a junkie and I am not even ashamed about it. Serums have become a staple in my ritual morning or night and what a marked difference it has been, a game changer even.
SUNDAY RILEY CEO, Good Genes, B Nice: used in rotation, Good Genes as a middle ground, CEO for morning and B Nice for evening, this is the holy trinity of serums, and I should know because I have used most of them and these three keep coming up trumps. In the summer I would typically forego traditional moisturisers and go for SPF after serum to avoid moisture build up.
Lips: there is nothing, absolutely nothing, better than summer lips; not coated with lipstick but lip gloss or oils because there is something just simply divine about a gloss in summer… it takes me back to a particular place of the purity of summer itself… I don’t know it just makes me happy.
Augustinus Bader x Sofia: This is a rare collaboration for me to get my head round yet, it oddly makes sense, I mean the Beckham and Bader make more sense Coppola and Bader… maybe a sideways sense but I am letting it make sense. Is it worth 33 GBP? Well, that’s up to you, but I am sucker for lip glosses and lip balms for the summer particularly, so I was always going to fall for this. Hear me out; it is very pigmented, super hydrating, and plumping, SPF? Double check. Colours 1 and 2 are my picks but 3 would be a definite addition. It applies easily, it was always going to be a hard yes because I love lip colour, balms and glosses particularly. When it comes to beauty and skin care, very few beats Bader, yes, there are other balms on the market, NARS, Laneige, Rhode, Summer Friday… which are all very, very good, and yes I have them all, so this is a nice addition, because of the pigment it is one you can reach for more than the others and if you are not into wearing lipstick or glosses this is perfect. But the price, the price, the price, lip balm should not cost 33 hard earned pounds but like I said I AM A SUCKER so there’s my caveat.
Lip oils: its summer so lip oils make the cut for the simple reason that they protect the lips in a way lipsticks and even glosses cannot, they are moisturising and effortless. All time faves include RARE Beauty: favourite shade HAPPY. Summer Friday: Favourite shade Pink Cloud. Dior Lip Oils: favourite shade: Mahogany
Keep it simple darling; that is my summer motto, because the layers are coming off and we let the breeze sip in where we get it and the sun dance on our skin because we protect it… and you should bloody well use sunscreen I don’t know what they are playing at but sunscreen is good for you.
I love changing things up as the weather changes; what works in the winter will not work for the spring and summer months; rich creams to the back, the light day cream girlies to the front please. Foundations go to hibernation and skin tint does its ting. Blushers, mascaras, eye liners all stay in line. I love a bare face in the summer, its just so easy, breezy and beautiful and buildable should you want to do it.
THE DAY LINE UP:
TONER: Caudilie Beauty Elixir, this is a classic for a reason because it wakes up the face without making it heavy or oily, when I use it in the mornings it lasts through the day, a summer main stay for me that means I can banish my other moire moisturising toners to the back.,
SERUM: When I am not using Vitamin C serum from Sunday Riley, Super Bounce from Glossier, Pore refiner from Soap and Glory that I think has been discontinued, I use Good Genes from Sunday Riley. What can I say I am Sunday Riley loving girl because they are such good products. I have added the dewy Serum from Tatcha, will report back in due course.
PRIMER: I am in love with this YSL primer, because it is better than anything else I have used as a non make up make up loving girlie. The blur effect is perfect, so stunning on the skin and just all round great. The gold molecular particles also add an element of something dazzling. Don’t just take my word for it, the reviews speak for themselves and you should absolutely have this on rotation.
MOISTURISERS: When I am not using Keihl’s SPF moisturiser, then Super Goop is a second favourite and it works so well with the YSL primer as a base.
This is all you need babe, no fuss no moss and get out the door in time to make the train or wherever you are headed to next. When I am about to get on a plane, Summer Fridays Jetlag masks is still the one that will never be beat, maybe even by Bader because it is such a good product for the plane especially, it simply works.
For the evening line up before bed, I keep things a lot richer, a lot deeper, a lot more moisturising because the elements of the day ought to be washed off especially with sweat and humidity in the summer months so we slather on the creams and potions before bed time. It is a whole thing and one must never skimp on a step:
THE NIGHT LINE UP:
CLEANSER: not to sound cliché but those Elemis cleansing balms really are doing the Lord’s work because when I use them I do not need to include an eye cleaners… I know, I know but my eyes are always closed. It simply wipes away the eyes liner and mascara without fuss… even Huda! It is perfection. On the rare occasion I gone full beat in the summer, Augustinus Bader cleansing balm is ideal and does more than the job.
MICELLAR WATER: bioderma sensibio is just that girl, she will never not be that girl and it does the job after the cleansing bit has been done. Do you know, I didn’t know that micellar water was akin to an cleanser as opposed to a toner? It is an additional step to cleansing when the cleansing just needs a little help.
TONER: always, always, always, Dr Barbara Sturm as a night time toner does the job and then some, this toner is magic no idea what is going on in it but it is such a powerful night time toner… day time too but I prefer it for night time.
SERUM: for night time serum when I am not using the criminally expensive Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic serum, because OMG this thing is ‘SPENSIVE! I go back to Super Pure from Glossier or B-Nice from Sunday Riley with its touch of Niacinamide.
MOISTURISERS: for a really rich night time moisturiser, I have fallen head over heels in love with Augustinus Bader, absolutely. I have my gripe with it when compared to Tatcha, read here, but I find it to be a superior night time moisturiser. When I am feeling particularly good and snug, I dabble on Sarah Chapman night time oil which is simply solid.
Now let’s go forth and keep it light darlings.