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Summer Beauty Essentials you can’t live without

Summer Beauty Essentials including dr Dennis gross dark spot sun defines, ultra violet skin screen and cool refreshing mist with spf 15
Summer Beauty Essentials you can’t live without

With a change of season, comes a change in beauty routine. Long gone are the cold nights, cloudy days and lack of sunlight, which brought dry and dull skin. New obstacles have arisen with hotter weather, plenty of sun rays, and a ton of humidity. Thankfully this year we are fully prepared.

From innovative sunscreen to easy solutions, I’ve introduced quite a few new brands to my beauty routine recently, which I’m really excited to share with you. I’ll be spending this Summer focusing on the basics; SPF, moisture and glow. I’ve taken a bit of a break from makeup recently, so clear skin is a must. This means taking care of my skin before and after going out in the sun and making sure I top up my sunscreen on the go.

Without further ado, here are my Summer beauty essentials.

Summer Beauty Essentials for 2021

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I’ve always been an advocate for taking care of your skin first, and I think that’s pretty apparent with this list. I can’t stress enough how important it is to transition to wearing a higher SPF during Summer, even if you’re not going outside. It may not be groundbreaking, but it is practical, and it goes a long way to taking care of your skin… now and in the future!

Don’t forget to check out more of my beauty recommendations and let me know in the comments which products you’ll be coveting this Summer.

Summer Beauty Essentials including caudalie tan prolonging after sun lotion, supergroup unseen sunscreen and Maison margiela replica perfume samples
Summer Beauty Essentials including Dermalogica smart response serum and moisture masque
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The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

Christmas BeautyThe Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

If you’re anything like me you’ve probably spent the last few weeks window shopping – both physical and online – for potential Christmas gifts. I don’t like to make it easy for myself though. I enjoy visiting as many shops as possible, so I can make sure I get a good idea of what’s on offer this year. But that’s time consuming and if I can help anyone save time, or recommend something they haven’t thought of, then my blog’s work has been done. So without further ado, here is 2018’s ‘The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide’. And I’ve made sure to pack it full of my favourite products from the year. Enjoy!

The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide

As you can see I’ve focused on brands and products from a range of price points. I’ve included some of my trusted go-tos (Dermalogica & The Ordinary), as well as some new favourites (NIOD & Nails Inc). I’ve also added in a couple of gift sets for good measure. Why? Well I happen to think that they’re perfect for this time of year. Gift sets often feature a variety of complimentary products – sometimes limited edition – that are generally priced lower then they would be when bought separately (e.g. the Gatineau set is worth £276). If we’re being honest, we all know how much we enjoy spoiling our loved ones at Christmas. And if anything can make the gift giving season easier, and cheaper, you may as well make the most of it, right?

If you enjoyed The Christmas Beauty Gift Guide, check out the rest of my Christmas Gift Guide series.

Christmas Beauty Christmas Beauty

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The Ordinary Serum Foundation Very Fair 1.0NS

Ordinary Serum Foundation Very FairThe Ordinary Serum Foundation Very Fair 1.0NS

My love affair with The Ordinary and their affordable, amazing products continues. This time round it’s the foundation on everyone’s lips…and cheeks…and forehead…you get my point. Yes, it’s The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation. The most hyped foundation on the market right now.

But what makes this one so special? There are tons of brands out there that offer up serum foundations, that’s true. However there aren’t many that feature 21 shades. Yes, you heard me right, 21 shades! Praise be to the beauty Gods, a brand that finally understands we come in more than 3 shades (don’t even get me started on ‘ivory’ and ‘dark’).

And I had my eye on one particular shade…

The Ordinary Serum Foundation Very Fair 1.0NS

The Ordinary’s serum foundations offer 21 shades from Very Fair, to Very Deep. The shades are divided into three categories: 1 fair-lighter tones, 2 medium tones; and 3 darker tones. Each one is then marked by a second digit from 0-3 to indicate depth within each shade. Within these shade ranges you’ll also spot letters: P (Pink) & R (Red) cool undertones for lighter & darker shades; N – Neutral tone; and Y – Yellow undertone. On top of this, three of the shades also have S (silver highlights) and G (gold highlights) at the end. These particular shades use natural-looking, exceptionally fine dispersions of metallic effect pigments for added highlight.

So to break down my shade, I use: Very Fair – 1.0 (lightest) – NS (neutral with silver highlights).

Final Thoughts?

  • Very lightweight
  • Good formula
  • Light-medium coverage
  • Applies, blends, and sets well
  • A great base that works well with other products
  • Swatches

This foundation goes on smoothly, and blends really well with my skin tone. In fact it blends so well it’s difficult to see where I’ve applied it at times. I would say the coverage is light-medium, which I prefer because it feels much more lightweight on my skin. It works well with other products, meaning no pilling or movement. I actually potted mine into a cushion compact, which is perfect for this formula.

Now I’m not a foundation kinda gal, which you’ll know if you’ve read some of my previous beauty posts. I tend to prefer concealer because I dislike how my skin feels in foundation. And more importantly, I’ve never been able to find a shade that matches my skin tone. In fact in the past I’ve had to use white foundations – to mix – when trying to get a match. But finally I’ve found one in The Ordinary’s new serum foundation line-up, and I’ve been converted!

You can purchase The Ordinary Serum Foundation Very Fair 1.0NS online and in-store.
Check out more of my beauty must-haves now!

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The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid & The Abnormal Beauty Company

Ordinary Hyaluronic AcidThe Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid by The Abnormal Beauty Company

With a name like that you can’t help but wonder what’s inside this pharmaceutical-esque bottle. Say hello to The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. Yeah…what exactly is that again? Bluntly put, it’s a product that works with your other skincare products. When used alongside your regular creams, it offers multi-depth hydration and visible plumping without drawing water out of the skin solely to improve temporary surface hydration.

A lot of brands put Hyaluronic acid into their products but actually this doesn’t help much. It means that the HA ends up sitting on the surface of your skin, making it feel temporarily soft and hydrated. Ouch! I was curious to see whether using pure HA on my skin would work, or whether I’d been conned by nice packaging and big words.

The Abnormal Beauty Company

Also know as Deciem,  The Abnormal Beauty Company is a collection of beauty brands who are founded on the principle of doing everything others don’t do. What does that mean exactly though? Well it means that they’re creating quality products. In their own words “quality today means being authentic, being different, being functional, being beautiful and being sensibly priced…And we respect these principles.”

It’s a lot to live up to, but this ethos has drawn in fans from across the globe. They have shops in their home country of Canada, Korea, Australia, Mexico and are soon-to-open a store in the UK.

Is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid worth it?

Yes, yes and yes again! This is a wonder product if I ever did see one. Since I started using The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid in my daily skincare regime, my skin has seen a serious change. It feels plumper, smoother and my ‘monthly’ spot issues have been drastically minimised. In a nutshell…

  • Makes skin feel plumper
  • Kind to sensitive skin
  • Hydrates
  • No smell
  • Vegan friendly
  • Travel friendly
  • Simple, informative packaging

This product is £5.90, let that sink in (smoothly, like the serum does). That is an astonishing price for such a bloody magnificent product! Seriously, these guys could be charging a lot more. Luckily for me, and you, they don’t. I would suggest that every skincare addict goes out and purchases this quickly, because I will sure as hell be re-purchasing it in bulk!

You can purchase The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid at Deciem.
Read more of my beauty reviews and recommendations here.

Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid