Summer Beauty Essentials

This long, hot summer has brought with it manifold joys: long evenings warm enough for bike rides after work, picnics every weekend, and eating cherries and watermelon every day – to name just a few. But the hot days at the start of the season took me (and my beauty routine) by such surprise that too much time spent in the sun left my hair a parched, frizzy mess and my usual makeup refusing to stay put all day.

So I adopted a proper summer-specific beauty routine of the sort I haven’t had to use since I lived in Australia (where summer is no joke); pared-back makeup, multi-tasking products that let you skip a step or two, the best natural glow-givers, and SPF-everything. Here are the very best products I’ve been using all season that let me spend less time in the bathroom and more time outside:

Herbivore After Sun Mist // Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Perfume // Diptyque Hair Mist c/- // Striped Towel // J.Crew Earrings // Missoma necklace // Astley Clarke pearl ring c/- // Monica Vinader hoop ring // Sydney Evan love ring // Book

1. Herbivore After-Sun Mist // Of course you should always wear SPF when you’re outside (sunburn is never cool), but if you accidentally overdo it on the sun front then this soothing mist is heaven-sent. I thankfully haven’t been burned this year, but I keep it in the fridge and mist it on when I get home and need an immediate refreshing hit (and my husband – who is not such an SPF evangelist as me – will attest to it’s soothing effects after too much sun).

2. Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche // I could write a sonnet to Bronze Goddess I love it so much. It smells of coconut and amber and bergamot and tropical tiare flower; in other words a far-flung tropical island somewhere much more exotic than the crowded Central Line on a Friday morning. I practically bathe in this perfume in the summer months (but also literally – I use the shower gel and body oil on hot days as well). But the best part is that it’s light and subtle enough that no matter how much you spray on, you won’t smell overpowering and offensive to your colleagues / fellow commuters (just be sure to buy the prettier Eau Fraiche version and not the more expensive Eau de Parfum – which is much stronger and smells completely different). Expect to be asked what you’re wearing all day long.

3. Diptyque Eau De Sens Hair Mist // Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Diptyque, so I was very excited when they released this hair mist this spring. I love wearing perfume in my hair – I find it lingers for longer and isn’t as damaging as wearing it on your neck and décolletage (the alcohol in perfume combined with skin exposed to the sun is a recipe for sun damage), but this hair version of Eau de Sens (one of my favourite summer perfumes) smells of orange blossom, is low in alcohol and full of hair-nourishing oils so it won’t damage your hair in the sun.

Coola SPF Setting Spray c/- // Sunday Riley Martian Toner c/- // Fresh lip balm // Lancome Face Moisturiser // Striped Towel // J.Crew Earrings // Missoma necklace // Book

4. Coola SPF Makeup Setting Mist // I’ve spoken about this a few times before, but I am such a convert to this clever product. I hadn’t heard of Coola until they sent this over (I’ve also been using their SPF 50 sunscreen mist + face sunscreen on days when I need extra protection) but the entire range is SPF-focused and as organic as possible – I’ve used it every single day since. You mist it on after your makeup and it holds everything in place (to avoid the dreaded melting makeup effect) and gives you an extra layer of SPF protection. Genius!

5. Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Toner // I confess I was sent this toner gel last year and because I didn’t think I needed it (I don’t have particularly oily skin), it sat forgotten in a basket of product samples until recently. But when this summer turned out to be a hot one (not always a given in England, let me tell you…), I recently found myself craving anything that would stop my makeup sliding off my face by lunchtime. Full disclosure: this comes out looking rather like slime and smells like salad, but don’t be alarmed; it goes on clear and feels lovely to wear and really keeps your skin nice and even (read: not greasy) all day, no matter how hot and humid the temperature gets outside.

6. Fresh SPF Lip Balm // I’ve spoken about my love for the Fresh sugar lip balms more times than I can count, but they are especially good in summer because most of them contain SPF which is so important for the delicate skin on your lips. Lately I’ve been skipping lipstick or gloss altogether and just using the bright pink Candy version during the day, then using the clear treatment version overnight. My normally dry lips have never felt so soft!

7. Lancome Soleil SPF Tanning Moisturiser // This face cream is exactly the kind of multi-tasking product I look for in summer (when I want as few layers on as possible). I put this on after the Sunday Riley toner and it moisturises, builds a natural-looking gradual tan, and has a decent SPF (I only add an extra layer of sunscreen on top if I know I’m going to be outside for a long time).

Clarins Sunscreen // Aveda after sun hair + body wash c/- // Bumble & Bumble SPF hair mist // James Read overnight tan // Striped Towel // Chloe sunglasses // Bag // J.Crew Earrings // Missoma necklace // Astley Clarke pearl ring c/- // Monica Vinader hoop ring // Sydney Evan love ring // Book

8. Clarins Sunscreen Lotion // To be honest, the most important thing with sunscreen is that you use it every day you’re stepping outside, that you’re putting enough on (always be generous – as a general rule you need a teaspoon amount per arm / chest and a tablespoon per leg) and that it hasn’t expired (the UV filters will degenerate in bottles older than a year or so old). I also use the SPF 50 spray version which is great for reapplying on park or beach days, but this cream is my favourite everyday sunscreen – it goes on easily, is hydrating enough that I skip body moisturiser and just use this during the day, but dries nicely and is never greasy and horrible to wear (as so many are). Most importantly, it’s never let me down!

9. Aveda After-Sun Hair and Body Wash // I really like the whole Aveda sun range, but this product was one I hadn’t tried before this summer and it has been on heavy rotation in our shower the last two months. Although I am yet to make it to a pool or beach this season (soon!), this is specifically designed to detox your hair and skin after salt water, chlorine and SPF, but it’s also great for when you’re just covered in sunscreen and feeling generally grimy. I’m generally skeptical of two-in-one hair/body washes (they always seem to leave your hair a tangled mess), but this one is great for the hot, sweaty months and won’t ruin your hair.

10. Bumble & Bumble Invisible Oil SPF Mist // Did you know your hair can get sun burned as well? Because I have highlighted and naturally curly hair, it’s super-prone to humidity and sun damage so I’m always trying to get as many layers of protection and hydration as possible. I discovered this dry oil hair mist last summer and it is the best – you spray it on dry hair after styling and the SPF acts as a UV shield to protect against damage while the oils nourish parched ends.

11. James Read Sleep Mask Overnight Tan // Given that my natural skin colour is a few shades paler than white and I lack the ability to tan naturally, I am a year-round fake tan devotee – but the goal is always to look naturally sun kissed rather than obviously fake. Although I love the Clarins tanning lotion for it’s delicious fig scent, this is my favourite for this weeks when it’s hotter than hot I want something that dries fast and feels like nothing on my skin (i.e. so I don’t immediately sweat it off…). I am using this twice a week at the moment and it gives a completely believable bronze glow every single time (without the sun damage).

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Perfume // Diptyque Hair Mist c/- // Clarins Sunscreen // Striped Towel // J.Crew Earrings // Missoma necklace // Astley Clarke pearl ring c/- // Monica Vinader hoop ring // Sydney Evan love ring // Book

Which products do you rely on for summer? Let me know below if you think I’ve missed anything great!

Love, Briony xx