My 9 Summer Beauty Essentials

Life has been conspiring against my ML efforts. There has been a trip to Paris for work, a wedding of a good friend (for whom I also did a little make-up, so there was a degree of work there, too, though of the most pleasant variety), a few break ups and emotional wobbles among other friends, and an attempt to play more sports now that the weather is nice.

The good thing about absence? As the old adage goes, it really does turn fondness up a notch, and I’ve been storing up things to write about and tales to tell. As I’m currently in Portugal on a little beach holiday, I thought I’d start with a handful of the versatile beauty products I’ve been devoted to of late that have seen me from Paris to London to Portugal looking (relatively) presentable over the past week //

This Works In Transit First Aid / It’s been a few years since I last had one of these stashed in my travel bag, but the rediscovery of it has been joyous indeed; the handy rollerball dispenses an antiseptic, soothing cocktails of oils wherever rolled and has recently done its thing on two ingrown hairs (the hairs have yet to work their way to the surface, so my secondary reason for choosing this is that it will also soften the skin, allowing the hair to pop out nicely when it’s finally good and ready), a scar on my leg from a mosquito bite, and spots that needed the sting taken out of their tale.

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Eye Serum / When I found these, I thought ‘how handy, I’ll just take out the capsules for the number of nights I’m travelling and be one of those people.’ Obviously, I didn’t do that – I just took the whole pot. Much easier. These have therefore not been judged on their clever little tadpole single-use blister packs (though that has been an education in how little product is really needed to moisturise an eye), but on their effect. They are brilliant. Softening, smoothing, soothing – all the good s’s. And they are unscented, so don’t produce that line of redness close to my lashes that makes me look like a bird of prey. Delightful.

Niod Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex / I recently had a little exchange on Instagram about this brilliant brand, with someone telling me that her skin has been entirely changed by one of their masks. I’m not wholly surprised – Niod cut out a lot of crap and focus on getting good stuff into their products. This is take two of their MMHC, and it’s crammed with more HA than before. Quick refresh on why you need hyaluronic: it is a brilliant humectant, drawing moisture to it and locking it onto the skin. The only thing to remember when using this? The water has to come from somewhere, and if the atmosphere is dry (as it is in offices or on planes), HA will grab it from your body instead, so you need to up your water intake.

Sisley Milky Body Mist SPF 30 / Beauty editors have told me for years that Sisley make the best of the best suncreams, and though I always thought they worked well (i.e. I didn’t burn, my skin didn’t erupt in acne, it felt lovely and hydrating on), this mist is the one that’s tipped me into proper fan status. Milky indeed, it isn’t one of those perky sprays that’s so fine and butane-laced that it sort of ends up an invisible film that doesn’t feel moisturising and that you aren’t quite sure is there. Instead, this one’s softening, silky, a pleasure to use. The true mark of my obsession? I’ve stashed this one away from the people I’m holidaying with.

Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream / Another Sisley, but well deserving of a mention. This new cream version of their Black Rose offerings is excellent on parched skin – especially if heavy creams make you break out for it is extremely lightweight; think whipped cream, as opposed to double. It’s also pretty great as disappearing into the skin, which is another boon if greasiness turns you off. I put this on over the Niod MMHC at night and my (oily) skin has not been overwhelmed in the slightest.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche Skinscent / Summer always calls for a scent of its own, and this number is the ideal sunny scent for the season. Into The Gloss called it ‘Summer, Condensed and Bottled‘, and I’m inclined to agree – it has a whiff of sunscreen about it, with a dash of fresh flowers, and the hint of fresh, warm breeze. This doesn’t last overly long on the skin but that hasn’t bothered me too much as I kind of love spraying perfume a bit more liberally at intervals on holiday – that way I get to enjoy the scent too before my nose declares it not important and blocks it out.

Elizabeth Arden FourEver Bronze Bronzing Powder in Medium / Not much else to add on this one bar that I HAVE HIT PAN. It’s that good. A recap on why I love it? It’s a little reflective, but not in the shimmery, shiny, glittery and, quite frankly, terrifying way that some bronzers are. Think gentle, skin-illuminating, youth-infusing sheen. The colour is also bang on for my skin – not too dark, not too flat, just right.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask / I, as always, have been travelling with a selection of masks, but this has emerged as the clear favourite for a few reasons. First, the Manuka honey content makes it both incredibly moisturising and antimicrobial in one. Bye bye, spots. It also takes down sunburn a treat (I won’t name the bizarre area upon which this was tested, but suffice to say it was all my fault that that bit was in the sun and nothing to do with a failure on the part of Sisley’s lovely mist). I use it on clean skin, fresh out the shower, then wipe off remnants. If my skin is feeling a little spotty, I’ll wipe whatever hasn’t been absorbed off, then use a face wash (rule of thumb when picking one: minimal foam = good, lots of is = strips skin) before following with the Niod and Sisley.

MAC Lady Danger Lipstick / Travelling usually leaves me with little time to do make-up because I want to see things and do things and eat things and read things. So, lipstick. Red. Very red. But not wintery red. I want something bright, something that looks uplifting. Enter MAC Lady Danger, the second most famous red in the MAC canon after Ruby Woo. On, it really is punchy, requiring little other make-up effort bar the perfecting of features and a little warming of a cheek.