Top Ten Summer Beauty Must Haves

It’s summer! (It is, isn’t it?!) It’s July, so that’s summer for me, and it’s time for some summer beauty musthaves – items you need this season at home, on holiday, and both. From hair removal to body toning to lip moisturizing, and tanning, there are a few things a girl’s gotta have when the sun shines. Here’s my definitive list. – Top Ten Summer Beauty Must Haves

1. Hair Removal

There are loads of ways of getting rid of our unwanted hair. Book into a salon and have it waxed – that’s a great option, and there are plenty of salon offers on 5pm Health and Beauty. Or try this Parissa 2-in1 Roll-On Body Sugar (£19.99, boots.com). This stuff is brilliant – easy to use, and less painful than wax, I think. Heat up the ball in the microwave, select the larger roller for legs, and off you go!

2. Moisturise

You’re going to need a good moisturiser for at home and on holiday in the summer. Dry oils for the body are excellent, and so easy to use, just spritz and go. Try H2O Sea Salt Hydrating Body Gloss (£14, marksandspencer.com) which contains jojoba oil, green tea extract and is rapidly absorbed into the skin. At Tesco, you’ll find Calcot Manor Spa Lazy Evening Dry Oil Body Spray (£4.99) which is enriched with Vitamin C and scented with patchouli – use a dry oil on slightly damp skin after bathing or showering, for best results. If you like a body lotion, then Biotherm’s Baume Corps Intensive body treatment (£20, boots.com) is fantastic for dry skin – and comes in an easy to use pump dispenser.

3. Scrub

Preparing your skin for summer has to include body scrubbing! For fake tanning, and just to get rid of old dead skin cells.  Jo Malone’s Vitamin E Body treatment Scrub (£68, jomalone.com) will make any skincare ritual luxurious . It’s not too rough, and Vitamin E moisturises as you go. Gorgeous. And if you love Elemis’s Frangipani, have you seen their new Fragipani Monoi Salt Glow (£36.50, timetospa.co.uk)? A gorgeous skin softening salt scrub, in a fantastic tub – not one for your luggage but perfect for prepping that skin pre-holiday.

4. Tone

Okay, cellulite happens to the best of us, and it’s hard to shift. But there are a few products out there that are worth having a go with. Clarins Body Lift Cellulite Control (£36, clarins.co.uk) is a great product that targets cellulite and helps to prevent more. Dr.Ceuticals Tummy Tone (£19.99, drceuticals.co.uk) is probably not going to do much, to be honest, but it is a nice cream. Its formulated with brown seaweed, which is proven to have slimming properties, so you never know!

5. Fake it

Okay, we’re a bit pasty here in Scotland, so maybe a wee bit of fake tan is a good idea before baring our bodies on the beach. Vita Liberata  pHenomenal Tan Mousse (£37.50, boots.com) lasts from 2-3 weeks, comes in fair, medium and dark and is easy to apply, evne fr the fake tan novice And this stuff really doesn’t smell. If you prefer a gradual tanner, try Melvita’s ProSun Gradual Self-Tanning Moisturising Gel Cream (£22, Whole Foods) which is a DHA free gradual tan. My mum loves this  – it gives excellent colour over a few weeks, so use before you go and look sun-kissed on arrival! My facourite new product this week is the Xen-Tan Flawless Logic instant tanning stick (£22.99, feelunique.com, from August) This little beauty is a stick-form instant tanner, use it to contour, or add colour here and there to arms, décolleté, face, wherever – it’s excellent! Has a cream to powder formula that is really lovely.

6. SPF

You can’t go on holiday without suncare, and at home you should be using something with an SPF as well to block harmful UVB rays and ageing UVA rays. Sisley’s Super Stick Solaire SPF30 (£60.50, johnlewis.com) was invaluable on my spring holiday this year in the heat – apply it to targeted areas – nose, ears, etc, for excellent protection. It also comes in a tinted version, perfect for adding a hint of tint on our face. Look after the whole family with an SPF30 or even SPF50 suncream, depending on where you are holidaying. M&S Formula range has money off at the moment – just £4.75 for a 200ml tube of SPF30 Sun Lotion.

7. Prime

Primers are everywhere just now, and they are a good idea in the summer- just don’t wear them all the time. I love Estee Lauder’s DayWear UV Base SPF50 (£33, esteelauder.co.uk) – mattifies slightly, has high SPF protection – gorgeous under moisturiser, or on its own in the sunshine. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (£29, clarins.co.uk) is a classic – it primes skin, giving it a pick-me-up, tightening facial contours. If you have never tried it, give it a go! Dr Brandt’s CC Mat Cream (£34, feelunique.com) is perfect for oily and combination skin, particularly in the summer. It stops over-production of sebum, controls shine, but doesn’t dehydrate.

8. Bronzer

Everyone needs a bronzer on holiday. Adds a little bit of a glow, contours the face – brilliant product! I love Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Powder Bronzer (£30, esteelauder.co.uk) for its over-sized cmpact, and it comes in different shades for different skintones. Sisley’s Phyto Touche Gel Sun Glow Gel Bronzer (£51, johnlewis.com) is AMAZING. I first tried this years ago – easy to apply, great for contouring, and comes in shimmer or matte – it’s a musthave for me.

9. Waterproof Mascara

If you like the sea or the pool, this is a musthave. But waterproof mascara is great for wearing in the heat as well, to help reduce mascara smudge. Diego Dalla Palma Permanent Waterproof Mascara (£16, marksandspencer.com) is something even more than waterproof – Use normally as mascara to tint lashes for up to five days after just several days use. Lashes are dyed carbon black for a semi-permanent mascara finish. Pretty cool, huh? Or you can just use it as a regular waterproof mascara

10. Lip Balm

Don’t neglect your lips this summer. And don’t just use any old lipbalm – there are plenty much more interesting alternatives out there. Try a Clinque Chubby Stick (£16, Clinique.co.uk) – they’re a lipbalm and colour mix, and come in regular or intense, depending how much colour you want. My favourite lip product for summer is the Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm (£18, clarins.co.uk) which has a shot of colour encases in a balm outer. There are four shades – I love the Mandarin. So easy to use on the beach, at the pool, for care with colour. Or try Origins’ new Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm (£16, origins.co.uk, from August) which is soothing and hydrating. with orange peel wax and aloe vera, and comes in eight lovely shades.