(photo credit-author's own)
I'm a self-confessed beauty geek and I'm utterly proud of it! Obsessed doesn't even cover it - well it does in my bio above but I live and breathe it in every sense of the word and my entire business is centred around it. As you can imagine, whilst this is all well and good for the ageing process of my skin, its somewhat damaging for my bank account! Which is why I've devised a list of the beauty products worth forking out for this summer, so here goes;
SKIN
Flawless, glowing skin speaks volumes and has the power to enhance your entire look so it goes without saying it's worth splurging on - especially on a brand that delivers results you can rely on. I'm obsessed with Murad skincare and especially love the Aha/Bha Exfoliating Cleanser - it gives my skin the most thorough clean (you can actually feel it working its magic!) and leaves my face looking so bright and fresh. It also takes away the need for a separate exfoliating product too! I'm also totally hooked on the newly launched Hydro-Dynamic Quenching Essence and Ultimate Moisture cream; the essence acts as a hydration booster formulated with hero ingredients such as Glycolic Acid to encourage cell renewal and help the skin's ability to attract and retain water and the moisture cream has been designed to provide 24 hour hydration thanks to its Hyaluronic Acid technology and coconut extract. Both feel super luxurious to apply and make my skin feel incredibly hydrated, perfect for thirsty summer skin in need of some TLC!
HAIR
I'm a blonde, you can't tell in the B+W bio pic above, but I am and I love it. I don't think there's anything better than beautiful blonde hair, but unfortunately it comes at a cost! I really look after my locks and take pride in my hair as anyone who knows me can vouch for, but even with the best intensions it still sometimes feels less thank silky soft and it's no surprise because colouring your hair will cause trauma to your hair, fact. Luckily, I've been religiously splurging on Olaplex treatments once a month at my favourite (and most Instagrammable) salon in London, Blush + Blow and my hair has never felt, or looked in better condition - well worth it for the health of your hair!
There's also something fairly major i've also been doing to my hair as well as my monthly hair treatments - I've packed away all of my shampoos, conditioners, oils and masks and replaced them with one bottle of gold dust...
I wasn't sure whether to include this under 'hair' or the 'Innovative beauty', because although this might start by sounding like a boring shampoo recommendation, it couldn't be further from it. Introducing New Wash - to sum it up it's a shampoo, conditioner, detangler and hair repair treatment all in one. Sounds to good to be true? Trust me, I'd convinced myself before I'd even tried it that it wouldn't live up to the ridiculous sounding promises the brand 'Hair Story' was making but it does what it says it's going to do. You really don't need to use a conditioner (or anything else for that matter) after using New Wash because it really does leave your hair feeling insanely soft and shiny. New Wash cleans hair with a blend of essential oils and cleansers without involving the damaging detergents or synthetic compounds almost every other brand uses - these detergents are so traumatic for the hair that you need to constantly apply hair saving products to keep it hydrated - but I've scrapped that completely and instead I'm using New Wash and having my monthly olaplex and my hair has never looked or felt so good. It might feel strange at first not having the foaming effect you are used to, but trust me your hair will love you for it. Olaplex £70 including a blow dry, New Wash £44
INNOVATIVE BEAUTY
Save on monthly facials and instead splurge on the following at-home beauty must-haves by Nurse Jamie.
Number 1 is Uplift Massaging Beauty Roller AKA magic face wand! I can't describe it better than it literally being a workout for your face because, essentially that's what this rather odd looking but undeniably innovative beauty tool does. Just 10 minutes a day of rolling your face with the 24 massaging stones containing tourmaline quartz to tone, tighten and energise the skin will result in visibly uplifted skin- the sort of skin that only a good facial can usually create. £55
Number 2, is the Beauty Bear Age Delay Pillow. This satin and strangely shaped pillow is designed to support your neck and lumbar muscles allowing you to sleep more soundly whilst letting skin breathe and retain its natural moisture and oils, unlike cotton pillows that can actually cause fine lines and creases to appear on the skin. Admittedly, I don't have any visible lines yet (yet being key here) but I feel that this comfy addition to my sleeping ritual will only help my face stay as it is - so it can only be money well spent, plus it gets 10/10 for comfort factor! £56
BODY
Summer is all about sunshine, picnics, holidays and bikinis, which all sounds too wonderful for words, but not so wonderful if you're a pale Gail and need some bronzed skin in your life. It's all very well sunbathing but let's be honest, it's a lot of effort and quite frankly who has the time if you're stuck in the city working but still want to look like a bronzed goddess in the office? The solution? Tan Luxe Hydra-Mousse. This stuff is nothing short of amazing to be quite honest, coming from a tanaholic who's tried every tan on the market, I've had my fair share of tangoed situations that I do not wish to repeat! Luckily I won't have to as now I've tried this I'm never using anything else. What I love most about this tan is it's clear like water, it's completely odourless (so many brands promise this, but seriously Tan Luxe smells of zilch!), super easy and quick to apply and doesn't streak at all! £37
MAKEUP
Tom Ford makeup isn't just about beautiful packaging that you can't wait to Instagram, it really is the best of the best in terms of quality, longevity and pigment - the packaging is just an added bonus! Here are two products that If you were to splurge on anything in the range I'd urge you to invest in, you will not be disappointed and they'll last a very long time!
Eye Colour Quad in Nude Dip, the finest nude eye shadow palette you'll find - the four colours provide everything you need to create the most stunning, yet naturally beautiful eye makeup.£66
Shade & Illuminate makes highlighting and contouring too simple to get wrong. The highlighter is probably the best highlighter I've ever used in my life, absolutely no exaggeration here and the shading cream creates the most natural sculpting effect to your face but results in the biggest transformation -a great buy that everyone needs in their kit. £58
Faux flowers by Wildwood London