When I first arrived in Australia way back in February, Summer had definitely arrived. 46 degrees is considered as summer, right? I arrived in tracksuit bottoms, a thick jumper, a hoodie, fluffy socks and my leather jacket (I had just left London, where the weather was anything but summery). Safe to say, those items of clothing soon came off. Flashforward five months and a few of them are only just starting to come out of my wardrobe, which is why it's now time that I plan my route back to the U.K., where I'll finally be attending university, and to Spain, where my family home is, meaning my Summer clothing is going to have to come straight back out. Not only that, but it'll be time to have a rotate my make-up and skincare around and dig out some of the old favourite Summer essentials, some of which I thought I'd share with you...
- Passport: Come Summer or Winter, rain or shine, my passport is definitely my most favourite essential. Summer is usually the time that I plan my Summer getaways and head off somewhere, normally England but, as I've been on a gap year, I've been free to travel all year round. As I'm heading off to university this September, I'm determined to make the most of my final few months and travel as much as I can. My only problem is deciding on my first destination once I'm back from Australia and, you know, not having unlimited funds in my bank account, even if I do act like there is...
- Sunglasses: A bit like the Kardashian family/most other celebrities, I am one of those people that always has a pair of sunglasses in their handbag or on their head but, come Summer time, it's even more rare for me to be seen without them. My two most worn pairs are my Ray-Ban aviators, a pair that go with any outfit, and a pair from Tiger, which, considering just how cheap they were, are some of the best sunglasses I've ever owned. Due to the colour of them, I feel like they have a bit more of a Summer feel to them, so these always tend to be in my bag as soon as the warmer months hit.
- Razor + Razor blades: We've all been there; opening the window and seeing the first warm day in months, excited to wear a pair of shorts, make the most of the sun and get a bit of a tan... Only to realise that you're going to have to wear your most favourite pair of skinny jeans for the sixtieth day in a row because you realise that you've been somewhat neglecting your legs and they need some good TLC. This actually happened to me recently, only a few hours before I flew to Singapore, where temperatures are usually in the mid-30s and it's incredibly humid. LIFE. Then I realised that I'll be back in Spain soon enough and having to shave my legs every couple of days. As someone who can't even touch their toes, I'm simply not ready/can't be bothered to have to balance my leg up on the top and bend all that way down. One thing that does make it easier are the Gillette Venus Swirl blades as they're just so easy to use.
- Moisturiser: I love putting moisturiser on my face but, when it comes to putting it on my body, I hate it. I just end up feeling all sticky and wanting to get back in the shower to get it all off again, which obviously defeats the whole purpose of it. One that I have recently discovered which I love is the body butters from The Body Shop. They are ones that you can coat yourself in, get straight into bed and not have to worry about changing the sheets the next day. I remember my Mum and Gran applying these everyday when I was younger, with my Mum even insisting people brought a bottle or two out to Spain with them when they came to visit, so they're something I've come to know and love. I might not use it as religiously as most, but there's nothing quite like getting it out of the fridge on a particularly hot day and lathering yourself in it.
- Bikini: I love going to the beach. I spend quite a lot of time sat in the shade (take a shot for every time I mention how pale I am in this post. Unless you have hollow legs, I don't think you'll fair well), but most is spent in the water. I was always a water baby and swimming is something that I continued with throughtout my teenage years (you know that thing you were really good at and could have ended up doing competitively but gave it up to persue boys/rebel against your parents? Yeah, mine was swimming) and still something I enjoy to this day. While at the beach, I love playing with a bat and ball or a volleyball in the sea, both of which result in a lot of jumping around and, unfortunately, quite a few mishaps when it comes to badly fitted/shaped bikini tops (I should know, I once ended up completely flashing my P.E. teacher), so it's important to me to find one that fits properly yet still comfy. One that I love is my TRIANGL bikini which, even though I'm terrified of ruining it, I still love, and also my ASOS bikini, which has really thin straps so you don't get too many tan lines. Well, at least you don't if you tan, which I don't... (take a shot).
- SPF: It took me discovering my Mum's Clinique face SPF for me to start wearing sunblock seriously. Shocking, I know, but I really am a girl that loves her lables. Now that I'm older, I realise just how important it is to protect my skin and prioritise that over the lable on my SPF. Saying that, I have stuck with my Clinique face SPF as it has such a high factor (I am a descendant of Casper the Friendly Ghost) and works as a great primor under make-up without leaving me with a sweaty shine.
- Bright Nails: I'm one of those people that has far too much monochrome clothing in her wardrobe. At first glance, you'll see a lot of black, white and grey, but if you delve a little deeper, you'll start seeing a few pieces of colour starting to appear. You won't exactly see me sporting a bright orange jumpsuit anytime soon, more a pair of black trousers with an orange pattern on them (this coming from someone who, up until recently, lived religiously by the motto "if you own any orange, get rid of it" from High School Musical and also my Grandmother, who happens to share the ever popular opinion of Sharpay). Because I don't wear clothes that are too bright, I like to keep an outfit summer by accessorising with bright nails with a matching bright lip. One of my favourite combos is KIKO's 277 Blueberry Glitter paired with their Hibiscus Red (but it's pink...) lipstick.
- Statement necklaces: One of my go to outfits for Summer is a white v neck t-shirt or a white shirt (I know, I know - me and everybody else) and a pair of denim shorts. Simply & easy, but still looks good. A way I like to make it stand out is with a statement necklace, the perfect accessory for any simple outfit.
Now, where did I put my razor?...
What are your Summer essentials?
Let me know in the comments below!
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