Summer 2016 Beauty Favourites [Beauty & Lifestyle]

The hot weather, the salty sea water, jetting off on holidays to experience somewhere new and exciting (what's not to like about summer?!) It has always been my favourite season and just another excuse for a product obsessive like myself to splash out on more skincare and hair care bits and bobs (good quality SPF, moisturising after sun, hair masks and lip balms...I go to town at this time of year!) Out of all the things I have tried over the summer months, here is a list of some of the things I have been loving for summer time and beyond!

Body scrub: Grounded Coconut Body Scrub. If you are looking for a scrub that leaves your skin feeling as soft as a newborn's bottom then this is your answer! I had seen scrubs similar to this one being advertised all over Instragram from various different companies such as 'Frank' and 'Rub n Scrub' but  I eventually stumbled across this one on sale in Boots and decided to give it a try. It's on the expensive side (at around €20 at full price) but definitely worth spending extra on for its natural ingredients and excellent skin softening results. The coffee, brown sugar and Himalayan rock salt combine to leave the skin feeling beautifully smooth while the sweet almond oil, vitamin E and coconut oil help to soften and deeply hydrate. Prepare to get messy as this is a coffee scrub! I was very impressed and will most definitely be repurchasing this (next on my list to try is the chocolate orange scent which sounds delicious).

Conditioner: Klorane Conditioning Balm with Mango Butter. Carrying on with the tropical theme, first coconuts, now mangos! This conditioner has been a favourite of mine for some time now (I think this is my third or fourth bottle) and I'm so glad I bought it. It leaves my hair feeling silky and shiny, all the while smelling of mango, which is one of my all time favourite fruit scents. If you have dry hair you will love this as it deeply conditions but at the same time washes out easily and doesn't leave that horrible greasy/sticky feeling that some heavy duty conditioners do. This is the ideal cure for dried out hair that needs a little extra hydration and shine.

Serum: Liz Earle Super Skin Serum. What can I say, this is without a doubt THE most lovely serum I have ever used. Once again, Liz Earle proves itself as an excellent skincare brand. I cannot imagine anyone not liking this serum, it sinks into the skin quickly, without leaving any greasy residue and it contains lots of lovely anti-aging natural ingredients. It has a light, buttery scent, nothing too strong and feels luxurious on the skin after a long day. My skin drinks this stuff up! The only downside is that at €60 for a 30 ml container, it isn't exactly the best value for money and it won't last you all that long if you use it every day. That being said, if you are looking for a skin treat that is worth the splurge, I highly recommend this.

Lip treatment: Blistex Relief Cream. I think you might be noticing another theme here, I am all about the hydrating products when it comes to summer time! But I feel like the hotter weather can really dry out skin, hair and lips when not using the right products. This is my number one lip treatment that effectively puts all of the lost moisture back into your lips. Let's be honest the packaging is not all that appealing, it looks like a cream that you would use on your foot rather than your face, but don't let that put you off as the results are amazing. It's a medicated cream that really works, leaving the most dry chapped lips feeling soft. It does however leave a thin white residue when applied so I wouldn't recommend this as an on-the-go lip product but rather for a night time/not leaving the house kind of situation. Available in chemists for around €5, you can't go wrong with this one. 

Suncream for under makeup: Missha Safe Block Factor 45. Out of all the products on this list, I have to say this is probably my absolute favourite as I've been searching for the perfect sun cream for a long time to no avail. I am so happy I discovered this, my now holy grail everyday sun cream. It absorbs into the skin quickly, unlike a lot of other sun creams which can be difficult to blend, and best of all it doesn't leave that pasty white residue like most SPFs. I have oily combination skin and it does not leave my skin feeling like an oil slick. Ideal for underneath makeup. It has a light lemony scent. Plus it helps that the packaging is the cutest thing ever! This is a Korean brand and is very affordable at around £7 on Amazon. As it ships from Asia, prepare to wait around 2 weeks for delivery to Europe. I highly recommend for summertime and an all year round SPF and I will be ordering this in bulk from now on!

Lipstick: Frog Prince by Lipstick Queen. "Things aren't always what they seem. Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince!" Poppy King, Lipstick Queen Founder. I got this lipstick as a birthday present and was surprised to find when I opened the pink tube that it was in fact GREEN! I know what you're thinking, green lips are so not on trend right now...don't worry though, as Frog Prince is designed to react with your lips and to create your perfect pink colour. I have no idea how this works but I really like the warm rosy pink tone (think your lips but better). It also contains moisturizing Shea butter and vitamin E for soft kissable lips (just don't go kissing too many frogs...)

Bronzer: Nars Laguna. I FINALLY jumped on the bandwagon with this one (approximately 6 years later) and I have to say this definitely lives up to the hype. This is the first Nars product I've ever bought and I just know I'll be repurchasing this one. It's the perfect bronze, dark enough to be noticed, leaving that chiseled cheek bone effect, but not too dark that it looks like you've slathered mud on your face. It's the perfect matte bronze to add a healthy glow to your face for summer days (well technically it's now autumn but I'm still in summer mode as the weather is still nice where I live!).

Primer: Benefit POREfessional Face Primer. Last but not least, another product that I had been vowing to try for some time but never got around to purchasing is the Benefit POREfessional primer. Many of you have probably already tried this one, it being somewhat of a cult beauty product that gets a lot of rave reviews on the Sephora website. I picked up the trial size to bring with me on holidays and wasn't disappointed. It instantly reduced the size of any visible pores and left me with a smooth base to work with before applying makeup. My foundation and eyeshadow noticeably blend a lot better with the help of this primer and I don't get too much of that sticky feeling which a lot of primers fall down on for me (it's a little sticky yes, but not as much as others). I think I will have to pick up the full size version of this one as I really liked how it made my makeup glide on so well.