The Summer Reading List

So, in previous posts I had been talking about how much I would like to get back in to reading. Seeing so I start university in October, and I'm going to be studying English, it seems fitting that I should try to rekindle (aha) a much forgotten love of mine. So, what is more motivating than writing a list? Here are the books that I wish to devour between now and the start of semester.

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler: Okay, so let's start with the elephant in the room. I was first introduced to this book by Jess of Ecoholic Beauty, in one of her videos about her experience with coming off of hormonal birth control. Recently, I have also been toying with the idea after going through some pretty intense emotional side effects, linked with the flurry of hormone imbalances that is created by such birth control. Also, I have never been completed comfortable with pumping myself full of hormones when I'm more than careful about what I put on my face and in my stomach. Long story short, I've put the idea on hold for now but this is still an amazing read (from what I've read so far) and really recommend it to all women. "Guide to Pregnancy Achievement" does sound pretty alarming - don't worry, they won't be any bouncing babies in these parts for a long time - but the book goes through everything that we should have been told in sex ed, and more. Read it, if just to understand your cycle in more detail, to find out more about the stages and the hormones involved in each.

26a by Diana Evans: This is less of a recreational read, and more of a book that I need to read before I start university. I have been assigned this book to read over summer as during orientation week, we actually get to meet the author, listen to a lecture on the book and ask her any questions about the storyline. It does actually sound really interesting. It follows the lives of a family made up of a white, British father, an African mother who has emigrated to England, and their biracial daughters: an eldest sister, twin middle sisters, and a youngest sister. The story focuses on the twins and their struggles, observations of the world around them, and the secrets of their inner world. I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in to the story and it shall be interesting to hear from the author in October.

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens: Okay, so nothing groundbreaking here. I've read this in the past and I really didn't enjoy it. To be honest, Charles Dickens is possibly one of my least favourite authors. I just cannot get on board with his writing style and use of grammar. However, I shall be studying this during my first term at university so I must swallow my pride and re-read the book, a highly detailed critical version that is. I can hardly contain my excitement...

Review: Priti NYC Sweet Sultan

I'll admit, nail polish is something that I'm really dragging behind in when it comes to the switch to natural products. However, I recently had a purge, throwing away or donating many polishes to my younger sister. That left me with nothing but a couple of pregan (pre-Vegan) Essie polishes that I'm a little attached to. Essies are undeniably pretty but also undeniably non-cruelty free. Enter, Priti NYC, a wonderfully luxe green brand which boasts impressive non-toxic, 4-free polishes in a variety of beautiful shades. 4-free means that Priti NYC polishes are free of four known carcinogens that are commonly found in conventional polishes: toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and camphor.

I picked up Sweet Sultan during the Field Trip Tour, while Priti NYC polishes were on special for £9.99 at Wholefoods. The polishes come in adorable packaging and with equally adorable names. I would describe Sweet Sultan as a mid-toned purple-based taupe. It is actually very similar to one of my previous favourites, Mushroom by Barry M. I'd say that this is a good dupe if you're more eco-inclined. These photos really aren't doing the shade any justice unfortunately and it is actually a smidge or so darker than shown. It's so hard to capture correct colour representation!

Formula-wise, I'm actually super impressed. It's a little thinner than conventional options but the pigmentation is good and it hasn't chipped yet after 24 hours of wear time. I find that usually if a polish can make it a day then it's going to be pretty good. Bad polishes always chip quickly. The only down side is that it did take a little longer to dry than I'm used to, and so got a bit damaged during the rush to leave the house last night. All in all, I'm very excited about Priti NYC and I'm looking forward to picking up some more shades. I think Ginger Snap Orchid or Blue Wedgewood will have to be next!

Navy Eyes

Please excuse my unruly skin and eyebrows, but I just had to showcase two of my new favourites from Pumpkin & Poppy, the Divinely Happy Cream Eyeshadow and Oceanic Cream Eyeliner. 

We all now how much I love indie makeup and P&P are one of my favourite brands as everything is totally vegan. During a recent spree, I picked up these two beauties and I've well and truly hopped aboard the coloured eyeliner train. Blue eyeliner (and glitter eyeliner...) is something I dabbled in during the early teens and I've picked up the habit once again thanks to this beautiful cream eyeliner. It's a deep blue with white diamond sparkle, however this doesn't really translate on the lids. The pigmentation isn't amazing, but it is just enough to create a more interesting defined eye which is a welcome departure from the usual solemn blacks and browns.

I've been really enjoying wearing the eyeliner over another P&P purchase, this beautiful grey-taupe cream eyeshadow, named Divinely Happy. This product has actually been out for some time and - originally part of the Breakfast at Tiffanys collection - it's been on my wish list for just as long. I'm so glad that I finally picked it up as it is a perfect base for my favourite shadow of all time, Shiro Cosmetics' Hodor (also pictured above). Do I yabber on about that one enough?! I've also been using it to fill in my brows on days when I have a little more time to spend on applying makeup (not very often). The cold toned shade is perfect for ashy blondes like myself.

I'm yet to properly examine the staying power of the cream eyeshadow, but I'll be sure to report back when I've taken both Divinely Happy and High Tea out for a full test drive. High Tea is a stunning pink champagne shade which is part of the more recent Titanic Collection, which is also home to the Oceanic Eyeliner.

The Pumpkin & Poppy line of natural vegan cosmetics is available on both Etsy and Artfire.

Have you tried anything from Pumpkin & Poppy yet?

P.S. Sorry that I cannot link to Divinely Happy - items completely disappear from the website when they're out of stock!

The Blogger Made Me Buy It Tag

I wasn't tagged to do this... I've just been seeing it around and really wanted to give it a go! Feel free to post one yourself and be sure to send me all your links so I can have a look! Note, I'm also going to be including youtube channels in 'blogs'.

Who are your most influential bloggers? Who are the ones that really rely on for reviews and swatches?

Influence-wise, basically everyone in the green blogging community. However, special mentions go to Annabel, Brianna and NMDL. All three who have influenced one of the above pictured. Review-wise, you can't beat Ana for in-depth reviews of so many wonderful brands.

Do you buy a product solely as a result from one review from your favourite bloggers, or do you look for more reviews from others?

Usually this depends on price. If one of my favourite bloggers is raving about a budget product, then I'll usually add it to the mental list. However, if anything is above £10 or a makeup item, then I'll definitely do a bit of research to find reviews with swatches or viewpoints from girls with a similar skin type to me. Of course, I always check out the ingredients for myself as well as green standards do very between the community.

What is your most favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

Definitely the Acure Argan shampoo & conditioner that was purchased as a result of reading multiple positive reviews. I've already repurchased twice and I'm looking forward to autumn/winter when I can start using it again as I usually need something a little lighter in the summer. Also, the TANF Cream Blushes (care of Brianna) have been my favourite makeup purchase since going natural. The colour pictured above is Bubblegum but my favourite shade is definitely Dusky Rose.

What is your least favourite item that you have ever bought as a consequence of blogs?

Hm, now this one is hard. I can't actually think of too many! The only thing I can think of is the Thayers Rose & Witch Hazel Toner. Although I started out quite liking it, recently I've realised that it really doesn't do much for my skin. However, I've now stopped using it as a toner and I really enjoy using it as a mixing medium with powder masks. So I don't hate it really, in fact, I may even repurchase. It seems this question has turned out to be quite the failure!

Name 5 products that you have bought recently as a result of blogs?

May Lindstrom Clean Dirt, Inika Eyeshadow in Lightening, a konjac sponge, Andalou Naturals Illuminating Toner. Soz, I can only think of four.

Have you ever given in to blogger hype? If so, what hype?

The May Lindstrom hype of course. My bank balance hates me.

Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews or are there some items you buy without checking out a review?

A lot of my favourite products are actually items that I've bought on a whim, without reading any reviews or sometimes even without ever having heard of it before. For example, the Trilogy Hydrating Mist Toner and Pai Camellia & Rose Hydrating Cleanser are staples in my skincare routine and I hadn't really heard of them or read any reviews before I first purchased. Now, I can't live without them!

I'd love to read all your versions of this tag so get writing!

5 Ways With Chia Seeds

We're talking superfoods on the blog today and more specifically, my favourite superfood. Chia seeds. I'd say chia seeds are one of the more versatile of health foods and I am here today to share some of my favourite ways with chia seeds. Chia seeds are especially high in protein (20% in fact), naturally gluten-free and they are also one of the highest known vegetarian sources of omega-3 in the world. Additionally, they are also incredibly easy to incorporate in to your diet as they are tiny, tasteless and dense in the nutrients of which they possess (which also include fibre, selenium, iron and calcium). So let's great straight in to how you can use these super seeds:

Bulking out porridge or oats: Adding chia seeds to your morning oats is a great way of getting a sure-fire protein kick. My favourite recipe is oat & chia overnight oats. Just combine equal parts rolled oats and chia, add your favourite plant-based mylk, and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, you'll be left with a nutritious, fluffy base for your porridge toppings of choice. I'm thinking blueberries, bananas and agave...

Making healthy jam: Chia seeds are great ingredient when it comes to making a slightly healthier jam. Traditional recipes are loaded with excess sugar in order to thicken the brew - which can be easily replaced by chia seeds and a sweetener of choice. Check out this post on Nouvelle (by the lovely Annabel) for a divine suggestion.

Adding some crunch: Okay, you're going to have to stay with me for this one - now we're thinking outside the box. I'm a fan of crunchy nut butters. However, I'm not a big fan of whole nuts. I know, it's extremely weird. The only raw nut I kind-of like is cashews. So, when I'm craving some crunchy peanut or almond butter, I spread away as normal and then add a sprinkling of chia seeds. Just try it, it's good.

Adding to cakes/cookies/crepes: Chia seeds are an awesome item to add to your favourite cake or cookie recipes in place of regular flours. My choice would be plan oat/chia cinnamon cookies. I promise I'll do a recipe soon! In the mean time, a quick google will leave you with more than enough sweet recipes containing this wonderful seed. They also work really well in crepes... if you haven't had the chia crepe with cashew cream from InSpiral then you're doing it wrong.

Dressing salads: Finally, I love adding chia-based dressings to my salads. You can stay simple with just lemon juice and some chia, or get fancy by blending some cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, chia seeds and a very ripe mango. Delicious. Inventive salad dressings is one of my passions, but that's for another post.

How do you like to use chia seeds?

The Green Upgrades

I recently felt inspired by this post on Lips So Facto - but obviously it had to be eco-fied! Here we have my green beauty upgrades.

Boots Cucumber Toner > Thayers Alcohol-Free Rose Petal Witch Hazel

Nowadays I cringe at the thought of alcohol denat (shiver) but back in the good old days, I wasn't afraid to dry the heck out of my skin with horrible stripping alcoholic "toner" concoctions. You know the ones that claim to 'close' your pores? Well those pores ain't doors and I might aswell have been wiping my face with acetone. In recent years, I started experimenting with toners that actually claimed to do something and I saw massive change in my skin (big up to the REN Clarifying Tonic Lotion, the old formula - I miss you!). Even more recently, I've been giving the simplistic approach a go with some simple witch hazel. It works, but I miss the oooohs and ahhhhs that follow a slightly exfoliating toner. Maybe my new Andalou purchase will impress me...

Clean & Clear Mattifying Lotion > Pai Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream

Oh the days of mattifying moisturisers and heavy applications of powder... When the oily skin woes had reached their peak. Luckily, the introduction of naturals oils has really balanced my skin, but step back a year or two ago, I did anything I could to keep the shine at bay. That included employing a certain green-capped moisturiser loaded with nasty "anti-blemish" ingredients. Pai's offerring is not only a lot healthier, but actually does a far superior job of managing my combo (not oily like I used to believe) skin.

Clearasil Acne Cleanser > Herbivore Botanicals Blue Clay Soap

Oh the teenage rite of passage. Your first bottle of proper cleanser, probably bought by your mother and probably loaded with chemical nasties aimed at taming that oh so terrible (but not actually that bad) first blemish. I recall a thick blue liquid. My cleanser of choice is still blue, but now it's an all-natural vegan soap that gently foams and cleanses the skin without any of the tightness usually left by the former inhabitant.

Loreal Superliner > The All Natural Face Vegan Gel Eyeliner

I used to have a serious addiction to liquid eyeliner. And unfortunately my poison of choice was that of a cruel and unethical cosmetic powerhouse. These days however, I'm supporting small female-owned businesses and if I'm honest, girls do it better. I currently use 'That Black' but have my eye on the deep brown tones of 'Hot Fudge Brownie'.

No 7 Mineral Blush > Silk Naturals Desert Rose Sheer Blush

Said No 7 blush was the only cheek product I owned for about a year, when I first got in to makeup. I loved it and I believe it was purchased with one of those recurrent No 7 vouchers that nowadays get thrown away or handed down to my mother. The shades are incomparable and I'm pretty sure they might even have exactly the same name.

Field Trip: Green Bloggers On Tour

So #FieldTripTour has come and gone - - I'm feeling overwhelmed, over-tired and incredibly broke. For those well out of the loop, Field Trip Tour was a meet-up/green beauty shopping extravaganza arranged by the amazing Mayah & Sabrina from Call It Vanity. The day consisted of lots of beauty and blogging chat, lots of delicious food and lots of... well, shopping. We hit up all the stores that have been recently featured as part of their blog's Field Trip series which included BeautyMart, Nature & Co and Content Beauty and Wellbeing. We also had a right slap up lunch care of Wholefoods Kensington, followed by a snoop around their well-stocked beauty aisles. Before setting off, I had the distinct idea in my mind that I was going to take lots of pictures, film a little, and not spend too much money. However, every single one of those plans were soiled and I left the event with bags of beauty goodies and only two photos - both of which I have showcased above. 

I was part of Group B(estest), along with Sabrina, Annabel, Ana, Liz, Amber, Evelyn and Tamara who joined us at Wholefoods. I was glad to be in a group with a couple girls I had already met (albeit only last week), and it was amazing to finally meet everyone else after reading their blogs for many months. Meeting fellow bloggers has really spurred me on in terms of my own blog and has made the experience so much more real, rather than being just something I write on the internet. I'll leave the soppy details for another post ;-).

First stop for Group B, was BeautyMart. Located in Box Park, this little boutique is a mecca for the best of the best when it comes to beauty. However, we were all a little disappointed by the lack of Ilia, which they stock on their website. Although I didn't buy anything myself, the store kindly gave us a 15% discount so those who did purchase, were getting a pretty good deal. Next, we headed over to Wholefoods for food and a walk around their HUGE beauty department. We got there a little early, so tried to waste as much time as possible exploring all the aisles (this was super hard obviously). Wholefoods Kensington is the biggest site in Europe and their beauty selection was pretty impressive. I picked up the Inika Mineral Eyeshadow in Lightening that I featured in my wish list, along with a gorgeous Priti NYC polish in Sweet Sultan. The Priti NYC was my consolation when I realised that Wholefoods didn't stock my coveted Pacifica polish and I was so close to buying more as they were on 3 for 2!

The first part of the afternoon was spent at Nature & Co, a relatively new green beauty boutique, in the heart of Kensington. This store stocks a lot of exclusive brands (like Alima Pure) so I was excited to visit, especially as they do not yet sell online. The atmosphere in this store was incredible, so relaxing and it smelt amazing. I only picked up two items; an Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Melon and a full size of my much loved Primavera Sage & Grapeseed Toner which I use to set my makeup. Tamara and I, teamed up to grab ourselves the goodie bag on offer (for purchases £70 and over) and split the contents. We received some lovely samples and I'm excited to try them out. 

Last stop was the incredible, Content Beauty & Wellbeing. This store is very small but impeccably dressed and full to the brim with some quality green beauty brands. Now this is where the real damage was done. My most exciting purchase is my first ever May Lindstrom product. After a quick consultation with Annabel, I decided on May Lindstrom's Clean Dirt Cleansing Clay rather than the originally planned, Problem Solver. The formulations are extremely similar and Clean Dirt is very easily doubled-up as a mask. My second major purchase was another cleanser, in the form of the Pai Camellia & Rose Cleanser, which everyone knows that I love. In fact, the first thing I did upon arrival was ask for the biggest bottle of the Pai cleanser. It also happens to work awesomely with my new Konjac Sponge (another Content purchase). 

And after a big sigh from both myself and my purse, Field Trip Tour was over. A very big thank you to both the girls of Call It Vanity, and all the stores that were involved!

Field Trip Tour Shopping List

So #FieldTripTour is tomorrow... who else is mega damn excited??? I can't wait to hang and shop with a load of fellow green beauty gals! Unfortunately, with a holiday/university looming, I'm having to be slightly more restrained with the shopping side of things. Therefore, I have wittled down my 'to-buy' list to consist of the above products only. How did I do that? Who knows. Of course I'll probably be swayed to others by either weakness or said other bloggers but we'll see what happens. Also, the above is not quite set in stone... so basically I don't actually have a strict shopping list and this post is completely pointless? Maybe. 

First on the list is the famous May Lindstrom Problem Solver. I tried a sample of this a while back and I'm still yet to pick it up. It's tear-jerkingly expensive so it's still untold whether tomorrow will be the day that I finally cave. The ingredients are absolutely lush and produce an unrivalled tingle upon application that is almost addictive. Everyone loves this mask and I can see why... however I am unsure whether I can justify such a steep price.

One thing that I am most definitely picking up (if I can find it) is Pacifica's nail polish in Crystal Orchid. I'm heed over heels in love with this gorgeous shade. Radiant orchid of course! It is very similar to a limited edition Barry M polish that I used to love so I am excited to have potentially found a 7-free dupe. Have you ever heard of a 7-free nail polish?! I most definitely haven't! These beauties are free of parabens, phthalates, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin and... animals. I'm very much hoping that Wholefoods will be stocking these polishes along with their current Pacifica selection.

Again on the makeup front, we have the Alima Pure Satin Matte Blush in Mimosa. I've been itching to try Alima ever since I first encountered them and the prospect of a UK stockist in the form of Nature & Co is very very exciting. Naturally, I'm all over their beautiful blushes and Mimosa looks like the shade for me. I will be the first to admit that peaches aren't actually that great with my skin tone, however I just cannot resist. Lastly, we have the Inika Mineral Eyeshadow in Lightening. I have never tried anything from Inika - it's just never been a brand that really grabbed me - however, since reading a certain post on NMDL, I have been intrigued by its apparent similarities to the RMS Living Luminizer. Unfortunately, my skin (or morals) don't get on to well with such a product so a vegan powder dupe sounds right up my street. I cannot wait to wear this in my inner-corner and dusted across my cheekbones for some serious glow time.

Honourable mentions and possible purchases also go to the following:

No More Dirty Looks Book

Pai Camellia & Rose Cleanser (because it's all gone... )-:)

Ilia Beauty Lip Pencil in 99 Red Balloons

Primavera Sage & Grapeseed Toner (because I just DON'T want to be without it when I've finished my sample...)

So now it's your turn to spill, what's on your shopping list for #FieldTripTour?

Love Natural Love Organic

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend Love Natural, Love Organic - a new exhibition show geared towards everything, well... natural and organic. The show was also co-locating with others such as The Allergy & Free From Show, VDelicious (veggie and vegan food) and The Back Pain Show. After hearing about it, I was truly excited at the prospect of meeting some brands in person as well as stuffing my face with lots and lots of free food samples. Being vegan, I'm always interested in hearing about new free from foods. Please excuse the lack of actual photos in this post as I was way too absorbed in testing and eating to take photos...

Quite a few fellow bloggers attended and I was lucky enough to spend the day with Tamara, Tania, Mayah and Amber. I had such a lovely time meeting the girls and we had such a fun day talking beauty, trying out products and eating vegan brownies! Raspberry cheesecake brownies to be precise. So many lovely brands attended the event, but my highlights were definitely being introduced to the wonderful George from Bathing Beauty (thanks Tamara!) and hearing true passion from the mouths of Kris D'Amour and Michele from Oh! Organics (the nicest lady EVER).  George, Kris and Michele were all nice enough to gift me some samples so I'm extremely excited to get acquainted with the brands. Michele has probably supplied me with enough lip balm to last me a couple years and let me tell you - it's good stuff! I also just had to make a sneaky purchase from Bathing Beauty after visiting the stall about three times... more on that later!

So many other brands caught my attention, such as Lyons Leaf and Tou Lou Organics. The Beauty Balm from Lyons Leaf is something I regret not buying on the day so it's not a top fixture on my shopping list! Tou Lou also make a wonderful shampoo bar which I'm eager to try at some point. And of course I to make a quick pit stop at Lavera, and ended up purchasing the new CC cream which I'm going to review in more detail soon. First impressions tell that it is quite orange and has minimal coverage. However, the orange completely blends away even on my pale skin and I'm not big on coverage anyway...

On the food front, I was totally and utterly satisfied. Although most stalls were aimed towards the gluten-free, I really did have a lot of fun sampling different dairy-free and vegan treats. Stand outs have to be the InSpiral kale chips that I already love, but I took the plunge and tried the Wasabi/Wheatgrass flavour which were delicious! Also Rebel Kitchen, just wow! I had heard about the brand a lot from Sarah but was yet to try anything from them. Both the Chai and Matcha Green Tea Mylks were scrumptious and I had to purchase a carton of the latter to sip on my way home... Unfortunately a lot of the other stalls were promoting processed replacement foods such as fake cheese/fake meat etc. which I've never really been in to. Big shout out though goes to a beautiful almond butter/argan oil dip which I can't remember the name of for the life of me! 

All in all, I had an absolutely amazing day meeting everybody and it has made me even more excited for Field Trip Tour next week! Go Group B! ;-)

More From Andalou Naturals

We all know how I feel about Andalou Naturals... and so when I received a cheeky little tax rebate last month, I decided that it was time to try a couple more things from the brand via iHerb. In the interest of staying "within budget", I opted for some items that I really do need at the moment (slightly debatable).

In a bid to rid myself of some lingering congestion, I decided to give the Clementine + C Illuminating Toner a go. I'd been wanting to try this since seeing Kendra's video and so far so good. I'm hoping that this is going to be a greener alternative to my much loved REN toner. It's cheaper, larger and I prefer it's spray function. I do like to have the choice of either misting or using a cotton pad when applying toner. Most importantly, it doesn't contain phenoxyethanol which was worryingly high on REN's ingredient list. Phenoxyethanol seems to be a 'personal choice' ingredient in the green community but I find that it irritates my dermatitis. This toner includes glycolic acid - something my skin reacts well to - so I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing some good results with this product. I suspect already that it could feature in my next favourites line-up...

Secondly and lastly, the Clementine Ginger Body Lotion. As you may be able to tell, clementine is one of my favourite scents and the addition of ginger in this body lotion is very interesting. It has a lovely and thick consistency, however, I still believe that it would not be moisturising enough for particularly dry skins. I do have to apply a thicker cream to my knees/elbows following. In spite of this - as a light summer lotion - this is perfect for me and with it's uplifting scent, I can see myself getting a fair bit of use out of the (beautifully packaged) bottle. I'm a sucker for a body lotion that has a pump. I've got high hopes for both of these products so hopefully soon they'll feature in more detail!

Want $5-10 off your first iHerb order? Use promo code CNB494 at checkout! 

Summer Ready Products

So summer is basically here and it's time to crack out all our favourite body-beautifying products. The focus here is getting that skin silky smooth and spending some time outside sucking up all that vitamin D. However, as you may know, I'm deathly pale so there will be little of latter for me!

My favourite way to exfoliate lately is by simply using a synthetic fibre body brush. These things are awesome and work out considerably cheaper (and eco-friendlier) than continuous purchases of various body scrubs. I like to give my body a good scrub down pre-shower. The best way to do it is with long strokes towards the heart, which claim to smooth out the skin and bust cellulite. I'm not too sure about the last claim but what I can say is that this is a great exfoliation technique, and while it is a little hard to get used to at the start, you'll soon be left with smooth, glowing skin. You can get these brushes absolutely anywhere so check out your local supermarket or beauty destination.

Following a skin-sloughing sesh I always like to apply a good moisturiser, especially as my KP-prone legs can get a bit scaly... (TMI). Recently - when I've been craving a bit of a healthy glow - I've been loving the Lavera Self-Tanning Lotion. Although I'm not a regular tanner by all means, every now and then I like to take the edge off my ghostly limbs. This is my gradual tanner of choice. It doesn't leave me streaky and orange and I really enjoy the scent. Although it's worth noting that my applications are always scanty and others may experience scarier outcomes if they choose to seriously pile it on.  However, before I even apply the tan, I need to make sure 'areas of concern' are fully hydrated. In my case this is knees and feet and when it comes to moisturising the extremities you just cannot beat the MuLondon White Chocolate Elbow, Knee and Heel Cream. I'll spare you the details as I've raved about this many times before. You can read a whole post on the miracle-worker, here.

In the hair department, we're keeping things shiny and healthy with multiple lashings of Acure Organics' Argan Oil. My hair just laps up this stuff and I like nothing better than a few pumps through my locks of evening. Wake up in the morning feeling like P Diddy indeed. 

Now to the serious stuff. Sun protection is of utmost importance this time of the year and your best bet is to invest in some decent suncream and some decent sunglasses. I've only tried one natural suncream so far and I've been over the moon with it! Of course I am talking about the Lovea Lotion in SPF30. I recently spent about 12 hours in the sun at an outside concert and thanks to multiple applications of Lovea, I was very happily sunburn free. And I'm a seriously easy-to-burn kind of gal. Rachel has recently done a wonderful video on this product along with a demo so I definitely suggest checking that out here. Next is sunglasses, and let me tell you, I am not easy to please. As I'm a blind bat, I require prescription sunglasses which can usually be very expensive and very ugly. However, I recently came across the Ace & Tate website. Truth be told, I fell completely head over heels. Within a week I had ordered the beautiful 'Fox' sunglasses in beige (no longer available) and have already worn them a multitude of times. They're beautiful, well-priced (£89) and do an awesome job of keeping nasty UV rays away from my eyeballs. Just as an added bonus, they spring open and closed just like regular glasses which is AWESOME and very useful. Only the fellow four-eyed will understand how much of a must that is!

So there we have it, my edit of go-to products for this Summer. What are you going to be using?