Summer Body Essentials by Kimamely Beauty

Hi everyone, it's Kirstie from Kimamely Beauty here. Huge thanks to Parie for letting me share this post with you all. This is actually a Summer Essentials collaboration, so she's sharing her melt proof makeup must haves over on my blog too! I'm covering the body element of getting summer ready, so grab an ice-cold cocktail, pretend you're lying on a tropical beach and enjoy! 

Summer is the season I live for, not only for holidays, but for all the beautiful products that it is finally seasonally-appropriate to use. But that doesn't usually stop me, I'm smelling of coconuts all year round, craving that summer vibe. This year I've made some incredible body product discoveries; here's an edited-down version of what's been sweetening my summer and giving me the glow.

BODY 

Although it's a year-round favourite for me, coconut scented products always conjure up images of tropical seascapes. I've been using Hawaiian Tropic for years, so the scent always takes me back to holidays abroad. The latest product in my stash is their Coconut Aftersun Body Butter (£10.99). It has a thick, creamy consistency that is both soothing and hydrating, and the scent is incredible.

For all cooling purposes, The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Sorbet (£8) should be your first port of call. I love its delicious zingy scent, and kept in the fridge, it is a refreshing antidote to a long day spent in the sun.

Shower time is well taken care of by Yves Rocher. I've gone mad for their Monoï de Tahiti Lagoon Hair & Body Wash (£3.20). It has the familiar undertones of the coconut scent we know and love, but has a sophisticated and exotic twist. It's the kind of product I'd expect in an expensive Caribbean hotel.

TAN

Another product from the Monoï de Tahiti range that I'm obsessed with is their Precious Dry Oil (£14.90). Perfect for nights out, this beautifully scented dry oil will add a subtle golden glow to boost your tan, making you look irresistible!

Talking of tan, we're all about staying safe in the sun and faking your glow. The pale girl's dream has arrived in the form of the St.Tropez Gradual Tan In-shower Lotion (£14.50), but if you're not of the pasty variety, you may want to opt for a tanning mousse. I'd recommend the Vita Liberata NKD Skin Superfast Tan Mousse (£14.95). Sunkissed skin in an hour? Yes please.

FEET

As body parts go, feet just aren't nice. But there are a few things you can use to help them on their way. Summer = sandal season, and no one wants flaky feet. Soap & Glory Heel Genius (£5.50) is a foot cream with a nourishing balmy texture. It helps to soften dry skin to give a little bit of life back to lacklustre tootsies.

I've been going mad over the Tea Tree & Peppermint Deep Moisturising Foot Packs (£1.96) recently. Slip a pair of these pre-soaked socks on and your feet are cooled, soothed and moisturised. Yes they might look a bit silly, but your feet will thank you. They're a must after long summer nights spent partying or lazy a afternoon's sightseeing.

Finally, a spritz of a summery scent always brings back fond summer memories. Why not pick up a perfume in duty free before you head to your destination? The scent will forever remind you of that trip! For me, the fruity and feminine Marc Jacobs Oh, Lola! (£39) will always take me back to being in Zante last year. It is lightweight and refreshing, so makes a great summer scent, and with it's combo of raspberry, pear and peony, it smells a bit different to a lot of other fruity florals on the market.

I hope you guys have enjoyed reading my summer essentials! It's been great fun collaborating with Parie, don't forget to check out her post over on my blog, Kimamely Beauty.

Dates for Your Diary: Greetings Cards at the Ready!

We know how it is; you start the year with great intentions, filling up your diary with important dates, before quickly misplacing it and ending up instead relying on Google Calendar. With that in mind, we thought you might need a little recap when it comes to important dates in the next 12 months.

For the Muslim community, Eid al-Fitr – which this year falls on September 24 – is also known as the ‘festival of breaking the fast’. And should you have a friend, relative, colleague or neighbour who observes this festival, why not help them mark the occasion with a beautiful handmade card? Celebrated by Muslims worldwide, the religious holiday is to Muslims what Christmas is to Christians. In the absence of Eid-related cards and gifts, a blank card featuring a pretty floral design and including a heartfelt hand-written note will go some way to helping friends mark the festival.

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While it’s not quite as prominent here in the UK, Halloween (October 31) presents a great opportunity to spruce up your home in the otherwise quiet period between autumn and Christmas. Increasingly, decorative household items are becoming the norm in supermarkets here in the UK, with cards popping up in gift shops, too. Why not search for a blank card featurin pretty orange blooms to send during the holiday, or ‘just because’?

Next up, on November 1, Diwali – also known as ‘the festival of lights’ is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn. Spiritually signifying the victory of light over darkness, preparations and rituals typically extend over a five-day period, which means you have plenty of time to drop in a card at a friend or colleague’s.

Across the pond in the US, our American friends celebrate Thanksgiving Day on November 26. Just over a month before Christmas, the holiday also precedes Black Friday, where those in the US queue up outside department stores to bag cut-price deals. If you have friends or relatives in America, pop this date in your Google calendar and get organised early by hand-making a pretty card or buying a gorgeous handmade one. Think cards featuring shades of orange and deep plums, to mark the festival which is celebrated in late autumn.

We doubt you’ll escape the run up to St Valentine’s Day without spotting the card and gift shops’ huge banners reminding you of the holiday. But just in case…it takes place on February 14, which next year falls on a Saturday – ideal if you want to take your loved one for a day out somewhere nice. You won’t have any trouble finding a host of pretty cards online, but if you’d rather opt for something a little different, instead have a go at making your own.

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Which occasions do you mark with a gorgeous greetings card? Of course, there’s no reason to wait for these events and these events only; why not surprise someone you care about with a handmade card out of the blue like those sold at Decorque Cards? It’s surprising how such a simple gesture can put a smile on someone’s face.

 This lovely guest post is by Lesley Rudman Stevens, who is the founder of Decorque Cards. Where she designs her own handmade greeting cards for you to buy for those special occasions!  

 

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What I've Been Loving - Palmers Skin Therapy Oil Face

Acne Scarring is the worst, but something I have to live with *crying emoji face*. It never usually bothered me before until I realised that the majority of my skincare issues come from the scarring - hyper-pigmentation, discolouration ect. This then effected my makeup as well as I had to buy things to cover it all up and layering makeup is my pet peeve. During a twitter chat (#bbloggers on Sunday/Wednesday at 8pm) I learnt that the best thing for my skin was actually 'Rosehip Oil' and so the hunt began. I looked online to find this from Pai, and this one from Trilogy. Both a bit too expensive for my liking, so the search continued until one day I went to Asda and found one for half the price and the same thing from Palmer's Coca Butter. I love Palmer's as a brand so this was perfect. After testing it for two weeks I have to share it with you all! 

Why Is It Good

• With Vitamin E
• Helps Improve the Appearance of: Fine Lines & Wrinkles, Dark Spots, Uneven Skin Tone & Aging Skin
• Rosehip Fragrance
• With Retinol, Vitamin C & Cetesomate-E® Complex
• Hypoallergenic, Dermatologist Tested, Paraben & Phthalate Free
• Transform your skin with a powerful blend of 10 pure precious oils, Retinol, Vitamin C & our exclusive Cetesomate-E Complex.

Thoughts/Experiences

After cleaning my skin at night I take a few drops using the pipette and massage it in all over my face, focusing mainly on my forehead and cheeks. It is a oil so at first feels heavy and greasy but after about 10 minutes it sinks into your skin and feels very hydrating. 

After using it for two weeks I have fallen in love with it and it is now a staple piece in my skincare routine. The majority of my scars have disappeared, which has in effect evened out my skin tone. I am in shock that this has actually worked and my skin feels fresh and renewed. It also smells amazing! 

 If you are a acne sufferer or have any sort of scarring, discolouration on your skin then you need to get yourself some of this 'miracle oil'! 

Buy On Amazon for £9.99 HERE
Buy On FeelUnique for £9.99 HERE

 

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Summer Nails 2015

Summer is here and the best thing for me about the change in season is the change in my nail colours. I put away the deep berries and bring out the bright ones, in today's post I am going to give you the low down on my top 5 favourite picks for this year!

Rimmel Wild-er-Ness (£2.99)
Wild-er-Ness from Rimmel is a stunning lavender purple and I adore anything that is purple. This is a colour in-between a pastel and a bright, because it is very subtle. You need two even coats to get the colour in the bottle, since Rimmel have re-branded all their polishes there has been an improvement in the formula. It isn't as thick and the brush doesn't split when you use it.
Essie Resort Fling (£7.99)

I have previously talked about this colour on here already so this will be short and sweet. Out of all the colours mentioned in this post, Resort Fling is by far my favourite. It is a lovely orangey coral colour but isn't blinding that it looks ugly on your fingers. Everything looks good with this colour as well and it screams summer.
BarryM Eat My Dust (£3.99)
The Speedy range from BarryM is a pure stroke of genius and a range that lives by the name 'quick drying'. Eat my Dust is the best colour from the range in my opinion because of its uniqueness. it is a powdery, cornflower blue that has a grey undertone making it flattering to my darker skin tone. It is also a great 'toe nail colour' for the summer.
Maybelline Red Hot Getaway (£4.49)
This is the newest polish in my collection, I picked it up the other week after seeing the words NEW next to it in Superdrug. I haven't red much about this new shade from the range but let me tell you, it is amazing. It can be best described as a muted pink coral and looks perfect with a tan! It is currently on my toes and fingers because I am in love with it that much. These also do actually last for 7 days like it says - highly recommend buying them.
Nails Inc Uptown (£15.00)

Nails Inc have got the gel effect look for half the price thing nailed down. The shade Uptown isn't as bright as the rest of my picks but sometimes a nice nude nail polish is just what you need during the summer months.

These are my top 5 five, what are yours?

 

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