Lovely Girlie Guide to Summer

The lowdown on all things summery – the Lovely Girlie Guide to Summer.

This week, we’re very excited to have a guest feature from Karen of Lovely Girlie Bits fame – here’s her official Lovely Girlie Guide to Summer…

Word on the street is that it’s summer out there and so I thought I’d give you the lowdown on the Lovely Girlie Guide to Summer.

1. Go somewhere that has summer.

2. Wear sun protection. You might not remember to put it on every day but there are so many great products that contain SPF in them that you can make part of your every day routine. There are plenty of foundations and powders out now that can protect your from the sun along with countless moisturisers that have UV protection. Find one that works for you, no excuses! My favourite SPF is the Vichy Capital Soleil Anti-Shine Dry Touch Emulsion (RRP €14.50). It’s lightweight, can be worn under make up and it’s not greasy. I won’t be without this for the summer!

3. Get some waterproof mascara. We all know that with summer comes festivals and with festivals comes rain. Thus, to look any way decent, you need to get yourself a good waterproof mascara. I’ve tried a few myself by means of a very scientific experiment (dunking my head in a sink of water) and found that The Body Shop Big and Curvy mascara (€16.50) did not budge a bit, not even after a double dunk, just to make sure.

4. A summery scent. I’m a perfume fanatic and have lots of different scents for each season. In the hot (hah!) months, I like to wear really clean, fresh, light and zingy scents so if I somehow by chance of a miracle get hot and clammy, a quick spritz freshens me up instantly. I have Roger & Gallet’s Eau des Bienfaits (€33) in my desk drawer at work, ready to perk me up. I also am the office spritzer and encourage my pals to freshen up too. On holiday recently, I bought Narcisso Rodriguez Essence Eau de Musc (€49 – €97) on holiday recently and it is by far the cleanest, soapiest scent ever and I am in The Love with it. That’s my Scent Of The Summer so far this year.

5. Bright nails. Oh, there’s nothing like a bit of nail polish to perk you right up and set of your tan, fake or otherwise. I’m loving Essence nail polishes and for €1.29, you can go wild and pick up a few colours without breaking the bank. Give me anything hot pink, turquoise or coral and I’m good to go! Sally Hansen’s Calypso Blue is one of my all time favourite polishes for summer.

6. Fake tan. I think this is a given isn’t it? Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs (RRP €13.95) has a new water resistant formula that will hold up against the summer rain but if you’re looking something a bit more long lasting, L’Oreal Sublime Tanning Mousse or St Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse will keep you bronzed and beautiful for days. I am a fake tanning neophyte and have made it my mission to try as many fake tans as possible this summer, especially since I won’t be getting a real tan.

7. Brighter make up. Summer is the time to go a bit mad with the colour palette so forget the neutrals. One of my go to looks is wearing gold/bronze on my eyelid and lining my lower lash line with turquoise. Try it! If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, try a bright lip to add a bit of colour to your face. My new favourite lipstick for the summer is YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Shade 17. It’s a bright coral colour that screams summer and will be perfect for keeping the fake smile on my face due to lack of summer.

So those are my summery tips for this year. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed that summer will come to Ireland and we’ll be able to use some of these tips! What am I say, sure the Leaving Cert is coming up and everyone knows we’ll be guaranteed some good weather over those couple of weeks!

Lovely Girlie Bits is an Irish beauty blog run by sisters Karen and Joanne, discussing all things lovely including make up, beauty, skincare, haircare and fashion.