We are about halfway through our Vancouver summer here and my oh my, has it been a toasty one! I admit, it is about 10 degrees warmer than normal around my midsection all the time now with baby girl hang in’ out there, but still, this Summer’s heat is one for the books. We are absolutely loving it too! For a natural strawberry blonde gal with freckles, I actually have a good tan this year and it has been sticking! With this hot weather, I have felt compelled to try out multitudes of beauty products and have made some fantastic discoveries! I have found gems for my face that needs extra nourishment after being in the harsh sun. I have fallen in love with fresh summery scents in the form of body spray and lotions. I have also spent a lot of time with this Summer’s hottest accessories as well, appreciating their carefree summer love-child aesthetic that they bring to any look. Overall, there is just a ton of cool shit out there that I love and felt it would make a great post to share with ya’ll!

So below I give you my narrowed down list of some summer essentials that have made it into my bag, and do not intend to leave! It was rather difficult to stick to only a few favourites but the chosen ones are goodies that you will not want to miss out on!

 

1.) My mum is always showing up at my house with goodies for me. She is a bit of a shopper (wonder where I get it from?!). I must admit though, that lady always finds one heck of  a deal.She picked up this beauty of a tote bag at Chapters Indigo for like $7.00 during one of their summer sales! It is canvas so it is super durable and the colours are perfect for this season’s colour pallet. Super handy and fits everything you need. LOVE!

2.) These bad boys are a Kate Spade exclusive and I simply cannot live without them. Stylish and protective against the sun. However I DID have to live without them when I lost them on a camping trip. I picked up a very similar looking pair at Anthro and am equally in love.

3.) If I had to give up any of my senses, it would not be scent! I love things that smell. I love the sense of nostalgia they can bring, or how they can whisk you away to a memory just like that. These scents are a few of my favourites this summer. With the heat being quite constant, you want to make sure you are smelling sweet at all times! They are light and airy, without being too floral and overpowering. The coconut-lime is one from Bath & Body Works. The last time I popped in though the packaging looked slightly different so beware of that if you are on the hunt for it. It also comes in a body spray and a shower gel. I picked up Seen By Chloe when I was coming back from a holiday in the airport, duty free. Thgouh this scent tends to fade after a few hours, while it is on you the light sweet scent is perfect for any occasion. I have spritzed it on for work and thrown it on again for date night later that day. It is a keeper for sure! Lastly, the Fresh Sugar & Lemon perfume. I do not think this scent is for everyone! I personally love it but I know a few who do not. It is very natural and hippy like but I love how it really reminds me of freshly cut lemons sprinkled with sugar – it literally smells exactly like that! Available at Sephora.

4.) Get those hands ready for a treat… because this is it and it comes in the form of a whoopee pie! Well note really, but it smells like one! This Shea butter cream is worth every penny. It is not too heavy yet still coats your hands, leaving them feeling moisturized and like those of a princess. The smell is to die for as well, I could practically load it onto a spoon and eat it. I bought mine at a friends boutique in Kitsilano called Wishlist (possibly my slice of heaven, that little store!)

5.) It’s true. This serum IS a game changer! It’s one of those magical potions that cost an arm and a leg but seem to last a long time, as you only use a little bit here and there. Honestly though, my skin has never felt or looked better. I use this twice daily, AM & PM, and it leaves my skin feeling incredible. I managed to get a gift pack that came with a few other gems including a night cream, a pore reducer and an eye cream. I believe it is all magic and I highly recommend this skincare line. You will love it too, trust me!

6.) I was a firm believer that St. Tropez was the only real good self-tanner out there. I stumbled upon Sephora’s own brand of self-tanner products one day and decided to give the tiny travel size of the spray a whirl. I was very impressed! It has fantastic coverage, looks natural and is very effective. Like any self-tanner, you do want to take care when applying (For example, do not spray down the leg left twice, and neglect to do the right – hello baby brain!). But for a product that looks and feels great on your skin and your wallet, this one needs to get in your bag asap!

7.) I am a bit of a lip gloss collector. I lose them often, buy new ones, find them again, stash them all over the house… I simply just cannot keep track and will often have about five on me. A personal favourite are these awesome colours by Smashbox, also available at Sephora. They have a shade for any outfit, and occasion. They feel pretty darn good on the lips as well!

8.) Metallics are big this summer and will actually transition very well into Fall as they are all I seem to be seeing on upcoming trends as well. I tried out this almost-gold metallic polish by Sally Hansen and was very pleased. It coats evenly and you might even be able to get away with one coat; it goes on quite thick. I applied two in the end. It’s a lot of fun and looks like great quality so far. Super happy with it! I am also a loyal fan of the base and top coat polish by Deborah Lippman, as well as her Gel polish. Well worth the money my darlings!

9.) We have covered just about every area of the body except our hair which is one of the most important things to protect in the sweltering heat. I try to use a variety of hair products to keep things interesting, especially nourishing hair masks. However, one product I have been using this summer is the Blonde Collection by John Freida. Not only does it bring out my highlights, it feels wonderful on my hair. The ends are healthy, the roots are lively and the shine is there despite the heat and sun. Just be careful with your ponytails girls! The ouch less hair ties are the best way to go. No breakage for your delicate strands and they come in just about every colour you can think of! I have about 40 of them floating around…. You can find them at many stores however I picked up mine at Anthro (of course!). I can’t wait to get some Fall colours thrown into the mix.

10.) Lastly, a special one for the mommas-to-be. Summer or not, this lotion is a must-have right now and you know why! (Major preventative action here!)

If you have any summer essentials I missed and absolutely LOVE, please let me know! We still have time before the leaves change, temperatures drop, and we break out our boots and scarves…. oh can’t wait for Fall Fashion! (Sorry!!!)