Winter on this side of the world can literally take eight months leaving us with two months of summer and two months of autumn. So summer is missed for the most part of the year but when it finally arrives, it leaves you begging winter to come back. Well, at least that was how I felt the last week of June but the weather has normalised now so it's cool. This year I was able to convince a couple of my friends to stick around and I'm loving spending time with these folks. Just incase you are wondering, they are inanimate **winks**, they are the products that inspired this post. I'll have to introduce you to them just incase you haven't met before.

 

 MOISTURE-PROTECT EMULSION

 by THE BODY SHOP

 

 

 

 

   This is my summer holy grail. I notice the difference in my skin any day I don't use it,. It is extremely light in weight and has SPF 30 PA+++ which protects the skin from UVB and UVA rays respectively. It doesn't ruin my make-up and has got vitamin E and a whole lot of other good stuff in it. I use it after my moisturiser and it locks in the moisture and keeps my skin hydrated all day. Bottom line: I love it.

 

    This is another favourite of mine by the same company. As the name implies, it's dry oil with tiny bronze shimmers and a heavenly scent. It dries on the skin, giving it an extra nice summer glow yet it's non-transferring unto clothes so it's safe to wear it even when wearing white.

 

 HONEY BRONZE  SHIMMERING DRY OIL

by THE BODY SHOP

 

 

 

 

 

DUAL-INTENSITY BLUSH : FERVOR

by NARS COSMETICS

 

 

 

 

    This is a 2-in-1 blush with a portable application mirror. One shade is peach while the other is ... can't say, help me out. Apply it on your face and that might be the only make-up you may need that day.It's safe to say they've got some highlighting elements in them.

    A facial cleanser and toner in one. For those long summer days when I'm too tired to cleanse and tone seperately, this comes in handy. It revitalises the skin and gives it a radiant glow which is still evident in the morning after going to bed. If travelling and you want to pack light, this is a good alternative over two bottles of cleanser and toner.

 

 ONE-STEP FACIAL CLEANSER

by CLARINS 

 

 

 

 

 

ALL ABOUT THE EYES

by CLINIQUE

 

 

 

    An eye-cream which reduces circles and puffs. I use this mainly on days when I have to stay up late to work but still need to get up early. I might not get enough sleep but this does a good job in concealing it and giving me the fully awake look. Again, this is another product that is suitable for your travel kit.

     They are both infused with Biotin and are sulfate-free. The word Biotin is from the ancient Greek word biotos, which means life or sustenance. It is also known as Vitamin B7 of the Vitamin B complex. It can be gotten in foods like banana, avocado, mushrooms, etc. It has been nicknamed the H Vitamin which is drived from the German words Haar and Haut that mean hair and skin. It thickens and strengthens hair and also causes faster growth. Sulfate on the other hand is a good cleansing formula but dries out your hair, stripping it of its natural oils leading to a lack of moisture and sometimes damages hair. You can read a more extensive article about it here. If your hair is naturally prone to dryness or fragile or you dye your hair on a regular basis, a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner like this one is exactly what you need. The coconut oil and shea butter present restores shine to the hair.

  

HYDRATING COCONUT OIL AND SHEA BUTTER SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER

by MARC ANTHONY

 

 

 

 

LIP BUTTER

by THE BODY SHOP

 

 

 

    It is mango flavoured because of course mango made it to the top of my favourite fruits. It has a nice but not overpowering scent and slides unto the lips nicely and it's non-greasy. I sometimes use it as a base for my other lip products. Mon Amour!

     I get so much usage out of this little but powerful bottle. Tea tree oil has a large spectrum of usages but I use it mainly for drying out unwanted guests on my skin. It's been a faithful friend and remains dear to my heart.

  

TEA TREE OIL

by THE BODY SHOP

 

 

 

 

PINITA COLADA SHOWER GEL

by THE BODY SHOP

 

 

     I love the virgin pina coloda so I leaped for joy when The Body Shop came out with these range of products. It's creamy and extremely refreshing. I always reach out for this shower gel on a pamper myself summer day. It is also a good way to end the day.

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