Top 5 Summer Essentials

We may be approaching the colder months of the year here in England, but for many, the sunny holidays on white sandy beaches and city breaks accompanied by glorious sunshine will continue. As most of us eagerly make a desperate attempt to thrive of of what's left of the summer, it makes sense to be prepared for when the sun does decide to eventually make another appearance here in Britain, or better still, be prepared for when you hop on a plane to somewhere hot and sunny to revel in bikini clad days, sun kissed skin, and the warm breeze beside the sea.  

Below are my must-haves and essentials for any summer activities you may have planned, whether it be a day at the beach, a stroll around the park or simply an afternoon relaxing in the garden. It's a good idea to always keep these items on hand because you never know when the sun might decide to pop out and inspire a beach day or a dip in the pool.

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1. Sunglasses 

Fairly obvious, but sunglasses are a necessity when it comes to summer. It's important to keep them handy, even when there's a chill in the air, as UV exposure can damage your eyes. I personally keep sunglasses on me all throughout the year, because even when the sun fails to make an appearance, I love to wear them on my head to keep my hair out of my face! I often find it difficult to find sunglasses to suit my face, so I love it when I come across stores who offer a wide range of sunnies which makes the search so much easier for me. I have recently discovered a great company called Salt City Optics who offer a large range of stylish prescription sunglasses from Ray-Bans to Oakley glasses. The company have recently released a new range of Oakley glasses, so be sure to check out the new arrivals here!

If you are someone who does have to wear glasses on a day to day basis, it's especially important to protect your eyes from the sun, so it is worth checking out the prescription glasses on offer and finding the perfect pair of sunglasses to suit your lifestyle. Alternatively, for those of you who do not require prescription glasses, I recommend Ray-Bans - I love their classic styles at affordable prices.

2. Sunscreen

Although I've not always been one to follow the sunscreen rule, it is SO important to protect your skin during the warmer months. I often underestimate the strength of the sun, and end up very red, and very sore, so it is worth keeping a good sunscreen with you at all times in the Summer, even if it doesn't seem particularly warm. 

I personally love the Hawaiian Tropic range. It smells absolutely beautiful with its blend of coconut and mango (my two favourite scents), but it also comes in a tanning oil formula, so you can be a bronzed goddess whilst protecting your skin. The range offers a variant of strengths from SPF 6 to SPF 30 and it will be sure to leave your skin moisturised and glowing with a lovely fragrance. 

3. Make-Up

Unfortunately, I wasn't blessed with beautiful skin, and I often suffer with very bad breakouts, noticeably more in the summer. Because of this, I try to wear a lot less make-up when it is hot to let my skin breathe, however, I still like to ensure that I am concealed and my blemishes are hidden. For many who are in the same situation, I recommend using a primer to stop your make-up from coming off throughout the day as it most likely would otherwise due to the heat. If you are on a tight budget, I recommend Max Factor Facefinity All-Day Primer. At £10.99 per bottle, it is great value for money and lasts a long time and leaves your skin feeling velvety as well as controlling any excess oil on the face. If you are willing to spend a little more, Smashbox Photo Finish Primer is amazing. It is more expensive at £25.50 a hit, but it is very much worth it for what the primer does. It gives a lightweight and silky feel, leaving you with a smooth base, and is particularly good if you suffer with bad skin, as it enables you to use less foundation because it evens out your skin very well.

4. Accessories

When it is hot and humid, you don't want to be spending lots of time putting an extravagant outfit together. I much prefer to stick with a very simple, light weight outfit such as a play-suit or a maxi dress (very handy for if you're particularly lazy when it comes to putting outfits together as it doesn't require finding a top and bottom that go together). You can then jazz it up very easily by teaming it with a statement necklace or a headpiece such as the head chain I wore in my previous post to spice up your outfit with a bohemian, summery vibe.

5. Entertainment

Last, but not least, I recommend you keeping some sort of entertainment with you, especially if you are intending to spend the day relaxing at the park/beach/pool rather than walking around lots. This could be either a good book, some magazines or simply just a music device. I love nothing more than relaxing in the sun listening to some chilled playlists on Spotify, or laying back on a sun lounger to tuck into a good book. Spend some time making a playlist of your favourite summer music and discovering some popular books of the moment to prepare yourself for your relaxing day in the sunshine! See below for my top 5 songs for this summer!

Not Letting Go- Tinie Tempah ft. Jess Glynne

Where R U Now - Jack U ft. Justin Bieber

House Every Weekend - David Zowie

Cheerleader - OMI

Show Me Love - Sam Feldt ft. Kimberly Anne

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So there we have it! I could probably go on forever talking about my summer must haves (bikinis, smoothies, hair products, fake tan, shoes etc.) but if there's anything in particular that you can't live without during the summer, please comment below! We could all use the extra knowledge and inside scoop on what's good when the sun is shining! I hope you've all had a wonderful summer, and enjoy what's left of it! 

What are your summer essentials?

What's your favourite thing to do during the summer?

This post was brought to you by Salt City Optics. 

Kiss FM Haunted House Party 2014

It feels really strange to be writing about something that happened nearly a year ago, but after a very restless night, I came across lots of video footage that I forgot I even had, and after remembering what a great experience it was, I just had to share it! On Halloween last year, me and a couple of my friends took a trip down to London to attend a Halloween-inspired gig which featured lots of various artists like Example, Professor Green (who called me darling and held my hand *EEEK!*), Rizzle Kicks and Ella Eyre to name a few. It was an absolutely incredible night and was brilliant value for money at just £30 which enabled us to see about 20 different artists. 

We spend the day in London, strolling around, doing typical tourist things before sitting down for some lunch at a beautiful restaurant we found near the venue. We then began queuing at about 3pm, preparing ourselves for a long wait as the doors didn't open until 8pm. I am however very glad that we did this, because it meant that we got to be right at the front and just a meter away from the stage and all of the artists which was so amazing! They were all very interactive, and it made such a difference! Queuing early also gave us a chance to meet some new people who we ended up spending the rest of the night with as there was originally only three of us. They were all really nice people and I still keep in contact with them today. 

We also spent our time queuing making ourselves look more Halloween-esque. As we were spending the day in London, we didn't intend on going in full blown costume like some people did, and so instead I wore a Halloween themed dress covered in Skeletons and then got my friends to splatter me in fake blood before we went in. It actually did look like I had been hit over the head, and even pushed Professor Green to talking to me whilst he was on stage and commenting on my blood-splattered face.

Throughout the night, I filmed some of the acts, and I've never really looked through any of the footage until now! I decided to put all of the film into a single video, just to act as a little memory of a brilliant night! Hopefully, Kiss will do something similar for Halloween this year, and I will most certainly be buying tickets again!

What gigs have you been to?

What ones were your favourite?