Summer Essentials | "The tans will fade but the memories last forever."

Summer is looming, and the sun looks as though it's trying to peek its lovely head through the clouds (finally!), so it's time to top up on our must have products for this time of year. If you're like me, and the sun is really not your friend then I can relate when you say that Summertime is not your favourite season. Countless freckles inhabiting your entire body, having to spend a million pounds on Factor 50 every single week and even then only getting a tan that is really just sunburn in disguise. 

Garnier Summer Body 400ml £7.50

I purchased this product from Morrisons at £3.99, while it was on offer, mainly because I'm so pale and wanted to see if this sort of thing actually worked. I'm secretly hoping this might turn me into some sort of Greek Goddess... a girl can dream right? I decided to try it out today and my god, the smell is incredible. It's a mixture between apricot and coconut, it just smells like a dream, a wonderful dream where I've been transported to a beach with the sun beating down on my body, an ice cream in hand. 

Honestly, I've never had a moisturiser work so well. It is fast absorbing, which is great for people who can't afford to wait ages for it to soak in and it leaves you feeling gorgeously smooth, soft and sexy.





Marc Jacobs Daisy 'Eau So Fresh' 125ml £68

If I had to go for the rest of my life with only one perfume, it would be this one without a doubt. I loved it so much the first time I bought it that my boyfriend bought me another bottle for Easter this year. Oh my God, it just makes me smell like a beautiful Summer day. Marc Jacobs has an amazing range of perfumes that all have a beautiful scent and are completely different to anything you've had before. To top it all off, they come in the cutest little bottles (as you can see...), which can make really lovely decorative pieces when you've used up all your perfume.
It may be a little bit pricey, but it's 100% worth the money. If you can't afford it yourself, put it on a christmas/birthday wishlist. You won't regret it.

Barry M nail polish £2.99 - £3.99

Any of you that read my blog know that I absolutely swear by Barry M for nail polish (and usually lipstick if I'm looking for a lovely colour). They bring out new ranges or shades every couple of months which is fan-bloody-tastic if you're like me and can't wait to get your hands on a new colour to paint your nails (and fingers...)

The polishes you see to your left are my must haves for Summer this year; Lemon Ice Cream,

 Prickly Pear & Greenberry (Gelly Hi Shine), Meadow & Mist (Silk). 

I'm currently sporting Lemon Ice Cream, which needs a fair few coats before it is opaque but when it's dried it leaves you with a nice glossy finish as you can see here. Who doesn't want their nails to resemble ice cream?

Mac Lipstick in Russian Red £15
L'Oréal Paris Superliner £6.99
Kate Moss Rimmel in 31 £5.49 

I'm a huge lipstick fan. Matte is my favourite as I find that the finish is much better and lasts longer than others I've tried. These are both red statement lipsticks which I find (along with corals) are the best for Summer. Especially for us pale girls, corals (as pretty as they are) can often not suit our pigmentation and make us look drowned out. What is better than a beautiful, bold statement red? Nothing. That's right. Superliner is my absolute favourite eyeliner. I completely swear by it. A nice thin 'cat eye' is perfect for this time of year and this one is so easy to apply.
All we need now is a high waisted bikini and we have 2014's new pin up girl... oops.



So there you have it, my 'Summer Essentials' for this year.
I've recently tried out the Garnier Summer Body moisturiser with a hint of tan and it has actually worked. Overnight my legs (and hands...) have become a slightly glowing tan colour which is incredible considering they were porcelain. I really didn't expect it to work as well as it has. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for a little bit of colour.

Do you have any products you would recommend?

Home Wishlist | "Home is where our story begins"

So, it seems that now the house sale is going through pretty smoothly (hooray!), looking for furnishing has become my most favourite past time. I've gathered a couple (quite a lot) of my favourite and most wanted items to show you because I'm just SO excited. 

bed/vanity/photo/wax burner

Danny and I have absolutely fallen in love with this bed. Unfortunately, it's around £400 out of our budget. Donations will be accepted. It's only taken a few months but I've also finally persuaded him to let me have a Vanity table in the bedroom and I think that the photo frame would compliment it. Last Christmas, I bought his mother a wax burner and it's quickly become one of my favourite purchases. It's a gorgeous accessory for anywhere in the house and the melted scented wax tarts smell absolutely beautiful. I just have to have one. 

wax burner/candle/storage/fireplace

Anyone that knows me can tell you that candles are my weakness. Moving up to Lincoln, I had an entire box dedicated to my candles. So it only seems fitting that there would be at least one candle in my wishlist. I find that Next do a really great range of boxed candles which I think look really lovely. I'm a real storage freak. I like things to have their place but without being cluttered. These pretty little storage boxes would be so great for make up. Another wax burner... how predictable of me. Honestly, I don't think you can have too many. Wouldn't it just look so lovely on the mantlepiece of the fire we're getting? Just imagine it! 

chest/furniture set/cushions/dining table

Everybody needs a dining table and this one is absolutely gorgeous. I absolutely love the chairs and how they are different to what you'd usually see around a dining table. They look like they'd be so comfortable. Cushions are probably my favourite accessory after candles and these are just so cute. I'll never have them because Danny hates wordy cushions, but a girl can dream right? Here we go, more storage, how exhilarating. Isn't the chest just the cutest though? You could have it at the end of the bed with all your bits and bobs in. I can just imagine it already, it's getting me all giddy. The chest of drawers is part of a furniture set we are getting. We went to view these at B&M and completely fell in love with them. The fact they are so reasonably priced makes them even better. 

The day we get the keys to our new house and can finally start buying things properly will be the best day ever. It's the start of our lives together and it's so important that we incorporate both of us into the making our house a home. I know that I will have to make compromises and I'm okay with that. 

We've already bought the essentials for our kitchen, thank you Argos starter sets for the great bargain. Knife block, cutlery sets, dining sets and pots and pans for just £20. I'd definitely recommend going there if you're a first time buyer looking for good offers and cheap bits. We did however take a trip to Dunelm Mill, where we will probably spend all our money, and picked up these little beauties. I can't wait to fill them up with goodies.