The Summer Edit '16

It's summer again already! Isn't it crazy how fast this year has gone? It doesn't feel like it was a whole year ago since we last put up the Christmas tree! Who has finished their Christmas shopping already? As usual, I started way back in August and was well finished by December, which is good because I got to skip the Christmas rush, but bad because now I have fewer reasons to go shopping. Anyway, what does all of this mean? It's time for my next seasonal guide: The Summer Edit '16!

First up is the all important tanning prep, so that your sunless tan (wear sunscreen people!) goes on nice and smoothly. These are my tanning prep essentials;

NKD Scrub - Mint*: Winter left me really dry and scaly, and so I needed something super effective to fix it and get my skin summer ready. This scrub has a really nice and refreshing smell, with its mint scent. It gives my skin a really good scrub and leaves it feeling smooth. I also like this as an alternative to coffee scrubs, because it doesn't leave any residue or mess in the shower, it just rinses away. 

NKD Butter - Coconut*: I was really impressed with this body butter. I love body butters in general, but I find a lot of them too heavy for summer. I hate feeling sticky and when the weather is hot and sticky, putting something heavy and greasy on my skin is the worst feeling. This product is the perfect hybrid between a butter and a lotion. Its consistency is closer to that of a lotion, while it is still thick and luxurious enough to really hydrate your skin - with no sticky, heavy feeling. 

Tip: From now until Christmas NKD has dropped all of their prices from $17.95 to $14.95. Take advantage and stock up! They would make great little Christmas gifts too! You can purchase NKD products  here**

Now you're all prepped for tanning, these are my top choices for your fake bake!

Bondi Sands Self Tanning Foam, Ultra Dark* $25 approx. from various pharmacies: This product will give you a super deep tan, and is twice as dark as the Bondi Sands Dark Tanning Foam. It does have a colour guide to make it a bit easier to apply and definitely make sure you prep your skin before, to avoid any patchy disasters!

Bondi Sands Everyday Gradual Tanning Foam* $25 approx. from various pharmacies: This product is just like the Gradual Tanning Milk, just in foam form for those who prefer the foam formula to a lotion. This is a great option to use alone, for a light fuss free tan (perfect if you are new to self tanning too), or you can use it to help prolong your tan, if you have used something like the Ultra Dark Self Tanning Foam. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy EDT 50ml, $138 from Farmers: This is a nice light fresh floral scent. Perfect for summer when it's hot, and sunny, and you don't want anything too strong or heavy. 

Oxygen Women & Teen, Skin Toner*, $29.99 available online  here: I'm not going to go into too much detail about this one now, since I have just published a blog post  here, about all of the Oxygen Skincare products I have been trying. But, this is definitely a perfect pick for summer. It feels super refreshing on the skin and smells just as refreshing too, with its kiwifruit and mandarin scent. 

Next up are some of my favourite makeup products for a fresh glowy look this summer. 

Collection Cosmetics Gorgeous Glow Blush Block* RRP: $16.99, available from Countdown: This one also made its way into my Spring Edit, but I'm featuring it again, since it is also a great summer highlighter. You can mix the pink floral shades together, or use them separately. 

Benefit Cosmetics Dandelion Blush, RRP: $26.00, available on counter at Smith & Caugheys: I have been wanting to get this blush for SO LONG, since it looked like the perfect 'natural' soft pink that would go with any look. When I saw they had a mini version available, I had no choice but to get it. This is perfect for summer because it will go with any makeup look and it will give you a fresh and healthy looking flush. Side note: the mini has the CUTEST little brush. If I wasn't sold on it already, the mini brush would have tipped me over. 

MAC, Soft and Gentle Mineralise Skin Finish, (I can't find NZ prices online, but by memory this was approx $60. Correct me if I am wrong): This is the perfect shimmery bronze shade, perfect for golden, tanned summery looks. Use it on your cheekbones, down your nose, on your cupids bow, as a brow bone shade etc. Also great as a shimmery eyelid shade, or for the inner corners of your eyes. 

It's definitely hard to narrow summer lip colours down to just 3, but here are my top picks!

MAC lipstick in the shade Love Lorn, (again, I can't find any NZ prices for MAC online, but I remember it being approx. $45.00): This is another one of those fresh, pretty looking shades that will go along with any makeup look. (Top swatch). 

Bronx Colors Just Matte Lipstick in the shade Passion Red*, $11.99: I chose this one for the Summer Edit, because not only is it a nice bright shade for summer, but it is also a really nice bright red for Christmas too. The pigmentation is good and it wears nicely. Keep an eye out for my Bronx Colours Overview post coming soon - they have a lot of other great products too, at affordable prices. (Middle swatch). 

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in the shade Really Red, $23.50 from Life pharmacies: This is my favourite Christmas red shade so far - it's the perfect traditional 'Christmas red'. (Honourable mentions go to the Hello Kitty x ColourPop collection liquid lipstick called Surprise, which is a metallic red, great for something festive, but a little different from a standard red, and Kylie Cosmetics Metal in the shade Dancer, another metallic shade, but more of a burgundy red). It wears off nice and evenly and doesn't go patchy, cling to dry patches or do anything else unsightly like that. (Bottom swatch). 

What are your top product picks, and plans for this summer? 

*PR sample or gifted
**Affiliate link