The latest from Jo Malone - Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne

Getting a new lipstick always cheers me up, a new nail polish is sure to put a smile on my face and a new eye shadow palette definitely makes my day, but what truly makes me giddy and excited is a new perfume. Scent has always been very important to me and not only does it compliment an outfit or a look, it has the ability to inspire, comfort and relax making you the most confident person in the world, or the complete opposite if you get a fragrance that for whatever reason doesn't work for you. I don't knock any type of fragrance until I've tried it; fruity, floral, spicy, green, foody, classic, contemporary - I've tried it all, but what really draws me in is a scent that captures a mood, an atmosphere or a scene, and the latest one to do just that is Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt Cologne (£40).

Many of the most well known Jo Malone scents belong to either the citrus, floral/light floral or fruity category but for me this latest addition to the "quintessentially British" fragrance library doesn't fit in any of them, and in fact it opens the door to a completely new category. It's described as a combination of fresh air, sea spray and woody notes that capture the scent of the English coast. When you first spray it you'll get a burst of zesty but soft grapefruit and an undertone of cool marine saltiness, which makes the scent initially airy and light and after that it gives way to deeper tones of subtle musky, warm ambrette seed and sensual, aromatic sage. I've never come across a composition like this and it creates a very natural, understated and dreamy fragrance with a slightly raw and gritty undertone reminding me of salty sun kissed skin. It's a sophisticated, relaxed and harmonious scent as far away from florals as you can get and I would even say that it can easily be worn by both women and men.

As much as I am enamoured with this scent unfortunately I have to say that as with many of the other Jo Malone colognes the scent doesn't last as long as I would have liked and on me it starts to fade after only a few hrs. That's not going to stop me from wearing it and it doesn't take away from that fact that it's a scentsational fragrance. I absolutely adore this modern, beachy and woody scent and it has definitely captured the spirit of summer, which will be perfect for keeping spirits up as we move into Autumn. Jo Malone has a wonderful range of scents that are now modern classics, but I love the innovative concepts and new directions we've seen this year - first with the London Rain Collection and now this amazing evocative scent. The unique Wood Sage & Sea Salt launches in September and it will be available in a hand & body wash, body creme and candle as well so you can surround yourself with the memory of summer, and we can all live the rest of the year by the sea side.  

What's in my travel handbag

After spending a few days of quality time with my family it's time again to pack my bags and travel back to the UK, and I return with a suitcase stuffed with beauty goodies that I simply had to pick up as part of my pre-flight relaxation exercises to calm my nerves. Even though it's a fairly short flight of just a few hrs I need to keep my mind busy when I fly, which means that I always carry a lot of stuff around me when I travel, so I need to dig out the most spacious bag I can find hidden deep in the tardis that is my wardrobe, and at the moment that's my 3.1 Phillip Lim handbag for Target. It's a battleship grey leather imitation version of the pashli bag with gold hardware and it has 4 pockets which is really useful to keep all your travel stuff safe and I have a lot of it... First we have the essentials like passport, keys and purse but then there's also my kindle in case the entertainment system doesn't work, my diary and a pen since I'm a scribbler making notes and lists all the time of things I need to do, plans for the blog etc and of course my phone.

On top of that I also have a mini beauty kit that I carry on board so that I can freshen up during the flight and when we land without having to rummage through my suitcase to get what I need. My in-flight "survival kit" pretty much looks the same wherever I go - starting with the lovely travel sized Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream in Pink Grapefruit (£5.70) which I've mentioned previously in my post about hand creams (see here). Having clean and fresh hands always makes me feel refreshed and energised and this cream is so light, fresh and pampering to use and it has a wonderful and delicate scent of mint and citrus fruits. I also always travel with at least one Bath & Body Works Anti Bacterial Gel Pocket (£2.10) and applying a little bit of the gels really enhance that fresh and protected feeling. Another must have handbag item, but which is extra great for traveling is the fabulous Caudalie Beauty Elixir (£10.95). It's an excellent quick fix to add some moisture to your skin during a flight even if it's not long haul, and to add some radiance when you land so you don't look shattered. The distinct herbal and aromatic scent of rosemary, and mint works so well to boost your mood and it may be a completely indulgent princess product, but it does actually work. I also make sure that I have a lip balm with me, and at the moment I'm trying to finish the Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm (£3.70). It's rich in softening and nourishing ingredients like lanolin, beeswax and natural oils and when my lips need something a little bit more rich to prevent dehydration, then this is a great natural product and a good primer for lipsticks.

When it comes to makeup I usually travel wearing as little as possible on my skin, and to freshen up as you land I tend to only use the bare essentials like a good concealer, and among the more affordable options one of the best products is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (£5.49). It's a lightweight formula with just enough coverage to hide any dark circles or irritated skin after the flight, without making the skin feel heavy and tired. To blot any shininess I also have some transparent matte powder to hand, and the gorgeous luxurious Estée Lauder Scorpio Zodiac Powder Compact (£38.50) is the just perfect size to carry with you and it also comes with a tiny sponge applicator so no need to bring any big powder brushes since it does the job for a quick touch up on the go. I also have with me a mascara so that I don't scare people with my very blonde lashes and the YSL Babydoll Mascara (£24.50) gives a volumised effect as well as long luscious lashes with just a thin coat of mascara, perfect for a wide eyed and refreshed natural look when you step of the plane. I also always have some form of lip product with me and since I'm going pretty much au naturel, the L'Oréal Color Riche Collection Privée lipsticks (£8.19) in Julianne Moore gives just the right amount of peachy pink hint of color without looking overdone. To finish off I'll spritz some perfume on, and since I'm a nervous traveler I like to surround myself with harmonious scents that are calming and soothing, so I tend to use old, tested and loved favorites and this time I brought with me the Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne (£39)which is an amazing light and fruity feel good scent without being sickly sweet.

Despite carrying almost everything but the kitchen sink with me, the best thing is that there's still space left in the bag for any unexpected duty free items that might come my way. What do you have in your travel handbag?

January favorites

First bunch of favorites for 2014 and even though I'm slowly shedding my winter clothes and makeup for lighter and more colorful Spring looks I still feel a strong need to nourish and comfort my skin and body, to keep the cold and darkness away. It's been a bit of a wet and miserable start to the year so I've craved warm, soft perfumes to heat me up from the inside and luckily I've had two amazing scents to help me with that. To start off I've literally bathed in the lovely Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist ($14) in Warm Vanilla Sugar. If you like foodie, cookie type scents you'd probably love this. It's a very harmonious and well balanced mix of light and sparkling vanilla sugar, subtle coconut and tonka bean - gorgeous! A lot of body mists don't last very long after you've sprayed it, but the warmth of this makes it last surprisingly long and when you've sprayed it, the whole house smells as if you'd been making vanilla cookies, oh yummie! It's also worked really well in combination with the Jo Malone Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne (£100) from the sophisticated Cologne Intense range. This is another warm and vibrant scent that makes me think of expensive truffles or Turkish delight - the rose water adds delicacy and freshness while the vanilla makes the cologne creamy, refined and luxurious. I love this extravagant and lush scent that lingers on your clothes and hair long after you've sprayed it, and it seems I'm not the only one since I've received so many compliments for it.

My skin has behaved quite well this season, for which I'm very grateful but instead I have struggled a little bit with finding the right lip balm and some of the products that I've used previously, all of a sudden aren't doing it for me anymore so the past months I've to turned to my trusted Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Revolumising Lip Care (£28). This product is so much more than a lip balm - it does contain lovely smoothing and moisturising ingredients like shea butter and jojoba oil like many other balms, but it also has a collagen stimulant to create a subtle plumping effect and which helps to redefine the natural lip contours so you'll find that in addition to a moisture boost your lips have a little bit more volume for a few hrs. It's an amazing silky and light product that you can use as a primer or a lip gloss on top of lipsticks, and I also use it as a mask on the lip contours, letting it sink in for about 15 mins or so. Since it's quite an expensive lip care product I usually use this in the morning as a lip primer to plump my lips and as an overnight treatment, however since I've really needed something deeply hydrating lately I've also used this generously throughout the day and I love its plumping effects.

Next product may not be very exciting but for me it's an absolutely essential part of my nail care routine - Sally Hansen's Miracle Nail Growth Treatment (£9.99) which is applied every other day to bare nails to help them grow longer and stronger in no time (apparently you should see a 30% increase in nail growth in 5 days). A lot of products promise the moon and more, and I'm always very skeptical towards marketing fads, but I have used this strengthener a couple of times every week for well over a year and it actually does work - and if you use it as a base coat you'll treat your nails with minimal effort every day under whatever lovely shade you're wearing.

 Violet Freeze

Passionate Pink

If you read my recent post on some of my latest purchases from Avon, you might be surprised to find that one of my favorites this month is the Avon Color Trend Color Me Pretty Wet-Look Shine Nail Enamel (£3) in Violet Freeze. You may remember that we got off to a very rocky start because of some very misleading color swatches, however I won't hold that against this innocent little polish and after we passed that initial hurdle I actually really LOVE this shade. It's a wonderful shimmery light lavender blue and for me it's got just the right depth of color that at the same time gently nods to the pastel trend that I'm completely embracing this Spring. This shade turned out to be an unexpected little ablessing in disguise!

The last product this month is a wonderful creamy lipstick that has really cheered me up these rainy days and it's the The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick  (£10). This range has an impressive 26 different shades to choose from, and Passionate Pink is a gorgeous shimmery juicy and highly pigmented rose color with a slight blue undertone that packs enough of a punch to brighten a look, but is still versatile and soft enough that you can easily wear it during the day. The lipstick is very moisturising and gives a velvet long lasting smooth satin finish and I'm looking forward to pick up another shade from this great range this Spring.

That's the end of the favorites for this month. When I first started doing these posts last year, I fully expected them to be quite repetitive and that I would stick with the same old products month after month, but every time I think back at what I've actually really used the most - I surprise myself by how much the favorites change from month to month and I'm already curious about what goodies I'll be drawn to in February.  

Jo Malone's Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne Intense

If you've read my blog before, you'll know that in a manner of speaking I have a long standing relationship with Jo Malone. Ever since I got my first cologne (Nectarine Blossom & Honey, reviewed here) many years ago I've literally bathed, slathered and dowsed myself in several of the scents from the amazing catalogue of fragrances. In fact I am a frequent visitor to Jo Malone and never pass up an opportunity to visit for a wonderful luxurious treatment, either because a new product is launched or just because... it's a day of the week that ends with -day. Fact of the matter is that you don't really need an excuse to visit Jo Malone, the fragrances themselves are enough and I can easily lose an hour or two experimenting with layering scents. This is one of the main concepts of Jo Malone and by combining one, two or as many scents as you wish either just in colognes or on top of bath/shower products and then body lotions, you tailor a scent specifically for yourself and create your signature scent.

During one of our most recent pamper sessions in Jo Malone, Him Indoors must have paid particular attention to what I experimented with because at Christmas he surprised me with a gorgeous combination of scents and products, and the absolute jewel among these was the precious, unique fragrance that is Jo Malone Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne (£100).

This is one of the seven different scents that are part of the Cologne Intense range, which uses well known, exclusive and treasured ingredients like saffron, ginger lily and amber. The Rose Water & Vanilla Cologne is a wonderful tempting and tasty blend; when you spray it you'll notice at first the light, fresh, delicate rose water, and then it develops into a more mature, velvety creamy bouquet with the smooth and rich vanilla in the base. It's captured the essence of luxurious, decadent confections like Turkish Delight and fudge but without the sickly sweetness and it's a sophisticated well rounded cologne that lasts for hrs, and towards the end of the day still gives off an air of individuality and rarity.

I'm completely fascinated by this cologne and can't stop sniffing myself when I wear it (there's a weird image for you) but I think it's simply stunning. The are are several Jo Malone scents that would work well to layer with it depending on if you want to make it more fruity, or even more spicy perhaps and I would definitely recommend that you book yourself in for a testing session. You might wonder which products I got together with this fabulous cologne for layering, but I'm jealously going to keep them a secret for now - after all this is now MY Signature scent.   

A scentsational afternoon at Jo Malone + Winner of International Barry M Giveaway

When I found out that Jo Malone had just opened a store at John Lewis in Southampton, I was absolutely thrilled, although my bank balance won't be - and of course I was very quick to accept an invitation to a relaxing hand and arm treatment, accompanied with some bubbly and nibbles to celebrate the opening. I'm definitely one of Jo Malone's biggest fans and was really looking forward to getting something new from their gorgeous line up of scents, ranging from the light and fruity to the aromatic and woody, and the intense and dramatic.

 

One of the main concepts of Jo Malone is that you can tailor the scents especially to you, by layering them - combining perhaps with other colognes or other products like shower gels and body lotions, to create your personal scent. In my case we decided that we would experiment with layering different scents using a bath oil, a luscious rich and deeply moisturising body crème and finally a cologne. This sounds pretty straight forward, but the intriguing twist to this is that I wouldn't know which scents we were using - it would be a blind test. We had a discussion about what type of scents I like in general, and then four different unnamed scents were chosen. I tested them separately, in combination with each other and we identified likes and dislikes.

The interesting thing was that I couldn't recognise some of the scents that I had already picked out as possible buys that day, and in some cases all of a sudden a scent wasn't as appealing to me as it had been before. 

  

This little experiment made me realise that it's not just what we actually smell that decides whether we like a scent or not, but it's also what else we know about it. E.g. if you like rose, and you have been told or know that a scent has an element of rose in it, or it might be called Red Roses or the bottle might even be in the shape of a rose, then you may have already subconsciously decided that you like the scent. But if you did a blind test with nothing else to guide you than your nose - no name of the scent, no bottle and no description, you might very well come to a different conclusion. It's fascinating when you think about it!

At the end of the afternoon I might have accidentally bought a little something with me home. So, what did I end up with after a lot of testing and consideration? - well a combination I had not expected at all... 

The bespoke combination I eventually chose was the Wild Bluebell Cologne and the White Jasmin & Mint Body Crème. As you massage in the luxurious body crème you of course pick up on the delicate, soft and feminine floral scent of the jasmine, but it's not as dominant as it can sometimes be and instead it's surprisingly fresh and light because of the exhilerating, icy cool mint. The bluebell cologne is very subtle and personally I detect more of the sweet lily of the valley and the crisp sweet but zingy persimmon than the bluebell. I had tried the bluebell cologne previously, but it had never really whispered: "I'm perfect for you - buy me", until now. In combination - the graceful jasmin, herbal mint, zesty persimmon and faint bluebell create an elegant, timeless and crisp scent. I'm so pleased with this fusion which I think could be my very own signature scent for a long time to come, and I can't stop smelling myself...

A big thank you to Jo Malone and especially the wonderful Holly for making a very rainy afternoon, an exceptionally lovely one! If you don't have any plans for the weekend, or you're looking for something fun to do with your friends - book yourself into the closest Jo Malone for a nice treatment and some perfume testing, and if you walk out of there with a bag filled with goodies - you can always blame me!

As you know I have run an international Barry M Giveaway for the past nine days to celebrate that I had reached 200 followers on both GFC and Bloglovin'. It was an amazing turnout with so many entries and I want to thank everyone who entered and sent me your details. The amount of support I have received from everyone is just fantastic and I appreciate it so very much. I'm very happy to announce that the winner is Judy Thomas. Congratulations and I hope you'll enjoy the products!

October empties

I don't think anyone will be surprised when I say that I like to shop - particularly beauty products. To get some brand new interesting things you've never tried before is so exciting. But having your bathroom cabinet full of lovely stuff that's not used is rather pointless, so I'm trying to be really good and to finish up products that are half full before I move on to my brand new toys. I've even been so organised that I've put all the stuff that needs to be used up at the front of the cabinet, and made a little list for me to track my progress. Talk about taking your beauty seriously!

The first empty of October is a dry shampoo. As most of you will know by now, I think dry shampoo is a girls' second best friend, and absolutely perfect for a quick on the go freshen up of your hair. I am a big user of the Batiste products and the Dry Shampoo XXL Volume not only refreshes and gives texture it also give a lot of volume, which for me is perfect e.g. after a gym session or if you're going out somewhere straight after work. Like all of the Batiste products it comes with a smell which is distinct for this particular bottle - it smells intensely of red berries, sweet floral and has almost a salty liquorice after smell. I have to say though that for me it is a little bit too strongly perfumed, and not one of my favourites which is a shame since I like the volumising effect, but I probably won't repurchase because of the artificial scent. 

Next product is the Urban Decay De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray which is supposed to help your make up set and to stay on for longer by regulating the temperature of the skin, keeping it looking lovely and matte, without having to do any touch ups. I had never used this before and it took a little bit of getting used to, and to figure out how get it to work for me. I didn't think that it came with very good instructions, so I tried a couple of different approaches until I found what seemed to work best. I actually spray it on both after having put on my foundation, but before using powder and also when I've finished doing all my makeup. The spray function is quite good and gives a fine mist, and I use about 3-4 spritzes for every application. It definitely helps to keep your make up in place, however on me it doesn't work nearly as long as it claims (up to 16 hrs), in reality it's more like 5-6 hrs before I need to fix any shine. It's a good product and but before I repurchase it, I'd first like to try the All Nighter version to see how that measures up. 

I have also finished my KIKO Skin trainer. You may remember that I did a trial, during which I would only use this particular serum to see if it would live up to the miraculous results that it promised within 30 days. After the 30 days I did notice that the skin felt very firm and taut, which is exactly what was promised, but for me the sense of hydration wasn't as good as I would like it to be. It's a good, affordable serum that does firm your skin, but if you have tendencies towards dry or dehydrated skin, I would definitely recommend that you use intense hydration masks and a rich moisturiser to boost moisture levels. I do have other serums that I'm using at the moment and I'm not sure I would repurchase this, simply because of the tightness that I started to experience at the end of the 30 days. If KIKO releases a new version of the Skin Trainer to up moisture, I would definitely try it out.

It was a sad, sad day when I finished my Jo Malone Redcurrant & Cream Cologne. This was part of the limited edition collection called Sugar & Spice which was released earlier this Spring. It was a gorgeous collection with cake and dessert inspired fragrances and this was my favourite out of the five scents. To me it captures British summer perfectly with it's mix of tangy piquant red currants, juicy sun kissed strawberries, sweet crushed raspberries, lots of light, fluffy whipped cream and a subtle touch of warm musk that really rounds the scent off, preventing the berries from completely taking over. It was a delicious scent and even though I have enjoyed wearing it, I doubt that I will get it again since it's now only available on eBay at extortionate prices. Redcurrant & Cream, I will miss you!

Let's move from indulgent, unique fragrances to a complete makeup steal on the high street - the MUA Bronzer in Shade 01. MUA offers a number of products for £1, which is almost embarrassingly cheap, but despite the low cost the bronzer is actually a great product. It's one of my favourite bronzing products because not only does it give a lovely natural, golden shade with a very subtle shimmer, it's also light and pleasant to wear. The bronzer lasts for a good chunk of the day and works really well for scultping too. In fact, I like this so much that I feel like throwing in another £ coin every time I buy it, it almost seems rude for it to be that cheap. If you only wear bronzer occasionally and you don't want to go for the more costly options, I highly recommend the MUA bronzer.

The last product among the October empties is the Clarins Water Comfort One-Step Cleanser with Peach. It's very similar to a micellar water, i.e. it will remove eye make up and cleanse your face at the same time. I will never use only cleansing waters of this type (not even Bioderma) since I feel that I need, and enjoy a thorough cleanse of my face every evening, but it's a wonderful and gentle option as part of my morning routine, to get rid of any impurities from over night. What I particularly like with this Clarins product is the refreshing sunny scent of peach that lingers on my skin, setting me up nicely for the day and how soft it makes my skin feel. I do have a few other cleansing waters that I need to use up, but I will definitely be getting this again at some point soon.

I feel quite pleased that I have managed to take off six items from the list of products to finish up this month. It took a lot of focus and determination, let me tell you. Besides, you have to use it all up to make space for all the stuff that's on my other list - the one of things to get!

Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne by Jo Malone

A good few years ago I was out traveling and went into a Jo Malone shop at the airport. I'd never seen one before and entering the shop it was like a whole new world opening up for me, and I spent so much time in there testing products that I almost missed my flight. After much testing and looking around I had finally decided and I walked out (actually ran out) with my first Jo Malone fragrance ever - and it was Nectarine Blossom and Honey Cologne. 

Jo Malone divides their scents into fragrance families to guide you on your explorations in their shops, and Nectarine Blossom and Honey is part of the fruity family. And for me that is definitely the key word to describe this scent.

When you first spray the cologne there is a very light green or grassy note that almost immediately gives way to the heart of the scent which is luscious, warm, ripe, sweet nectarines combined with fuzzy, gentle and juicy peaches and faint hint of earthy, tart black currants. Personally I don't think that the honey is very prominent, however the delicious fruit is definitely anchored in a deeper nectarous base, without being sickly sweet or heavy in any way at all. It's a wonderful well balanced, delightful and youthful scent with a surprising amount of substance for being such a fruity scent. Wearing this scent always puts me in such a good, harmonious mood.

Unfortunately this scent doesn't last very long. It is indeed a cologne, which means that it's never going to be particularly loud or very long lasting, and I find that I have to reapply after just a few hrs. That goes for most of the Jo Malone scents, not just Nectarine Blossom and Honey.

Jo Malone calls itself the Savile Row of perfumes, the idea being that you can tailor the scents especially for you by layering them with other scents, either from the same family or a completely different one to create your bespoke signature scent. I know that it's very popular to combine Nectarine Blossom and Honey with Orange Blossom, which is a sunny and warm gorgeous scent, and combined you'll get a deeper more floral scent, although still very light and airy. For me I prefer to wear both of them on their own since they are heavenly scents in their own right.

You can of course get Jo Malone fragrances on line but there's something very luxurious about buying something from a Jo Malone shop and if you haven't visited one before - you absolutely must! It's not just that they have a wonderful studio of scents to explore, it's also the body range products, the amazing customer service, the mini treatments they offer, the sleek and stylish little cream and black boxes with black silk ribbon and the fragranced tissue paper in the cute little bag - it is truly the whole experience.

Jo Malone have introduced quite a few new perfumes since I discovered Nectarine Blossom & Honey and while I love to try new things, sometimes the old ones are STILL the best.

Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede

I love Jo Malone fragrances and every time there's a new release, I'm right there in the queue to test it out. I've already given a loving home to some of the earlier releases this year and since they are limited editions I treasure them and try to make them last as long as possible. As soon as I heard about the release of Peony and Blush Suede a month or so ago, I knew that I had to try it since Peonies are some of my favourite flowers. And as soon as I had tried the fragrance I knew this darling needed to be in my life NOW, so I got myself both the cologne and a candle in this gorgeous scent.

This fragrance is a delightful and light, sheer floral with fruity elements. As you first spray it on you'll immediately notice the wonderful, warm, delicate and slightly "rosy pink" scent of peonies. For me it's such a soft and comforting scent and it reminds me of walking through my mothers garden where I grew up. Even though the cologne opens as a crisp and clean floral, it never becomes too sweet or overpowering, probably because of the clear fruity notes of apples that keeps it airy and fresh. Finally there's is a gentle hint of roses and a barely noticeable jasmine. I'm a huge fan of jasmine, but I'm glad it's not more prominent since I think it might have made the cologne a bit too sweet and heavy. Some of the other Jo Malone colognes are not very long lasting, but I'm positively surprised at how long Peony and Blush Suede lingers after you've sprayed and it leaves a subtle bouquet on your hair and clothes.

I haven't tried the candle yet, since I'm waiting to finish my English Pear and Freesia first but I'm sure it will be amazing, and I can smell the fragrance without even taking off the lid. 

To sum it up this is a striking, elegant and inviting soft scent that could be a modern classic for me. The deluxe feeling of this scent is reinforced with the gorgeous and stylish Jo Malone packaging and the care the shop assistants show when they wrap everything up - it's such a treat to get Jo Malone products!

To me Peony and Blush Suede smells heavenly and it has to be one of the most incredible well balanced scents I have tried for a long time - and since I'm a fragrance fanatic, trying new things almost every week - THAT says a lot!

Sweltering summer day essentials

I love love LOVE these warm summer days and evenings, although it's not always easy to keep your looks cool and fresh. On a day like today I'll make sure I've got plenty of sun screen on since I've got fair to medium skin and don't want it to turn red. I would hate for helicopters to think my red face is a landing site beacon towards the end of the day. I like using Hawaiian Tropic Sensitive Face Sun Lotion (SPF30) since it gives good cover without feeling sticky and it doesn't cost an arm and a leg compared to some other products.

I don't know about you, but my hair seems to take a life of its own when it's warm outside and there's really not much point in spending too much time on it. So I'll reach for the miracle of miracles - the dry shampoo. I love Batiste for their wide range of affordable products, quirky packaging and they're available from most shops. At the moment I'm using the XXL Volume Big & Bouncy which helps to give some extra body and a clean feel, although some of the other ones do sell much nicer. This is however quickly remedied by adding some Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla hairspray from Fudge. Not only does it make the bounce from the dry shampoo last but it smells amazing - just like a fruity ice lolly!

To freshen up I'll use the Caudalie Fleur de Vigne shower gel, which is such a lovely, timeless, soft aromatic floral scent, followed by the Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun to replenish my skin with moisture. Using the after sun gel is like dipping yourself in a cooling sweet fruit cocktail of coconut and papaya - oh yum.

I like showing off a tan by using some body oil, and one of the best ones is the Caudalie Divine Oil. It's a dry oil, so it absorbs straight away into your skin, leaving it silky smooth with a great subtle sheen. Another tan enhancer is to wear a pastel ice cream shade nail polish, and there are so many to choose from this season. I'm showing Estée Lauder's Dilettante, which is a lovely sugary pale Tiffany blue.

And to finish off - a couple of sprays of a summery light floral and exotic fragrance. One of my current favourites is Jo Malone Osmanthus Blossom. I realise that it's a limited edition released earlier this spring and that it's no longer available from the Jo Malone website (I even had to use Selfridges for the link to a description), but you can find it on good old eBay.

And of course, my constant feline companion had to supervise today's activities

I know what she's thinking.... "That's not the way I would do it..."