How to survive the Summer Holidays....

...without a) rewarding yourself with the contents of the Whistles pre fall collection for not selling any offspring to the circus or b) drowning yourself in a vat of wine.

It is possible to do.  I will admit that usually in the holidays and pre a holiday I do like a little treat to boost my wardrobe but this year, honestly, I don't think I need anything (all faint now).  Maybe it's because we're going away in the UK and so the chances of me needing to wear a bikini are zero, maybe it's because I usually go away earlier and I'm now all about the A/W, maybe because I'm shopped out (again, all faint now) 

Either way, I don't feel the need to add anything to my holiday wardrobe (clearly this won't last)

But I have a couple of other great solutions that won't be a burden on either my burgeoning wardrobe or my liver.  I can't promise the same for your bank account but we all need a treat now and again (compared to lawyer's fees for the alternative, I think we're good) 

It's basically beauty related.  Yes I know, I don't do beauty and compared to most I am a total rank amateur.  This is obviously recognised as the team at No 6 Clinic in Tunbridge Wells, asked if, pre the onslaught of the holidays, would I like to try one of their IV Vitamin Infusions

As my laziness knows no bounds and this beauty ritual involves lying down, chatting to the rather lovely Nadine for half an hour with the promise of an instant energy boost for the day and weeks ahead, who was I to say no? 

And it was the ideal pick me up - I would call it an inside out facial - which is fab considering I loathe any form of facial or massage.  A Spa day to me is my idea of total hell, so being in and out in half an hour was a massive plus for me.   They are based in Tunbridge Wells and they have very kindly offered 10% off any IV Vitamin Infusion in August with Nadine, if you mention the blog when booking.  

My infusion was a Vit C and Magnesium mix and I have really felt fab for the first week of the hols - mission totally accomplished.  An added bonus is that my skin feels brighter and the whites of my eyes are definitely clearer (which is a minor miracle knowing what a lush I am). I definitely have more energy and, dare I say it, more patience.  I only wish I could set up a drip at home.  

So that's the first recommendation on my list, second is the fake tan.  I cannot be doing with lying out in the sun anymore, it just doesn't happen.  I have mentioned this previously but I am being asked all the time, what do I use? I have been assured that this is because it does look pretty good and not because I look like an Oompah Loompah and people would like to know what to avoid.  

Can I please point out that this is what I buy - I haven't been given it, I buy this and whilst I could buy (and have definitely bought) more expensive brands, I genuinely think this is better.  My second choice would be St Tropez but honestly, this a) lasts longer and b) fades better.  And when you are as utterly lazy as I am with the attention to detail of a sloth, then the less work you have to do the better. 

All hail the Cocoa Brown tan.  The rules, as I have mentioned previously but for those who weren't paying attention, are as follows.  You MUST use a mitt.  And you MUST use the mousse.  If you don't - I absolve myself of all responsibility for what occurs. 

This is the set I bought in Ireland from Penneys and for those who want to either give it a go or/and who are travelling, this is ideal.  Ryanair appropriate (assuming that you are one of the 99% of RA travellers who would rather wear all your clothes than pay to put your suitcase in the hold?  This will only make sense if you travel a lot with them and if you have any Irish family, you will know exactly what I'm talking about) 

And at Feel Unique, there is 15% off everything (according to their website..) using the code JULYSUN. 

Cocoa Brown Ultimate Travel Set £9.99

Specific Mousse wise, I like the One Hour Tan (haven't tried the darker one as I find the normal one dark enough) £7.99


Clearly any self tan mitt will do but theirs is cheaper than most at £2.99 


I've also been asked, what do I do?  Well, I shave my legs (I've found this much better than waxing for self tanning) and I exfoliate.  When I say I exfoliate, I mean I use a body scrub - and that's where the secret starts and ends.  I do like the Rough Stuff from Cocoa Brown but my favourite is definitely from The Sanctuary. 

The Sanctuary Salt Scrub £11.50 from Boots (on 3 for 2 at the moment I think....) 



I then put body lotion on my dry bits, so knees, feet and elbows and apply the mousse with the mitt.  I honestly can't tell you how easy it is and until you do it, I know you won't believe me (PLEASE comment if you've used it to prove how easy it is!)  And that's it.  It fades evenly, I probably only do it once every five days.  I only exfoliate the shower before I'm going to reapply, otherwise I just shower as normal, pat lightly dry (don't rub) and apply normal body lotion. 

It really is that simple. 

And whilst we're talking of holiday prep, I spied these earlier today in Marks and Spencers - of vital use to me going to Suffolk (not) but if you are going abroad (especially with my beloved RyanAir) then these are genius.  I originally saw the Anya Hindmarch version which is the ultimate for the person who has everything. 

In-flight travel bag £150 from Matches 


Or you could get handy with a small gold bow and have these with enough left over for a whole outfit. 

Outstanding Value Clear cosmetic bags set of 3 £6 from M&S

Hair wise now - again, I am lazy (honestly, verging on slovenly) in that I only wash it once a week and am ridiculously lucky in that I have good hair genes (my nails on the other hand - what God gives with one hand, he takes away with the other...) 

But whilst I have a lot of it and my wonderful hairdresser Daniel Jordan can work absolute wonders with it, it is classic Irish frizz.  Lots of it but fine, coarse and frizzy. 

My saving grace that I have mentioned before, is my Babyliss Big Hair.  The thing of dreams for those of us with untameable hair.  

Babyliss New Big Hair £45 (but I wonder if you can use the above code with it - it does say it's site wide...)

Over the years I have tried many many different shampoos and conditioners but I constantly come back to the same brand that I have now been using for 17 years.  First discovered them when I lived in America in the late 90's (oh dear god that was actually nearly 20 years ago.  How?  Seriously how?  It was yesterday) and I have never found anything as good and I have tried pretty much all of them.  

My go to every time is Redken All Soft (if you have similar hair and have a holy grail product, do let me know.  Whilst I always come back to the All Soft, I am a total hair product tart in the hope of getting lucky with something else!) 

Redken All Soft shampoo £9.90 (pre 15% off) 


And as I only wash my hair once a week, I use the Heavy Cream as a conditioner. 

Redken Heavy Cream Conditioner £15.90

I'm also going to try the Argan-6 Oil as I think the range is so great and I've been meaning to try a Moroccan oil for ages.

Redken All Sofr Argan-6 Oil £19.50


Now these above aren't treats exactly as they last forever but the one thing that I cane through and have very specific tastes regarding, is perfume.  I love a fragrance, as I have mentioned before, they are real memory makers to me (as crap as it sounds it's true).  Each holiday I like to have a new perfume (hours of research believe me - I am such a total saddo) as every time I smell it, the memories it brings back are fab and very specific (touch wood, up till now we've always had great hols!) 

So my chosen fragrance for this year is from a company called Connock of London.  Seeing my quest for a new fragrance on Twitter, they sent me a sample to try and fair dos to their marketing, it paid off as I am about to place an order for a bottle.  And whilst I'm there I may as well get the shower gel too.  This should hopefully coincide with our new bathroom so everyone's a winner. 

Their scent is called Kukui Eau de Parfum and it's £75 for 100 ml which isn't the cheapest but it's an EDP and from the tiny tester that I had, you only need the smallest squirt and it lasts all day - unlike so so many EDTs which seem to fade after an hour or so.  

What's it like?  Errr nice?  Seriously though, I would say it's a very fresh floral, the only other one I think that is vaguely reminiscent of it is Acqua Di Parma's Magnolia Nobile (which I also love but actually is much more expensive) 


And so there we have a brief round up (although as per usual this has taken me about a day longer than my usual fashion diatribe I bore you with, hence it's today and not yesterday that you're reading this) of my alternative treats and must haves that aren't wearable, for the Summer hols.  Any other tips - all gratefully received. 

Finishing with outfits from the last couple of days. 

Saturday for brunch with the family and then I took the boys swimming and met up with some friends in the afternoon. 



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Grey and black linen dress - Next
Black patent sliders - Zara
Black Diego bag - Alexander Wang
Straw hat - Zara

And out for dinner on Saturday night with friends.  Ended up at 1.30 am drinking Espresso Martinis, as you do.... (god they're good.  Not so good the next day mind...) 

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Blush pleat dress - Cos
Leopard pony skin lace up shoes - Zara
Black clutch bag - Tory Burch 




It's pouring with rain here tonight, so I'm off to peruse some cosy A/W new stock.  You have been warned.

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CONVERSATION

32 comentarios:

  1. I swapped to Cocoa Brown this year after reading great reviews about it. I could cry when I think how much money I've spent on St Tropez over the years. It's without a doubt the best stuff I've used and it hardly smells (huge tick). Apparently it's sold in Primark too!

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    1. YAY! It's bloody fabulous isn't it - I know I sound like a right cheapskate when I mention it but actually, even a bottle of St Trop Mousse lasts a whole season for me so at £30 for a whole summer that's not too bad at all. But this is GENUINELY better. Yes, it's sold in Primark - I got mine in Penneys in Ireland! (same thing!) x

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  2. I need to have a go of this coco brown stuff- I am a St Tropez girl but it's an expensive do in summer!! Just loving your Zara leopard shoes - are they from last year or have they re-issued them?? They really compliment your Cos dress fabulously! X

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    1. You SO do - honestly you won't regret it. No, the shoes I managed to snaffle this season in the sale - last week actually for £20!!! Couldn't believe it, so so pleased. They work so well with that dress, don't they? Really really chuffed. x

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  3. I have hair exactly as you describe - coarse, frizzy and lots of it! I would definitely recommend Wella SP Repair range - fab stuff, and makes a huge difference to the manageability of my hair. Worth a try!

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    1. It is indeed, I will definitely try that, thank you so much xx

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  4. You say you don't do beauty, but I've been hooked on La Roche-Posay redermic cream since you did a post on it some time ago. It's fantastic for my skin! You look fantastic as always. Lynne x

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    1. Ha ha ha - I was just talking about that the other and saying how absolutely fab it is! Still love it, need some more actually. I'm just not nearly as much as an expert as so so many people out there (oh and I HATE spending money on it!) xxx

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  5. My god I'd like your social life! Still love that Cos dress and the shoes are fab x

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    1. oh love you're funny, it's not that great, is it? The Cos dress - yes, it was such a great buy - £50 or something?! And whilst I've only worn it a couple of times - it was worht it on its own for the wedding. But I LOVE it above the knee. So much easier to wear. xx

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  6. I bought this after reading a few reviews and spotted it in Primark for £6. I had my doubts due to previous cheap brand disasters, which has kept me firmly in the st tropez camp. But I am pleasantly surprised by it , to the point of obsessing about stock piling it incase I run out / there is a rush fad /Primark cotton on and hike the price up. Fab stuff.

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    1. Yup it's amazing, isn't it?! Superdrug always sell out of it, in fact the only place I've found it instock regularly is Feel Unique. x

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  7. Ryanair are b***ards......when I win the lottery I will never travel with them again......Michael o'reilly must be bricking it!! Must try this cocco brown stuff, St tropez have had too many of my pennys

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    1. I have to say, I honestly don't have a problem with them as we never fly too far and they are always SO so so so much cheaper than everyone else. You must try the Cocoa Brown - honestly it is better than st Trop! x

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  8. I'm an Irish gal and I swear by cocoa brown!! It's fab...sold everywhere over here,it has really taken off...it's cheap,looks and smells grt and is soooo easy to put on even for a numpty like me.owner and creator is Irish so she's obv really pushing the home market...did you know it was in this years goody bags at the oscars:-)
    Have the linen next dress too...throw it on and WHAM!Dressed! For that reason I love it:)

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    1. It's fab fab stuff isn't it (although wasn't that easy to get hold of in Tipperary - thank goodness for Penneys in Limerick!). So pleased you love the Next dress - I have to say is the best Summer dress I've ever had for throwing on during the day, for sure. x

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  9. I was the one pestering about fake tan yesterday. Does any body lotion suit? Not sure whether my eucerin body lotion would make things go flaky.

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    1. Oh you weren't pestering at all! (sheeite, did I say that?!) Now I have used any old body lotion but it might be worth trying it with the body lotion in the starter pack which says it's oil free? It's lovely stuff as well to be fair. xxxx

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    2. Will get that lotion! I didn't really mean pestering. Very pleased that you helped with my query. Now I have no excuse!

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  10. I'm always on the lookout for the perfect fake tan (if such a thing exists!) Used to favour Xen tan but it's just too expensive to justify the spend. I will definitely be giving cocoa brown a go. Do you have to leave it on overnight or can you put it on in the morning before going out? X

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    1. You can definitely put it on and go - there is a colour straight away but it does come up within the hour. I have to say I find it better if I apply it the day before, and wash off the next morning and then moisturise again over the top. Hope that helps xxx

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  11. I've used every fake tan going - St Tropez, Famous Dave, ModelCo etc but I switched to Cocoa Brown this year on your recommendation. I love it and I use the dark tan version as it gives my legs a lovely (just back from somewhere exotic) colour. A mit is essential and does the job quickly and easily. It keeps selling out in local Superdrugs so it must be popular - I'm also tempted to stockpile!

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    1. Yup it is ALWAYS sold out at our Superdrug!! That's why I buy it online from Feel Unique. So much better and with a discount always too (there's always a code hanging around) x

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  12. I'm going to give Cocoa brown a go next, have heard so many good things about it. Love your whole going out outfit, that dress is so gorgeous xx

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    1. You absolutely must, honestly it's fab. And thank you xx

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  13. Loved your RyanAir comment .. sooooo true! Cocoa Brown is the bizz! And as someone who has psoriasis, I can vouch for the fact that not only is it easy to apply, it doesn't irritate skin (and nor does it turn psoriasis purple unlike every other fake tan on the market!) Loving the new shoes x

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    1. So so fo fab to hear that honey xxxxx (and I LOVE the shoes for sure) x

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  14. Them pony skin laceup's look very uncomfortable..

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    1. Those pony skin laceups are handily very comfy indeed, I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear! x

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    2. When they look that good, who cares if they're comfy or not - stunning! Have just rebooked through boden catalogue and there's a leopard print trench coat which would be right up your street and mine! I first thought it was a dress but no it's a really close fitting trench. Would be gorgeous for autumn nights out or even over jeans for day.

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  15. Code does work for babyliss on feelunique - thank you! Second recommendation in two days for the brush. Hoping it works for me!

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    1. It honestly is life changing for most people I know who have used it! x

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