Lovely summer
I know I should be out, enjoying the sun and the amazing weather here in London and I will be shortly after I finish sharing my thoughts on how to have a lovely summer with you.
I always find that in summer I have more time- maybe because the days are longer, because the weather keeps me in a good mood most of the time or maybe just because summer gives all of us that beautiful feeling of carefreeness and freedom. My daily routines- from beauty to eating and even reading change a little in summer so this is why I’ve decided to tell you more about these tweaks I make. Aside from planning holidays and getting ready for bikini season, summer should be the time when we go lighter on everything, especially on beauty products and food.
Beauty-wise, what I usually do when summer comes is change all my products (face creams, body lotions, you name it) to their lighter versions and of course add an SPF. I also use lots of thermal waters, floral waters or other mists in order to keep my skin refreshed and become best friends with deep cleaning masks. For my body, I use a toning oil, lots of scrubs and a gradual tanner every 2-3 nights. My skin is fairer that Show White’s so self-tanners are a big no-no for me. No matter how much I exfoliate and how much attention I pay to the application of self-tanners I always end up with stains and patches that look hideous. The St Tropez Everyday Gradual tanner is my personal favourite- doesn’t smell horrible and it’s very easy to use. Another tweak in my beauty routine is using a detoxifying shampoo once a week- all that sweat and dirt build up in your hair also, just so you know.
In terms of food, in summer I can’t start my day without a large glass of green juice. I also fing that my body only asks for ons of fresh fruit, salads, yogurt and frozen yogurt and of course some ice cream. But not a whole tube of supermarket ice cream- I prefer the real thing, bought from a real Italian gelateria.
Working-out also seems easier to do in summer- I walk a lot, swimming is a no-brainer and I also keep up with my Ballet Beautiful work-outs. Dancing, jogging, beach-sports, hiking, cycling, there are so many activities you can do in summer that it would be a waste not to. Especially when you can actually enjoy all of them outdoors and don’t have to step into a sweaty, stinky gym.
Summer is also the time when I read a lot. And by that I mean 3 books a week. I’ve already made a list of my favourite summer reads but aside from those, in summer I indulge myself in a lot of photography, art and coffee-table books, in classical fairytales and my childhood books, I catch-up in my French, Spanish and Italian or go back to my books on writing well.
It’s true that in summer we party, travel and go out a lot, but to me, summer is also the time when I feel very creative and my head is filled with ideas so I usually make plans and think about new projects. And if you are already planning or going on holiday to some hot location, check my post about beach DOs and DONT’s here.
Enjoy a very lovely summer :)
