Fragrance to capture the essence of summer

We’ve been indoctrinated into the concept of a “summer fragrance” – floral, pretty, sweet, citrus. In reality, the idea is nonsensical. A summer fragrance is whatever you choose to wear, so don’t feel obliged to play by the rules. Diptyque’s Eau de Minthé is slightly off the beaten track: yes there’s a floral (rose) accord, but the predominant notes are mint and nutmeg. Jo Malone x Huntsman Birch and Black Pepper is touted as a men’s fragrance, but I’d happily wear its smoky sexiness all year long. If you gravitate towards a sophisticated floral, there is plenty on offer. Cloon Keen’s Lá Bealtaine – a blend of jasmine, tuberose, mandarin, bergamot and neroli – is unapologetically ultra-feminine. Burberry’s Her Blossom and Gucci Bloom also fit well into the archetypal floral family. Prada’s Water Splash does, too, but it infuses the green notes of the frangipani flower with a touch of mandarin. Byredo also taps into the mandarin, but blends it with jasmine and cotton candy. Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne captures freshly cut oranges in a bottle and is totally gender neutral, as is Clean’s Solar Bloom – a floral with the base note of patchouli. And for a bit of nostalgia there’s always the special summer edition of CK One – a throwback to the days when “summer fragrances” were all the rage.

Top row, from left: Diptyque Eau de Minthé Eau de Parfum £120, spacenk.com

Gucci Bloom Eau de Parfum £52, johnlewis.com

Byredo Sundazed Eau de Parfum £165, spacenk.com

Calvin Klein CK One Summer 2019 Limited Edition Eau de Toilette £40, lookfantastic.com

Burberry Her Blossom Eau de Toilette £60, johnlewis.com

Bottom row, from left: Clean Reserve Solar Bloom Eau de Parfum £82, spacenk.com

Cloon Keen Lá Bealtaine £120, lessenteurs.com

Prada La Femme Water Splash Eau de Parfum £106.50, selfridges.com

Jo Malone London x Huntsman Birch and Black Pepper Cologne £120, harrods.com

Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine Cologne Absolue Limited Edition £95, johnlewis.com

Makeup with a lighter touch

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Hotter days call for lighter makeup products Photograph: Beate Sonnenberg/The Observer

I understand why many people consider wearing makeup in summer something of an oxymoron. Choices that work perfectly well in autumnal climes, like a decent foundation and a smoky eye, suddenly seem OTT and no longer feel like they have any business on your face. Additionally, not all makeup is comfortable on the skin in the heat and many products wither under the pressure. And so the potential for looking totally out of step is real. However, the prevailing mindset that we should forego makeup in summer (because it’s all about being “natural”) doesn’t work for everyone – many, like me, want maquillage all year round and there is no sin in that. Wearing it well is all about clever application and key products. Bronzers and highlighters are the quickest ways to deliver colour, glow and life to the skin. I’ve found scraping a tiny bit of powder highlighter and blending it into your serum is a brilliant application technique. Blushers always add youthfulness, a pop of colour on the lips distracts from lacklustre skin, waterproof mascara is obligatory and if you do still want a cover-up without the weight, mix foundation with hyaluronic acid and apply. Because sometimes, a tinted moisturiser just won’t do.

Top row, from left: YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres Water Stain in Wet Vermilion and Bain de Corail £29 each, yslbeauty.co.uk

Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder Duo £32, bobbibrown.com

Tom Ford Lip Spark Lipstick in Stinger £40, tomford.co.uk

Middle row, from left: Chanel Duo Bronze et Lumière Bronzer and Highlighter Duo £52, chanel.com

Pat McGrath Labs BlitzTrance Lipstick in Flesh 3 £35, patmcgrath.com

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Desert Heat Eyeshadow Palette £45, esteelauder.co.uk

Bottom row, from left: Guerlain Météorites Perles de Satin Light Revealing Pearls of Powder £46.50, harrods.com

Smashbox Cali Kissed Highlight + Blush Palette £35, feelunique.com

Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick in Amazing Amal £24, charlottetilbury.com

Suncare for healthy, glowing skin

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Enjoy the sun, but do it carefully with these products. Photograph: Beate Sonnenberg/The Observer

The good, sunless tan will make you look like you’ve been enjoying the sun, but without the terrifying repercussions that come with it. Drunk Elephant’s D-Bronzi is chock full of antioxidants that mimic the benefits you get from vitamin D. It can be added into your moisturiser to give your skin a bit of colour without the weight of a foundation. Amanda Harrington’s face and body tanning range is incredible. Infused with tons of skin-loving ingredients, it comes in a range of skin tones and leaves you with a natural-looking glow. Top it off with Anastasia’s Shimmer Body Oil and you’ll give JLo a run for her money. But here’s the thing: you still need sunscreen because those pesky rays get everywhere. So, the basics: SPF is a measure of how well your sunscreen protects you from sunburn. SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays, SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 50 blocks 98%. Ideally you should use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with

both UVB (protects against the burn) and UVA (protects against premature ageing). For sunscreen to be truly effective you should be applying it at least 20 minutes before leaving the house, reapplying every two hours and, no, you can’t use the same old one you’ve been wheeling out for the past five years. Chances are it’s way past its expiry date and doing absolutely nothing for you.

Top row, from left: REN Clean Screen Mineral SPF 30 £30, libertylondon.com

Dior Bronze Beautifying Protective Milky Mist Sublime Glow SPF 50 £32, harveynichols.com

Soleil Toujours Organic Aloe Antioxidant Calming Mist £30, spacenk.com

Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Antipollution Sunshine Drops £30, cultbeauty.co.uk

Rodial Vitamin C Booster Drops £75, spacenk.com

Bottom row, from left: Sisley Sunleya GE SPF 50+ £180, spacenk.com

Caudalie Anti-Wrinkle Face Suncare SPF 30 £18, caudalie.com

Amanda Harrington Illuminating Bronzing Mist £28, harveynichols.com

Anastasia Beverly Hills Shimmer Body Oil £43, feelunique.com

SVR Sun Secure Extrême Multi-Resistant Ultra-Matte Gel SPF 50+ £22.98, caretobeauty.com

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