Get your summer wardrobe sorted

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bare some flesh, BBQ, beach, bikini, block colour, boots, bright and bold, cami style, capris, cashmere wrap, charity shop, denim jacket, department stores, designer brands, dresses, essentials, fabric, flamingo, flip flops, flowers, glitter, High Street, holiday vibe, iPad, jacket, jeans, landfill, maxi dress, mix and match, October, pineapple, pleated skirt, poolside, quality, shines, shorts, shy, silver sandals, smile, social media, sophisticated, spaghetti straps, splurge, stretch, summer staple, sun, Sun cream, sunglasses, super model, support, take away coffee, tee, tote bag, towel, urban feel, urge, wardrobe, white shirt, yoga pants

Whether you are at home, or away this summer, getting it right when it comes to summer wardrobe essentials can be a minefield.

With so much choice on the High Street and great savings to be made on designer brands, the urge to splurge can be tempting.

While you can buy everything in sight, it is more than likely come October, half the items you bought will still have tags on them and that pineapple T-shirt, with matching flamingo shorts will be ‘out of trend’ and in the charity bag.

We have put together the key pieces we think will take you from morning to night in style, but without breaking the bank or adding to the landfill.

Sunglasses
Starting at the top, sunglasses are a must when the sun shines, and even when it doesn’t. Department stores have some pretty good brands on sales at the moment, Boots is one stop sunglasses shop and of course if you want to spend top dollar, then the designer brands are very cool and should stand the test of time.

Vests
Whether you go for bright and bold, spaghetti straps or cami style, a stack of fresh vests will see you through the entire summer. They can be worn under dresses, with shorts, team them with yoga pants or a pleated skirt and you have the recipe for success. Yes, you can get them for less than the cost of a take away coffee in some shops, but just check the quality of the fabric and ensure they fit well and give the right amount of stretch and support.

Flip Flops
OK, you can’t wear these 24/7 but because they come in a range of colours, at various price points, flip flips are a total summer staple. Great for the beach and poolside, add a little glitter or flowers and you can match with jeans and a tee for the perfect BBQ outfit.

Denim Jacket
You really can’t go wrong with a denim jacket for the summer. Perfect over dresses, it gives an urban feel that a cardigan doesn’t quite capture but also great with a white shirt and capris when the sun goes down and you are out for drinks.

Tote Bag
This is a must have for the summer. Go big and you can still take it on a plane and you will fit everything in it from your iPad and jacket to a towel, ballet pumps and sun cream. There are some brilliant buys out there are the moment in a range of fab colours that will see you through to the winter.

Bikini
Ok, don’t be shy now. You really don’t have to be a super model to wear a bikini and if you search social media, women are coming out to support one another as they bare some flesh and overcome body hang ups for once and all. Many shops offer mix and match options so you can choose your size and style and create a look that is as individual for you.

Maxi Dress
A block colour maxi dress is perfect for the summer as it will go with pretty much anything and work for every situation. Wear solo on the beach, team with silver sandals for a sophisticated evening look and add a cashmere wrap in September to keep the holiday vibe going just a little bit longer.

Whatever you wear this summer, add sun cream and a smile and have a fabulous time.

Team Pure Beauty

Grab a great holiday read

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50-year-olds, advice, Anna Akana, band members, beautiful cousin, best reads, best-selling, Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, big screen, blushes, book, brilliant read, brutally honest, camp counsellors, Camp Marigold, cocktail, commentary, Cornwall, danger, debut novel, Englishman, escapism, fashion, flight, friendship, G&T, hat, hate, highly engaging, Hollywood beach babe, imagined, instruction manual, iPad, journey, Kindle, laughter, London, love, lover, Mandy Berman, Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier, mysterious, nostalgia, Paige Toon, paper, partner, passport, people, Perennials, perfect, pool bar, poolside, power, prose, put down, quirky journalist, relationship blog, shades, share, shelves, So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister, story, students, suicide prevention, summer 2017, tale, talent, tears, The Duchess by Danielle Steel, The Last Piece of My Heart, tickets, tissues, transatlantic flight, travel, younger sister, YouTube channel

Whether you use a Kindle, iPad or are still a lover of paper, having something good to read when you are on holiday takes you to a whole new level of escapism.

A book is the perfect way to get through a flight (add a G&T), is the perfect poolside partner and if you get stuck on the way home, you can read away the hours.

We have had a look at some of the best reads out there for Summer 2017 and wanted to share them with you.

If you are looking for a little nostalgia, look no further than Mandy Berman’s debut novel, Perennials. This easy to relate to friendship story reunites Rachel Rivkin and Fiona Larkin at Camp Marigold, but as camp counsellors rather than students. This is a summer of heat, flagged by the past, flamed by the present and page by page the thrill and pain of growing up becomes apparent from a writing with endless talent and perfect prose.

OK, it’s not new but if you haven’t read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, where have you been? If you are looking for a book you won’t be able to put down (perfect for a transatlantic flight), download this totally addictive read. Love, hate, danger, power, fashion, it’s all there for the taking people.

Another coming of age book is on the shelves this summer and this time it is Modern Lovers by Emma Straub. This is the tale of three friends, who also happen to be ex-band members, who are now old enough to have kids doing the things they remember, only too well, themselves doing. This time it might be 50-year-olds coming together but they do it in a style that beats any Hollywood beach babe who might be on the next lounger.

Maybe not the lightest read on the shelves right now, but So Much I Want to Tell You: Letters to My Little Sister by Anna Akana, is a brilliant read. After her younger sister killed herself, Anna started what is now, a 1.8-million strong brutally honest, highly engaging YouTube channel that cleverly combines advice with commentary and has a deep emphasis on suicide prevention. This outstanding first book is part memoir, part instruction manual, and it is equally as compelling as Anna herself, but have the tissues ready!

If you want a mix of laughter, tears and travel, it has to be Paige Toon’s latest novel, The Last Piece of My Heart. Bridget a quirky journalist has decided to turn her popular relationship blog into a book, however, after a number of painful rejections she gets a very different proposition. From London to Cornwall and further onto Thailand, readers join her on an unexpected journey into the unknown and what unfolds is better than she could have ever of imagined.

Out at the end of June, The Duchess by Danielle Steel hit the shelves. If anyone can write a really good beach book, it’s the fourth best-selling fiction author of all time. This time she brings us the story of how a high-class British lady becomes a French madam and it’s all there for the taking. We can’t wait to get our hands on this, but may need shades and a hat to hide our blushes.

To end this round-up we are going for a classic, My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier. Currently out on the big screen, this is the tale of a young Englishman who plots revenge against his mysterious, beautiful cousin, believing that she murdered his guardian. But his feelings take a turn and this fabulous page, turning mystery-drama will keep you guessing to the end of your cocktail at the pool bar.

So, pack your passport, tickets and sun cream, buy your books and relax.

Team Pure Beauty

Summer reading inspiration

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Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin, books, chaos, Florence, heartwarming, I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh, Kate Eberlen, love, love affairs, Lucy Diamond, Meera Lee Patal, Miss You by Kate Eberlen, modern day life, Natalie Livingstone, One Night in Italy, page turner, poolside, reading, Start Where You Are Journal, Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes, summer, tale, The Mistresses of Cliveden

When we’re not helping customers find the right beauty products for them or finding out about the latest trends and updates in the industry, there’s nothing more we like than to kick back with a great book.

Whether you are hooked on horror, nuts for novels or have a crush on chic lit, we have put together a list of our favourite books and we think it has something for everyone on it.

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin is a poolside page-turner that won’t let you down. At 16, Tessa was found just about alive among human remains with little idea how she got there. Two decades later and Tessa is an artist and single mother but all of a sudden the past comes back to haunt her. This psychological thriller will have your heart in your mouth until the very end.

If you fancy something a little lighter, look no further than Invincible Summer by Alice Adams. This easy to read story follows four friends who go their own way after graduation to find their happy ever after. In her debut novel, Adams brings the women back together as they recover from broken hearts, career problems and shattered dreams.

If you love Downtown, The Mistresses of Cliveden is the book for you. This historic epic is set in a opulent English stately home and Natalie Livingstone explores the lives of the rich and powerful women who ruled the estate for more than three centuries. With bad behavior, intrigue, passion and scandal all part of this well-researched book, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

For more twists and turns that a rollercoaster at the theme, there’s I Let You Go by Claire Macintosh. One wet, dark winter’s afternoon a child lets go of his mother’s hand and in a split second life changes forever. This clever, intriguing plot takes the reader on a thrilling journey with an unexpected ending that took our breath away.

If you want old school, go with the master of suspense Stephen King and Mr. Mercedes. This is the story of a retired murder detective, Bill Hodges, who is haunted by a string of old cases he didn’t ever solve. Fearing the perpetrator will strike, and kill, again, Hodges comes out of retirement to stop that form happening. If you like this gripping tales, there are two more in the series to devour.

For something easy and fresh go for Lucy Diamond’s new book, One Night in Italy. This heartwarming tale follows the lives Anna, Catherine and Sophie who are confront past betrayals and the prospect of new love affairs one fateful summer in Italy.

If you want to use your holiday to do a little self-improvement, the Start Where You Are Journal from Meera Lee Patal, will make a perfect addition to your suitcase. Each vibrant page helps you steer thought the chaos of modern day life and gets you to step back and take time out. Yes, we live in busy, stressful times, but this is a powerful book that can help you make small changes that will have big results.

Perfect summer reading that will make you laugh, and cry, sometimes at the same time, doesn’t come much better than Miss You by Kate Eberlen. For one day in Florence, the paths of two eighteen-year-olds criss-cross before they both return to England. Over the next sixteen years, separated by distance and fate, there’s no way the two of them are ever going to meet each other properly . . . or is there? Read and find out, but have tissues at the ready.

Happy reading and let us know if you have a book you think we would love.

Poolside Products

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beauty, decleor, Decleor Ultra Protective Hydrating Milk SPF50 Body, dermalogica, Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream, Dermalogica Climate Control Lip Treatment, Dermalogica Emergency Spot Fix, Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF20, holiday, lip balm, moisturiser, pool, poolside, SPF, SPF20, SPF30, SPF50, sunscreen, swimming, tint, vacation

If you’re lucky enough to be jetting off to warmer climes this summer, or even if you have your own pool at home and are planning a staycation, there are several things that you’ll want to keep in your bag. Dermalogica and Decleor have a number of products which are perfect for keeping in your bag while you’re poolside and we thought we’d share just a few of them with you.

Decleor Ultra Protective Hydrating Milk SPF50 Body

Obviously, the most important things about laying in the sun is…sun protection! Using a sunscreen with a high SPF will allow you to spend time in the sun without burning and will prevent the suns harmful rays from accelerating the signs of ageing. This SPF50 from Decleor is highly moisturising and will rehydrate skin which may have been dried by chlorine or salt water.

Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF20

Wearing a full face of make while you’re poolside is a fools errand, especially if you’re planning to actually swim in the water, combined with sweat will likely decimate your carefully applied make up. If you don’t want to go completely bare-faced, Dermalogica Sheer Tint is a great idea as it gives you colour and coverage as well as an added SPF20 protection for your face and can be reapplied whenever needed.

Dermalogica Climate Control Lip Treatment

Laying in the sun for hours is a sure-fire way to dry your lips out, so keeping a lip balm in your bag like Dermalogica Climate Control Lip Treatment is wise. The treatment is specially formulated to keep your lips hydrated in extremes of temperature, so even those of us jetting off to the warmest places will be well protected!

Dermalogica Emergency Spot Fix

The last thing you want while you’re doing your best to look glamorous on your lounger is for a pimple to emerge, so keeping a product like Dermalogica Emergency Spot Fix in your bag could be a real life saver. Dab onto a blemish as soon as you feel it starting to come out and it will help to reduce redness and inflammation, as well as killing the spot causing bacteria.

Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream

Our reasons for recommending this product are actually two-fold. Obviously it’s hugely important to keep your skin moisturised to look best in your swimsuit, but this moisturiser also contains tea-tree oil, which is a natural insect repellent. This means that by slathering yourself in this cream from Dermalogica you could be rehydrating your skin AND keeping the mozzies at bay.