Whether you’re a skincare lover or not, we all have those go-to products that we swear by, but with the Summer season impending, it might be time to give your skincare cupboard a little refresh.

Having previously worked on the editorial desk at a beauty magazine, I’ve tried my fair share of products over the years. I’ve written articles on the best products and what regime you should be following, but that doesn’t mean I always practice what I preach... It wasn’t until watching the skincare goddess that is Caroline Hirons on a recent stint on This Morning that I invested in some face flannels and honestly, at 35p a pop, they’ve changed my life!

With Summer comes thick layers of sun cream, holiday makeup and – if Britain plays its weather cards right – hours of exposure to the sunshine, so it’s important to find products that will look after your skin and keep you looking your best. Here are some of my favourites.



CLEANSERS

As the summer heat increases blood flow and sweat, it makes our pores much more seceptible to clogging, so double cleansing really gives you that clean slate to begin prepping with your other skincare. So for my first cleanse, I’ve been using Garnier's SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water which is great for removing anything that may have built-up in my pores overnight or throughout the day - Micellar water's are always great at removing makeup too.

For my second cleanse, I’ve been applying two pumps of Elemis' White Brightening Even Tone Cleanser and massaging into my skin for 60 seconds, before wiping away with a flannel. I like to use cold water in the morning as I find it’s a really great way to wake me up.

SERUMS & MASKS

I've tried to up my skincare game recently and I'm really starting to notice the difference. I've added a few new products into my routine, including an exfoliator, a serum and a mask.

The exfoliating mask I've been using is the One-Minute Exfoliating Mask from Repechage. It gives a real deep cleanse without drying out the skin. After using this product, my skin looks so much brighter and feels incredible - the scent is a gorgeous seaweed, lemongrass and cucumber blend too which feels so gorgeous and natural on my skin.

The Mila Simone Azzura Essence [*gifted] is a Vitamin C Serum + Hyaluronic Acid. It's a light weight, oil-free formula that targets dull and dehydrated skin - perfect as we enter into the warmer season - which gives you a great glow and plumps the surface of the skin. I've been applying a few drops over my freshly cleansed face morning and night, and I'm really noticing the difference.

I've also been using a mask once a week on my dedicated pamper nights - an oldie, but always a goodie - the Aura Manuka Honey Mask from Antipodes**. This is a real holy grail product for me and it always makes my skin feel incredible. I've been quite lucky in my adult age that I don't really get many spots, but if one does rear its ugly head, I pop a little bit of this mask on before bed and by morning it's either vanished or looking considerably less aggressive.

For my under eyes, I've been using any gel masks I can get my hands on. You'll find these in high street stores like Boots or Superdrug - or if you want more high end then the Elemis Pro Collagen Hydra-Gel eye masks are wonderful, albeit pricey.




MOISTURISERS

Whilst it’s important to wear SPF every day, it’s even more important in Summer to protect your skin from those UVA & UVB rays, so I’ve been loving the Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream with SPF 30. Heavy duty moisturises can often feel too thick and sticky in hot weather, but this stuff glides on like a dream. It has a gel-like consistency and is packed with antioxidants. Your skin will drink it up, I promise. I like to apply this, then brush my teeth and do my hair before applying makeup, so it's got some time to really sink into my skin.

Something people often to forget to incorporate into their skincare routine is an anti-pollution product to protect your skin from harsh toxins in the air. This is particularly important if you live in a city, or you’ve got plans to travel this summer. Elemis’ Daily Defence Shield acts as a barrier between air pollution and your skin, and it contains SPF 30 to protect from UV rays too – an all round holy grail product, really.


BODY

Our skin is the body’s biggest organ – we need to look after it. I’ve been so guilty of neglecting a body skincare routine but as I’m nearing my 30’s (gulp), it’s something that’s become quite high up on my agenda. For the winter months, I’ve been hidden behind thick tights and thermals, and I feel like my skin hasn’t seen the light of day, so I’ve been using Dove’s Gradual Tanner to give myself a much needed glow. I use this every other day, and on those in-between days, I use Elemis' Sweet Orchid Body Cream. Remember in Summer, you’re shaving a lot more, and exposing parts of your body to the elements that might usually be tucked away under clothing, so make sure you’re treating your body with the same care as your face, and invest in a good body moisturiser.

If you’re planning on spending a lot of time in the sunshine – I know I am! - then make sure you’re fully stocked on sun cream and after sun too. I can’t recommend Decleor’s Aroma Sun Expert Protective Hydrating Milk enough – the first time I used this was on our honeymoon in the Maldives, so every time I catch a whiff, it’s like I’m back on that sun lounger by tropical blue seas.



OTHER TIPS

It goes without saying, but there’s a reason why all of those health guru’s tell you to DRINK WATER. You need it. And your skin, body and overall mood will thank you for it. Back in January when life was all about those new years resolutions, I bought myself a litre water bottle that has timings on the side. It sits on my desk at work, and I fill it up at least twice a day so I can make sure I’m definitely getting my 2 litres in.

One thing that people don’t tell you, is that your skin will probably become worse before it gets better. Especially if you’re not used to drinking so much water. It’s all of the toxins being flushed out of your system – don’t be alarmed if you start to break out, just perservere and you’ll feel incredible within a few weeks, including a surge in your energy levels.



-

*I was kindly gifted the Mila Simone Assura Essence for this blog post. I have been using the product for just over month and 100% recommend it. For complete transparency, I will only write about products that have been gifted if I truly believe they are worth being recommended.


**I have previously worked with Antipodes on a collaboration, however I purchased this product with my own money and am under no obligation to promote the brand or its products.

*** SKINCARE NOTE: My skin doesn’t fit into a particular category consistently, but it is mostly oily/combination, with dryness in Winter ***

When Rob and I first had the idea of buying a houseboat, neither of us knew where it would take us. We'd either find that it wasn't for us: do a short stint and then move into a house; or we'd fall in love with it. Thankfully it was the latter, and here we are almost six years later. I can barely believe it's been so long since we switched to life afloat.

In those almost-six-years, I've learned a lot about what it takes to be a homemaker. From a girl who once spent every spare penny on shoes, to making IKEA trips for FUN (!!), you could say I'm a changed woman (although not quite... I still buy the shoes.)

In our first couple of years of living here, I thought I'd found our style in 'country chic' - twee florals and checked throws were our thing, and I loved it for a long time. But six years is a long time, and recently my tastes have changed towards minimalistic with pops of colour (think emerald greens, mustard and dark dusky pinks), and of course I love the whole Scandi vibe - it seems to fit life on a houseboat so perfectly.

As with many things, nothing will ever be finished. There's always a new cushion, candle or print to be buying, and I'm a big advocate for a fresh bunch of flowers to change the ambiance of a room, but I wanted to share a few pictures of what the boat looks like currently. I'm in the process of redecorating the bedroom and utility room, so there'll be more on that when I can bring myself to pick up the paint brush (stay tuned...) but for now, enjoy these little interior shots!

Not to sound like a walking cliche, but can you believe it's almost June?! I can see my 2019 resolutions flashing before my eyes, and that's exactly why I've decided to ditch them in favour of a Summer 'bucket list'.

There is such an incredible energy around Summer - barbecues in the garden with friends, long hot nights with limbs escaping the covers, forgetting times when you were wrapped up in 50798 layers of clothing, and my favourite thing of all: being permanently beer-garden-tipsy from June to September. Do you remember the energy last summer? Combined with our heatwave and the world cup, I think it's the happiest Britain had been collectively in a long bloody time - and I'm channeling that energy right into 2019.

I think most of us by now have either stuck to our New Years resolutions, or have completely failed them altogether - and hey, that's fine either way! But why not look towards the short-term and make yourself a Summer bucket list. When you think about it, Summer is about living your best life, and this gal loves to make a plan, so I've put together a list of things I want to accomplish before It's time to start digging out those roll neck jumpers once more.



Book a holiday

Surely this is something that's on everyone's Summer agenda, right? Well, Rob and I haven't been on a proper holiday together since our honeymoon. With his work schedule, it means he's away pretty much the entirety of Summer, but this year, he has one week spare in August so we're hoping to catch some sunshine - I'm thinking either the Amalfi Coast or a Greek Island...

Take a road trip in the A40

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know Rob got an Austin A40 last summer. We did a few short day trips (all we dared to do in a classic car that hadn't been driven for decades!), but I'd love to visit the Cotswolds and stay in some swanky hotels for the night. Just us and the dog, driving along through the countryside...

Book a Spa Day with my bestie

I'm cheating a little bit here because I do already have a spa day booked! Laura and I are heading off to the Aqua Sana spa in Sherwood Forest as a little getaway before she gets married. I've booked in for a facial and a hot stones massage which I can't bloody wait for!



Get better with my skincare

I'm already on my way to achieving this; after spotting Caroline Hirons on This Morning a few weeks ago, I purchased 10 face flannels and I've been double cleansing and moisturising daily, and exfoliating three times a week. Now I just need to stick at it!

Read more books

I go through phases with reading, where I can't put a book down and move straight onto the next, but once I'm out of that funk, I just stop reading altogether. My Mum bought me Bella Mackie's 'Jog On' for my birthday last month so that's next on my list. I also have Dolly Alderton's 'Everything I Know About Love' and some fiction to read too (I love a Girl on the Train-esque thriller...)

Host an alfresco dinner party

The one thing that really makes me want to switch boat life for a house is hosting. For the past few years I've cooked Christmas dinner at Rob's parents and I just love being in the kitchen with a glass of wine, cooking for people. The sense of pride I feel when people compliment my cooking skills, or my styling of the tables, is immense and it's something I want to do more of. We're lucky that at the marina, there are communal barbecues and benches, so my plan for this year is to have a barbecue, invite all of the family and eat and drink until the sun goes down...

I'd love to know if you have a Summer bucket list! Let me know in the comments or come and have a chat with me on Instagram!

When I think about who I am online, I think I'm a little bit all over the place. I started my blogging journey way back in 2009, and I actually made something of myself; I got to sit front row at fashion week, work with some incredible brands, and visit some amazing locations. Aged 18 and totally overwhelmed, I just couldn't quite fit my shy self into this buzzing world of interviews and photoshoots and money. I'd never been to London before my first fashion week trip. It was bloody scary, and I was completely out of my comfort zone. I was too young.

But my love for writing never left - and a couple of years later, longing for a creative outlet, I re-launched my blog under the Shoestring name, however by this point, I was just a little fish in a big blogging pond, and I'm sad that I let that dishearten me from writing.

Because blogging has become an 'industry' in its own right, there are so many people fighting to make their way to the top and becoming blindsided by why it became an industry in the first place. Consumers turned to blogs because magazines became over-saturated and unrelatable - I suppose there's an irony in there somewhere. But the wonderful thing about the Internet, is that you can really shape your space to be whatever you like.

Recently, my Mum told me she missed reading my blogs. And so here I am once more, re-shaping this space to fit 27-year-old me; I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to catch up with readers old and new, and reintroduce myself to you all.

So hey! My name is Olivia, I'm 27 and I live in beautiful Derbyshire. I think as teenagers we're somewhat conditioned to hate the town we came from, but I don't think there's anything that quite beats the view of the rolling Derbyshire countryside and it's something I grew to love in my twenties. By day, I work as a marketing manager for a wedding company and by night, I live for a pub garden, nice seafood and Rick Stein cooking shows.

I studied Media and Communications at university, and whilst I don't remember much about my course, I remember finding my independence, making some incredible memories and meeting my husband-to-be after the first semester. After renting for a couple of years, Rob and I decided to buy a narrowboat to live on; it was only ever really meant as a temporary stop-gap between getting on the property ladder, but it feels like home. I guess living mortgage-free by the water just appeals to us more than owing the banks money until we're in our 60s... but who knows, maybe we'll switch to bricks and mortar one day.

Getting our priorities in order, the first thing we did when we got our floating home was to start a family; and our little boy Sid is the most gorgeous, handsome Golden Retriever you will ever meet and I am genuinely worried I will never love my children as much as I love this dog. He is the absolute light of my life, and if you follow me on Instagram you will often be graced with his presence.

I grew up with my Mum and Dad who loved each other and bickered in equal measure, along with my two sisters who were 9 and 11 years older than myself, and did a great job of teaching me all of the dance routines to Take That songs. A vivid memory from my childhood was reenacting the opening scene from The Lion King; my Dad holding me up in the air like Simba, whilst my sisters pretended to be zebras at the side... I suppose that was quite the iconic representation of our family life. Mad as a brush, really.

As a teenager, I spent many a summer up on the skatepark, and honestly those were some of the absolute best times. Falling in love with floppy-haired boys and discovering the 'alternative' style, and having girlfriends who are so close you form an unbreakable sisterhood, that will inevitably break once you go your separate ways for university.


Throughout all of those years, I was a writer. I wrote a short story for my year 6 SATs that, apparently, still gets shown to pupils as a good example piece of work. I used the MySpace bulletin section to pour my heart out about boys and life and my favourite emo lyrics. And then there came the blog, which I initially viewed as good work experience. I thought the journos would love it; of course Vogue would lap me up - no thanks to Carrie Bradshaw and her '$4-a-word' for instilling THAT false hope in me.

So that brings us to now. I don't quite know what this space on the internet will be for me yet; over the last few years I've been desperate to find somewhere to talk about the things I want to talk about - fashion, beauty, life, travel, food, sex, and dare I say, even politics. I don't think I ever realised that those things could co-exist in the same place, and so now I'm taking a much more relaxed approach to talk about whatever the heck I fancy. And I hope you'll forgive me for being the girl that will one day talk about ways to help the environment but the next, forget her Bag for Life at the supermarket. I'll rave about how incredible the wine is in Europe, and then drink Co-Op Sauvignon Blanc on a Friday night. I want to look like a Victoria's Secret model but would also happily live on a diet of street food and craft beer. Basically I'm a walking contradiction and hopefully that makes me relatable.