GETTING SUMMER HOLIDAY READY

last week i saw a brightly coloured e-book doing the rounds, featuring beauty trends for this year; while i'm not particularly bothered about the beauty side of the trends that ellisons share in their book, i was interested to read other elements of it - namely the hair care tips and hacks. oh, and i was pleased to read that "dewy skin" is back in fash so yay me, i can keep piling that highlighter on for another few months (apparently my thin eyebrows are out though, so.. do need to stop plucking them when i'm bored). what's more, it seems i - for once - am doing everything right when it comes to hair care, which will no doubt astound you, dear reader, considering how it came to be the colour it is.

we all know that direct sun can damage coloured hair, that's not news. but, with another summer trip coming up (croatia, what what!) in the coming weeks, i want to do all i can to ensure that the health of my tresses stays as good as it currently is, despite all the heat, sun and salt air that it will meet on those four wonderful, glorious, relaxing days at the beach.

buuuuuut it's not just my hair wot needs taking care of, and i've somehow managed to survive this whole great british summer (so far) with not even so much as having my nails done properly at the salon. last year that was my whole thang; i'd pop down to my local nail bar and get those tootsies of mine sorted at least once a month, enjoying the wonderful massage chairs, and the awkward sensation of an elderly chinese man using a cheese grater on my heels. this year, i've been more about the hot stone massages than anything else, and my foot care has very much been left in the dust. literally.

so, before i head off to split next month, i have a very important list of things i need to invest in to ensure my summer holiday surival. thankfully i have already sorted the sunglasses and the most comfortable sandals ever, so all that's left to sort is...

heat protector spray

because, like sampson, my hair is my virtue. i am quite fond of it, and it's been pretty good to me over the years (despite the abuse i have put it through), so i sort of owe it some looking after while abroad. a simple heat protector spray (like what you'd use before you blow-dry or style it with tongs) will do it wonders while out in the baking mediteranean sun. the spray is a leave-in conditioner type thing, and i've seen one with argan oil that i think will also make me smell like a tropical nut. so, that's exciting.

a pedicure

because: see above. it's been years since anyone wielding a cheese grater has dared to come close enough to my feet to do any thing productive to them, and i think i'd like to at least look the part from the knees down (for the 'gram, you know what i mean).

a sun hat

because i learned the hard way in marseille not to mess with the sun - especially as i'm not a big water drinker but i am a big wine drinker, and no water plus sun equals something akin to a panic attack on steroids. i believe the correct term is "sun stroke", but whatever the case, a hat could have solved part of that problem, i think. i have a small head, so good hats that fit are hard to come by, but.. nevertheless she persisted.

a new swimsuit

because the last one was not as excellent as i thought it was, and while the bottoms are great the top is not, and i thiiiiiink i would actually just prefer another one piece (even though they're a ball ache to get up-and-down when they're wet), because they just feel more comfortable on. i literally don't know where to look for swimsuits that cater to curvy girls and don't cost the earth, because really, i'm probably only going to wear this once a year. so, yeah. don't want to spend the earth!

salt deodorant 

because when i learned about this magical product, i knew i needed it in my life. it's completely non-toxic, free from chemicals and parabens, alcohol and fragrance. totally natural, and it works with your body, not against it, and apparently it's verrrrrrry effective in combating the old chub rub that the summer sun is famous for gifting to those with thighs like mine. once i have these few things in my possession, i will be ready for combat...!

*written in collab, all words are obvs mine