Summer Favourites

Hi everyone!
 
With summer coming to an end, I thought I would do a 'Summer Favourites' post to show you what I've loved this season. We've had a great summer here in the UK (how's it been everywhere else?) so that has been lovely!
 
Firstly, my Sleek pallet. I bought this right at the start of summer (around June) from Superdrug for £7.99 - I got it online and it had free delivery at the time which was a bonus.
 


 

1 - shimmery bronze | 2 - shimmery light gold | 3 - neutral | 4 - shimmery gold | 5 - shimmery rose gold | 6 - shimmery burgundy | 7 - shimmery dark brown | 8 - shimmery blue-grey | 9 - shimmery forest green | 10 - shimmery navy | 11 - dark brown | 12 - black

I've numbered the different colours to give you a better idea of the colours as they haven't come out very well in the photo. The pallet I chose was the 'I-Divine Storm 578'. It is mineral based and really pigmented. For a neutral look, I use number 2 for a base, and then 6 in the crease. Sometimes I will use a light coat of number 5 over this. When wearing liquid eyeliner, I will often just use number 2 underneath as this brightens your eyes and draws attention to the cat flicks!
 
Next, I have these three books by Ann Turnbull. They are aimed at teenagers and are based in the 1600s, the time when Quakers were prosecuted for meeting. It follows a young Quaker girl who has left home to get work and a young man who has to make a choice between his family and new Quaker beliefs. They are beautifully written stories of bravery, fear and romance and I would highly recommend them to anyone who loves a good historic novel.
 

 

This summer, as you may know from my previous post, I went to France. I decided to bring a watercolour paint box with me so I had something to do in the afternoons.
 

 
These are from WHSmith's and are really good quality: it comes with a small brush and the lid doubles up as a pallet so it's nice and compact - perfect to slip into a nearly full suitcase!
 
I also used this Uni-Ball pen with the paints to make cards. A lot of my friends have birthdays in the summer so I used the pen and watercolours to make their cards as I prefer to make them than buy them - it makes them more special. The pen is also lovely and smooth to write with, so I have used it in my art and when I need to write anything in neat, so it is a huge favourite of mine!
 

 
I've loved my jewellery this Summer, too. These earrings from Accessorize are my favourite - they seem to go with just about every outfit, whether it be smart or casual - I am constantly wearing them! The turquoise colour is gorgeous and very 'in' at the moment, and I love the kind of distressed metal around the edge - it adds an antique-y look to it which I love.
 

 

Again, with the blue theme, I have been wearing this lovely blue nail varnish from Rimmel London (420 Aqua Cool). Although it is a little bit watery (I don't know if that is the case with all of them or just mine), once you paint on about three layers you get a gorgeous, vivid aqua colour which is super summery, so perfect for this season!
 

 
Finally, THESE SHOES!!! I love them ever so much! I bought these for the end-of-year ball to go with my dress (shown below) and I can't wait to wear them again!
 

 

 

I bought them from Next for £28. Next was the first shop I went into and I fell in love with them straight away! They are sling-backs with a sparkly, textured material covering them - almost like netting. I like the fact that they are not too high (8cm) so I was able to wear them for the whole night. I haven't worn them since the ball (at the start of July) but I think they would look lovely with black skinny jeans and a pretty top for a party.
 
So these were my favourite things from this Summer. I hope you enjoyed this post - comment below anything that you've loved this season.
 
Helen xx