July favourites

There goes another month. How has everyone’s summer been so far? Are you wearing sunscreen? I hope you’re wearing sunscreen. Sunscreen is important.

I don’t have much in the way of favourites at the moment. I’ve either been working or at the beach – it has been consistently sunny in England for several weeks now and people are starting to lose their shit.

Unless you’re a farmer, I think the sun is a strange thing to complain about seeing as it rains 90% of the time.

Anyway, on to this month’s faves (discussing the weather isn’t one of them):

Our Tiny Bees Vanilla and Honey Body Scrub

So I know this is pretty far off normal topic but I recently started regularly using a body scrub and lemmie tell you: it is a game changer. The lovely one I use functions as both exfoliator and moisturiser leaving your skin feeling smooth and gorgeous and it smells great. Obviously be careful what brand you’re using – you don’t want to be sending anything awful down the drain. I would recommend going for something with more natural ingredients so you can be totally sure you’re avoiding any harmful plastic microbeads. This one, for example, is mostly made of sugar. So good.

The Skincare Bible: Your no-nonsense guide to great skin by Dr Anjali Mahto

I purchased this to keep me entertained on the long drive back from holiday last month and it exceeded my expectations entirely. Dr Anjali is just that – a doctor and trustworthy source  – and is all about debunking marketing myths and skincare fads (layering, anyone?) to help you find a routine that works for your skin – without spending thousands in the process. It’s a super informative read (did you know you should still wear sunscreen if you’re inside all day because the rays can still get to you behind glass?!) that avoids market-speak and jargon and left me feeling like I have a much better idea of what I should be doing for my skin going forward.

Podcast: Gossip

I’ve been feeling a bit fatigued by my serial podcasts lately (does anyone else feel like the last season of The Bright Sessions lost its way? I sort of feel the same about Alice Isn’t Dead, as much as I don’t want to) so I was thrilled when I came across Gossip. Written by the brilliant Allison Raskin it spans the regular lunch dates of three friends who get together and gossip – about their neighbours’ polyamory, that time the mayor may have punched a florist in the face, but most importantly, whether or not the local priest is a serial murderer. Her friends think she’s mad but Bethany just can’t let it go…

What were some of your favourites this month? Any podcasts I should check out? I’m particularly interested in serialised stories like Gossip at the moment.