Trying to schedule a post around when you think it might be sunny is almost impossible in this country, so I’m assuming that it will be raining as you read this. If it does happen to be raining, then look upon the post as a sort of “teaser” for any upcoming warm weather – at any rate, it’s good to have your summery essentials ready and waiting so that you don’t have to waste precious time when the sun finally makes an appearance.

I’ll admit that I have picked out summery pieces that colour-coordinate with my excellent diary (it’s the Seeso Editor Diary from Fox & Star here and I’ve been trying to work it into a post for ages!) but they are all firm favourites and great little beauty buys:

Dior Vernis Couture Gel Shine Nail Lacquer in Maybe: one of the best nail shades of the season. It’s bright but still incredibly chic and it has the loveliest glossy finish. It’s at Escentual.com here* for £17.55.

One of my most-used SPFs, especially if I’m wearing makeup over the top: Prep Step from bareMinerals. Factor 50 and broad spectrum, it creates a beautiful, velvety base and doesn’t feel at all claggy. You can find Prep Step at FeelUnique – it’s £26 here*.

Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer, for cheating a bit of sun before it properly comes your way. I have to admit that I took this picture before I’d tested out all of Bourjois’ bronzer offerings: they’ve introduced a new matte one that’s absolutely brilliant, but I’ll take some pics of that on my face and do a separate post.

If you like a spot of shimmer in your brush-on tan then the Delight is the one for you – matte powders give a flatter, more contoured look, whereas a bit of glimmer is great if you want that post-beach sexiness. You can find the Maxi Delight (ooh err, sounds like a sex toy) on Amazon – it’s £8.99 here*.

My other skin cheat: Hylamide Glow. I’ve banged on and on about this, but I do love it so dearly for a foolproof, gradual face tan. I use it neat, like a serum, but if you’re very fair (or more cautious than me) mix it into your face cream. Used every few days it gives the most subtle, healthy glow (quite often I skip foundation if I’ve been Hylamide-ing) but you can build it up quickly to a stronger colour by using every night. It’s £20 and lasts for ages and ages. I use mine constantly and still have half a bottle left… This is currently on sale at LookFantastic – £13.40 instead of £20 here*!