Five things I’m loving this week: Midsummer 2021

Welcome to my summery edition of the best treats of the week, because who doesn’t love a few absolute bargains and affordable little pick-me-ups? Three of these are well under a fiver, and there’s nothing over £20 quid so there should be something here to suit most budgets.

Here are my five favourite bits and bobs right now, for your viewing and shopping pleasure. Let’s get stuck in.

Barry M Sunchaser Tan Boosting Drops | RRP £7.99 for 15ml, available at Lookfantastic, or on offer for £4.00 at Barry M or £6.39 at Superdrug.

Aaahhhhh, sunless sun. These are the only gradual tanning drops I’ve been able to find that are fragrance free, alcohol free and non greasy, and fortunately they work very nicely for the glow as well as being kinder to the ole’ sensitive skin. Mix a couple of drops into your moisturiser every two days or so and it builds gradually into a light, natural looking golden tan. It’s just enough to take the pasty edge off pale skin, and buildable if you want a slightly darker tone (just add more drops or use daily). Reminds me a little – okay, a lot – of the Tan Luxe light/medium face drops, also having aloe vera, glycerin and vitamin E acetate – but it’s much, much cheaper and way less perfumey. Barry M states this product is made with naturally-derived DHA, is cruelty free, vegan, and in recyclable packaging.

Boody UK G-String Underwear* | £11.95 here.

Apologies for gyrating a pair of pants in your face, but hey, check out my new knickers! Actual bum not pictured, but you get the idea. I was looking for something comfortable to wear during exercise that also looked good on, and here’s what I picked. These are made from 87% bamboo fibre, which is more sustainable than cotton, they don’t have badly placed seams that rub or scratch, and the fabric’s soft and breathable during exercise and warm weather. They’re cleverly designed so the tags just lift out with the pull of a thread, making them ideal for anyone who hates scratchy labels, and mine still look good after several workouts and washes so it looks like they last too. Loads of other underwear shapes and sizes available if you’d prefer more bod coverage, and there’s also all kinds of loungewear and sportswear to choose from.

My Hair Matters Volume Boost Conditioner | £1.50 for 400ml.

This is part of a great value own-brand range from Sainsbury’s supermarket. It started back in 2017 but I actually only spotted it recently because it has new packaging, and looking at the ingredients lists it may have been slightly reformulated at the same time. A big 400ml bottle only costs £1.50, and it’s a fast-acting light conditioner that smooths out frizz without making summer hair feel greasy or weighed down. Handy for a quick refreshing shower when you don’t have time to hang about, with a clean scent that’s not overpowering. There’s also a matching shampoo which seems a little on the watery side but still does the trick. It’s not tested on animals and has a recyclable bottle and cap. [If you need more conditioning power then the Nourish & Repair conditioner, also £1.50 for 400ml, is a bit of a bargain too.]

Beauty Pie Mandarin Leaf, White Cedar & Freesia EDP | Edited to add: I am no longer willing to recommend this company or its products.

Superdrug EX{SPA}DITION 02 Awake Body Boost Body & Aura Mist | £2.49 for 150ml here.

The mandarin thirst continues. No, I have no idea what a flippin’ aura mist is either, but bear with me because I’m the last person who’d ever go all Paltrow-mystical-BS on you, mmmkay? The EX{SPA}DITION range is currently made up of four different natural sprays that you can use as body mists, room sprays, or pillow and linen spritzes. The scents in the range are all far more sophisticated than their titles let on, with ’02 Awake’ also containing subtly blended orange, lemon, elemi, pepper and citronella essential oils as well as the stated mandarin and rosemary. In short, this does smell rather a lot like a swanky spa, and the prices have all been dropped to a more than reasonable £2.49 for a chonk-sized bottle. Quite handy for a fragrant kick up the bum around the home office on a listless and humid day when there’s work to be done, I find. You may also like 01 Relax/Sleep with lavender and geranium, 04 Happy with neroli/orange blossom and cedarwood, or 05 De-Stress with chamomile and sandalwood.

Have you treated yourself to anything nice-and-reasonably-priced recently? Which one of these goodies is your favourite?

Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see more of in the next few weeks and I’ll see what I can do.

Full disclosure: All items purchased myself, unless marked with an asterisk (*) which is a PR sample provided with no obligation to review. No paid-for placements here, only things I love make it onto the list.