I hate Summer. Or hot weather whatever time of year it arrives. It's just so exhausting for a winter person like me.
I find myself absolutely convinced from Tuesday each week that it's actually already Thursday and, by the time I get home, most evenings I want nothing more than to Netflix and chill - literally, in front of a very big fan.
This kind of clammy weather coupled with city pollution is utterly grim for the skin yet who has the time or inclination for all these 8-12 step pre-bedtime ablution rituals we're all supposed to be getting into?
A quick shower, face wash and moisturiser will usually do - I absolutely swear by the facewash and moisturiser by American online skincare brand Glossier which are both super gentle yet nourishing and effective plus totally affordable so obviously there's a downside: they're not available in the UK yet. Keep an eye on their site for when they (hopefully) start doing international shipping or watch to see if Net-A-Porter, who already stock their balm 3-packs, get more of the range.
Other times, especially if you've got dry skin like me, you may need to give your face a little more love. In this scenario I like to keep products to hand that I can use in that two minute window when you get a quick burst of energy after getting into bed. The sheer joy of being horizontal I'd imagine. Anyway, here's a bunch of quick and effective multi-tasking and overnight beauty products for my fellow lazy/smart/time poor friends out there.
Pull on a SILKE London Hair Wrap (1) for a little in-bed beauty glam so you can pretend you're Sophia Loren or Joan Collins. This chic little turban doesn't just add serious glam to your beauty routine game, it's actually incredibly practical as it's great for when you need to get another day out of your hairdo. Sleeping with your hair on, or wrapped in silk helps to keep the cuticle smooth, minimising bedhead, £45 from www.silkelondon.com
2. Anne Semonin facial oils use tailored blends of trace elements and essential oils to help you wake up looking like you had 8 hours sleep, 2 litres of water and have never touched alcohol. Available as one-step or two-step formulations, these overnight drops have the added benefit - thanks to the essential oils and a bit of Parisian magic - of making you smell like you've fallen asleep in a particularly upmarket spa. The Precious Serum, £98, is designed to address hormonal imbalances, fatigue and hydrates the skin through a blend that includes Rosewood, Lavender and St John's Wort flower oil, whilst the Balancing Intensive Complex two step facial oil set , £70, combats breakouts and promotes skin healing using copper, magnesium, geranium and thyme. These and various other tailor-made, time-saving treatments available fromwww.annesemonin.com
Smooth some Doll Face Sweet Rose 5-in-1 Cleansing Cold Cream (3) over your face before you clean your teeth, wipe off then rinse and, bingo! In that time this tingly treatment will have cleansed, exfoliated, brightened and smoothed your skin, as well as removing any makeup. It's £35 but the retro-look crystal style pot makes it look far more expensive and luxurious, plus a little goes a long way. Exclusively from QVC in the UK.
4. Azure and Pink Pop Colour Refresh by Maria Nila - these Swedish vegan, sulphate and paraben free haircare products are not only super cute but they smell gorgeous and are seriously time-crunch friendly. These prettily packaged intensive conditioners help to nourish your hair whilst topping up your colour and all in just minutes! So clever. Yes it does mean putting conditioner on your roots for a good all over glossing but a quick burst of dry shampoo in the morning for volume and you won't have to worry about lank hair, plus you'll have a shiny, fresh looking do. Clever, right?! Comes in natural hair shades too, £16.99 each from www.sallyexpress.com
Thirsty face? The Estée Edit by Estée Lauder Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack (5) is your answer. Pink Peony, goji berry, blueberry and cranberry topped with that heavyweight hydrator hyaluronic acid, make it an intensive face smoothie in gel form, that smells divine and so pretty. You can rinse it off after 15-20 minutes or leave it overnight (more likely) so it can really get to work. £34 exclusively from Selfridges.
Talking of dry shampoo - OBVS this is a hero product but I find many people use it in the morning. Personally, unless it's purely to add volume, if it's so you can go an extra day without washing your hair I prefer to apply it at night. That way, you wake up with the oil absorbed, brush your hair and you're good to go - no finding random bits of white powder in your ears during the day, etc. Dry shampoo has got a bad rap of late but using it infrequently - once between washes is generally advised - should be fine. Although there are many, many variations at all price points,If you're particularly concerned about the potential for the more chemical formulas causing thinning hair but still want to keep using it, opt for a more natural formula like Living Proof (6) or Klorane.
1. Oilixia Brilliance Facial Oil is a true multi-tasker and, as an oil, is quick and easy to apply. Don't be fooled by the name - this award-winner can be used on your face, body or hair and is made by a small batch producer who loads it with botanical oils, including Kahai Oil which contains 3 times more retinol than Rosehip Oil, 50% more vitamin E and twice the vitamin F of Argan Oil. Not too shabby, for a few seconds of application time, eh? £37 from www.oilixiaskincare.com
2. Yes to Coconuts Cleansing Wipes because yes, we are all that lazy some of the time so it pays to have some decent wipes on standby. Don't waste your money on 99p ones that are so thin they tear and you have to use three and/or strip the skin off your face. You can get reliable, gentle and effective versions that - bonus - don't stink of chemicals, for under £4. I chuck these in with my Ocado shop and can highly recommend. Yes To cleansing wipes come in Coconut, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Blueberry, Tomato and Grapefruit and cost £3.99 from loads of places, including Ocado, Boots and even ASOS so there's no excuse not to have some knocking around for emergencies.
3. Living Proof Healthy Hair 5-in- 1 Styling Treatment does what it says on the handy, squeezy tube. Apply straight to clean, damp hair for sleek volume, heat + UV protection, conditioning and strengthening. It's sulphate, silicone and oil-free (which all means it's also good for people with thin hair as these can weigh the hair down) and trials found women saw a 69 per cent reduction in hair breakage after using this which is pretty impressive. The brand is part-owned by Jennifer Aniston so you've got to expect she has pretty high standards when it comes to haircare. £22 from www.spacenk.com
Not the first thing that would probably spring to mind as this candle is an unusual beauty multi-tasker. Light the Prismologie Indigo Interlude Massage Candle with Oud (4) to scent your bedroom as this mood enhancing candle doubles as a treatment; as the wax melts you can pour the oil from the in-built spout to massage or moisturise with. Or to pretend you're Madonna in Body of Evidence - up to you. £60 from www.prismologie.com
Chipped nails before bed and no time to repair? Bourjois Magic 2-in-1 Nail Polish Remover (5) is so simple you can almost use it to take your nail varnish off in your sleep. You literally stick your fingers in the pot one by one, twist them, wiggle and swap to the next one. I love the purple one because it comes with a handy toe polish remover swab in the bottle cap and, best of all, it smells fruity, not like standard nail varnish removers. £5.99 from Bourjois stockists including Boots and Superdrug.
6. Purepotions Intensive Moisturising Ointment this all natural salve is great for really dry skin, including dermatological conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. It's so earth mother-y that you'll feel super worthy but it does smell a little hemptastic though not overpoweringly so. It's done a solid job of clearing my patches of seb derm - nasty little flaky patches of skin around the nose and in the eyebrows - in just a couple of days. I keep a pot on my desk at work to dab on during particularly dry days. £12.99 for 60ml (other sizes also available) from www.purepotions.co.uk