Summer essentials - Istanbul edition

Summers in Turkey are extremely hard for me - I grew up in a slightly cooler climate, so trying to lead a normal life when it's around 35 degrees outside and humidity is so high that my hair hardly ever dries is not easy. I don't care much about makeup in the summer, I concentrate on surviving.


But if I am meeting friends or when I have to go somewhere and look like a civilized human being I rely on those things:


  1. A good powder is a must - I use it all year round, but it's my very best friend in the summer. I use Rimmel's Stay Matte (in 001 Transparent) or Manhattan's Loose Powder (in 2 Beige).
  2. If I want to use eyeshadows I will use a primer to make sure they stay put all day. If it's really hot there is nothing that will save my makeup from creasing, but at least I'm trying. I'm currently using Art Deco's primer and I love it. It smells a bit like men's cologne, and I know many people complain about it, but I don't mind it - it doesn't irritate my eyes and works great - that's all I need. Any mascara to finish the eyes and I'm good to go.
  3. If I want to go crazy and put something on my lips I will usually reach for a lip stain - I don't have to touch it up, it stays on for hours and gives a very natural finish. I'm currently loving Catrice's Colour Infusion in Don't Call Me Princess. 

Two very important things:
  1. A sunscreen, obviously. I tried to find a light formula that would not make me break out and feel all greasy and I was very happy to come across this little guy in Watsons. It's Superdrug's own brand, Solait - quite cheap, light, not really mattifying, but I have powders for that. 
  2. With all the humidity I can't really use rich body butters on my skin - they just make me feel sticky and don't sink into my skin, so I opt for some lighter lotions. I recently bought this body lotion from the Body Shop in Lychee Blossom (yes, 50% off) and I really like it. It has a very strong floral/fruity scent, but not the usual, cheap kind, there is something interesting about the way it smells. It sinks into my skin quite quickly and gives me the exact amount of moisture my legs and arms need.

Two quite boring, but still important things:
  1. Since I spend most of the time in sandals or flip-flops I want my feet to look nice, and this is the best foot cream I have found so far - Rossmann's 10% Urea Intensiv Creme. It's very cheap (around 3TL), but works wonders. 
  2. A while back I realized that there is no way I'm going to stop sweating during the Turkish summer, I also don't really want to use very harsh sweat blockers on my skin, so now I opt for natural, mineral deodorants - they just kill all the bacteria responsible for the unpleasant smell, so unfortunately your armpits won't be totally dry.

And now for some more random things:
  1. Since any powder will only keep my face shine-free for a couple of hours I need some blotting paper. I will buy whatever is on an offer, I think they all work the same. At the moment I am using Cettua's Oil Control Tissue (around 2,5TL, I bought it at Gratis).
  2. Hand sanitizer is useful throughout the year, but I found out those cheap Turkish colognes are especially useful during the hot months. When you're stuck on a hot, airless bus full of people and get a bit dizzy rubbing a bit of the cologne on your hands and sniffing its sharp, lemony scent can help. 
  3. I will always have a cheap fan in my bag during the summer. You can get them anywhere for like 1 or 2TL and they are the best invention ever (again, especially on the buses). I always get the cheapest ones, because I just throw them inside my bag and I don't have to worry about forgetting them somewhere or smashing them. 

And the last, extremely important thing, is my water bottle. I got it a couple of years ago and it's been frequently used ever since. If I leave the house for more than 5 minutes it will always be in my bag. 

What are your summer essentials? Anything I should add to my list?

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