You may have missed it with all of the rain and general cold weather, but it’s summer besties. I’m a bit of a self-proclaimed “sweaty betty” on the odd occasion due to some medication I’m on (I’m also an over-sharer), so summer hasn’t typically been my favourite season.

However, now that I’ve started growing dahlias (I know, it’s a bit of an unexpected boomery hobby, but we’re going to make it cute and say I’m just a ‘bloomer’), I do love a bit of summer and all the brightness and beauty that it brings.

Billie has very kindly been sent a few of the latest beauty products to try out and report back to you on, and I’m pleased to share since giving them a go I’ve not only found a few new favourites, but I’ve also had a few compliments thrown my way since returning back to the daily grind and having to be presentable in public again (and I’m not able to hide away at home rotting and playing Infinity Nicky, the CUTEST new open world RPG game with multiple outfits, cute beauty looks and abilities. You have a cat called Momo who follows you and you can get cute outfits for him. OH, and did I mention it’s FREE?! What’s not to love?).

Here are a few things we love this month, and know you will too:

MCoBeauty Loose Powder Cool & Set in Translucent.

The MCOBeauty team very kindly set Billie a haul of their latest summer beauty releases, and this is the one I most wanted to try. In case you weren’t aware of the brand, MCOBeauty create some really impressive dupes (“duplicates” of high-end products at accessible prices)-- so basically they have a range of well-priced makeup that will give you great results. You can find them at MCoBeauty.com, or instore at the likes of Life Pharmacy, Chemist Warehouse, The Warehouse or Woolworths. Trust me when I say do not sleep on this brand!

Again, I run on the ‘hotter’ side of people, so I love a super cool aircon and a desk fan etc, so one could say cooling down is very much in my field of interests. I don’t know how it does it, but not only does this powder both set my makeup (I do liquid foundation, concealer and sometimes a cream blush, and then always try and set this with a power before going in with a powdered contour/highlighter etc), but it has a beautiful cooling effect.

MCoBeauty Summer Stick Cheek & Lip Cream in Amalfi.

Sabrina Carpenter has absolutely put blush back into the spotlight, and I’ve been much more heavy-handed with mine than I used to be in return. I hadn’t tried a cream blush before but had wanted to, and this is the most delicious shade that adds a cute flush for summer.

MCoBeauty Summer Daze Tinted Lip Oil in Made You Blush.

Finally, this lip oil has been constantly reached for this summer. Not only does it feel nourishing, but it has a really beautiful natural colour, look and feel. I’ve never been someone who like or can deal with lip glosses (sticky, hair on sticky lips in wind, fringe etc), but the texture of this on is beautiful and feels moisturising. I’m also pretty pale, so finding a flattering ‘nude’ can be hard for me, but this has really impressed me and I’d definitely buy it again!

Shark FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System.

The absolute legends at Shark Beauty not only gave Billie a FlexStyle Air Styling & Drying System in Copper to give away to you over Christmas, but also gave us one to try out ourselves. Similar to how we showed you how to get the most out of the Dyson Airwrap (which is known to have a pretty heft pricetag, being a premium beauty product), we wanted to get our hands on the FlexStyle to show you what it can do.

While you can expect some tutorials soon, for now let’s just say my hair has never been more complimented since incorporating the FlexStyle into my beauty routine (genuinely so many compliments on my first day back at work!). After bleaching my hair a bit too much over the last few years, my hair goal in 2025 is to protect the health of my hair to help grow it longer, thicker and healthier. Part of this resolution means applying less harmful heat, and I know this bad boy is going to be my new best friend to help make that happen.

I’m also the type of girl who doesn’t do mornings very well and can run a little late (lol), so the fact that this styler can take my hair from wet-to-dry in an impressively short amount of time and make it look as healthy as it does is a lifesaver.

My fringe is also a big part of my personality, so the oval volume brush has become my best friend to help it looking its best– while either the auto-wrap curlers or straightening paddle brush takes care of the lengths.

A big trick to ensuring success with these wet-to-dry stylers is to not try to start styling with the curlers or brushes when your hair is too wet. Use the styling concentrator attachment first to get it between 50% - 80% dry depending on what you’re trying to do with your hair.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Wild Eau de Parfum.

New year new scent? Admittedly Life Pharmacy sent Billie this delicious perfume as a new scent for spring, but we love a fresh smell that can do both! Not only does the bottle look just gorgeous (I told you I’m in my bloomer era…), it smells delicious and is sure to put you in the right mood for the day!