With temperatures reaching almost 30 degrees Celsius in Luxembourg today its perhaps premature to pronounce summer to be over, but for an Estonian like me, September is definitely an autumn month. So let’s take a moment to look back to my summer favourites: most of these are not limited to hot weather, in case you are interested in trying them out. Not all are new launches either, as I am trying to appreciate things that have stood the test of time rather than always chasing newness.

Vanille Soleil by Roger et Gallet. This scent is largely responsible for this entire post. I am not necessarily known for my affordable taste, but if I do encounter something amazing that is also relatively cheap, it is always a pure pleasure to recommend it. It is especially wonderful when it comes to perfume, now that the market seems mostly made up of extremely expensive niche fragrances and their cheap dupes or equally expensive clones. Anyway, Vanille Soleil proves that you do not need to succumb to dupes to smell good on a reasonable budget. It is an absolutely lovely floral vanilla, perfect for summer but of course wearable whenever you feel like it*. I am not generally a vanilla fragrance person and while I love the delicious-smelling summer scents, they can sometimes become a bit much, almost vulgar. Soleil never does, it is a gentle, sunny day in a bottle and I cannot imagine anyone thinking it smells bad. To give credit where it’s due, my attention was drawn to this by Thomas Dunckley (@makingscentsmakesense on Instagram) who gives excellent recommendations for reasonably priced fragrances and is just a nice human being whom you should fallow in case you are interested in perfume.

Eau Sauvage by Dior. Not quite as affordable as Vanille Soleil, but compared to most launches these days, Eau Sauvage is still a bargain. Technically, it’s a men’s scent, but I hope we are all aware by now that this is a meaningless designation. In this particular case, I also feel that even if you subscribe to the feminine-masculine divide, Sauvage is completely unisex. It is one of the best citrus fragrances ever created, but I would encourage you to try it even if you are not a citrus lover. The crispness and freshness is absolutely there, but is the the complexity coming from the supporting floral, aromatic and woody notes. One of my least favourite things in perfumery is the sharpness, the screechy topnotes one sometimes encounters in men’s cologne and Sauvage is the exact opposite of that. I haven’t owned a bottle in years, as I am easily seduced by newness, but I am so happy to have it back in my collection (I have the Eau de Toilette version).

Aquamarine Melt Gel-Balm Cleanser by Sunday Riley. Sunday Riley used to be one of my favourite skincare brands, but the combination of me scaling down the use of US brands and them not releasing anything particularly exciting, it hasn’t been much on my radar recently. But this cleanser I really like – it has a hybrid texture, lovely scent and light blue colour, all things I enjoy. The consistency is rather unique, a bit creamy, a bit balmy, a bit jelly-like. The scent is equally difficult to describe, but if you have tried the brand’s Luna cleansing balm, it is similar. I find it addictive. For me, it works both as a first and second cleanse, although I would probably not use it if I have on huge amounts of makeup or if I feel particularly oily in the morning. Compared to many other recent launches, the price is also not too bad. I do have to mention, however, that this cleanser is not loved by everyone** – the scent in particular seems to be a Marmite thing. One criticism I have to agree with is that it has a tendency to separate – I keep the bottle upside down and shake it vigorously before use to avoid it. I cannot leave Aquamarine Melt off the list, as I have been properly obsessed with it, but I would recommend trying it first if possible.

C-Tetra Advanced by Medik8. A good Vitamin C product is indispensable for me and the Medik8 ones are known for their evidence-based formulas and proven results. C-Tetra Advanced it the latest serum in their famous C-Tetra line and now also my favourite. With 20% Vitamin C it packs a serious punch, so be careful if you have sensitive skin. I’ve never had any irritation with this, but as I’ve said many times before, I have the skin of an elephant. This serum has a more lotion-like texture than most Vitamin C serums, including the Medik8 ones. This means that for summer, I could skip moisturiser and go from this directly to my SPF. As it includes squalane, sodium hyaluronate and glycerin, it gives me enough moisturising action for warmer months (I do use a milky toner before this for additional hydration, because I’m always dehydrated).

Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50 Sunscreen + Self-Tanner 50ml. For years, I have been waiting for someone to combine SPF with self-tanner and finally, Allies of Skin has done it***. It seems such a no-brainer to me: if you use facial sunscreen as diligently as you should, it means your face remains the same shade year round. Which in my case is not a positive thing. I really crave some colour on my face during summer and usually use Tan-Luxe tanning drops to have a hint of tan, but this adds another product to my already pretty extensive routine. I am therefore overjoyed to use something that on one hand protects me from the sun while giving the impression that it hasn’t, in fact, protected me from the sun. In terms of texture, it is not quite as lovely as my absolute favourites (Ultra Violet Supreme Screen and Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun), but it’s perfectly pleasant to use. It is expensive, though, so I plan to check out the more reasonably priced Tan-Luxe version as well.

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I had to buy a new foundation over the holidays, because my face had become a couple of shades darker than usual (see above) and my body was even darker (I am much worse with putting sunscreen on my body than I am with facial SPF). To even out these differences, I went as dark as I could get away with, meaning Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 6. I haven’t owned this foundation at least for a decade, but god, it’s good. It is so extremely skin-like that it beats most new skin tints in my view. Partly because many new launches are glowy, which I generally like, but it can also make it more obvious that you have done something with our face. Luminous Silk doesn’t have that dewiness, but it’s not matte either, it just looks like healthy skin. As long as you have the right shade, it is foolproof and I completely get why it’s such a popular bridal choice. If you do want a bit more glow, you can mix in one of Armani’s Fluid Sheer Glow Enhancers or use Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter underneath.

Camisoles. I have been in my tank top era for a couple of years now and I am not necessarily leaving it, but I have also (re)added camisoles to my wardrobe. I used to wear them a lot in the past, one could not get through early 2000s without an extensive collection of strappy tops, but I thought my camisole days were over. I feel that unlike tanks, they look best on a waif-ish physique and these days, I am much more powerful on top than I used to be. But since last year, camisoles have been creeping back into my wardrobe and I gravitated towards them a lot over the summer. I think with the return of lace and eclectic layering (more on this hopefully in an upcoming post), they make sense with many outfits without requiring a huge investment. My favourite version is in fact from Zara – I do not encourage shopping there, but this is just to indicate that there are many affordable versions out there.

Tanel Veenre accessories. Every summer, I spend at least a couple of weeks in Estonia and always buy some bits of Estonian design. For accessories, Tanel is usually my go-to and this time I bought two of his creations and was given one as a gift. He has a new line of berry-inspired pieces, modelled on an actual wild strawberry and a cloudberry. I love both these berries deeply, so it was a tough choice, but I ended up getting a strawberry necklace. He also gave me a dragonfly brooch, which is going to be perfect with my grey autumn outfits (brooches are also back big time). Finally, he has a line of wool-silk scarves inspired by Estonian traditional shawls. I got an orange-red version and I highly recommend these to everyone who wants something inspired by Estonian heritage but executed in a modern, wearable way. The reason I keep going back to Tanel’s work, despite not being a big jewellery wearer, is that he finds these motifs that always strike me as deeply romantic without being sickly sweet or trite. His Kingdom of Dreams is filled with seahorses, dragonflies, seashells, berries, bats, pearls, moons, stars and ancient patterns; and the selection is huge, so you’ll likely find something that works for your taste.

Vintage sunglasses. My eyes are extremely sensitive to the sun, so sunglasses are one of those things I absolutely have to buy. This doesn’t mean, of course, that I have to buy 400-euro vintage frames, but this is what happened in July. It was purely the fault of The House of Vintage Frames (although they seem to be called The House of Iconic Frames now?) having such a gorgeous store in Tallinn Old Town and their amazing customer service. So I ended up walking out with a new old pair of Emmanuel Khanh sunglasses that I didn’t strictly need. However, I am happy to report that I have worn them almost every day since, so the price per wear is decreasing rapidly. If you are a stronger person than me, I suggest just stopping by the shop on Harju street and enjoying the vibes.

*In fact, its creator Karine Dubreuil has said that she specifically wanted to create a vanilla you can wear year round.

**My daughter hates it.

***Tan-Luxe has a similar new product, too, and there may be others I’m not aware of.