Sundaze 122

Well, this is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence isn’t it? Writing a post and pushing it live all in one swoop. I’ve been laptop-less all weekend because, well, basically I couldn’t be bothered to lug it to London with me on Friday during the onset of a heatwave and ended up sorely missing having it to hand. Digital detox? Not today Satan.

Today has been a bit of a manic one. I ended up locked out because I forgot my keys, heading to a definitely-not-vegan-friendly BBQ and sitting with a juice for three hours, then suffering SO badly from hayfever that both my eyes swelled shut. Oh summer(!) I’m now safely back in my bedroom, window firmly shut, antihistamines at hand and aircon beautifully fanning me into Sundaze oblivion.

Anyway, I didn’t know whether I’d manage to carve out the time to share this post but it turns out I feel so unwell that I do. YAY! I’ve also uploaded lots of new micro content over on Instagram, including a new IGTV video, so head over there afterwards for more cosy Daisybutter goodness.

A picnic in the heatwave

We’ve had such terrible weather in the UK so far this summer that we didn’t want to pass up yesterday’s heatwave. I mean, climate change catastrophes and worries aside, we headed to Waitrose for a selection of their finest vegan bites (we even made vegan Quorn chicken rolls with Tiger bread!), and a little lay around in the sun. It was searingly hot, but under the cover of a blossom tree, made for a wonderful weekend respite.

New summer beauty favourites

Hand in hand with the heat comes a few new summer beauty staples. I’ve already waxed lyrical about the e.l.f. Vitamin C Pollution Prevention Serum in a previous post, but I wanted to share the love once again because it’s just left my skin feeling so pure and fresh, even after a long, sweaty day in the polluted city. You know that grimy, sticky feel that usually envelops your skin by 2pm? It totally combats that. Magique.

I’m also besotted with my Milk Makeup Lip and Cheek Stick in Werk. It gives the perfect natural rosy flush to my cheeks and is a dream on my lips — what a rarity to find a duo product that genuinely works just as well on both body parts. Ahem.

Aside from that, I just had to shine some light on the incredible Tropic Skincare Sun Shade and Sun Soothe duo. These suncare essentials have been a dream to try this week: the team sent samples over to me and I’ve found them to sink in perfectly and aren’t heavily scented either. The Sun Soothe was an absolute godsend after yesterday’s blazing heat! Is it just me who LOVED using aftersun on family holidays as a kid? So soothing!

Date night at The Vurger Co.

Harvey and I were invited to The Vurger Co. in Shoreditch for dinner on Friday night. (Press gift.) We spent a lot of time in East London when we first started dating, so it was fun to wander around our old favourite haunts and make an evening of it all.

We both opted for their delicious New York Melt, and decided it’s definitely one of the top five vegan burgers in London. But the real cinch was absolutely the milkshakes!! I picked the Chocolate Hazelnut and Harvey had the Oreo, and they were SO refreshing and dessert-like.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

I finished reading An American Marriage last night and absolutely loved it. So often I stray away from ‘hyped’ books, but this one didn’t disappoint. An American Marriage tells the story of a young American couple who are cruelly torn apart by a wrongful incarceration.

The story then unfolds through letters, prose and sliding doors to honestly depict a marriage and how it changes and unfurls over years of one half being imprisoned. I laughed, cried, smiled and rooted for the characters on every single page and Jones’ storytelling is absolutely astonishing. She created such an immersive, realistic world that I’m still not quite ready to pull my head out from.

Buy An American Marriage by Tayari Jones here.