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The Archive Check: A Late Summer Time Capsule
Looking back at my archives from late 2018, this post was originally written as a combined August and September wrap-up. It captures that exact shift where we are trying to cling onto summer, while slowly preparing our skin, wardrobes, and homes for autumn. Re-evaluating these favourites today offers a lovely look at the pieces that defined my transition season routines a few years ago.
Let’s face it: the end of summer can throw off your entire schedule. Whether you’ve just come back from a trip or you’re struggling to find the motivation to write as the days get shorter, it’s incredibly common to fall behind on your content calendar.
When I originally pulled this list together, I was fresh off a holiday and trying to bridge the gap between August heat and September crispness. Looking back at it today, it’s a beautiful mix of end of summer skin saviours, delicious cosy snacks, and major travel memories.
From a holy grail mascara to an iconic discontinued eyeshadow palette, these were the elements that shaped my transition season routines a few years back.
Maybelline | Lash Sensational Mascara
This mascara has been an absolute staple of mine for years, so much so that I realised I hadn’t actually mentioned it on the blog since 2015! It received an immense amount of hype over the years, and it’s one of the few drugstore products that has truly stuck with me through multiple repurchases. It perfectly ticks both boxes for length and volume, making it an affordable holy grail that never disappoints.
Clinique | Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer
I originally picked this up when I was hunting for a new foundation to try, and the coverage completely blew me away. It’s definitely on the full side, hiding any redness flawlessly and sitting comfortably on the skin without ever looking heavy. During August, I was wearing the shade Alabaster, which became a little too dark for me once my summer holiday tan faded, making it the ultimate transition product before switching back to my paler winter shades.
The Body Shop | Mango Body Scrub
While I generally love everything from The Body Shop, I always used to find their standard body scrubs a little too gentle. That completely changed when I discovered their oil-free sugar scrubs. The Mango version has a beautiful, rich fruity scent that feels like summer in a tub. It starts out as a thick, satisfying texture but melts into a gentle sugar polish as you sweep it over the skin, leaving everything incredibly smooth without any oily residue.
I have a full review, if you’d like to hear more.
Primark | Glow Setting Spray
Discontinued
I absolutely loved using this, and for just £4, it was an incredible drugstore find. It was infused with Vitamin B5, illuminating pearls, and aloe vera, which kept the skin feeling hydrated while leaving a gorgeous, subtle glow. You just had to remember to give the bottle a good shake before misting to mix the pearls up. While the mist wasn’t the finest spray on the market, it kept makeup locked in beautifully during those humid late summer days.
Urban Decay | Original Naked Palette
Discontinued
This was a major moment in beauty history, and my makeup journey. Even though Urban Decay had just announced the discontinuation of the original Naked palette around this time, I was still completely in love with it. I’ve always leaned toward classic browns and golds for an easy daytime look. During September, I loved using the shade Smog with a wet brush all over the lid, paired with Sidecar for a gorgeous, timeless sparkle. I’m still mad that they discontinued this, I was obsessed.
Green & Blacks | Velvet Fruit Raspberry
A bit pricey, but absolutely incredible. They are dark chocolate spheres filled with a chewy, raspberry jelly cube centre. The combination is brilliant if you love fruit and dark chocolate.
Bahlsen | White Chocolate Cocoa Biscuit
A spectacular discovery at Tesco. The contrast between the rich, dark cocoa biscuit and the thick slab of white chocolate on top makes for the ultimate treat.
Holiday
The absolute highlight of that transition season was spending two weeks onboard the P&O ship Britannia for a cruise around the Med. It was my very first time on a P&O ship, and outside of getting caught in the tail end of a rough storm, I loved every single minute of it.
The biggest highlight was finally getting to visit Italy, which had been at the top of my travel bucket list for years. There is nothing quite like exploring historic Italian streets in the late summer sun to completely refresh your mindset before heading into the autumn months.
The Final Verdict on Seasonal Shifts
Revisiting this post is a lovely reminder that our transition season routines are all about balance. It’s the time of year to enjoy the last of our summer body scrubs and holiday memories, while slowly embracing the rich chocolates, warm eyeshadows, and cosy nights in that make autumn so special.
Let’s chat in the comments!
Do you remember the heartbreak when the original Urban Decay Naked palette was discontinued? What is your go-to comfort snack when the weather starts to cool down in September?
Thank you for reading!
Omg those biscuits are delicious aren’t they?! I love the dark chocolate ones. The Maybelline Lash Sensational is one of my favourite beauty items at the moment, I’m so glad I decided to try it xx
Tiffany x http://www.foodandotherloves.co.uk
They’re so good! The dark chocolate ones are so nice too! It’s definitely a really great mascara, and I’m so glad that you like it xx
I’ve tried that mascara and really enjoyed it. Great list of favorites. Some I haven’t tried yet.
Jennifer
I’m glad you like it too! Thank you so much, I tried to go with more of a variety this time xx
OMG how insane do those chocolates sound?! I need to put some on my tesco order asap haha xx
Gemma • Gemma Etc . ❤️
They’re so good! They’re my new love haha xx
Wow, I love the sound of that Primark setting spray, for £4 you can’t go wrong!!xx
Lily Loves
It’s been one of my favourites for a while now, it’s great for the price xx
Maybelline have a strong mascara game! There are so many of them that I love and it makes me hardly ever crave a high-end mascara. I haven’t tried that particular mascara but it’s definitely on the list. x
They really do, they have so many great ones. It’s been a favourite of mine for so long now, it’s great xx
Italy is a country I want to visit too, my husband visited a few years ago and I want to go there too!!
Yiota
https://pinkdaisyloves.blogspot.com/
It’s such an amazing place! I hope you manage to go xx
What a great selection! That Maybelline is one of my favorites, as well! I also love Shane Dawson, what he’s doing on YouTube is really changing the standard of content quality for the platform. I’ve been watching his videos for about 6 years and its been so cool to see him evolve through the years! Thanks for sharing, I hope you have a great day! 🙂
melissakacar.blogspot.com
Thank you! It’s such a good mascara. Shane has been making such good content, and I definitely agree with you on that one. You’ve been watching him for so long! No problem, thank you for stopping by and I hope you do too xx
You have some fab favourites here. I love how you included biscuits and chocolate! I’d really love the UD palette. Perfect shades for autumn.
Samantha x
https://thebeautyspyglass.com
Thank you! I couldn’t not haha! It’s such a beautiful palette xx
I’ve heard that the original Naked palette has now been discontinued ;( It is a classic, though. And that Primark setting spray, what a surprise! It does sound super lovely. Thanks for sharing your favourites, beaut, really enjoyed this post. <3 xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
It’s so sad it’s such a good palette. It’s a great spray, especially for the price. No problem, and thank you that means a lot xx
Yesss i love that primark setting spray. Although i agree the mist could be better xxx
http://www.lpagebeauty.com
It’s a good one, but yeah the mist could be a little finer- at least it’s only cheap haha xx
I still can’t believe they discontinued that naked palette, it’s personally very offensive haha it’s so beautiful! Also I’ve heard such good things about that primark setting spray! A lot of the sprays I’ve used are higher end and they are just too expensive for what they are so would be super interested to see what the primark one is like! xx
I know, it’s such a shame! It’s a great one, especially for the price. There are some great high end ones and ones that just seem expensive for what they are. It’s been a favourite of mine for a while xx
I love the sound of the Primark face mask, I need to try it! Xx
Just realised I said mask instead of mist ahahah!!
It’s really great, especially for the price of it xx
It’s nice to catch up! I am glad you included some food items in your current favorites lol. I also love the combination of chocolate and raspberry. Have a lovely day!
-PerlaGiselle | iamperlita.com
Say hello and let’s follow each other <3
instagram.com/iamperlita
It really is, thank you! I had to haha, thought it would be a good change! It’s the best combination Thank you, and you too xx
I adore that Maybelline mascara, I use it every single day!
Danielle xx
https://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/
I love the sound of the foundation and can imagine that the Mango scrub smells amazing!! xx
Beautylymin
That Clinique foundation sounds really good and one I should probably look into!! Kathleen has been one of my faves for ages, I am currently loving her new series shes doing with her mum about face masks!
Those white chocolate biscuits look amazing! I’m going to need to see if I can find something similar here in the US. I’ve been loving Shane Dawson’s videos recently too because the quality of them are just amazing. It does feel like watching something on Netflix. Great favorites!
x Kara
I need that maybelline mascara. I got two mascaras I didnt like.