Sassy’s Perfect Summer – Part 2

You’ve already read Part 1 of Team Sassy’s Perfect Summer… so here’s a few more of our tips for enjoying the sun in style!

1)    Ideal Summer getaway
It’s unlikely I’ll actually be getting away for summer but we’re allowed to dream right?! In which case, I’d probably head back to the UK and get infected by Olympics mania, enjoy all the gorgeous gardens with their flowers in bloom… and eat a Magnum, which I’ve been craving since summer last year!

2)    Favourite HK summer activity
One of the best things about Hong Kong is that you can enjoy BBQs practically all-year round, but they just somehow they just taste better in summer. I love stocking up on meat galore at Park N Shop (top tip: get the pre-marinated ones if you’re lazy like me, the garlic chicken is divine) and enjoying a chilled out evening getting fat with friends whilst boys argue over how to make the fire bigger. There are loads of beaches and public sites that offer BBQ facilities but I prefer to schelp it to the New Territories and my boyfriend’s garden, so I can then work off the calories on Dance Central 2 on his Xbox later!

It takes a lot of self-restraint for me to not jump straight to roasting the marshmallows… if you can’t be bothered to do the whole barbeque, head to Heirloom and do the Smores there over their mini gas burners – too cute and too tasty!

3)   What’s in my beach bag:

• Urban Decay 24/7 Gilde-On Eye Liner Stays put all-day, come rain, shine or being splashed by evil friends. I have a few fave colours for summer – Electric is a fun bright turquoise, Underground is a soft taupe that’s much less harsh than your typical black and Baked is a glimmering bronze perfect for a beach glow!
• Clinique Derma White City Block SPF40 Everyone knows you need a good sunscreen… this amazing tinted moisturiser/primer/sunscreen/anti-pollution lotion is fabulous and not too heavy for slinging into my beach bag for touch-ups throughout the day.
• Several beach towels So many boat/swimming trips, so many towel incidents! I have now learnt from my mistakes: friends will forget theirs and expect to borrow yours, you need one to sit on the sand and one to actually dry yourself, friends will confuse these and therefore you end up needing yet another one… basically bring several or don’t feel clean later.
• Portable speaker I always have high hopes of reading a book on the beach… and, having lugged around the collective works of William Shakespeare all day, never even once manage to crack open the spine! Far more likely is that I’ll laze about listening to my summer playlist – grab a super-light compact portable speaker from Wan Chai Computer Centre, plug it into your mp3 player or iPhone and it’s party-time!
• Goody Double Wear Elastic Bracelets I’ve always got heaps of hairbands slung on my wrists and hidden in my handbag as I seem to moult them throughout the city! These bobbles (am I the only one that still calls them that?) are a definite upgrade from my usual boring bands – they have a chic gold or silver strip that means they look just as good stacked on your wrist as they do in your hair. Why hadn’t anyone thought of this before?! Genius! (I got my friend to grab me some Stateside for research purposes!)

4)   Summer lust-have
Summer dresses are my weakness and I’m currently going through a minor obsession with Whistles, a British high street store headed up by former Topshop supremo, Jane Sheperdson. Just like Topshop, it’s not available on these shores but you can get your fix on ASOS.com (remember: free delivery!) – I’m eyeing this easy breezy Mila Fit & Flare Dress to just throw on and go!

5)   Top summer tune!
I’m an unashamed pop beast… and it’s a scientifically proven fact that great pop music sounds 100 times better played in the sunshine! This summer, I will be busting out a well-tested playlist that includes Miley Cyrus’ Party In The USA, Alphabeat’s Fascination, Le Kid’s Oh My God, Girls Aloud’s Long Hot Summer and Bryan Adams’ Summer Of 69. Keep your judgements to yourself, thanks!

1)  Ideal summer getaway
I always thought that I would devotedly want to spend every minute of holiday time away from Hong Kong lying on a tropical beach, sipping on a mango daquiri and working on my tan. I’m not saying that idea doesn’t still appeal (current location of choice is the Amanpuri in Phuket) but as the humidity in Hong Kong is rising and most of my time is being spent in air conditioned soulless rooms, I have started to crave a bit more authenticity, culture and cooler air from my summer getaway. That’s why this year, we are taking our summer getaway in Italy. The food. The people. The weather. The landscape. The language. You couldn’t get much more contrasted to our faithful HK and that’s what makes it such a getaway. Come winter, I’ll be found back on beaches once again but this summer, this Sassy girl is going to be eating pizzas, drinking red wine and watching the sunset over a Tuscan hillside.

2)  Favourite HK summer activity
I must admit to being a newbie here. I only moved to Hong Kong in October and am yet to experience a true HK summer. I have quickly learnt that the activities I thought would be my favourite such as hikes, beach days or drinks atop a skyscraper roof, will be made impossible by the heat and humidity. Thus I think, knowing my affinity for tanning but against sweating, this summer I shall be mostly found on junk boats exploring every harbour and inlet HK’s fine waters have to offer.

3)  What’s in my beach bag

• One thing I am obsessive about is sun cream. I am a devoted sun worshiper but am more than a little aware of the risks, thus my compromise is still sunbathing but ensuring I never burn. I recently stocked up in the UK on Soltan factor 15 from Boots (seemingly a factor impossible to get hold of in Hong Kong) sun cream with built in mosquito repellent. Seeing as my ankles resemble an acne ridden face due to the amount of bites on them, a sun cream which offers a barrier to those horrible blood sucking mozzies is a must have.
• I tend to always take off sunglasses as they give me a headache so I’m a proud beach hat wearer. My hat of choice is a trilby with a black band around it. Multifunctional – sun protection, a great way of covering up beach hair, and stylish too!
• Third up in my list of essentials is my Kindle. The fact that I was staunchly against them 6 months ago is now irrelevant. On an item the size of 2 iphones, I now carry around an entire library. I look studious, no one judges me based on the cover of the book I’m reading and I no longer have to lug around 5 books on holiday due to my weirdly fast pace of reading.
• Fourth up is a simple one, strapless bikini tops. I HATE tan lines. There is nothing worse than being branded with a halter neck for the rest of the summer. I don’t have a tattoo so don’t fancy sun induced permanent lines. But give me a bikini top with straps and I will inevitably fall asleep, forget to undo them and inadvertently strap mark myself. Hence why I now only wear strapless; a low maintenance way of guaranteeing uniformly bronzed shoulders. I’m liking this one from Asos this season.
• Finally, water. Hydration, hydration, hydration. It’s amazing how many people exist on alcohol or smoothies alone in the summer. Not me, I carry a large bottle wherever I go to replenish the unfeminine amounts of sweat that pour from me in hotter climes.

4)  Summer lust-have
I’m a simple girl and most of my beachwear is pretty old and resembles something out of Sweet Valley High. I feel it’s about time to invest in some cool, wafty and effortlessly glamorous cover ups but the problem is I never actually remember to wear them, opting instead for unflattering shorts. So the following dress-style cover-up from Shopbop will be perfect to take me from poolside lounging to beach bar cocktails.

5)  Favourite summer tune
Anything with a laidback, chilled summer vibe. I’m particularly fond of a bit of Buena Vista Social Club or anything with a slightly Latin vibe….

1)    Ideal summer getaway
I’ll be too big and pregnant this summer to travel anywhere unfortunately (I’m due mid-August), so my favourite getaway will have to be a staycation… I’m thinking one of the luxury hotels with fab pools so I can bask like a whale – the Shangri-La, Grand Hyatt or Four Seasons would fit the bill perfectly!

2)    Favourite HK summer activity
Heeading to Shek O beach with my daughter for a run around early in the morning followed by pizza lunch at the Black Sheep. Yum!

3)   What’s in my beach bag
Apart from half-eaten packs of raisins and nappies, I’m totally addicted to my Kindle. It has literally changed my life! My perfect beach reading is Elizabeth Chadwick’s historical novels – acceptable trash (especially as with the Kindle no one knows what you’re reading!)

4)   Summer lust-have
I’m a real flats girl, and as I’ll be dressed in maternity clobber all summer, I’m dying to infuse my wardrobe with a bit of style. These Rebecca Minkoff sandals from Shopbop fit the bill!

5)   Top summer tune
I’ve got True Affection by The Blow stuck on repeat on my iPod… Love this song for laid-back summer evenings!

1)  Ideal summer getaway
Wherever the sun shines and I can bask on the beach with a good read, topping up the tan. Perhaps because of my South American roots, I have always been a sun-worshipper and refuse to come back from holiday without my skin being suitably bronzed. If I were to say my ideal getaway, it would be on a beautiful white sand beach in Venezuela with my family who I rarely see…but sadly, living on the other side of the world, this isn’t the most realistic of holiday plans!

2)  Favourite HK summer activity
Definitely going out on a junk. Few things beat being out on the water on a beautiful summer’s day with a great group of friends. If the junk happens to be teamed with a trip to Po Toi for some delicious seafood, then all the better!

3)  What’s in my beach bag:

• Factor 6 Tan Deepener by Lancaster. This stuff is amazing! It’s slightly tinted so makes your skin look incredible even before you’ve reached maximum tannage, but at the same time it helps you reach that desired level of tan, and fast! It’s super hydrating too so your skin will feel amazing even after you’ve washed it off. I would only ever use it once I have a solid base-tan though as it literally draws the sun to you.
• Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream for Face SPF 30. Yes I know, big contrast between what I put on the rest of my body, but the skin on my face is a million times more sensitive than the rest. Unless I want to end up looking like Rudolph every time I see the sun, I need a higher factor on my face. Plus, I might as well try to put off the wrinkles while I can.
• A good book. Finding the time to read in Hong Kong, when I dedicate most of my free time to eating, and then writing about eating, is hard to come by. I love reading though and my favourite time to read is whilst lying on a peaceful beach far from the hustle and bustle of the city.
• My kikoy. To use as a towel, a cover up, a blanket – an absolute necessity. I’ve never actually been to Africa, so feel like a bit of a fake but I love them. I randomly bought mine from here. (Sassy tip: Buy one in HK from here!)

4)  Summer lust-have
Some beautiful swimwear and resort wear from brand new brand Itsie Bitsie. Designed in Hong Kong by my amazing sister and made in Bali, Itsie Bitsie has beautiful maxi-dresses, bikinis, one-pieces, sarongs, kaftans, and even some gorgeous ethnic jewellery. I’ve got my eye on the Lady Jo Bond bikini and the orange Lulu Maxi.

5)  Top summer tune!
It’s hard to narrow it down to one song. I like listening to music that reflects my chilled out, happy summer mood – things like Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz or maybe even a bit of Bob Marley or Beach Boys!

P.S. Don’t forget to enter our fab summer giveaway to win a hamper stuffed with seasonal goodies! Enter here.