Summer 2020 may not be going how any of us expected, but there are certain things we can still do to maintain a modicum or normality in our lives. While a new moisturiser or a spritz of fragrance won’t bring back your lost summer holiday, a considered grooming routine can at least make you feel better about yourself. So, from mood-enhancing fragrances to de-stressing serums, here’s the MR PORTER Team’s personal pick of the grooming products getting us through the season.

My skin has been drier and more stressed out recently (blame it on 2020), so I’ve been in need of something to make me look better than I feel. EISENBERG PARIS’s Youth Elixir – Élixir de Jeunesse if you’re French – does the job here. It’s a “gel booster”, a de-stressing, anti-fatigue serum that I apply after washing my face. It’s a suitably mysterious off-gold colour and is particularly good for summer because it melts into the skin quickly without any greasiness. I dare say it also gives me a kind of beatific glow, which, considering I’m in desperate need of some vitamin D, is a lockdown miracle.

Now is the summer of our distress and I’m trying everything I can to manage my doom-spiralling. So, in addition to the adaptogens in my smoothies and the meditation apps in my schedule, I’ve been smothering myself with this B3 Adaptive SuperFoods Stress Rescue Super Serum from Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare for its cooling, soothing properties. Every little bit counts.

I tried to make it my goal to grind through lockdown without one sip of alcohol. That lasted all of a month. I can’t say the same about my hair, though. As someone who visits his barber every two weeks, I was going mad without my regular cut. I finally caved and bought a set of clippers to do some DIY haircuts, the first of which I let my lovely girlfriend take a crack at. Let’s just say I took over after that. I’m now four haircuts in and I can proudly announce that I haven’t done too badly. Thanks to Blind Barber and its texturising Sea Salt Spray and 101 Proof Classic Pomade, I’ve been able to maintain, or at least fake, that texture I could never achieve on my own and, most importantly, hide those uneven patches.

Villa Nellcôte by 19-69 has become one of my go-to scents over the past few weeks since I got my hands on the brand’s Fragrance Discovery Set. After spending a few days wearing it, I made up my mind that I wanted to use this for the long term. I also underestimated how important your fragrance can be in lifting your mood. A few sprays in the morning really does enhance the day. It lasts all day, too. The light refreshing notes of grapefruit and magnolia have helped brighten up my mornings, while the deeper, more earthly patchouli evolves throughout the day and comes to the fore in the evening.

Support and protection: two things that I’m sure everyone needs a little more of right now, and anatomē has you covered. I’m a big fan of the brand’s essential oils, but this one in particular is great as it has an abundance of natural antibacterial and therapeutic properties to help boost and shield your body. I find it helpful to throw on a few drops after my morning shower to set me up for the day.