The wasted summer manifesto: 10 commandments
THE MANIFESTO IN 20 SECONDS
The obligation to make the most of summer is hereby officially repealed. Ten commandments: thou shalt not plan, thou shalt flaunt thy love handles, thou shalt laze, thou shalt look up, thou shalt eat ice cream, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's summer, thou shalt repeat, thou shalt switch off, thou shalt be bored and, above all, thou shalt waste the summer.
The goal: come back in September exactly as you left, or even slightly worse. But a lot less knackered.
We were taught that summer is for 'making the most of it'. For reading, travelling, learning… and coming back in September as an upgraded version of ourselves.
Today we're proposing the exact opposite.
The 10 commandments of a wasted summer
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Thou shalt not plan
Thou shalt leave room for the 'what ifs', the lunches that turn into dinners and the plans that turn up on their own. Thou shalt keep holy the nap, the long shower after the beach, the phone on airplane mode and the out-of-office reply.
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Thou shalt flaunt thy love handles
Thou shalt show off belly, grey hairs, receding hairline and scars, no shame, no permission needed. Thou shalt worship the body that got you to this summer and parade it, every single day, along the shoreline or up and down the promenade.
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Thou shalt laze
Thou shalt confuse bed, sofa, sun lounger and towel. Thou shalt walk slowly, listen slowly and sleep deeply. Thou shalt be late for almost everything (almost nothing important happens on schedule). And if anyone asks what you did today, thou shalt answer, proudly: 'The bare minimum.'
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Thou shalt look up
To see more sunsets than screens. More waves than notifications. More people strolling than IG reels. Thou shalt watch more and film less. Fewer photos (sorry, Bad Bunny), more memories.
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Thou shalt eat ice cream
And thou shalt raid the buffet, the paella and the barbecue. Lunches and chats will stretch on until, one day, they merge into each other. Thou shalt respect no timetables (except the buffet's, obviously), no macros and no table manners.
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Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's summer
The algorithm will tempt you. Don't take the bait. There'll always be a more unspoilt beach, a fancier hotel or a better-tanned body. But THE best beach is the one where you managed to find a parking spot (and that rarely makes it onto Instagram).
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Thou shalt repeat
Same beach bar, same order. Another round. And another. Same beach, same walk. Same old crowd, same conversations, same stories, and you'll still laugh at every one of them.
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Thou shalt switch off
From work, rushing and emails. Thou shalt reconnect with a game of cards, a conversation going nowhere, a barbecue taking its sweet time. Less talk about what you should/have to do, more about how the people you care about are doing.
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Thou shalt be bored
Stargazing, hunting for crabs in rock pools or staring into the infinity of a swimming pool for hours. Thou shalt start books thou shalt never finish. Thou shalt not try to fill silences, or the moments when absolutely nothing happens.
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Thou shalt waste the summer
Thou shalt not turn summer (or rest) into yet another project. Thou shalt not come back from holiday as an upgraded version of thyself. Not more cultured, not fitter, not more productive. If you come back the same, or even slightly worse, but a lot less knackered... the summer will have been worth it.
In short
The obligation to make the most of summer is officially repealed. We spend eleven months trying to optimise absolutely everything. Maybe July and August aren't for that. Maybe it's time to enjoy without proving it, rest without justifying it and waste loads of time.
HAPPY SUMMER. MAY YOU WASTE IT MAGNIFICENTLY.
P.S.: waste the summer, just don't fry
This post is sponsored by our summer duo. Sorry, but there's one thing worth planning in summer: the sun. Wasting it is great. Coming back looking like a lobster, less so.
- For big plans in the sun: Handsomefyer Sun. Moisturiser and SPF 50 sunscreen in one product, so it's one step instead of two (commandment 1, sorted: zero planning). Matte finish, so you're not strolling the promenade shining like a lamppost.
- For the long shower after the beach: Melonizer, our aftersun. Soothes and moisturises skin after the sun and helps prolong the look of your tan. For the evening, the night and the small hours.
Both together come to €62.98, so you're over the €59 free-shipping threshold. Still wondering whether aftersun takes your tan off? Spoiler: it doesn't. We explain it in what aftersun is actually for.
€36.99
Handsomefyer Sun
All-in-one cream for sunny days: moisturises, evens out skin tone and protects in a single step.
- Broad-spectrum SPF 50 UVA + UVB
- Moisturiser and sunscreen in one
- Blurs pores and evens skin tone
- Matte finish
€25.99
Melonizer
Aftersun for after a day of sun, beach or pool, and the long shower that follows.
- Soothes and moisturises after sun
- Helps prolong the look of your tan
- For evening, night and the small hours
P.P.S.: If you're reading this in October and your tan has gone on holiday without you, Tan-Tan-Go is our self-tanning day serum: colour from DHA, no sun and no orange effect. The full story is in sunless tan for men.
Keep reading
- What aftersun is actually for: the myths you've been told.
- Moisturiser with SPF: sun protection made simple.
- How your skin changes in summer: what happens and why.
- Post-holiday care: what we do when we get back.
- Sunless tan: self-tanner without the orange effect.
Not sure where to start?
Fair enough, you're in holiday mode. The quiz takes a minute and tells you what your face actually needs.
Siwon
We do cool right!