Earlier this summer, we handed over a little corner of our Bath shop to our friends at Lovebrook & Green for a week. They arrived with a wonderfully curated collection of sustainable brands, the sort of things you'd pick up for a closer inspection, and then find yourself still thinking about a few days later.
It was only meant to be for a week, but... we loved having them in the shop, our customers loved discovering them and, when everything was packed away again, it all felt a little too quiet.
So we thought... why not keep a little bit of it going?
For the rest of the summer, we've invited Lovebrook & Green once more, to bring back three of the brands we thought make the perfect summer essentials. It's a much smaller edit this time, but an even more useful one. Between them, they've got three rather important summer jobs covered: protecting your skin, keeping you hydrated and carrying all the things you inevitably end up taking with you.
First up is Dussl, a Scottish brand making mineral sunscreen without all the unnecessary stuff. Their Natural Mineral Sunscreen uses non-nano Zinc Oxide for a UVA and UVB protection, alongside naturally derived ingredients including Aloe Vera and Cacao Butter. It's vegan and cruelty-free too!
We're outside people at Bramley, so good sun protection is something we take rather seriously. Gardens, long walks, picnics, pub lunches that somehow turn into entire afternoons... Dussl is exactly the sort of thing we want to have in our bags when the sun comes out.
Which brings us neatly to BOTL.
A reusable water bottle, and a good one, earns its place on a summer shopping list surprisingly quickly (if you don't already have one!). BOTL makes reusable bottles from recycled stainless steel, designed to be used again and again (and again). The brans is also a fellow B Corp, which naturally made us love them even more.
Keep one on your desk, throw it in the care, take it to the beach or fill it up before a long walk. Very simple, very useful and much nicer than buying yet another plastic bottle of water because you didn't anything to bring with you.
And finally, because all of these things need somewhere to live, there's Moroccan White.
Their beautiful bags are handmade in Morocco by skilled artisans using traditional techniques, which means each has that slightly individual feel that you only get from something made by hand. They're wonderfully roomy too. Sunscreen, BOTL, sunglasses, book, Bramley Hand Cream, snacks, and extra layer (because you never know with British weather)... you get the idea.
Really, the whole thing has reminded us how much we enjoy having other independent brands in the shop, and it's always a joy to discover things in person. To pick them up, try them, ask us about them and stumble across something you didn't necessarily come in looking for.
Dussl, BOTL and Moroccan White will be in residence at Bramley in Bath for the rest of the summer, alongside your usual Bramley favourites.
If you're nearby, come and have a nose!
You'll find us at Bramley, Shires Yard, Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1BZ. And if you happen to leave with your summer bag, water bottle and sunscreen sorted, even better.
