#SPF 50 sunscreen Australia

[thelaborganics]

The Importance of Sunscreen in Australia: A Must-Have for Sun Safety

Australia is well-known for its breathtaking beaches, energetic outdoor culture, and, regrettably, intense sun. Australians understand the value of sun protection well because they have one of the highest incidences of skin cancer worldwide. Among the several sun safety precautions, sunscreen is by far the most important.

Why Sunscreen is Essential in Australia?

Even on overcast days, the Australian sun may be rather intense and possess high UV levels all year round. Because to its proximity to the equator, the nation experiences higher UV radiation levels than other regions of the world. This means that using sunscreen is vital all year round, not just in the summer.

Choosing the Right Sunscreen

Choosing a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection is crucial when choosing a sunscreen in Australia. This implies that the sunscreen will offer protection against UVA and UVB radiation, which cause burning and skin aging, respectively. A sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is ideal, but for prolonged outdoor activity, SPF 50+ is advised.

Another important consideration is water resistance, particularly for people who like Australia's outdoor swimming pools and beaches. Even when swimming or perspiring, protection with water-resistant sunscreen is guaranteed. Furthermore, a lot of sunscreens made in Australia are designed to be reef-safe, which means they don't include dangerous ingredients like octinoxate and oxybenzone that can harm coral reefs. 

How to Apply Sunscreen Properly

If it's not applied correctly, even the greatest sunscreen won't save you from harm. Generally speaking, you should slather all exposed skin with sunscreen roughly 20 minutes before heading outside. Reapplication is equally crucial; it should be done every two hours, or more frequently if you perspire or swim.

Remember frequently overlooked areas such as the tops of your feet, the back of your neck, and your ears. You should also use a lip balm with SPF to shield your lips from the sun's rays.

Sunscreen and Daily Skincare

It's a wise decision to include sunscreen in your everyday skincare routine in Australia. Nowadays, a lot of face moisturizers have additional SPF, which makes it simpler to safeguard your skin every day without taking an additional step. 

Beyond Sunscreen: Comprehensive Sun Protection

Although sunscreen is an excellent defense against UV damage, it works best when combined with other sun protection precautions. You can further lower your risk of sunburn and long-term skin damage by donning protective clothing, sunglasses with UV protection, and a wide-brimmed hat. It's also advised to look for shade between 10 AM and 4 PM, which is when UV radiation is at its highest.

Conclusion: Sunscreen as a Lifesaver in Australia

Being sun-smart is a must for living in Australia. You may dramatically lower your risk of skin cancer and early aging by making wearing sunscreen a regular ritual. The greatest sunscreen is the one you'll use daily, so pick a product you like and develop the habit of protecting yourself from the sun.

Never undervalue the Australian sun, whether you're a resident or just visiting. Keep yourself safe and take advantage of everything this stunning nation has to offer without jeopardizing the health of your skin.

[aussenskin]

Unlocking the Secret: What Makes the Best Sunscreen for Safe Skincare?

Welcome to Aussenskin, where we take pride in offering the best in safe skincare products. Among our premium selection is our organic Australian-made Vegan SPF50 sunscreen with added hyaluronic acid—a product that embodies our commitment to providing superior sun protection and nourishment for your skin. In this blog, we'll unveil the qualities that make a sunscreen the best choice for your safe skincare routine, helping you make an informed decision for your skin's health and well-being.

Broad-Spectrum Protection

The best sunscreen should offer broad-spectrum protection, shielding your skin from both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays can lead to premature aging, while UVB rays are responsible for sunburn and skin cancer. Our Aussenskin SPF50 sunscreen is formulated to protect your skin from both types of harmful rays, ensuring comprehensive coverage and safe skincare.

High SPF Rating

Sun Protection Factor (SPF) measures a sunscreen's ability to block UVB rays. For optimal protection, choose a sunscreen with a high SPF rating, such as SPF50. Higher SPF ratings indicate stronger protection against sunburn, reducing the risk of skin damage and the early signs of aging caused by the sun.

Organic and Vegan Ingredients

Safety is a top priority in skincare, and the best sunscreen should contain organic and vegan ingredients. Organic ingredients ensure that no harmful chemicals or pesticides are present, reducing the risk of skin irritation and allergic reactions. Vegan products are also cruelty-free and environmentally friendly, aligning with responsible and ethical skincare choices.

Added Skincare Benefits

Beyond sun protection, the best sunscreen should go the extra mile to nourish and enhance your skin. Our Aussenskin sunscreen is enriched with hyaluronic acid—a powerful humectant that retains moisture, leaving your skin hydrated and plump. Hyaluronic acid also aids in maintaining your skin's natural barrier, promoting overall skin health and a radiant complexion.

Water-Resistant Formulation

Whether you're swimming, sweating, or engaging in outdoor activities, a water-resistant sunscreen ensures that you remain protected even during these situations. A quality water-resistant sunscreen will maintain its efficacy, reducing the need for frequent reapplication and giving you peace of mind throughout your day.

Non-Greasy and Lightweight Texture

The best sunscreen for safe skincare should have a non-greasy and lightweight texture. This ensures easy application and comfortable wear, without leaving your skin feeling sticky or heavy. Aussenskin sunscreen is designed to offer a smooth and lightweight finish, making it perfect for daily use under makeup or alone.

Dermatologically Tested

To guarantee the highest level of safety and effectiveness, the best sunscreen should undergo dermatological testing. This ensures that the product is suitable for various skin types, including sensitive skin, and has been proven to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic.

Choosing the best sunscreen is vital for safe and effective skincare. Our organic Australian-made Vegan SPF50 sunscreen with added hyaluronic acid embodies all the qualities necessary for optimal sun protection and skin nourishment. With broad-spectrum protection, high SPF rating, organic and vegan ingredients, and added skincare benefits, it's a product that exceeds expectations.

At Aussenskin, we believe in providing skincare solutions that prioritize your skin's health and well-being. Embrace the best sunscreen for safe skincare, and you'll enjoy the sun responsibly, knowing your skin is protected and cared for under the care of Aussenskin. Here's to a lifetime of safe and radiant skin!

www.aussenskin.com.au

[beeleoblue]

Agressive reminder that spf is a measurement and not a product

[sunshinecitiez]

Mixed with native Australian super fruits containing antioxidants and vitamins a, b + c, Standard Procedure is a reef friendly product free of paba, parabens, oxybenzone and octinoxate.

[skincare-musings]

Standard Procedure is a TGA certified product, that meets the highest standards globally and is ethically made only minutes from the beach on the Sunshine Coast, Australia in their 100% solar-powered factory.

[ofmermaidstories]

summer’s coming back with a vengeance so i’m going through my sunny collection, and wanted to make a little hommage. 🥹 sunscreen is so important! especially here in australia, thanks to our skin-cancer rates. all of these are chemical sunscreens for face-wear (NOT reef safe!!), and most of them are made in australia—i’m still trying to find a decent mineral/zinc sunny that doesn’t white-wash me or otherwise have some kind of tint that’s off-colour. i use the INCI decoder site just to check for greeblies—tbh most of these have like, an eyebrow raising chemical or two but. 💀 nothing’s burnt off my face yet, so if there’s longer term side-affects ig i’ll report back in ten years or so LOL. the beauty of joseon rice + probiotics SPF 50+ has the best ingredient list of all them, so that would be my universal recommendation!! 🧴🌞 i’ve been using the avène sunsitive sunscreen serum SPF 50+ daily since i bought it—it’s fun!! it doesn’t water my eyes. i just finished the cancer council face day wear serum—it was my previous fave before the avène. the ultra violette queen screen SPF 50+ has just been restocked—i have an older bottle. i liked it enough! it did sting my eyes, though, but it smelt like roses. 🥹 i’m not sure if the new formula is the same, but my bottle very noticeably has a fine sheen of shimmer in it, which is ehhh. it’s also the only sunscreen on this list that would get chunks in it. 💀 i haven’t tried out the natio rosewater moisture balance day cream SPF 50+—i literally just bought it a couple of days ago, because it was on sale at the chemist. 🥹

[peachandpinwheel]

hello peeps with sensory issues living in sunny countries, especially Australia and Aotearoa NZ.

do you avoid using sunscreen because it sets off your sensory sensitivities? me too!

just wanted to PSA as we head into summer that many Korean beauty brands have sunscreen that you can't feel, barely smell, and that is SPF 50. I use Etude House Sunprise on my face and it has changed my life. my wife favours the Beauty of Joseon Matte Sun Stick, which is similarly unnoticeable. you can get them (in Australia at least) at k-beauty stores in person or online.

dermatologists do not rate moisturisers with SPF - you need a proper barrier. the ozone layer has been bad lately, and we are heading for a hot ass summer, so please be safe.

[missyourflight]

ooooooooo!!! ⭐  for tomorrow on every shore <333333

🛥❤️ commentary on the scene at the resort towards the end of the story under the cut!

“Can we get him some long gloves?” Aisling asks, squinting at Max. “Like opera gloves?”

“Maybe if we only put SPF on up as far as his elbows,” Hayley suggests. “Just to give the white bits a chance to catch up.”

“I’ll ask Lily,” Alex says, snapping a picture.

“You are all so hilarious,” Max tells them. He crosses his arms across his chest.

“I honestly don’t know what they’re talking about,” Daniel says. “I can’t even see a tan line.”

I really amused myself (if no one else!) working in Below Deck references throughout the fic and Max's blinding farmer's tan is a heartfelt tribute to Paget in S1 Sailing Yacht ⛵️ Also Daniel is a supportive bf god bless

He’s sitting on the same sunlounger as Max, their knees pressed together. “It’s a very gradual gradient,” he goes on, then pauses, bottle of SPF 50 in hand. “Is that the word, gradient?” I'm not super happy with the wording here but like, that thing Daniel does where he's not sure he's using the right word. He squeezes out more cream and spreads it over Max’s shoulders, rubs it into the back of his neck. “There you go, Maxy. Slip, slop, slap.” Slip slop slap and the primary school hats with neck flaps are my tribute to my old housemate and beloved friend who grew up in Australia! Louise... I owe you everything 😭

“What are you saying,” Max says, twisting around to face him, and Daniel grins, swipes sunscreen across Max’s cheeks.

Instead of their usual team night out, they’re spending the day at a resort, stretched out by the pool; Christian had called it a reward for all their hard work this season. Below Deck thing I love is when they mix up the compulsory night out with a compulsory day drinking session! And as always, if this were an accurate portrayal of Below Deck everyone would be 3000 times more messy and there would be so much more interpersonal drama, alas I am a romance bitch!!

Daniel’s enjoying himself, drinking frozen cocktails with little umbrellas in them. He offers Max a sip and Max takes more than he means to, sucking on the straw.

“Sorry,” he says, handing it back. “It’s cold.”

“Jesus,” Daniel says, but he doesn’t sound mad. Max sucking on things!! It's a lot.

“Your tongue is blue,” Lando says from the next lounger. Live slug reacting as per... It's silly but it makes me laugh to just have him chime in like that, Max's POV was Not paying attention to his antics lol.

Aisling has disappeared under the brim of a gigantic straw sunhat. Queen... Aisling is maybe my favourite person in this story and my favourite line of the whole thing is her talking head about Max not liking seafood. Alex is texting, of course. Hayley is sitting in Tess’ lap, waiting for Yuki to bring them both ice cream. Yuki throuple klaxon 🚨 Camera operators are dotted about like always, in case anyone does anything interesting.

“Come in the water with me,” Max says, and Daniel does. Max does So much yearning in this story, but there are these moments too where he goes and Daniel follows - jumping off the rope swing into the sea as well was a big one for me.

In the pool they circle each other, splashing lazily. Max thinks about lifting Daniel in the water, spinning him around, how his laughter would echo off the tiles and make everyone look at them. Something about water as a ~facilitator idk - it's easier for Max to lift Daniel in the water, it's easier to think about being with him in the water... First kiss in the hot tub etc...

“Do you want to kiss me?” he says. It feels like he’s asking a bigger question. I've said in other commentary that I don't know if I did the best/clearest job tracking their slide from "We won't do anything on the boat because cameras" to "We'll do stuff in private on the boat and accept that the cameras will see" to "The crew know we're doing stuff on the boat" to "Everyone knows we're in love"... They can't help themselves...

“Now?” Daniel says, but he’s already moving closer. He doesn’t make Max ask for it again, just cups his hands around both sides of Max’s face like a screen, kisses him softly. I like the image of Daniel screening their kiss -- they can still keep some things for themselves even if they decide to be more open about it etc.

He kisses Max’s cheek; kisses his neck; kisses the stark tan line on his arm. Max looks down at the top of Daniel’s head, at the water droplets in his hair catching the light, the pink cocktail umbrella tucked behind one ear, and it’s like there’s a sail in his chest, caught perfectly full of wind. First of all, Daniel with a pink cocktail umbrella behind his ear is very important 2 me. Second of all, Max in this fic can only think in sailing imagery the way Max in other non-AU fics can only think in racing imagery ⛵️

The rest of the crew are staring from their sunloungers. Daniel straightens up and waves at them, grinning big.

“I think they are jealous,” Max says, and tackles Daniel into the water, buoyant.

Alex: I wouldn’t say I’m surprised, no. I was in the hotel room next to Max last week. I heard some stuff.

Aisling: Literally everyone on this boat owes me money, because I fucking called it.

Lando: Interesting. What happened to “Don’t screw the crew?” Honk he's such a bitch. Also people were so nice in their comments about the talking heads sections, I was so glad they worked!

[scontomio]

💣 Spf50+ Water Resistant 4Hrs Sunscreen Lotion 150 Ml 🤑 a soli 6,79€ invece di 14,90€ ➡️ https://www.scontomio.com/coupon/spf50-water-resistant-4hrs-sunscreen-lotion-150-ml/?feed_id=140347&_unique_id=64c4af5c0b53e&utm_source=Tumblr&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Poster&utm_term=Spf50%2B%20Water%20Resistant%204Hrs%20Sunscreen%20Lotion%20150%20Ml Proteggi la tua pelle dai dannosi raggi UVA e UVB con la protezione solare SPF 50+ Bondi Sands. Questa lozione idratante è arricchita con vitamina E per nutrire la pelle, ed è adatta anche alle pelli sensibili grazie alla sua formula senza parabeni e solfati. Assorbe rapidamente e lascia un film protettivo uniforme sulla pelle. Senza profumo e cruelty-free, questa protezione solare è rispettosa dell'ambiente e della barriera corallina. Realizzata in Australia e con confezione riciclabile al 100%. #coupon #bondisands #solari #offerteamazon #scontomio

[seniouesbabes]

Lily Maymac 🌸🍒💋🌸 Protect your skin SPF50 @nakedsundays

[arrowtraders]

Complies to AS/NZS 2604:2012 Sunscreen Products – Evaluation and Classification.

SPF 50 + provides ultra-broad-spectrum protection from the sun’s harsh UVA and UVB rays.

4 hours water resistant. Perfect for worksite use as well as weekend and recreational activities.

Contain Vitamin E and Aloe Vera to moisturise and condition the skin.

Featuring dry touch technology for a light natural skin feel.

Skin friendly dermatologically tested formula.

Developed and manufactured in Australia.

Qty / Carton 60 pieces.

Qty / Pack 12 pieces.

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

I have acne and for years now nothing has helped. Any tips to have clear face? As a lesbian I feel insecure

Aww anon I’m so sorry this is something you feel insecure about 💞💞 But genuinely there is so much more to you then your appearance, BUT ALSO in saying that I know I personally find acne pretty attractive - or I certainly don’t find it unattractive. And I think a lot of other lesbians and bisexual women are the same. I’m sure you are absolutely stunning 💕💕

I can definitely give you some things I use but I have to preface and say I never really got face acne so I’m speaking from a place of ignorance. I get the occasional stress one. But for the most part all my acne is on my back and I’ve never been too bothered by it. So I never tried any acne specific creams or treatments for it.

But here are some good things I recommend!

The low PH good morning and good night gels. They are super soft and I’ve never felt irritated by them at all. Just sunscreen in general as well. Though I could be careful where you get some from. I’m fortunate that Australia has REALLY strict regulations on our sunscreen because of how much skin cancer people can get it. So pretty much all of it is top quality, but my personal favourite is the Cancer Council SPF 50 one with aloe Vera in it. I find putting a hydrating mist on after applying sunscreen can help too.

Midnight blue calming cream has been really helpful for me too, especially if I’ve gone outside for a bit since my skin is really sensitive to the sun.

But genuinely anon you are wonderful just as you are and I hope you can get to a place where you see yourself for the beautiful person so many other people probably already see you as 💕💕💕💕

I hope you have a wonderful day and do something nice for yourself 💕💕

[skincare-musings]

Our SPF 50+ Sunscreen formula is our signature product. Over 40 years of expertise in each bottle, our formula created in our family factory has been perfecting for decades. This elevated by a modern approach allows Standard Procedure to bring you some of the highest-quality products on the market. Our SPF 50+ is a powerhouse Sunscreen designed to withstand the toughest elements. It’s clean formulation and added Australian Superfruits with Antioxidants and Vitamins A, B + C make it the perfect formula for everyday wear on your face, body or children.

[siriusist]

You said you love skincare over makeup: me too! What's your favorite brands? :)

I have extremely sensitive skin that is prone to cystic acne due to my hormones being out of whack due to endometriosis, so I have to be very careful about the brands I use for either skincare OR makeup, and it took me a long time to realise that, and lean more into cultural beauty routines that take skincare over makeup (For example, Korean beauty or more traditionalist Swedish beauty, a la Ingrid Bergman, who famously never wore a stitch of makeup if she could help it and her skin was just that lovely that she didn’t have to). I’m also very aware of overt fragrances, stripping agents like alcohol (Baby Lauren was not; and thought drying out your skin equaled less acne; yikes), and any harsh additives. 

Sunscreen:

I’ve always taken sun care extremely seriously, as both my mother and my grandmother have had skin cancer before, so I’m most likely predisposed to having it. This has led to some unintentionally hilarious results of being the palest person in the world who plays beach volleyball both professionally (back in the day) and competitively (now, or before the COVID hit). I always wear long sleeves on the beach unless I have time to completely apply sunscreen, and am a snob when it comes to sunscreens as well. They can’t cause a breakout, leak into my eyes due to sweat, any of that good stuff. 

My sunscreen recommendations:

 (Note: And I literally get them from all over the world, so get ready, because I probably cover something available in your town/country. I’ve lived in Australasia, North America, and Europe, so I’ve pretty much covered a large part of the world in my travels xD)

Face:

Mychelle Pharmaceuticals SPF 28 in Coconut (Unfortunately only an American brand, but I literally get it shipped to a P.O. box near Canada so I can go across the line to get it. It’s that good. XD Doesn’t melt, dries quickly, unsure how it would look on darker skin than ghost white, but still doesn’t give me any sort of cast).

Innisfree Daily UV Protection Cream No Sebum: Literally a steal at twelve bucks, but DOES cause the dreaded white cast. Anti-acne and also settles down really well on the skin. I’m luckily pale enough that if I layer makeup over it, it usually doesn’t look as bad, but I’ve heard a lot of POC say they love the texture, but it gives them that ashy-white look (See below for some skincare brands I’ve heard are better for this for POC). 

Body:

Bioderma Photoderm SPF 50+ UVA and UVB Lait protection élevée: This is a really popular French sunscreen that doesn’t move and stays firm after you apply it and it dries down. It’s a high SPF quality, and I can find it in Canada, but I also obviously saw it in France when I was there as well. France is another country that really seems to follow the ‘If you have great skin you don’t really need makeup do you” train.

MooGoo Skincare (Generally and their sunscreen): This was my go to in Australia: I’d have to reapply it often because otherwise you would get burned, but Australia also has a gigantic hole in the ozone layer so it isn’t exactly helping itself. xD But it’s a local Aussie brand, it’s natural, and it’s great and relatively cheap (although you can order it worldwide I believe and they have a US based website if you’re in the states). I also love their leave in hair conditioner, as well as their self-tanner. They also send you great testers with it, and have great mineral-based makeup if you’re keen.

Coola SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray Pina Colada: This is my go to spray on for playing sports last summer. It’s natural, smells good, is expensive, but it lasted me an entire summer playing beach volleyball most days at the beach, and I still have some left over.

Some of my top other skincare recommendations I’d recommend otherwise would be:

My Current Routine:

- Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel (everyday)

- Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel (everyday)

- Dermalogica Microdermabrasion (everyday)

- Mychelle Cosmetics: SPF 28 Coconut (everyday)

- Clinique Oil Control Gel with Uneven Skin Tone Pump (everyday)

- Lush Eye Cream (optional)

- Benton Aloe Vera Gel (optional if my skin is feeling dry)

- Bioderma Photoderm 50+ for my body sunscreen  (everyday)

(Note: I also use a micellar water to clear eye makeup if I use it, and occasionally the Thayers toner if I have it on hand, but it’s not essential to my routine, and I don’t use eye makeup that often).

Dermalogica:  Expensive as all hell, but it’s literally the only thing that I can get a ‘wash and go’ effect from. Their Special Cleansing Gel is the only face wash I’ve been able to use for more than three to four months without having to switch it up from my skin throwing it’s own mini revolution. xD The one thing I could say is that their Cleansing Gel LITERALLY lasts forever. I have a gigantic pump which is 88 dollars (YIKES), but it’s lasted me literally seven months without having to change products and buying usually amount in cheaper skincare, going to the dermatologist, or having to get further medication from my doctor for my skin (I take an antibiotic to keep my skin at bay as well). It’s literally worth the money of me searching and floundering about buying cheaper options that make my skin break out that progressively add up to the full amount of the Dermalogica/ avoiding dermatologist appointments, so that’s how I justify it. So while it makes me cringe every time I buy it, it really is worth it if you’re washing it two times a day (There’s also a 250ml size for 55 bucks Canadian on Sephora if you want to give it a go for less commitment, and that usually lasts for a good two months on its own).

I also use their Overnight Clearing Gel for my acne (also expensive), and I can do without, but do like, their microdermabrasion scrub, which also lasts forever. I also forgot to mention that this is the stuff coming straight from The International Dermal Institute, so they know what they’re doing. 

Others I enjoy:

Klairs: My (relatively) cheap routine if I’m running low on funds for the month. They have a great body-based soap bar if you have body acne (Which I usually don’t, but if I’m doing a lot of beach volleyball in the summer, gremlins in the sand fuck with my skin, I swear to god). 

Innisfree: Great based routines, and if you’re able to actually go to a store to get skin-matched, they have some amazing stores in Australasia. I use their sheet masks often.

Benton: Their aloe vera-based products are amazing for skincare; I use them usually in lieu of a body lotion.

Thayers: Their unscented toner is the only toner I trust, and it’s usually on sale at a drugstore.

Mychelle Cosmetics: As mentioned above, it’s responsible for my daily sunscreen; unfortunately, you can only get it in the States (Which is why I literally have a P.O. box across the border in America where I go to pick it up from because I live about fifteen minutes from the US-Canada border. Seriously, it’s that good).

 MooGoo: As mentioned above.

 Clinique: An oldie, but a goodie. Their skincare routine doesn’t have the same effect on my face like Dermalogica, but if I’m in a financial pinch and need something to hold me over at the mid-point price level, I still turn to Clinique. I still use their gel as my moisturiser, and they now have this new ‘mix and match’ program with Emilia Clarke as their promo-woman. I’ve heard the shade range for the BB cream-based moisturiser is terrible, even for white ladies, but I just got their Oil-Control gel with an ‘uneven skin tone’ top mixed in to address acne-scarring, and I’ve already seen some good results.

 Biotherma: See above.

La-Roche Posay: The routine my dermatologist recommended as a top professor of skincare at a leading hospital related to a university in Australia. It’s very gentle, and their Effaclar another mid-level price routine.

St Ives: If I’m really poor, I go for St. Ives. I don’t use their scrubs, because they use walnut shells on their that can literally rip up your face, but I do like their body wash, body lotion, and they recently released a cleanser with camomile which is calming for the face. It’s not as good as the Dermalogica stuff, but for cheap and for no harsh alcohols or chemicals, plus making a move towards being cruelty-free, I think St. Ives is trying to revamp their brand a bit after that bad press they had concerning #walnutgate. xD

Lush: Another cheaper option (although not really, because Lush usually gauges you for more than you’d pay for a proper Clinique cleanser for a bar of soap/ once you’ve got your full routine together). That being said, I do like their eye cream. I’m in my mid-twenties now, so I’m starting to try to do more preventative skincare.

Mario Badescu: I still use their acne spot treatment if I have a really terrible zit, and it’s gone the next morning.

Other brands I’ve heard good things about:

First Aid Beauty (I want to try their tinted sunscreen for summer)

Supergoop (Apparently their mineral sunscreen is really great for POC, as it doesn’t give the dreaded WHITE CAST)

Shiseido (A classic Japanese brand)

Keihls (Another one I’ve heard great things about but is more expensive)

Ren Clean Skincare (Another skincare brand I want to try).

So hopefully this gives you some ideas to try, nonny, and hopefully this helps someone. xD -shrug-

[all-the-love-harold]

Chapter 5 - The End and the Beginning

This is a long and emotional one, so get settled in. A special thanks this time goes to @lovesmelikebrandnewstarlight as always for listening to me and to @harrysofluffy for talking through my ideas and giving me inspiration. Also there’s a tiny bit of smut in this one.  Points to anyone that finds the Harry Potter reference..

Chapter 4 

Master Post 

Inbox 

January 20th, 2015- Byron Bay  Australia

 Poppy hated the Beach. She hated the way the sand stuck to everything, she hated sitting out in the sun for hours and getting burnt, she hated swimming in the water where she couldn’t see exactly what was in it and she hated wearing her bikini in front of people. But it was the middle of January in Australia and the heat was getting to her more than she remembered it used to. H had a few months off in between One Direction tours and she’d convinced him to come home with her because she was desperate for an actual summer, but right now, as she sat on the beach in Byron Bay, she was regretting that decision.

“H, can you put sunscreen on my back” she asked, handing him the bottle of SPF 50+.”

 “Turn around” he said, taking the bottle off her and squeezing it out into his hand. SHe turned around and held her hair up out of the way as he rubbed it over her back, massaging it in, taking it under her bikini straps and right down to her ass.

 “Cheeks too pleasssse” she smiled cheekily at him

 He shook his head at her “Lay on your towel, it’s easier that way”

 Poppy spread her towel out on the ground and laid on her stomach, resting her chin on her arms while he rubbed the sunscreen over her butt cheeks.

 “Done” he said, resting the bottle of sunscreen on her elbow

 “Your turn” she smiled, sitting up and squeezing it onto her hand “Or will Kendall have a problem with that?”

 He giggled “I think she’ll be ok love, I did just lather it into your ass cheeks”

“Would you two get a room please?” Called Poppy’s friend Bella, who she went to high school with. This little trip home as a great chance for her to reconnect with all the people who had been so important to her just a few years ago.

“Shut it Bella!” she called back “you’re just jealous”

“Uhhhh, yeah” Bella said “Obviously”

“I can put sunscreen on your ass too if you want” Harry giggled

Poppy slapped him across the back “You have a girlfriend Styles”

“I don’t actually” he said “and don’t slap me Poopy - it’s abuse”

“Oh fuck off” she laid back down on her towel and Harry spread his out next to hers, mimicking her position, turning his head to that he was looking at her.

“Your friends are pretty lame” he whispered so that only Poppy could hear

“Why do you think I moved to London?”

He let out a loud cackle and they all turned around to look at the two of them.

“Ok” Tilly said, sitting up and moving closer to Poppy and Harry “are you guys seriously telling us you’ve never, in the almost two years you’ve known each other, you’ve never done the horizontal tango?”

“Nope, we’ve never even kissed” Poppy said, sitting up and drawing her legs up to her chest

“We can change that that” Harry winked at her, sitting up too.

“Eww” Tilly said “so you’ve never even seen each other naked?”

“Now, that’s not the question you asked” Harry said

“Ooooh” Bella sat up “do tell Pop! Is it as big as the world thinks it is?”

Poppy looked at Harry and back at Bella and Tilly “Let’s just say that Kendall is a lucky girl”

They both screamed and Harry glared at her

“Thanks love” he half smiled

“Oh don’t pretend you care, you leaked your own nudes”

He furrowed his brow at Poppy and stood up “I’m gonna go for a swim come get me when you’re finished talking about my dick”

“Stylllllesss” Poppy said “sit down. We’re done, we’ll swim soon.”

“Fine” he huffed sitting back down

“I just can’t believe you’ve never done the dirty” Tilly rested her chin in her hands “you both look that that, and you’ve never done it”

“Seems fake to me” Bella said

“Bella, it would be like you and Jack getting down to business”

“Oh ew, ok gotcha”

“So” Tilly said raising her eyebrows “if you’ve never slept with Harry, surely you’ve slept with one of the other members of One Direction, you did go on tour with them”

Poppy and Harry both looked towards each other sharing a knowing glance.

“Nope” Poppy said hoping that Tilly would drop the subject

“I saw that look!” Tilly yelled “you so have”

“I haven’t! I swear on my life”

“Niall has the hots for her though” Harry smirked

“Oooh” Bella said “the Irish one”

Poppy’s cheeks blushed red, and Harry could tell she was uncomfortable talking about this so he quickly started talking before anyone else had the chance to

“Well now that that’s cleared up” He  clapped his hands together “can we go for a swim?”

Poppy stood and threw her hat and phone on top of her bag thankful to not have to talk about Niall anymore. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him, it was quite the opposite actually but since they hadn’t spent that much time alone together she didn’t really know where they stood.

“Yess let’s go” she said

Harry stood too, and hid her phone in in his hat for safety

“Race ya Poopy” and he took off towards the water, with Poppy trailing behind.

 February 6th 2015, Sydney.

 Niall’s lips ran down Poppy’s torso and her hands intertwined in his hair as he reached her centre and she arched her back. They’d been at it for hours, she was sensitive and even the slightest of touches sent shivers down her spine, but she didn’t want to stop yet, it had been too long since she’d had sex like this and she didn’t want it to end.

Niall reached over to the bedside table in search of a condom, pulling them out of their rhythm a little.

“Fuck” he sighed “we’re all out darlin’” he shook the box one last time to make sure there wasn’t one stuck in the bottom and sat up, placing a kiss on Poppy’s forehead.

“Sorry love” he said, taking a deep breath, “I’ll finish ya off in just in minute, need to catch me breath”

Poppy wrapped the sheet around her body and stood up from the bed, making sure her ass was covered.

“Where ya going love?” Niall asked

“Harry will have condoms” she smirked and walked out of Niall’s hotel room before he could protest, holding onto her sheet. Her hair was a mess, her  cheeks were flushed and her legs were still shaking as she made her way to Harry’s room, which was only down the hallway.

She knocked twice, “only me, H” she said quietly. The light flicked on and she  heard his footsteps making their way towards the door. When he opened the door and caught sight of her his eyes widened and a frown appeared on his face.

“Christ love, what happened?” He said sleepily, ushering her inside, away from any prying eyes that could be lurking around.

“Uhhh, Niall happened” she said

“Are you ok?” he asked, filling a glass with water and handing it to her, eyes still half closed and adjusting to the light

Poppy took the glass and had a sip, not realising how thirsty she actually was “I’m fine H”

“What’s going on then?”

“I uh” she stuttered “we um, we ran out of condoms”

He blinked twice “You ran out?”

“Yes. we used the entire box” she said flatly

“The whole thing? All 12 of ‘em”

“Yep”

“Fuck” he sighed before his eyes narrowed “So what are you doing here then?”

“We need more”

“More?” he raised his eyebrow “you’ve used 12 and you need more?”

“Yes” she nodded, suddenly becoming very aware that she was naked under the sheet and pulled it tighter around herself.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Don’t know why it wouldn’t be?” she said

Harry shrugged “Maybe because our world tour starts in less than 24 hours and we kinda need Niall to be alive and not fucked to death”

“He’ll be fine by tomorrow night H”  

“Will you be?”

“I don’t need to be, and christ H, it’s just sex, it’s not like we’re hurting anyone”

He shook his head in disbelief and turned around, and sitting on the bed “Just my ears”

She covered her  mouth, not realising until now that he probably heard most of what they’d just done.

“Sorry H” she put her  hand on his shoulder and he picked up and moved it away

“I know where that’s been Poppy, you don't leave much to the imagination”

Poppy blushed “Oh you heard like…. A lot?”

“Everything” he smiled sarcastically “Every detail”

“Ooooh - even the bit where I called him…..”

“Big Daddy?” he interrupted “Yeah I heard that”  

“Whoops” she said “I didn’t think we were that loud”

“You were”

“Guess I’m not getting any condoms then?” she asked sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him

“Why are you doing this Pop? You didn’t even want to go on the date, and now you’re here, at 2am, asking for more condoms” the concern was evident in his voice, he’d never known her  to do anything like this, as far as he knew, her  sex life was as vanilla as anything, and this sort of thing was out of character for her

Poppy sat down next to him “Harry” she made him look at her “Before tonight, it had been almost a year since I’d had a proper orgasm, I’ve had” she counted on her fingers all the times Niall had made her cum that night “10 tonight . The dude knows what he’s doing”

“I heard” he pulled his lips into a sharp line and stood up, walking towards the bathroom. She stood and followed curiously, standing in the doorway as he searched through his bag of toiletries.

“How many?” he asked

“I don’t know, maybe like three?”

“You think he’s got that much left in him?” he giggled to himself

“I hope so” she lent her head on the doorframe

“10 bucks he’s asleep when you get back” he handed her  three condoms and turned the light off in the bathroom “Not sure they’ll fit big daddy though, you might be disappointed”

“Oh please, we both know you’re bigger”

A smirk spread across his face “You said it, not me”

She shook her head and made her way toward the door “Night Styles, we’ll keep it down, I promise”  

***

Poppy was woken by the alarm at 8 am the next morning, wrapped in Niall’s arms and covered in a film of her own sweat.

“Morning Darlin’” Niall smiled at her when he saw her eyes flutter open “sleep well?”

“Could use another hour” she yawned

“Me too, but breakfast calls”

She sighed and pulled the blankets back, revealing her naked body, covered in marks and bruises from the night before.

“I’m going  back to Harry’s room to shower first” She lent over and kissed his cheek “Need to freshen up”

“There’s a perfectly good shower here, why don’t we hop in there together, save some time?”

She checked the time on her phone, which was almost out of battery, and looked back at Niall

“We’ve got plenty of time before you boys need to be anywhere, and all my stuff is next door”

“Fine” he huffed and watched her get out of bed “you can use the robe that’s hangin’ on the door if you don’t want to get dressed”

“Thanks Ni” she kissed his forehead, wrapped herself in the soft bathrobe and left the room, gently closing the door behind her. The hallway was quiet and she guessed that the other boys were all still asleep, so she quietly tapped on Harry’s door, hoping he would be awake.

“How did Big Daddy go last night?” He smirked when he answered the door.

She stayed silent, walked over to her handbag, which was sitting in the corner, took out her purse and handed Harry a 10 dollar note.

He let out a loud, full body, cackle and reached his arms out to hug her “Awww poor Poopy, only had 10 orgasms last night”

“Fuck off Styles” she huffed and pushed him away “Go buy yourself an ice cream with your winnings”

“Don’t eat ice cream anymore” he said sitting down on the bed

“Bullshit” she said as she rummaged through her bag for clothes that would cover most of her bruises but still be cool enough for the hot weather “I’m having a shower”

“Yeah, good idea” he said, watching as she  walked into the bathroom “wash all the Niall off you”

 Saturday, April 4th 2015, 5am, Dubai

 Harry stirred in his bed as he was awoken by the sound of his phone ringing. He was sure he’d left it on silent before he drifted off last night, but when he saw that it was Poppy’s name lighting up his screen he was glad that he hadn’t because he knew she wouldn’t call at this hour unless she really needed something.

“Hi love” he mumbled “what’s going on?”

“Harrrrrry?” Poppy’s voice echoed loudly in his ear and he could tell that she was drunk just by the sound of her voice

“It’s me love, is everything ok?” He sat up and turned his lamp on, rubbing his eyes as they adjusted to the light

“Nooo, H, I don't really know where I am”

His stomach dropped “Who are you with?”

“No one” she said sounding as if she was about to start crying

“Who were you with?”

“Ali, but she found a boy and now I’m alone and I don’t know where I am”

“Ok” he blinked a few times, trying to think how he could help her from so far away “What’s around you love? What can you see?”

“Ummm, there’s some cars parked and a few bikes, I think I might be near your house”

“Can you see any street signs?”

“Yeppp, there’s one up there” Harry heard her start walking

“What does it say?”

“Duck Lane” she giggled  

He let out a little chuckle “You’re nowhere near my place love, did you go to that cocktail bar?”

“Yeah” she sobbed “I don’t know how to get back there”

“Are there any black cabs around?”

“I can’t afford a cab Harry” she whispered “I need to find the tube”

“Put it on my card, don’t get on the tube by yourself at this time of night love, you still have my spare card don’t you?” He’d given Poppy a card that was attached his account before he’d left for tour, so that if she was ever stuck she could get herself out of whatever mess she was in.

“For emergencies only” she said

“This is an emergency Pop, how else will you get home?”

“I’ll walk” she said, stamping her foot on the ground like a toddler having a tantrum

“It will take you hours, just get in a cab” he said sternly,

“Fine” she huffed “Bye H”

“Thank you, call me back when you get home please”

Poppy hung up her phone and Harry was left sitting in silence in his hotel room, too worried about her  to go back to sleep, so he got up and put the kettle on, thinking that if he couldn't go back to sleep, he might as well have a cup of tea.

Ten minutes passed and he was growing more worried with each passing second, but as he finished the hot drink in his hand, his phone rang again, Poppy’s name lighting up the screen.

“Home then?” He asked, bringing the phone to his ear

“I am home” she said bluntly

“Good” he sighed “Everything else ok?”

She huffed “Nobody's ever going to love me Harry”

His heart broke at the sound of her voice “That’s not true Poppy, anyone would be lucky to have you”

“No you don’t understand, no one is ever going to settle down with me, once they find out they’re going to leave me”

Harry furrowed his brow, “Find out what love? Have I missed something here?”

“No, I’ve never told anyone before, I don’t want you to hate me” she was properly sobbing now and Harry was having trouble deciphering what she was saying

“I could never hate you Poppy, you’re my best friend”

“I love you Harry”

“I love you too lady love” he said “are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

“No” she sobbed “I’m too scared to say it, that makes it real, I don’t want it to be real”

He hated hearing her in so much pain without being able to do anything about it.

“Well for now, Poppy, it doesn’t have to be real, but when you’re ready to say it, I’m all ears” his voice was soft, and soothing, and just hearing him was enough to calm her down a little.

“I need sleep” she moaned

“You certainly do love, get yourself a glass of water and go to bed, I’ll call you later today, before the show, and I’ll be home Monday, we’ll hang out”

“Good night Harry” Poppy  yawned into the mouthpiece

“Good night lady love”

***

Monday, April 6th, 2015, London. 7pm

 Harry had arrived home from the first leg of One Direction’s stadium tour, he was exhausted, but he’d spent the entire day making sure Poppy was ok. After she’d called him the other morning he’d not been able to stop thinking about what she’d been saying, that conversation had left him feeling like she was  keeping something from him and while he respected that it was her right to have her space, this was obviously something that was getting to her and he hated seeing it bother her the way it did the other night.

“Poppy?” he said as he rinsed their dinner plates off and put them in the dishwasher

“Hmm?” she took a sip of her water

“Do you remember the conversation we had the other night, after you made it home?”

Her cheeks flushed a shade of red, knowing exactly what he was referring to and regretting ever having brought it up.

“Vaguely” she said, hoping that he would drop the conversation after that

“What were you talking about?”

She looked up from her glass, “I’ve never said it out loud before H”

He walked around the bench and sat down on the stool next to her.

“Do you want to say it out loud?” he asked, voice soft and full of concern

She shook her head, unable to look him in the eye “But I want you to know”

“Do you want to write it down?” he said, looking around the bench for a piece of paper

“No” she said, tears forming in her eyes “It’s stupid, it doesn’t even really affect me at this point in my life, but it’s all I’ve been thinking about for a few months now” she took a deep breath, turning her head to look at him “I’m going to tell you, but only because I need someone to know and you’re the person I trust most in the world, but this is part of me that is for your eyes only H, you can’t tell anyone and you can’t think of me any differently because of it”

He put his hands over hers “You can let your guard down Poppy, I won't think of you any differently”

“I can’t have babies H” the tears spilled out of her eyes

“Fuck” he sighed “Poppy I’m sorry, I know how much you want that”

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted” she sobbed and his heart broke for her.

He stood and wrapped his arms around her, “How long have you known?”

She buried her head in his chest “I was 14, I got really sick when I was on my period once and ended up in hospital and they found that my uterus is a funny shape, and there’s pretty much two of them, so I can’t carry a baby to term”

Harry remained silent for a minute rubbing her back gently as she cried into his chest “There are other ways love”

Poppy pulled away from his hug and wiped her eyes “I know, this is stupid” she giggled “I’m 21, I don’t want kids yet, but I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it lately, what if no one ever loves me enough to stay once they find out?”

“If someone walks out on you once they know you can't have kids, then they’re not the man you want to father your children anyway, someone will love you no matter what, I promise you Poppy, you’re too lovely to to be lonely” He grabbed a tissue from the box that sat on her bench and handed it to her so that she could wipe her eyes.

“Thanks H, I’m sorry for being so dramatic”

“Poppy Thomas? dramatic?” he chuckled “Never”

 June 13, 2015 , London

 “Lady” Poppy called in a high pitched voice while she searched for her phone under the couch cushions.

The Golden puppy came bounding over with Poppy’s left shoe in her mouth.

“Uh, no” Poppy grabbed the shoe “You can’t just take my shoes, even if you are that cute”

Lady didn’t put up a fight when she took the shoe off her, she simply let go and licked Poppy’s hand, because that was way more tasty than her sweaty old flip flops.

“Alright, should we call Harry, tell him the good news?!” She picked lady up and took her over to the kitchen counter so that she could skype Harry. The dial tone rang a few times and then the screen turned from blue to a pixelated black before Harry’s face appeared.

“What’s up Lady love?” he said, sounding a little distracted.

“I have some news” Poppy said back, making sure that Lady wasn’t in shot yet.

“Go on then” impatience was evident in his voice now  

Poppy lifted lady up, like a scene out of the lion king “Meet Lady”

His jaw dropped. “You got a Puppy?!”

“I was lonely without you coming over every other day, and little miss here was going to be put to sleep”

“You know I’ll be home in a few weeks right?” he questioned. Poppy thought he would have been way more excited about this than he appears to be right now, but she knew he was busy with the tour and the recording of the fifth and final One Direction album  

“Yeah,” she nodded and covered the dogs ears “but they were going to kill her H, plus I figured that a dog will love me unconditionally and no man is ever going to” she said

He rolled his eyes, “I love you Pop, does that not count?”

“No” she shook her head “because you keep leaving me and you don’t love me romantically”

“Well she is adorable” he admitted,keen to change the subject a smile slowly spreading across his face “Can’t believe you’ve replaced me though”

“I could never replace you, but she has taken your spot on the couch”

“See. Replaced” he giggled, changing his mood slightly and there was a crash in the background which made him turn his head away from the camera. “Christ, careful Nailler, you almost knocked the whole stage down”

“Sorry” Poppy heard Niall’s muffled irish accent call as Harry’s face turned back towards the camera “You had sex with that” he said sarcastically

“You set it up” Poppy’s cheeks turned bright red just thinking about the last time she’d seen Niall.

“I will not take responsibility” Harry shook his head.

“You should” she put the puppy down on the ground because she started squirming in her arms

“Nope” he shook his head “anyway, where did you get her?”

“The shelter near work keeps bringing in pamphlets and I saw her and she reminded me so much of my old dog Rosie and I just couldn’t help myself”

“And she’s basically got the same name as you” Harry smiled

“So we’re meant to be”

October 15th, 2015 - London Metropolitan University.

 Three years of stress and anxiety over assignments and grades had finally come to an end, but now Poppy’s whole life was up in the air. The lease on her apartment ended in February and if she didn’t find a job in London before then she’d have to pack up her life once again and move it back home, except that sydney didn’t feel like home anymore and going back there was the last thing Poppy wanted to do. Adorned in her gown and cap she sat down in her allocated seat, next to Alison who had been her rock since the day they both set foot on campus and Ali just had to make friends with the ‘exoctic’ Australian girl with the thick accent.

“Can you believe we’re here?” Ali said, pulling Poppy out of her thoughts.

“No” Poppy shook her head in disbelief “and I can’t believe he’s not here” she stood from her chair and looked around the room, not able to spot Harry’s face anywhere. He was all she had, her family wasn’t able to make it over because her younger sister, Adi, was in the middle of her final High School exams and they couldn’t leave. But Harry promised he would be there, to cheer for her and she knew that he was on tour at the moment,  and his life was ten times crazier than her own, but today she needed him.  

“He’ll show” Ali nodded “and if he doesn’t, I’ll thump him”

“Yeah” Poppy laughed nervously “That will go well, I’m sure”

“I have muscles” she huffed

“If he doesn’t get here soon he’ll cause a scene” Poppy sighed, her face turning red just thinking about it.

“He’s Harry Styles honey, he’s going to cause a scene no matter what” Ali glanced over towards the door where people were slowly filing into the room for the ceremony. “Now turn around.”

Poppy did as she was asked and subtly glanced over in the same direction and to her surprise, there was Harry, in a black hoodie and his signature skinny jeans, hair tied up in a bun and next to him was someone who Poppy knew to be Nick Grimshaw. She knew they were friends, and she’d met nick a few times at parties that Harry had dragged her to, but she certainly wasn't expecting him to show up at her graduation, if anything, she thought Harry might have brought Anne or Gemma along with him, but she figured they had their own things going on today. A smile stretched wide across Poppy’s face as she watched them take their seats and all the nerves disappeared.

“Who’s that with him?” Ali said

“Nick grimshaw, they’re friends, have been since before I met him”

Ali nodded “Didn’t see that coming, but cool”

Before Poppy had a chance to say anything else on the matter, orchestral music began to play through the loudspeakers and the room fell into silence. The butterflies in the pit of Poppy’s stomach appeared again as she watched the Vice Chancellor of the University walk across the stage towards the podium to start his address.

“Welcome” he said with a deeper voice than Poppy expected “to our graduation ceremony for the class of 2015, a class that has worked tirelessly for the last three years,and now sits before you, ready to be the force of change in their chosen industry”

Ali tapped Poppy on the shoulder “The only things any of us  idiots are capable of changing is that light globe over there” she pointed towards a light in the corner of the room that was no longer shining.

“Don’t even think I could do that” Poppy giggled

“I don’t want to bore you this early in the ceremony” the chancellor continued “so I leave you with these words from Ms J.K Rowling ‘We do not need magic to transform our world, we carry everything we need inside ourselves already, we have the power to imagine better.’”

The vice Chancellor left the podium and the room erupted in applause as they watched the next speaker take his place. Poppy turned around in her seat and spotted Harry again, who was looking right at her, she offered a small wave which he quickly returned with a dimpled smile and a thumbs up.

Name after name was called and Poppy and Ali watched as their classmates received their diplomas and a round of applause from their guests. There were at least eighty students in front of her and maybe double that behind but before she knew it Poppy was being ushered out of her seat ready for her name to be called.

“Don’t trip Poppy” she said to herself as the dean of her school read out her name.

“Poppy Thomas - Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Events management- Music and entertainment”

Concentrating on each step she took Poppy made her way across the stage, to shake the Vice chancellors hand and take her degree with her. Harry and Nick had stood up as her name was called and clapped the entire time she was on the stage. It didn’t take long before the room was busy muttering Harry’s name and snapping photos of him but they quickly turned to silence again when Poppy was off stage and Ali’s name was called.

The ceremony dragged on for another hour or so and by the time it ended Poppy felt a great sense of relief to be leaving the hall, not because it was the last time she’d ever be there, but because she’d been there for so long.

“Congratulations Miss Graduate” Harry said to her as she made her way towards him and Nick

“I’m done Harry!” she wrapped her arms around him an buried her head in his chest. “Thanks for coming, I know you’re busy right now”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, I’m proud of you” he kissed her on the forehead and drew away from the hug.

“Thanks H”  she smiled “Hey nick”

“Congrats Pop” he said “Bachelor of events management, you could come and work at radio 1, we have events to manage”

“Is that an offer?” she laughed so that he would think she was joking even if she wasn’t “Because I’ll take it”

“I can talk to Big Boss Ben, see what I can do”

Poppy’s jaw dropped in surprise, but before she could say anything, Ali came running up behind her

“The girls and I are going to the pub Pop, you coming?”

“Only if these two do” Poppy looked at Harry and Nick

Harry checked the time on his phone and nodded “I’ll come for an hour or two, but I’ve got a flight to catch at 8”

December 13th, 2015, X-Factor Studios.

 Two more songs. One more time on stage. This was it for One Direction for the next few years at least, and for Harry,  it was the End of the Beginning.

“I like this new look you’ve got going on H” Poppy said walking into his dressing room and seeing him in a new red floral suit

“Good” he smiled, buttoning the top button of his plain black shirt “You’re going to be seeing a lot more of it”

“Can you believe that this is it?”

“No, but this feels like the right place to end it doesn’t it?”

“Yeah” Poppy nodded “I Open at the Close and all that”

“Exactly” Harry said

“This feels weird” she admitted “You’re going to wake up tomorrow morning and not be Harry Styles from Direction”

“And I’m going to stay at yours so I don’t have to wake up alone as well”

“You can stay at mine whenever you like, you know that”

“Well you better get used to that too, because I’ve got nowhere to be until February”

“Good” she smiled “Well I better go find my seat, I’ll see you after”

“Bye Lady Love” he waved as Poppy walked out of the room.

Emotions were high through the whole arena and sitting in the front row, almost adjacent to the judges, Poppy felt herself welling up before they were even onstage. The lights dimmed signalling the end of the ad break on the live broadcast and Olly Murs, who was hosting the show took to the stage, x factor card in one hand and microphone in the other.

“They have toured around the world and we are very proud to have them here tonight” Olly said and the room filled with deafening screams “Please welcome home, One Direction”

A video rolled on the screen above the stage that detailed the last five years of the boys lives and the tears that had been threatening to fall all night did when an image of Harry from only a few days after they met flashed on the screen. The boys appeared from under the stage and Harry locked eyes with Poppy almost immediately but quickly turned away to compose himself before he had to start singing. As the video came to an end the opening notes of ‘Infinity’ echoed through the room and Niall sang the first few lines. As the song made its way to the chorus the boys moved away from their mics and started dancing around stage, Harry and Niall heading straight for where Poppy was standing, causing everyone around her to scream. She smiled at Harry and avoided eye contact with Niall. It wasn’t that she didn’t like him anymore, she actually really enjoyed the casual arrangement that they had now, but tonight wasn’t the night for it.

This was one of Poppy’s favourite sings off the new album so she found herself lost in the lyrics and before she knew it the song was over and Olly Murs was back on stage, talking to the boys and allowing simon to say a few words. Another video filled with messages of love for the boys was played on the screen and Poppy blushed when she remembered that she was a part of it.

“My boys” the version of Poppy projected through the screen said “I’m so very proud of all of you and you certainly deserve a break just don’t stay away too long, my sister might have a breakdown”

Harry turned around and made eye contact with poppy once again, a big smile spread across his face and he blew her a kiss.

“Alright” Olly said as the video came to an end “For the last time, this is one direction, with their latest single, History”

“You gotta help me” Harry sang, looking straight at Poppy “I’m losing my mind”

Poppy sang the lyrics back at him and she lost herself in the moment, forgetting that they were in a room filled with thousands of people and not in her living room with just the two of them. The song ended and the boys pulled each other into a group hug and Simon and Olly said a few more words and just like that, One Direction was on Hiatus. The TV broadcast went to another ad break and Harry ran over to Poppy, offering her a hand and pulling her up on stage.

“You did it Hairy!” she said hugging him tight.

“Couldn’t have without you Poop”

The rest of the boys ran over and wrapped both Poppy and Harry in a group hug that swayed from side to side for a moment and then broke, leaving Harry’s arm around her shoulder.

“Can I take you home now?” Poppy asked

“No, we’re going out now Lady love”