Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse Review + Before & After Photo

As you can tell from yesterday's post, I'm a fake tan kinda girl. Gone are the days of orange-looking, biscuit-smelling fake tans; you can now buy fake tan that looks so genuine nobody would question that 'sunkissed olive' isn't your natural colour. The latest one I've tried is the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse.

Despite hearing lots of good things about the brand, this is the first thing I've tested out from the Cocoa Brown range. The 1 hour Tan Mousse claims to provide a golden tan in just one hour.

The mousse foam is slightly tinted so you can see where you've applied the tan. I found this easiest to apply with a tanning mitt which Cocoa Brown also make. I tested this out on my legs at first leaving the tan on for one hour before rinsing off. The result was a very subtle but still noticeable. I prefer my tan a little darker so a few days later I tried again this time leaving it on for 3 hours for a deeper colour. The result was a lot darker yet still very natural looking. You can build up the colour by applying more tan before rinsing off. As you can see from the before and after photo's above it doesn't look orange or fake at all. Also, this doesn't have that horrible fake tan scent - yay! The colour continues to develop once washed off and lasts around 5 days.

I'm really happy with the results of this. I'll be putting my trusty Xen Tan Mist Intense on the back burner for now as this is just as good and a fraction of the price. I'd recommend this for fake tan newbies as it's super easy to apply and natural looking.

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan Mousse* �7.99 available from Boots, Superdrug, Feel Unique and Primark. 

Read More

7 Tips To Help Prolong Fake Tan

My fake tan game goes up a notch in the summer. I stop just tanning the body parts that are going to be on show and go for a full body tan. I've tried a lot of different self tanners and have had enough cringey experiences to be able to share with you some tips. Here are a few ways you can prolong your fake tan.

- Apply your tan using a mitt as it will help to buff the tan into your skin for a deeper colour. Use small circular motions.
- The morning after tanning take a shower to remove excess and even out the colour.
- Avoid harsh shower gels that dry the skin out and strip away your tan.
- Take lukewarm showers as hot water will cause your tan to fade faster.
- The day after fake tanning apply a moisturiser paying attention to dry areas such as elbows. This will help seal in the colour. Do this step daily.
- Use an exfoliator specially designed for using with fake tan. This will allow the tan for fade evenly without it going streaky.
- Your face tends to lose colour quicker than your body so keep a bronzer on hand and use a gradual tanner on your face to keep it topped up.

Are you pro-fake tan like me? Share your tan tips below!

Read More

Naked Fake It Gotta Glow Gift Set

Finally, a natural option to fake tanning! The Naked 'Fake It Gotta Glow' gift comes with a silicone free Glow It Up Self Tan Lotion and a 100% natural Dust Me Mineral Shimmer Powder. This is perfect if like me, you aren't jetting off anywhere sunny soon but still want that golden glow all year round.

The Glow It Up self tan lotion is enriched with Shea and Cocoa butter to help hydrate skin and leave it feeling super soft. There's no chance of that funky fake tan smell with this as the lotion has a fresh pink grapefruit, zesty bergamot, amber and vanilla extract scent (YUM). The fragrance-free Dust Me Mineral Shimmer Powder is ideal for a quick tan fix.

The Naked Fake It Gotta Glow gift set retails for �14.00 from the Naked website here or online here. 

Coming up tomorrow: Orla Kiely Gift Set 

Read More

Xen-Tan Mist Intense Dark Review

That first day on the beach can be very daunting, baring all with pasty skin can make you wish you booked that skiing holiday in the Alps. Thank god for fake tan. I've discovered Xen-Tan through beauty blogs and i'm so glad i did!  I've been using the Xen Tan Mist Intense prior to my holiday to Corfu this week. It claims to be a weekly self tan, i'll let you know how i get on.

The product comes in a handy spray bottle. The colour is instant so it's easy to see where you have/haven't applied the fake tan. It has a lovely vanilla scent like the rest of the Xen-Tan range, however this doesn't last long on the skin which is a shame. My favourite thing about Xen-Tan which makes it different to other fake tans is that it creates a nice deep olive colour with no orange under tones. I use a mitt to apply this, bought a simple one from the 99p store which does the job. I'm really pleased with how natural the colour looks, it will definitely help boost my beach body confidence! I forgot to take a before and after picture but i'll get one on holiday. I really recommend Xen-Tan, possibly my favourite brand for fake tan!

Xen-Tan Mist Intense Dark retails for �21.95 but is �17.99 on the Feelunique Site!

Are you going away on holiday this year? What are your beach beauty essentials?
UPDATE: I'm back from my holiday now and i can safely say applying this before i had to strip down to a bikini definitely gave me more confidence. This claims to be a weekly tan but i'd say on me it lasted around 4 days. I did also find with this the morning after you had to wash of the top layer to reveal a more natural looking tan. Overall, very impression with this & will continue to use it to keep my tan on longer! 

*item won in giveaway

Read More

what's inside my bathroom cupboard?

It's never normally this tidy,there's usually toothpaste splatters and fake tan stains.But i was cleaning it out today & thought it would be a good opportunity to blog about it (always thinking ahead!) I'm always changing what products i keep in the cupboards because i sometimes go off products or get new ones or just run out.

Some of my bathroom essentials include Vaseline, Sudocreme, Acetone and a flannel - I cannot function without these things in my life.

As you can see from the top picture there are two cupboards. One is filled with fake tan & the other is skincare. I don't use a lot of fake tan but if i'm looking a bit pasty I like to use it on my face. The tanning mitt was from the 99p shop and works wonders!

Skincare is important to me. I think before you go splurging on make up you need to invest in a skincare routine that works well for you. Because i try out a lot of different products my skin can sometimes get quite irritated -  Av�ne products are great for sensitive skin, I use something from Av�ne at least once a week. At the minute i'm trying out the range from Proactiv (skincare brand with Katy Perry in the adverts) I'll be sure to let you guys know how i get on. If i want a quick fix i'll use the Superdrug Essential Cleanser to remove make up - only costs 99p and does the job nicely!

I try to use a face mask once a week. The Dr. Organic olive oil one from Holland and Barrett pictured above is my fav.

I'm really into perfume. I like to have a different scent for different stages in my life. Moschino Funny was a present from my Dad & reminds me of school, Versace Red Jeans reminds me of my mum & Emporio Armarni Diamonds reminds me of my current job. And who doesn't want to smell nice?

So, that was a little sneak peak into my bathroom cupboard. I'm so nosey so i tag you all to do this post! Please do let me know if you wanted to know my thoughts on a specific product.

Pssst Hello new (& old!) readers, please leave a comment below so i can check out your blog too! Enjoying the easter holidays so far? 

Read More

fake tan

Woah there, fake tan doesn't have to look fake. You can look naturally tanned without looking too 'essex'. I don't wear fake tan all the time, but I feel better with darker skin! England isn't the sunniest country & it's much healthier then a real tan.

Fake tan swatches same order as products below 

(that's my leg, encase you were wondering!)

Fake Tan Disasters...

One of my favourite things about blogging is sharing my beauty related experiences with you. My first encounter with fake tan was at the age of 11. Sounds really young but i've always been interested in cosmetics! Sneaking a bottle of mum's fake tan from the bathroom, I applied it on to my face wondering why my skin wasn't getting any darker. Several attempts later i gave up and put the bottle back. 

Monday morning i woke up only to find out the fake tan had developed and my face resembled the shade of a carrot. I went to school that day and denied any fake tan rumours  & tried my best to hide my orange stained hands. Ok, so it wasn't as bad as Ross's spray tan experience in Friends - But it was highy embarrassing & I stayed well away from fake tan for years after. 

A few of my favourites....

All i want from a fake tan is for it to look natural and to smell nice. These little beauties do just that. *LINKS*

Tanatomicals

Palmers

MakeBelieve

Xen Tan 

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Have a lovely week!

So do you prefer you tans porcelain or are you a fake tan fan? 

Read More

pale or tanned?

Now the weather is very  VERY slowly starting to warm up, we can no longer hide behind our jumpers and tights. The stress of having a perfectly toned and tanned body is starting to set in.This summer I am debating, Too tan or not too tan? 

This picture of me was taken last week (sorry about the pose!), When I first saw this photo I instantly cringed at the natural colour of my legs and headed for my bathroom to fetch some fake tan. 

But it got me thinking, should I Embrace my pale skin? After all it's so much effort fake tanning! On average we spend 680 hours of our lives fake tanning - July Cosmo Uk. However There are some good things about fake tan, it's a lot healthier than a real tan & they can also moisturise the skin. So if you do like the bronzed look opt for fake tans that contain SPF. 

Au natural 

JLo's glow...

 

Is pale the new tan?

Read More

beauty tip

Read More