Skinny Tan Body Glow Everyday Tan

Who doesn't love a golden glow??

I recently went on my first holiday in YEARS and finally got some real sun on my skin. It was lush and I loved having a bit of a natural glow, but as we all know this never lasts long when you get back to the grey skies of the UK.

Since I've been back I didn't want to use a full on fake tan product as I didn't need it and well, let's be honest it is now October and looking super tanned might be a bit odd for someone in Wales!

So I've been testing out the Body Glow Everyday Tan from Skinny Tan to see what it was like.

Skinny Tan Express Mousse 1 Hour Tan Review

Hey All

We're big fans of Fake Tan, we're both super pale so love to wear fake tan as it makes us feel better. We always searching for the next great tan, the one that look natural, fades well and doesn't smell of biscuit and for me now it has to be Cruelty Free. 

Naked: Fake It*

Hi there!

I've had a whirlwind of a Sunday today with a quick trip to Swindon's McArthur Glen Designer Outlet with my mum, 2 aunties, 1 cousin and my nan, a proper Mother's Day out shopping!

I've actually had a nap on the way home because it was that exhausting, leaving at 9am almost killed me off and shopping til we drop is certainly a motto in my family!

For the last few weeks I've been testing out the Naked: Fake It range.

The Naked: Fake It Glow It Up Self Tan Lotion* is silicone free and contains a 100% natural self tanning agent. It's enriched with cocoa and shea butter and contains so many wonderful smells that the elusive biscuit smell from normal tans is a thing of the past (I'm talking pink grapefruit, zesty bergamot, orchid, amber AND vanilla extracts).

You apply this like a normal tan; apply to clean skin and wait 10/15 mins to dry thoroughly and it will develop over the next four hours.

You can see my arm below after 1 application:






There isn't a huge colour change but I can tel you that my skin looked a lot healthier and I definitely had a 'glow'. The lotion is white in colour which did initially worry me as it can be hard to make sure it's all rubbed in properly but I didn't have any streaks at all.

The moisturising properties of this self tan lotion left my skin feeling more hydrated than any other tan I've ever used and feels more like a tanning moisturiser like Dove or Johnsons but with less of a biscuity smell. I honestly didn't detect any whiff of that tan smell which is very refreshing.

As usual with Naked products this is produced with naturally derived ingredients and no sulphates, parabens or petrochemicals which is something that me and M are both big fans of.

The Naked Fake It range just wouldn't be the same without the Dust Me Mineral Shimmer Powder*:

It's a really sturdy little pot with a twist mechanism to allow product to be used. This ensures it isn't going to go everywhere (I have white bedding and hate it when things like this explode!) I've dabbed this straight onto my cheekbones and dusted it onto my collar bones and decolletage for an extra bit of shimmer.

The photos below show the product swiped onto my hand with and without flash:

The photos below show it blended in with and without flash:

This is a gorgeous gold toned shimmer powder that will be lovely to use on holiday, and if you've got yourself a gorgeous deep tan also on a Saturday night.
My hand doesn't really do it justice as unfortunately tan never sticks as I'm constantly washing my hands in the lab, but it's so finely milled that a little goes a long way and it definitely doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball. It's also fragrance free which is a huge positive for me as I can't stand those 'powdered' fragrances.

You can pick up the Self Tan Lotion for £9.99 and the Mineral Shimmer Powder for £6.99....or if you're super savvy they come in a Gotta Glow Gift set priced at £14 for the two together which is even better!

What do you think of the Naked range? Do you think it's a great idea they've branched out into self tan?
Will you trying these products out?

I think at £9.99 for the self tan it's a really good price for how moisturising it is on your skin, and no fake tan smell!


L xxx

Cocoa Brown Tan One Hour Tan

Morning All

L and I are probably very hungover!! We were out last night to celebrate her birthday! One thing that is essential for our nights is a good tan! We are both naturally pale so tanning for a night out usually begins a week prior with prepping the skin and getting a base colour from Dove!

We are always after the next amazing tan (I think the hunt is the same as foundation. You always think there is better!), the one to give you an amazing colour, no streaks, develops in one coat, no smell and fades easily. It's a lot to ask for in a tan.

After both hearing loads of amazing things about Cocoa Brown we decided we had to get our hands on it so headed to Primark where I'm sure it was £6. The price does seem to vary a bit in different shops.

Cocoa Brown tan is a mousse formula so it's easy to apply to the skin without streaking and dries quickly so you don't have to wait around feeling sticky!

It's also paraben free which is a big thing for L and I.

It does claim to have a Tahitian Gardinia Scent and when applied it smells fresh on the skin and not like fake tan. As it develops though and is washed off I do notice a slight fake tan smell. Not as bad as some but it is definitely there.

One thing that got our attention was the fact it is a 1 hour tan. Anything that can give a glow after an hour sounds amazing to me. In the pictures below you can see the tan line from where I've applied it. The colour here is after an hour. The first photo is without flash (this doesn't show the difference very well!) the second with. After an hour a soft glow is there. For me I found it isn't enough of a colour for my preference so I prefer to apply the tan the night before or first thing in the morning.

Once developed fully it gives a gorgeous brown colour. Not at all orange. One of my favourite things about the tan is how well it fades. It fades without patchiness on me and doesn't leave marks behind. It just seems to naturally disappear!

I do really like the colour this gives on my skin but I do find it needs longer to develop. It does give a colour after an hour but if I needed a tan that instantly I would prefer to use instant. It gives a great colour that fades naturally and is a great price!

Have you tried Cocoa Brown?

Love M

xxx

Hi all!

As M has mentioned already....I'm probably an absolute state as you read this! It's my birthday on Wednesday and we're going out for a *few* cocktails. Not only that but were planning on an early morning run too (9am) as we're in training and that doesn't stop for anything!

We definitely are both massive fans of the tan but being so pale we do need one that really works. I've applied many famous tans previously and found they did absolutely nothing for my skin whatsoever. Cheap ones can go green and lets not even go there with the streaks. It is an endless hunt for the perfect tan!

Using Cocoa Brown for the last couple of weeks I've been quite impressed. I'm a fan of the mousse application and the pink bottle is so pretty on my desk and makes me think of summer, ideal when you're trying to be bronzed!

I found application quite easy due to the brown colour of the product and the smell was nice and floral without being overwhelming. I always use a mitt to apply my tan and this mousse went on quite easily though there were a few patches where I missed as the tan didn't go as far as I thought it would. This did mean I used more but hey, it's £6 a bottle I'm sure I can cope.

I liked the fact it was coloured as it meant I already had a 'glow' after application. 1 hour after application I was definitely slightly darker in skin tone but it most definitely continued to deepen over time and for me I don't think 1 hour would have been enough.

By the time I woke up the next day I had a nice, relatively even tan and would definitely buy this again as it was easy to use and works well. I'd need to leave it longer than 1 hour and definitely would reapply for a weekend like this weekend. I just need to have a personal tanner at all times!

One of the best things about this tan was how easily it faded. I'm not one to constantly scrub and moiturise AFTER the tan has been applied so normally end up with some lovely scaly patches if I'm not reapplying for the next weekend. But this one surprised me as it wore off throughout the week really well and i didn't look scaly at all! Hands down the best tanning product for the wearing off stage that I have EVER tried.


Have you tried Cocoa Brown 1 hour tan? What did you think of the colour?


L xxx

Lauren's Way Glam Tan Darker than Dark. *

Hey All

Hope you've had great weekends! Mine has been one of mixed emotions. L and I met up with a friend and went out to watch the rugby yesterday. With both of us being rugby fans and myself being English and L being Welsh we knew it was going to be an interesting match!! A very happy result for me with England beating Wales and us winning the triple crown. Now if France could beat Ireland next weekend so we can win I'd be happy! On the downside my brother was in a pretty bad accident when doing jumps on his bike the hills near us back home and has currently spent the last 3 days in and out of hospital dosed up on morphine! It times like these I hate that I've moved away from home!

Anyway on to happier stuff. With the lush weather we've been having this weekend I've been layering on the tan. I feel so much better with a tan. I feel like I look healthier (A lovely work colleague this week told me I looked like death on a day I'd decided not to wear make up to work!), thinner and just a bit better with a tan.

I was lucky enough to go to the Lauren's way launch a few weeks back. After trying the Darker than Dark lotion first probably over 18 months ago I was excited to try the glam tan version as I had loved the first so much.

The event was amazing and I mentioned it a bit more here.

Glam tan is a formula that was available in the other shades but darker than dark is a new release. Glam tan is like a spray tan. It has a spray nozzle and the tan itself is a very thin liquid. I'm someone who normally prefers lotions to mouse so I was excited to try a liquid,

Even though I'm pale I do still like to use darker than dark as I find with light tans it takes ages to build the colour up and to be honest I'm a little lazy. There is always the worry that you'll go orange but with this tan I didn't! (with the exception of my hands but that's my fault as after forgetting to tan them I thought it would be a great idea to do it after drinking a bottle of wine and was a bit too liberal with the tan! Thanks L for the photographic evidence of it!! She was gutted England were winning!)

Due to the fact Glam Tan is a liquid it can be used on the face and body. I find sometimes tan will either accentuate my pores of block them. With this on it doesn't seem to be the case and my face matches by body without being spotty as a result.

To apply Glam Tan you spray it onto the mitt first, then rub in, in circular motions. As it's a thin liquid it dries really quickly. I was also impressed that it didn't rub off from wearing a bra leaving marks. It was also streak free.

Pre tan

After Developed

Once Washed off (I do think the sun was a bit bright for this photo as I'd say it's darker in real life!)

Although this photo was taken pre wash off I think it's more true to the colour I am now!

It also fades really well without leaving patches. I am someone who uses a shower puff and I definitely think if you apply fake tan this is good as it helps keep the tan from fading off patchy.

I'm really loving glam tan. For me I prefer the formula to the lotion as it's thinner it's easier to apply and sinks in quicker. As for smell. It doesn't have that biscuit scent at all which noone ever wants with fake tan. As it develops it does get a slight smell but once washed off it's gone again.

I'm already converted. My plan is now I've started is to top up every three days so I stay tanned! I much prefer being brown.

Glam Tan is £19.95 for 250mls and can be bought from Lauren's Way or Superdrug. If your local store doesn't stock it you can have it sent to store and save on delivery costs!

Have you tried Lauren's Way? Would darker than dark put you off if you were pale?

Love M

xxx

Life Lately!

Morning!

I came on here with the intention of sharing with you a mascara I've been loving lately but my head just isn't feeling like wanting to write it and I feel more like a life post!

Is it me or is this year speeding by! It's started well for me and I hope it just keeps getting better. A week ago I was lucky to be invited to an event in London for the launch of a new Lauren's way tan. We got to meet the Lauren who couldn't be nicer or more friendly. We were totally spoiled with cocktails, cakes and goodie bags and it was such a good night. I will be sharing the tan with you guys soon. I'm already a huge fan of the darker than dark lotion.

Last Wednesday I was tired and bored and decided to be impulsive and get another piercing (the 4th since last July!). It's becoming addictive. I finally got my nose pierced after wanting it for ages. I thought I'd hate the big bar but I actually quite like it and I'm in no hurry to change it now. It wasn't painful but did make my eyes water!

Lots of coffee and catching up with friends has been happening which I love doing. It's great to gossip over starbucks! I'm such an addict. Hello gold membership and free shots and syrups.

I'm also totally hooked on a new series! Game of Thrones has literally taken over since I started watching the TV series with a friend last Monday. In just over a week I'm 300 pages into the 1st book and 3 episodes down. For me I find it really slow to read but it's really good. I think it was much easier to watch a few episodes then read the book!

I've been absolutely loving playing with my Naked 3 palette that I couldn't resist treating myself too. It's got such gorgeous colours and is so wearable. I also can't believe how long lasting it is. This photo was after it had been on for 18 hours!

I've enjoyed playing around with make up lately and trying new looks even if it's not wearable! Sometimes it's fun to just pile it on.

On Friday I went out with my lovely housemates for drinks and to watch the rugby! I love watching rugby and it was such a great atmosphere in Cardiff. It was a great weekend for rugby especially with England winning too!

I keep day dreaming in work at moment. I'm lucky I work at the top of a hill and have the most amazing views across Cardiff! I can see right across the city centre and the landmarks. On a nice day it's so distracting to just stare out of some of the lab windows!

The most amazing dessert place from Red Hot Buffet! I love red hot buffet for when I want to pig out!

I finished off that evening with Mia wine! It had mine now on and was sparkling so would be rude not too!

It seems I've also finally got my fitness motivation back which is well overdue. I've been riding, kickboxing, pump classes, pilates, running, weights, HIIT and punch bag training. In 3 days I've done about 5 hours. If I can move in the morning I'll be surprised haha. 6 months till tough mudder!

That's my past week and a bit! I hope you've all had good weeks. Here's to the next one being better. L is coming round tomorrow and I'm cooking. Can't wait for a girly gossip!

Love M

xxx

Spring Series: Tanning!

We're back with our last but one installment in our Spring Series.

We've already covered fitness, hands, feet, facal skincare and body care.

This weeks topic is tanning, and I will be referring back to Pinterest for the obligatory pictures of tanned and toned bodies.

 

So that's enough to get me laying off the pizza for a few hours...

As we all know tanning can help to make your skin appear more uniform, hide scars and make you look more toned and slimmer. As far as I'm concerned this is a pretty damn good thing so I try and do this every time I go out (which sadly is getting a more rare occasion!).

To do this I normally have been keeping up with my scrub and moisturise routine so my skin is in good condition.

Then I start with a few days tanning 'prep' by using Dove tanning moisturiser.

I find that I'm so pale I need a few layers of this to get my skin to a relatively normal colour.

After this when my skin is super moisturised and a few shades darker than it was before, my first choice for application would be Vita Liberata's Extra Rich Silken Chocolate lotion which I have previously posted about.

I just haven't found anything else like it that is so easy to apply, gives a great even colour and fades more evenly than anything else also. It's a lotion in a pump that seems to last such a long time before you need to buy another, I'm a huge fan!

Having said that, if you're looking for a mousse option I am a fan of St Tropez's mousse which is great for your weekend tan as well. It's easy to rub in and control how much you're applying for an even colour.

If you're looking for a spray option then I recommend Garnier's Ambre Solaire which is also a great budget buy and always on offer. It dries pretty quickly but I do recommend covering your flooring before hand, don't cover your blue carpet and make it a brown colour like I did.....

I like to make sure my tan is done before the day it needs to be done so I can apply some sort of shimmery stuff but this isn't always possible and i find they don't mix together too well!

So as for wash off tans, I absolutely love Rimmel's Sun Shimmer Instant Tan range. There's everything you want from a mousse to a lotion for some instant even colour. 

After this I do like to apply some shimmer to the middles of my limbs and collar bones.

Mixing High Beam with your facial moisturiser can be really good to apply to your collarbones and chest area.

I find a spray such as Soap and Glory's Easy Glistening super easy to use as you can just hold it a fair distance away for a sheen and closer for a heavier coating. It's made from almond oil so its more of a dry oil and gives a subtle sheen which I prefer to an all over glitter look!

What are your favourite tanning products?? Do you prefer mousse or lotions or sprays?

L xxx

I'm naturally very pale, if I'm not the palest shade in a foundation it's a surprise. Being naturally blonde I have very freckly skin too so during the summer I get a little tan if I sunbathe but my skin doesn't tan particularly well (50 degree sun in Ibiza and I still came back with white legs despite using factor 8 on them, it's like they repel the sun).

I love fake tan. I've mentioned before I'm naturally very pear shaped, hello huge bum, this does mean I have cellulite towards the top of my thighs which never looks great with a dress. I always tan for a night out as it does help improve the appearance, and I prefer the way I look with a tan.

I'm like L and start with a good exfoliation (favouring Next Spa scrub or a Soap and Glory one) followed by  lots of moisturiser and shaving 24 hours prior to tanning.

My tastes in tan has changed over the past 18 months. It started with me absolutely loving Fake Bake Mouse. It gave an even colour, was a reasonable price and was easy to apply.

After trying a sample set of St Tropez lotion I was totally converted to lotions. I find they are so much easier and I think they last longer so are therefore better for value. I loved St Tropez but as I'm so pale I was finding I needed to apply it for 2 or 3 days in a row to get a good colour pay off from it after washing off. The other thing with St Tropez was that it has the typical fake tan smell. Which results in my Other Half complaining I stink.

After much deliberation I decided to try Lauren's Way. Something about celebrity endorsed products always puts me off and makes me doubt how good they are. This product received so many rave reviews I wondered if it could be that good. Plus lets face it Lauren has sported more than one bad orange tan and no one wants that look. I ordered the darker than dark lotion.

Firstly if you are pale don't be worried about darker than dark. It gives a gorgeous natural glow, it's green tinged before being washed off which does help it not turn orange. Another bonus it doesn't smell typical fake tan straight away. I find when it's developed it does have a slight smell but nothing as bad.

Overall I love this tan. It's even colour, gives a great colour pay off after one application, smells better than others and is cheaper than St Tropez.

My favourite tan at the moment is Glo Tan Tan in a Can. Since receiving this product it has now been released for public sale and the packaging looks a lot better. Much more sleek.

I'm so glad we were lucky enough to try this (original review here), I've been totally converted. My can has now done three full body applications and still has around half left. It gives the most natural result (once you've mastered application which I had by the second attempt). Due to being a spray it gives a light coating all over the skin so no streaks are left. I tend to use a clean mitt and slightly buff it in. I do still think it's harder to apply than other tans but for me I wouldn't use any others now.

I favour Glo Tan over others still because with this I can tan on a Friday night and wake up on Saturday with a good colour. Other tans require two coats on my pale skin. It also really doesn't smell. I find other tans that claim not to smell do after they've developed. Literally can't say enough positive things about this tan. It is slightly more expensive at £26. But it does last a long time.

In 18 months I've gone from mouse to liquid to spray. What's your favourite tan? Will you pay more for a better product?

Love M

xxx