Beauty Review: St Tropez Wash Off Instant Glow Mousse

Last summer I reviewed St Tropez's Wash Off Instant Body Lotion. I've been using the lotion a lot on my legs this summer as they never seem to take on any colour and I nearly always end up with streaks when I fake tan - nothing to do with the tan itself but my application of it. But the lotion is quite thick and not only takes a while to rub in properly but also feels quite heavy on my legs for the rest of the day. This is fine my legs when I'm wearing a skirt but for my arms and decolletage, it is a little less appealing. So I decided to try St Tropez's Wash Off Instant Glow Mousse. And let's just say, I'm bought!

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Beauty Review: Dior Addict Lipstick

I'm sure you've seen the adverts starring Kate Moss for the new Dior Addict Lipsticks? Honestly, Kate Moss could probably sell me anything she advertised - I was a huge Rimmel fan during her time there. But now she is encouraging me to try something a little more luxurious and I'm happy to be easily led by the supermodel.

When I was passing through John Lewis one evening after work last week, I stopped to take a look at the Dior stand and before I knew it, I was in the make-up chair and having my face made up. I usually end up going home from a make-up trial session and removing every last drop of make-up from my face. I usually find that they have piled the make-up on and I look like one of those brides who walks down the aisle on her wedding day looking like the drag version of herself!! But not today. Not one bit. I loved the look I was given.

The minute my make-up man put the Dior Addict lipstick in Diorkiss (the shade that Moss wears in the advertising campaign) on I loved it. L-o-v-e-d. It is a wonderfully pigmented sheer lipstick and for the first time, I didn't hate a bright colour on me. Result. The consistency of the lipstick is a little like a lip gloss which means that it goes on easily but doesn't last for hours. But that only means you'll have to get out your beautifully packaged Dior lipstick to reapply!

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(A rave) Beauty Review: inside my bathroom cabinet

This week, I'll confess, I had thought I'd written and scheduled a beauty review post and so this morning I got up, dyed my hair, did my chores and headed out into the sunshine to the library. And then I came home and logged on and realised... there was no lovely new post this morning. So apologies to anyone who came here earlier looking for some beauty review action. Here it is. Better late than never and better still, it is about more than just one great beauty secret this week:

I am a hoarder of all things beauty (as well as being an advertisers dream and buying into every new beauty trend!). So today, I thought I'd share with you my absolute favourites from all of the many products I have collected over the years and the ones that have turned out to be keepers:


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How to... fake tan

How to avoid fake tan hands!

I am a wuss when it comes to fake tanning. You should know this already, if you saw my Beauty Review at the weekend of Boots' Soltan Self Tan Body Lotion. But if not, I'll tell you a story and then you really will understand! (If you read the Beauty Review already, you can skip this part!!) Boots recently – I say recently, it was at least a month ago now – sent me their Soltan Self Tan Body Lotion to try out and it has stayed on my dressing table ever since – taunting me as I complain about my white white legs each morning. So I eventually decided it was time to suck it up and try out the tan. What was the worst that could happen? If I ended up with streaky legs, I’d just have to wear trousers for the next week. I’d get over it. I mean, you didn’t think I’d actually get up the guts to self tan my whole body?! Well, you can find out what happened by reading the Beauty Review. This isn't it. This is a "How to".

Of course, being the internet geek that I am, I turned to google for the top tips when fake tanning and here, I present my recommended reading:

• Marie Claire’s 10 of the Best Fake Tan Tips;
• Boots’ How to Fake Tan Like a Pro;
• The Daily Mail’s Fake Tan Commandments;
• Looking Fab at Any Age’s A Professional’s Guide to using Fake Tan at Home;
• Handbag.com’s The fake tan commandments;
• Top Tips for Faking It by Really Ree, over at her fabulous new blog for Hello! Magazine.

And now for what I have learned over the years:

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BEAUTY REVIEW: Boots Beautiful Bronze Soltan Self Tan Lotion

When I was asked to trial Soltan's Beautiful Bronze Self Tan Body Lotion I couldn't wait. And then I did. I waited then six weeks. Because I suddenly remembered that as much as I like to have a tan, I don't actually like fake tanning - I don't like the stress of worrying over whether it will look alright or whether I'll be left with streaks or white patches, as have been the results of many a fake tan experiment when I was a student. So the bottle sat on my dressing table. Taunting me. Then last night, I decided to take the plunge and try it. After all, the forecast said rain for the next few days, so if it went wrong, I could hide under my skinny jeans. My arms tend to a take a little colour in the sun anyway, so it is really only my legs that remain an offensive whiter than white colour this time of year. So I tried the tan on them:

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BEAUTY REVIEW: Boots No 7 Summer Collection

Last week, I told you about Boots' 17 Summer Collection, this week, I have the fabulously glamorous Boots' No 7 Summer Collection to tell you about:

If hot pink polish and lipgloss isn't your thing, don't fear. The No 7 limited collection is glossy and glittery and grown-up. The collection consists of a matt three-toned bronzer, with a convenient mirror in the top:

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BEAUTY REVIEW: Boots 17 Miami Pop Summer Collection

Those lovely people at Boots obviously realised that my bank balance needed a break from all of the spending I keep doing and offered to send me some samples to try out - to which I said, yes please! Naturally.

So, I was pleased to receive the Boots 17 Miami Pop Summer Collection in the post last week. The packaging cute and candy coloured - just what you want to fill your make-up bag with in the summer, no?

The collection includes a shimmer bronzer - which will look perfect swept on with a large powder brush for summer evenings - and a hot pink lipgloss - which will brighten up any make-up look. In addition, there are two limited edition nail polish colours - Palm Beach, a hot pink colour, and Down Town, a bright orange  - I'd suggest painting one colour on your toe nails and another on your finger nails!

Boots 17 are also currently offering a 17 Nail Bar in a Bag free with any two purchases from the 17 collection:

Have you tried any of these products? What summer make-up do you use? Does the make-up you use change between summer and winter?

PS. I stumbled upon this post which suggests How to Wear Bronzer (and How to Avoid Mistakes).

Beauty Review: Boots 17 Waterproof Mascara

So when I got up last Sunday morning I wasn’t exactly planning on giving the Boots' 17 Waterproof mascara such a vigorous trial. I had in mind a day by the pool to see if it gave me panda eyes after a brief dip. But instead I found myself on a high-speed boat in the sea off Ibiza being thrown around and then thrown – quite literally – into the sea. And you know what? Not a panda eye in sight!


Do you wear waterproof mascara for water activities? Or go mascara-free? Or just hope for the best?!

Beauty Review: Nair Silky Sensations hair removal cream

With less than a week until I jet off to Ibiza with my girlfriends - to celebrate my birthday and my friend's birthday - I have given up the rather ambitious dream of a washboard stomach but thanks to the lovely people at Nair, I will be hair-free when I put my bikini on next week.

When getting beach ready: do you wax? Shave? Or use removal cream? Shaving is a pain. Waxing is a drain on my purse - and pretty painful too. Removal cream is cheap and pain-free. What's not to love? Really?


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Beauty review: Quickies Nail Polish remover wipes

Bottles of nail polish remover are without a doubt the best way in which to take off that five day old chipped manicure. But when on holiday, another bottle of liquids is just not going to make it into my already over stuffed toiletries bag, so instead I like to take nail polish remover pads. I've tried a fair few in my time too. Recently I tried Boots Conditioning Nail Polish Remover Pads. Cheap they might be, but effective they most certainly are not. It took me two pads to remove the polish from one nail! So move over Boots' Pads and make way for Quickies Nail Polish Remover Pads. These are a little more expensive and the box is slightly bigger but it took me just two pads to remove the polish from both hands! Now that's some hard working pads! And they'll last more than one manicure.

Which brand would you recommend for removing my weekly mani?

New Beauty Alert: b.right Radiant Skincare by Benefit!

Just come across a fabulous new skincare range by Benefit whilst out shopping for a friend's birthday present. Have you ever noticed how no one you know has a birthday for ages and then there are four in one month? Seriously! All I seem to have done recently is shop for other people and there is something wrong with that, in my opinion!! 

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BEAUTY REVIEW: Spring Make-Up

we heart it

Springtime has finally sprung here in the northern hemisphere and as we all begin to allow ourselves to dream of sunny days and picnics in the park and bare legs and sandals and long, light evenings and BBQs and, oh well, I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture! My favourite thing about the onset of sunnier and warmier weather is that I can at last do away with the heavy make-up of winter and choose a lighter camoflague. Here are some of my top Spring make-up products that will see you right through the summer too:


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Friend Friday #30: Beauty Products



Source

 I admit it, I am so excited to read everyone else's responses to this week's Friend Friday topic. Aside from fashion, I am addicted to buying the latest make-up or beauty product. During a recent rummage in the cupboard in our bathroom I discovered three - yes, THREE - unopened bottles of fake tan! Now, that seems a little excessive. I have therefore made a pact with myself not to buy any new beauty products until I have used up all of the ones I already have (obviously, I can buy shampoo if I have used up all of my shampoos but still have five bottles of body lotion in the cupboard!!). So, you'd think that with all of this buying, I might know a thing or two about beauty products but I still feel woefully ignorant. But I will do my best for you:

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Beauty Review: Burt's Bees lip care

When I received an email a little while ago, asking if I'd like to try Burt's Bees products I thought, why not? It's a brand I have heard of but have never actually tried. I was sent two lip care products to try out: the Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter and the Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Açaí Berry.

I noticed on the packaging that they are: 100% natural. Now, I don't profess to be a stickler for these sorts of things. I'm not. But I do like a brand that is.

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Beauty Review: No7 Pampering Dry Oil Body Spray

I don't often write beauty reviews on this blog (except for the regular Mani of the Week series) but when I do it is because I have found a product that I just have to tell you about and this is one such product.

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